CHAPTER THREE
Jorgen gradually began to make more of an effort with all three boys although he was a long way from being an ideal father. In turn his own father had been a distant figure in his life until he reached the age of ten, he being raised mainly by his mother and a nanny until then. Now faced with three young boys, one of whom was still a baby, he stumbled frequently as he learned to deal with them, helped by Ilse while she planned her rapidly approaching trip home to Norway in August. She intended to be away at least three months and Jorgen looked forward to her departure date with increasing dread.
Ilse left Denver on the second Saturday in August on a train bound for New York, where she would board a ship to cross the Atlantic Ocean to Norway. The rest of the family stood on the platform watching the train carry her away, Lars and Leif silent and sulky, Hans too little yet to understand that his beloved Nana was leaving for some months, but sensing the sombreness of the others and sucking his thumb tearfully as Jorgen held him grimly in one arm and wondered how in the world he was going to manage alone until his mother returned.
The remainder of the weekend proved to be a nightmare for all concerned, with Jorgen forced to rope in the housekeeper when Hans sobbed and screamed until he was hoarse. Meanwhile the twins who were usually as thick as thieves, squabbled and fought and finished by breaking the water jug in their room, Lars cutting his hand on the jagged china. The doctor was sent for to suture the gash and the cook provided cakes to tempt the children into a better temper, which ordinarily would have worked, but now did little to fill the enormous gap left by Ilse.
Later the twins caused more havoc in refusing to go to bed, Lars wailing over his sore hand and Leif complaining that his brother was receiving all the attention. Hans, for once, simply slept, exhausted from his earlier misery.
With similar events continuing on a daily basis, Jorgen survived only until a letter came from New York from Ilse, advising that she had arrived safely and that by the time he received her note, would no doubt be over halfway to Bergen in Norway by steamship. Since she had left Denver Jorgen had struggled on, thinking that the children would get used to her absence and that he would get used to them, but despite Lars and Leif doing their best to help when they weren't at school, nothing he did would keep Hans from screaming half the day and night for Nana. The arrival of Ilse's letter only reminded him how far away she was and how long it would be before she came back. He ordered the housekeeper to find a nanny and quickly.
Three days later, Mrs Jennifer Harrington was appointed; a severe lady in her fifties, widowed and with three grown up children who had long since left home. She wore her hair pinned back tightly from her face into a bun and dressed in various shades of grey with little white lace collars. She was of the same opinion as Jorgen, that children should be seen and not heard, should obey their parents and respect their elders and she took over the care of the three at once, moving into one of the empty rooms on the second floor of the house, her contract being temporary pending the return of Ilse. She was perfectly happy with the arrangement and Jorgen in addition advised the staff that Mrs Harrington had full authority to make any decisions she wished regarding the children.
Lars and Leif instantly hated the woman and feared that she was to permanently take the place of Nana. They were used to the strictness of their father and his occasional physical punishments should they deserve it, but having a complete stranger come into their home and proceed to lay down the law irritated both. Mrs Harrington's punishments when required, or sometimes for no apparent reason, ranged from the tweaking of ears to the slapping of hands, legs or rears and on the occasions Jorgen saw this taking place he condoned it, assuming the boys must have been defying the woman to earn it.
The twins, who had never really taken to Hans with the exception of the picnic, instantly became more protective of him when Mrs Harrington's method of keeping him quiet was to ignore his cries and leave him shut in the nursery. On these occasions, one boy would do something to annoy the nanny, causing her to begin one of her lengthy lectures or some form of punishment, thus keeping her occupied while the other would sneak into the nursery and comfort their little brother.
Jorgen did his best to be a father on Sundays, taking the boys to church and then arranging ball games or sometimes a picnic as his mother had done, but always with Mrs Harrington in attendance. However, everyone heaved a sigh of relief when a letter finally arrived from Ilse in the early part of December to tell them she was coming home.
"Does the return of your mother mean my services will no longer be required?" Mrs Harrington asked Jorgen primly after he read the contents of the letter to everyone. Unseen by the adults, Lars and Leif exchanged hopeful glances.
"I'd be grateful if you'd stay at least until after her arrival," Jorgen said. "It may be that Mrs Lausenstrom would prefer to look for her own home. She always expressed a wish to move out of Denver to a village at some stage and I really don't like to continue burdening her with the children at her age."
"Of course, Mr Lausenstrom, I'll stay on as long as you need me," said Mrs Harrington.
Lars rolled his eyes up into his head and Leif, standing slightly behind the nanny and therefore out of her sight, stuck his tongue out. Unfortunately Hans, who faced her, copied his brother and instantly incurred the wrath of both the insulted nanny and his father at his poor manners, who had apparently both forgotten he was still some months from his third birthday and should be forgiven at least some misdemeanors.
Ilse finally returned the day before Christmas Eve, the station buggy filled with luggage mostly containing gifts for the family. Rather than send a message from the station, she arrived unannounced during dinner to witness Mrs Harrington slapping Leif's hand for not using his knife and fork properly and chastising Hans for daring to say he didn't like the cauliflower on his plate.
"Jorgen! What is going on here?" she demanded from the dining room door.
"Nana!" Lars leapt up from the table and flung himself at her immediately, while Leif paused briefly to snatch Hans from his chair before joining them. Mrs Harrington's protests at their lack of manners fell on deaf ears as Ilse hugged first one twin and then the other before picking Hans up and cuddling him.
Jorgen now rose quickly too and greeted his mother before introducing the nanny.
"Mrs Harrington has been a great help with the children," he said.
"By slapping them?" Ilse demanded sharply.
"Children need a firm hand," Mrs Harrington replied.
"They need guidance, not violence," Ilse said in a low voice. "Jorgen, be good enough to have my luggage sent up to my room. I will be staying, at least until Hans starts school. Mary!" She now summoned the cook and the red-faced woman appeared quickly, beaming from ear to ear.
"Mrs Lausenstrom! I'm so happy to see you home, Ma'am."
"Thank you, Mary. Please have some tea and cake brought up to the nursery. Be generous with the cake. I intend to spend a little time with my boys. Jorgen, I will talk with you after they go to bed. In the meantime, perhaps you would like to consider your staffing arrangements." With that she turned and made for the stairs with Hans in her arms, the twins following closely with wide smiles on their faces.
Mary delivered tea, lemonade and two different kinds of cake to the nursery minutes later and Ilse seated herself in her favourite chair with Hans on her lap, cramming cake into his mouth and scattering crumbs onto her dress. She brushed them off absently and looked down at Lars and Leif where they sat on the rug in front of her.
"Now, will you tell me what has been happening while I have been away?" she said. "How long has this Mrs Harrington been here?"
Lars and Leif began to talk rapidly, one continuing each time the other paused.
"She came right after Father got your letter. He said he couldn't cope….."
"…She's horrible, she locks Hans in the nursery when he cries…"
"…and slaps us for everything. Sometimes she slaps us even when we haven't….."
"…..done anything!"
"Alright, ssshhhh," Ilse interrupted, horrified. "Do not worry, today was Mrs Harrington's last day of work in this house."
"Father likes her," Leif said.
"They both say the same thing. Spare the rod and spoil the child. What does that mean, Nana?" said Lars.
"It is something adults say to excuse them when they hit their children," Ilse said, frowning. "So, tell me what else you have been doing? Are you doing well in school?"
Lars shrugged. "Alright, I suppose. It's better than being at home."
"Well, things will change tomorrow," said Ilse firmly.
"Father said you might not want to live here anymore," Leif said.
"He said you want to move away from Denver," added Lars.
"It is true, I have always thought of leaving this big town," Ilse nodded. "But not yet. As I said downstairs, I will be here for a few years yet."
Mrs Harrington left the house later that evening. By the time the children were in bed and Ilse returned downstairs for her discussion with Jorgen, the nanny had packed her belongings and the carriage was waiting outside to take her to her daughter's house. She accepted her severance pay from Jorgen and walked out without another word.
Tired as she was from her long journey by ship and train, Ilse spent some time talking to her son before going to bed. She couldn't hide her disappointment that he had hired someone to do his job and worse, a woman like Mrs Harrington. Jorgen argued that it was his own decision how he ran his house and raised his family, but admitted he was relieved his mother had returned.
As promised, the following day everything changed, beginning with a wonderful Christmas Eve supper and vast gift-opening session, mostly of parcels brought from Norway by Ilse. She had even remembered the housekeeper and cook and both were delighted with the warm Norwegian shawls and cosy slippers she had bought them. For Jorgen she brought a silk cravat and hankerchiefs and some books by his favourite authors. The boys were the most spoiled with clothes and a vast array of new toys and sweets.
"Mother, you spoil them far too much," protested Jorgen quietly.
"Perhaps you spoil them far too little," she replied under her breath. "A certain amount of spoiling never hurt anyone. You did not come to a great deal of harm from it."
Jorgen had to admit that his memories of his childhood were only good and his mother's method of raising him had certainly not done him any harm. Perhaps he had been too hard on the boys and he decided to do his best to begin the New Year differently and aim to be the best father he could.