New Beginnings: Life Changes
ch. 44
Discussing Choices
The morning after the Valentines' dance, Joseph wakes early remembering the night before. All of his impatient and jealous feelings have not left him which makes him very irritable. Rolling out of bed, he sees George still asleep and wonders when he crawled in with him as he does not remember. Pulling on his pants and shirt, he finishes dressing for outside chores by shoving his feet into his boots. Downstairs, he roughly pulls on his fleece-lined barn jacket and opens the front door. Feeling like slamming it, Joseph catches himself and quietly closes it behind him. With just enough light to see by, he makes his way to the barn.
Greeting the horses and hearing return greetings in the form of soft blows and neighs, he begins the daily morning chores. Opening the wooden window covers, he lets light into the barn. Gathering buckets of grain and oats, Joseph begins the feeding. Pouring oats and the other grain mixture into each horse's feedbag, placing fresh hay in the feed bins, rinsing, and refilling the hanging water buckets for all ten horses takes some time. Joseph pats each of the milk cows as he feeds their breakfast as well. Finished, he moves one of the cows to the center of the barn to begin milking. There is more room to move with the cow out of the stall. The warmth and quiet in the barn have a calming effect and he feels some of his irritation begin to fade.
"Yes, I know. Your bag is full. I'm going to empty it. Just be calm and no kicking! You want relief and I want the milk. Let's work together, Clarice." Joseph answers the cow's impatient noises.
"Clarice is a fancy name for you. Your previous owner liked fancy names. I would call you Bossy because you are bossy! Always impatient and demanding I do you first! The other two girls might appreciate a turn to be first but you won't let them will you?" Joseph talks to the cow as he pulls in rhythm on her udders.
"She is a bossy one, I agree. How's your head and stomach this morning?"
Recognizing Rob's voice, Joseph answers without taking his eyes off the cow, "I feel fine. What excuse did you give the parents for me going to bed? They would expect to hear about the dance."
"I told Pa the truth, you had too much to drink and were feeling sick," Rob answers, hiding his grin behind the cow he has begun to milk.
After a minute of shocked silence, Joseph asks "You told him WHAT? Are you crazy or did you want me to be in enormous trouble?!" His voice causes Shadow, Ben's cat, to scamper out of the barn
"Do not shout! You scared Shadow and Daisy nearly put her foot in the milk bucket! No, I am not crazy nor do I want you in trouble. I did explain how you drank tainted water and did not know it. He accepted my explanation. After they heard my news, your problem seemed forgotten. Pa is not too pleased with my news. I asked Amelia to be my wife and she accepted. We plan to marry in the spring. Pa did his usual whenever I say I have asked a girl to marry. He suggested we wait at least six months to a year."
"Well, you do have a problem with proposing, you know. This would be your third time! Mary Anderson, Cecily Blackstock, and now Amelia. Make this one work as I like her."
"Just what I need, my younger brother keeping track of my life. Now he approves because he likes my girl! She is MY girl, back off buster!" Rob teases back.
"So, did Pa suggest waiting, or was it he ordered? I would guess the latter. He still controls your money so he can tell you what to do. That and you are eighteen not twenty one so not legally grown yet." Joseph asks.
"He suggested we wait. I agreed to talk to Amelia about waiting a few months but that is all. I know about the legal age bit, Joseph. I have heard it as often as you. If I choose to marry before age twenty-one, I will support us without my bank account if necessary! Amelia does not know the account is what it is. She just knows I have an account with Pa as the head of it."
"You haven't told her how much money you have? I don't think she cares about having money. It was Cecily who wanted to live rich but she didn't know you had money! Mary didn't know either. Last I heard from Jason, their family doesn't even know where Mary is now. She sent the one letter months back, saying she'd married a man who is thirty. How old would she be now?"
"Seventeen or eighteen. A man who is thirty is too old for someone her age. Maybe he can help calm her though. She's as wild as a spring hare." Rob replies.
"Not only that but demented as well! She is a loony!"
"Don't let Pa hear you disparaging her. He disapproves of that sort of talk, remember?"
"Yes, I remember the long lecture on that topic."
"I'll take these first two buckets to strain and take inside. I'll come back and help you finish the milking," Rob says lifting his full milk pail.
"Have you noticed you and I are still doing most of the barn chores? We milk, feed, plus take the animals in and out to get fresh air. I think the boys could do some of this, don't you? They do little kid chores but they are not that little now. Ben is eleven, old enough to do much more. I did a whole lot more work around the ranch at age eleven than he does! He and George are being coddled!"
"Your cow is giving you the "Get milking." look. I will be back." Rob answers not wanting to get into a gripe session with Joseph.
In town, Ethan has come early into the office. Hearing singing coming from the back, he expects to find Chris or Mitch. Instead, he sees a couple of young men locked in each cell. The two are trading lines of a song he isn't familiar with so he just listens for a few minutes in the shadows.
"Give me the gleam of a swift mountain stream
And the place where no hurricane blows;
Oh, give me the park where the prairie dogs bark
And the mountain was all covered in snow.
A home, a home
Where the deer and the antelope play,
There seldom is heard a discouraging word
And the sky is not cloudy all day.
Give me the hills and the ring of the drills
And the rich silver ore in the ground;
Yes, give me the gulch where the miner can sluice
And the bright yellow gold can be found."
Breaking in before the two get further, Ethan steps forward into the light from the one window.
"Hello, are you the sheriff? Did you enjoy listening to our song? I saw you standing over there. The deputy said you would be here to give us breakfast." the one in the left cell says.
"I am Sheriff Cord. Yes, I did enjoy your song. You two sing well together. If we have any prisoners who decide to sing, it is usually a drunken warble where no words can be understood. Who might you two be if we are introducing ourselves? Also what are you in my jail for as you seem young to be locked up."
"We are The Singing Cowboys, or part of them anyway. There is one more, our older brother, Mason. I am Mark and that is Mike. Your crazy deputy brought us in for what he called "loitering and being underage". We were in the saloon and were just sitting there enjoying a drink." The younger one speaks up from the other cell.
"Mitch is tough on anyone caught in a saloon he feels does not belong. You look to be near fifteen to sixteen, Mark. That is a far cry from twenty-one, the legal age to have alcohol. Mike, you look about eighteen or nineteen, also too young. How close am I?" Ethan asks.
"God da..." At the look given by Ethan, Mark changes the words he was saying to "Gosh darn" while wondering why he reacted to the look he received. He hadn't refrained from swearing since they left home, a year and a half ago at least.
"I do not abide swearing or lying. Do not test me, young man! Now answer me! How old are you two?"
"You're correct. I'm nineteen, Mark's sixteen but tells everyone he is eighteen. Our older brother's our guardian and is twenty-three. He is currently in the hotel as his stomach pain is worse snd we can't travel. We stopped here on the way to Denver. We are trick riders and entertain by singing as well."
"Let me get the town doctor to check on him and I will return with breakfast. Would you like to stay separated or be together?"
"I would like to be together," Mike replies.
"Alright. Sit facing the wall, hands behind your back. I will cuff you, move you to his cell and uncuff you so you can be together."
Turning the young man around to walk him to the other cell, Ethan tells Mark "You move to the far corner and sit down. You may get up after I release your brother."
"You like issuing orders don't you? Why should I obey you?" Mark answers unmoving.
"My town or in this case, jail, my rules. Your choice whether or not to follow them. There are consequences for not following. Show me your choice. Sit and get to be with your brother, refuse and he stays in his cell."
"Just do as he tells you, Mark! You don't need to buck everything he says!" Mike tells his brother before saying to Ethan "He is what Mason calls 'prickly'!"
"So, I see. I am very familiar with boys who are 'prickly'. I have four boys of my own. Two are near your ages at fifteen and eighteen. I know some reliable cures for being prickly."
"So does Mason," Mike says giving his brother a quelling look.
Over at Chris' home, he wakes Aaron.
"Son? Wake up, you have slept long enough. Go do your business and come talk with me. I have your breakfast warming in the oven. Alyssa has gone to play with the Brandenburg girls."
Stalling outside as long as he dares, Aaron bites his lip thinking. If Alyssa has been sent off, I'm in huge trouble and Pa wants her away.
"AARON? Are you sick, son?" He hears his Pa call.
"No sir, I'm coming." He calls back wishing he was sick!
Having decided to have this talk at the kitchen table, Chris waits for Aaron to settle and quit squirming in his chair before speaking.
"Son, I need to hear how you arranged this plan. Miss. Savannah traveled a long way expecting to be met by a husband who will provide for them. Who wrote the two letters she received?"
"I wrote them."
"Who helped you? There are things discussed you know nothing about. I have read them." Chris asks, curiously.
"Some of it was from talking to Miss. Hannah at the General Store. I kind of pretended I had a school theme and needed ideas. I used her ideas for the romantic stuff."
"We want a Ma too! Alyssa and I are the only children in school without a mother! I did it and then told her. When we got the answer letter and Miss. Savannah seemed nice we wrote again with the promise of marrying you."
"The contract and letter had my signature. The letters were not in your handwriting. How did that come about?"
"I got Caleb to copy it and rewrite the letters. He has better penmanship than me."
"Aaron, this is deceit isn't it? You pretended to be someone you are not when you sent the letters. You also admit to letting Miss. Hannah believe something that was not true just to use her knowledge." Chris asks.
"I suppose so but I only did it to help us."
"Where did the money come from to pay the original fifteen dollar fee for this service? I saw this in the newspaper advertisement you showed me."
"I sold the pocket watch I kept from our evil father, McGinnis, my pocket knife, and the silver cross our Ma gave us to hide from McGinnis because he would gamble it away. We had a box of keep things hidden from him. I sold those to Mr. Abbott for ten dollars then Alyssa and I used our extra chores money from summer to pay the rest."
"You children feel strongly about this since you parted with your treasures. I am not angry with you for your attempt to get a mother, son. I do wish you children had talked to me first. The way you decieved Savannah was wrong. Your using Mrs. Hannah Abbott and Caleb was wrong as well, Aaron. Never do that again! You deserve punishment for deliberately deceiving people."
"Yes sir. Are you going to use your belt to give me a whipping?"
"No, son. This is not the same as when you played with a loaded gun. I will give you a choice between doing work around town after school and Saturdays or you can end your guilt now by accepting a spanking."
"I want it over with now. My stomach has been flipflopping all night and this morning." Aaron answers.
"Alright, if that is your choice then let us go to your room." Chris says standing to lead the boy to his bedroom.
Sitting on the child's bed he says quietly "This is your choice so lower your pants and let's get this over with."
"No more deceit, son. I will not give choices if you are deceitful again." Chris informs the child sitting on his lap after he has calmed down a few minutes later.
"Yes Pa. I am sorry. I will tell Miss. Savannah too. I won't do this again. I have felt awful for making you and Uncle Ethan work to find who sent for Miss. Savannah with your name. I was afraid to tell you."
"Did you think I would be angry and give you a harsh punishment?"
"No, not then. Mostly you don't get angry, just disappointed. You don't whip me unless I break the law or some such horrible thing. Today I thought maybe this was bad enough so that's why I asked. I thought Uncle Ethan might find out I did it though! I was scared Miss. Savannah would then leave. She would not like us enough to stay. Now I suppose she'll go back home. Alyssa will miss having a mother after all."
"I prefer not using physical punishment, you are correct. Your first father did that much too harshly and too often. I never will treat you that way. Do you understand what was so wrong about your actions?"
"Yes, Pa. Is Miss. Savannah going to leave us?"
"No, Aaron. She and the children are staying in Paradise. Now, I need to get over to the jail so you climb in this bed. I can see you are exhausted. You get some sleep and then do your chores. Alyssa will be home by two as she promised. I will be home before it is time to cook supper."
Reporting for work later that morning, Chris tells Ethan the mystery surrounding his mail order bride has been solved and the details of what happened.
"I never thought of Aaron doing this. He really must have wanted you to get married. How did you handle this? Did you tell him you do not plan to marry?"
"He and I talked, I told him I understood why he did it. I also explained how his using others to help deceive Savannah was wrong. I used the method you taught me when the twins moved in. I offered a choice of punishment. No, I did not tell the boy that I would not marry. Savannah and I decided we will honor the contract. We have enjoyed being in each other's company and with the children. She will be a good mother to the twins and I can help her with her little ones as well. No one else has been told yet, not even the children. We plan to have a special outing to tell them."
"Well, that is great news. Congratulations to you both."
"Thank you, Ethan. I hope there are no hard feelings between us for my harsh scolding of Joseph last night. He was out of bounds with Sarah so I stepped in."
"You know you have my approval to discipline any of my children as you see fit. I haven't heard what he did. Rob just said the two quarrelled."
"Joseph was not happy that other young men were taking turns as Sarah's dance partner. They had words. When the two reached the refreshment table, I was near enough to overhear. He accidentally spilled tea on her blouse which upset her. She accused him of ruining her Valentines and said she was going home. He replied by telling her she should stay. Then he said 'You haven't danced with all the boys, just most of them! You missed a few.' Sarah ran out. I reprimanded him for how he spoke to her and told him to apologize. He left the barn and never came back. He was sulking outside. It wasn't long before Rob came looking for him to go home."
"I will have a talk with him as he needs a review of gentlemanly behavior. There are two young men in the back. Mitch brought them in for an underage saloon visit. I was just about to talk to them. Come with me so they can meet you as a deputy as well." Ethan replies.
"Chris, this is Mark, age sixteen and his brother Mike, age nineteen. Fellows, this is Deputy Johnston. You remember his face and name. If he tells you to do something, you follow what he says. Yes Mark, he is bossy just like me. I am going to let you out now. Stay out of saloons and out of trouble! You don't want to find yourselves back here and on my bad side by finding trouble. I spoke to your older brother and he has agreed for me to supervise you in his stead. He is under treatment by the town doctor as we speak."
Arriving home for lunch, Ethan is met at the barn by two upset young boys.
"Pa! I am so happy you are home early! Joseph is being so hateful. He won't stop." George tells him.
"Come tell me about it while I settle Lightning."
Ben adds "He made us do chores which Mama said we didn't need to do. Joseph made us put blacking on the kitchen stove then yelled at us for getting the floor dirty. He made us scrub the floor too."
"It does sound as if he worked you hard." Ethan remarks
"Yessir and was mean the whole time. He griped at us telling us we couldn't even black a stove correctly! Then he spanked me with a piece of kindling because I accidentally spilled a fireplace shovel of dried ashes on the hearth!"
"Mama scolded him for the way he kept criticizing us. When he spanked Ben, she told him to 'leave the boy alone". He didn't listen and he told her she was too soft and should learn how to be a parent from him.' George tells Ethan.
"What did your Mama say to that?" Ethan asked as his mind conjured a picture of red haired Delphie with fire coming from her green eyes.
"I am not quite sure because it was in Irish, at least I think it was. She took the kindling he had used on Ben and walloped Joseph! Mama rarely spanks but she did! She had him yelping and apologizing!"
"Where is your brother and Mama now?"
"He's in his room until Mama gives permission to leave. She took Emerson to your room for a rest." Ben answers before asking "Are you going to punish Joseph?"
"Ben! You know better. I don't discuss someone else's punishment with you." Ethan scolds causing the boy to duck his head guiltily.
"Come boys, let's go find lunch. I'm hungry."
As the three leave the barn, they see Dr. Amy's buggy coming.
"Hi Aunt Amy! Can you have lunch with us?" George asks when she stops in front of them.
"I'm sorry, I can't. There's an emergency in town. Ethan, the young man, Mason, I believe his appendix needs to be taken out. I need Delphie to assist me. Can you care for baby Emerson without Delphie for a few hours?"
"We can take care of our own baby!" Ben replies, frowning.
"Benjamin! Manners!" Ethan scolds as Amy hides her amusement at the boy's outrage.
Thirty minutes later, Ethan and the boys are managing just fine. Emerson is still asleep in her cradle.
"Ben, George, finish your sandwiches. I am going upstairs to speak with your brother. If Emerson wakes, try rocking her in the cradle. If she cries then give her the bottle I have ready. Be sure to hold it as we have learned, tilt it up."
"What if she has messy pants?" Ben asks wrinkling his nose at that thought.
"Then you wait for me to change them. Do not try it yourselves yet."
"We don't want to change her, Pa." George tells him.
Upstairs, Ethan is having a firm discussion with his fifteen year old.
"I am disappointed in your behavior last night and today. I heard all about your treatment of Sarah and your mother. Your mother has punished you for your rudeness with her so I won't be. You best remember how to speak and act as the mannerly young man I know you to be or you will have more than kindling applied to the seat of your pants! Do you understand?"
"Yessir"
"What happened last night to cause you to lose your temper?"
After hearing just about the same as he had heard from Chris, and about the conversation he had with Rob, Ethan says "Well Joseph, it seems you have been attacked by the jealousy monster. Those feelings you talked about, that is jealousy. It happens but you can not react the way you did. Blaming the young lady gets you in trouble. All of the dances are exchange partners dances, son. Rob and Chris told you right. You owe Sarah a new blouse and a big apology. You can apologize tomorrow before church. As for the blouse, I will loan you money to pay for a new one. You can work off the cost with extra work here or at the homestead with Rob. Now that he's told you of his plan to marry Amelia, you can help him. He needs young muscle to help get his land ready for the house he ordered. He has ordered a ready made house kit, it just needs assembly. According to him, it will come in about six weeks. Whether you work for me or for Rob, you will do as told, no slacking off or arguing."
"Yes, Pa."
"You also will apologize to Ben and George. You were out of bounds this morning. Your mother or I are the adults here. We will assign chores and punishment, not you. If you are left in charge, you MAY be given authority to punish the boys but not until then, understood?"
"Yes sir."
"Good. Come downstairs. We men are alone with Emerson. Your Mama went to assist with an operation. You can change the diapers."
"PA! Not fair! That is disgusting."
"Your job for the day. Diapering and also washing the diapers. This will be your consequence for your ungentlemanly behavior."
(Lyrics from Home On The Range a very early 20th-century version)
If you wish to read how Aaron and Alyssa came to be Chris Johnston's kids, it begins in chapter 11 in the story New Beginnings.