New Beginnings: Life Changes

ch. 31

Reunited

"Welcome home John Taylor. It has been some time since we have seen you Old Wolf. Much has changed. One change is I have married. This is my wife, Delphie. You may remember her as Dr. Amy's nurse. She had not been bere in Paradise long when you were last here."

"Hello Ethan. Pleasure to meet you Ma'am. These children of yours seem much older than I recall. Joseph has grown taller. He tells me he is fifteen, Ben is eleven and George ten. Surely he is telling a tall tale. They are just little sprouts, mere babes. What is this nonsense he speaks?"

"He is telling you straight. You have been away long enough for the boys to grow older. Joseph turned fifteen just yesterday. Let's go inside. The boys will be back from chores faster than we think. I would like some adult conversation before then. I would like to hear of your time away. You have been very missed by the children and myself."

Having the elder man she has heard so much about from the family, sitting at her table is a little unnerving for Delphie. Not knowing what to say, she decides on the simple, offer food and drink.

"May I get you something to drink? We have cold milk, buttermilk, lemonade or if you prefer, I can make hot coffee or even tea. We have just come from lunch but I can easily fix you something to eat as well. What would you like John Taylor?"

"Some coffee would do me just fine, Ma'am."

"Please call me Delphie. My given name is Delphinium but I prefer Delphie."

"Delphinium, a lovely flower. Delphie, tell me how you managed to hook Ethan. He swore he was never going to be tied to a woman."

At the look Delphie gives him Ethan says "I was young! John Taylor was busy taming me and teaching me the herbal medicine. I preferred woods and living off the land to people at that time. Besides, we were going to talk of where John Taylor has been the last two years."

"You tell me of your meeting, I tell you my tale." The older man replies

"We met when Ben was ill with Scarlet Fever. During the time, Amy, my sister was trying to find a treatment, Ethan visited often. We managed to learn to get along after a time. I fell in love with the boys and Claire." Delphie begins the story.

Ethan continues it saying "After you successfully cured Ben, we began seeing each other. We married last Spring. The children and the townspeople built on to this house to enlarge it while we were on honeymoon. The roof was raised to make a loft where we now have two bedrooms. This part of the house was enlarged too. This kitchen, the front room, our bedroom were all reworked to make more space. We have more than enough room for you to stay with us for as long as you wish. Now, your turn. Where did you disappear to these past two years? The children and I looked for you to come home for months. I am sorry but your cabin collapsed in a wind storm last fall."

"I went home to my people in Arizona. Word reached me that the chief was ill and requesting my services. I stayed with them until six months ago. My friend, Chief Talledega became one with the spirits at that time. His eldest son, Dark Eagle is the new chief. I am no longer needed or wanted. The tribe has their own ways of healing and their own healer. I left. Now let us talk of more pleasent things. Where are Claire and the eldest boy, you had living with you?" John Taylor inquires, changing the topic of their talk.

"Claire and Rob both finished the advanced education year and graduated last spring. Rob went off on a two month long cattle drive this past summer while Claire worked as an assistant to Dr. Amy. She has been accepted into a Nursing School in Boston, Massachusetts. Rob escorted her to the city and is staying until Claire is settled." Ethan answers.

"Young Claire will do well. She has the gift. I recognized it when I met her as a girl of fourteen. I do not know Rob well but for having met him only briefly. Is he to stay in the East as well?"

"Rob does not care for cities so I suspect he will join us here in Paradise before long. He was planning to return after two weeks but decided to wait. His good friend lives there now. The boys have not seen each other in three months. They have much to catch up on. Do you remember Alex Hale, Claire's friend? Rob and Claire are living with his family."

"I do. Her eyes sparkled each time she spoke of him. Are they to be trusted to be in each other's company?"

"Claire is betrothed to Alex but his family is chaperoning them. I do not worry. Claire and Alex are trustworthy."

"Here is your coffee, would you like milk? Sugar?" Delphie asks placing a cup in front of both men.

"I like it black, thank you. Tell me Delphie, when is the baby due? Congratulations to both of you. You keep adding children for me to enjoy." John Taylor asks.

"How did you know? I am due in the new year, February."

"You have the maternal glow and keep caressing your stomach."

Bursting in the side door at a full out run, Ben all but jumps into John Taylor's lap.

Where've you been? Why'd you leave us? Will you go fishing with us? You can have my bed." He tells the bemused older man all in a rush.

Before John Taylr can answer, Ethan says "Young man you know better than to enter a home this way! You go right back out and enter respectfully!"

"Butttt Papaaa! John Taylor is here!"

"So I see. Now do as you are told." Ethan replies, fixing the child with a look.

"I need to visit with John Taylor." Ben replies with a glare as his brothers come in the front door.

"Ben, you forgot to put up your tools. You left the pitchfork and rake laying out." Joseph tells him.

"Ben! Look at me!" Ethan commands, waiting for his exuberant child to obey before continuing. "You go put those tools up properly. After that you show me you can behave like a gentleman by walking into the house, speaking calmly and waiting for a reply. You do not ambush someone peppering them with questions. Go now, not one word young man!" He adds the last command as he sees Ben open his mouth presumably to argue more.

"Do as your Pa tells you. I will not leave tonight." John Taylor tells the child beside him.

"Do you promise you won't leave tonight?" Ben asks.

"I give you my solemn oath."

As the door closes behind Ben, John Taylor turns to the other boys.

"You have questions, I know. Ask if you wish."

"Are you staying for good because I want you too! I missed you."

"I missed all of you as well, George. Do you remember our talk of how people never go away but live in your memory?"

"Yes sir. My first Mama did live in my memory but came to see us a few times too. You never came though."

"Well George, I am not a spirit as you can see before you." John Taylor tells him with a smile.

"Will you help me learn more woodworking? I am good at whittling now but would like to learn carving. Pa gave me some carving tools yesterday but I haven't had a chance to try them yet."

"What makes you think I know carving, Joseph?"

"Because you carved the wooden toys we have and the ones sold in the Mercantile. Mr. Axelrod told me a year ago, you were the person who made those."

"I will see how much I remember."

Boston:

Gathering in Alex's bedroom before bed, the three young people enjoy their time getting caught up on each other's lives.

"So Rob, how is Cecily? Did you eventually get parental permission to be betrothed? Can you now court her without chaperones?"

"We did get betrothed but after I left for the cattle drive she started going around with someone else. She was angry I wanted to learn about cattle. We had words and she tried to stop me from going on the drive. I went anyway. When I came home, I found she was seeing a man from the telephone company. We had words again and broke off our relationship."

"I never thought she was the person for you. Claire and I hoped you would find someone who likes the things you do. Farming, country life, family and the outdoors. Cecily didn't like the small town life of Paradise. She wanted big city life. I know you will find that special person meant for you."

"Thanks Alex. Actually, I believe I already have met her. Her name is Amelia and she lives in the Texas town where we ended the cattle drive. She and I spent days talking and she wants the same life you just described. The problem is her mother's husband has her trapped in that place. He won't let her leave and she hasn't enough money to leave on her own. The man tried once to attack her at night. I worry about her."

"Rob and I talked on the train here. We think we can get Amelia to Paradise but we don't know who she can live with. She needs money to board at the boarding house. From what Rob tells me, she is not one to accept him paying her board."

"Why not ask Mitch to let her stay? She can have my room as I won't need it for quite some time. How is Mitch? He wrote only once."

"Alex, a single girl can't live with a man not her family! That is not proper! I am sure he wanted to write more. He was busy helping with the General Store aside from being a deputy. Uncle Matt needed to be home with Aunt Linnea right before and after the twins were born. I wrote you about the babies didn't I?"

"Yes Claire, you did. Two boys Gabriel and Lucas. How did Caleb take to being a big brother?"

"Not well at first." Rob answers. "Claire assisted the birth so she didn't see all of Caleb's reaction. He stayed at the ranch. Poor kid thought his new parents were replacing him with the babies. Matt accidentally gave him the idea he was not wanted. The kid was hysterical and really needed serious talk to calm down. I hope he is better now. Caleb can be a good kid but he is a little like Ben. He jumps to conclusions easily and rarely thinks through his actions before doing them. Matt has taught him some control though."

"We have to get some rest, Rob. Alex is taking us out on the city tomorrow. I don't have classes for once." Claire tells her brother.

"A tour of the city? Will we see the famous Boston Harbor? The site of the Boston Tea Party starting the revolution? I liked that part of American history. The people staging a revolt and dumping all that tea in the harbor!" Rob comments.

"I liked that they were protesting the British Parliament imposing taxes on tea shipped in to the American Colonies. I agree it was not right for Colonists to be taxed by England instead of the money being used in the Colonies. Their independent rights were worth fighting for! We will see the harbor. Don't be throwing any chests full of tea or anything into it, please." Alex answers, grinning at his best friend.

"Nothing? Not even a rock? I am good at skipping rocks you know."

"If you find a rock that is a good skipping rock, that would be allowed, Rob."

The followng day, Alex escorts his friends around part of the city.

"Look at all the young boys on so many of the street corners, Rob. They look just about Ben's age! So young to be working in a city. What are they calling? I don't understand."

"Most have some version of 'Paper! Paper! Get your newspaper here!' Each boy will add in a line of his own to attract buyers. Newsboys are just one of the peddlers. Look over there. Do you see the white horse and covered red cart? He is one of the peddlers I often see. He is selling either chickpeas or baked beans. We will see more peddlers near the harbor." Alex answers.

"Alex, I was with your Da this morning during his doctor's visit. The doctor said he is to begin exercising his leg and arm four times a day instead of two. After the doctor left, I was working with him to move his leg and he asked me something odd."

"Well don't stop there. What was it he asked, Claire? Sometimes his memory escapes him."

"He asked me if you had proposed to me. I wasn't prepared for that question. Do your parents not know we are betrothed?"

"My mother knows. I told her soon after I moved here. We had been talking of my time in Paradise and your Pa's marriage. Da doesn't know yet as he was too ill to tell. I was waiting for you to get here, after we made the arrangement for you to come, to say something. We can tell him together now that he is doing better. Are you upset with me?"

"No, I am not. I understand." Claire answers as they ride in the carriage.

"I would like to stop at a telegraph office if there is one anywhere along our route." Rob requests breaking up the awkward silence the two others lapsed into. "I am going to send word to Amelia about where I am. She can contact me here. I have two more weeks before I plan to go home."

"There is a telegraph office not far from the place we will go on the harbor. Doesn't Ethan expect you home next week though? What of the ranch?"

"Are you hinting you want me to go away, Alex?" Rob jokes.

"No, but I don't want your Pa upset with me for keeping you here."

"I told them during our call home yesterday that I plan to stay longer. He wasn't too happy but he did not order me home. He has Joseph snd the boys to help on the ranch. We aren't keeping any horses to gentle this fall."

"Here is the harbor. Over on the far right you are seeing the Metropolitan Steamship Company. One family has owned and managed it for forty years. They build ships in the shipyard. You can see a few steamships out in the harbor now."

"Are any for passengers? I have read of the enormous sea crossing passenger steamships." Rob asks.

"Well there are those that bring in immigrants from Europe but none are here now. There is a ship that leaves here for a daily trip to New York. With our luck in boats I wouldn't want to go. Remember the rowboat incident?" Alex asks with a grin.

"Yes but I don't believe a steamship would tip over tossing us out because someone stood up in it."

"We don't have money or time to go on a ship, guys. The harbor is not as pretty as I expected. It is not like a lakeshore is it?"

"No Claire, it isn't. It is a place for ships to dock. Let's walk along this cobblestone road. There is a nicer section up ahead." Alex answers.

"Here is the section I told you would have food peddlers. Would you like to try something? There are large soft pretzels, a kind of bread dough twisted and cooked. Then we have frankfurters, Boston baked beans and one man sells roasted hickory nuts. If that doesn't sound good, we could go back closer to downtown to the restaurant where I work. I want you to taste crab and other seafood from the area. I have acquired a taste for soft shell crab. We need to go to a clambake while you are here. That is on the shore most nights."

"I would like to try pretzels, beans and the frankfurter. What about you, Claire?" Rob asks his sister.

"Yes, all three for me as well. I would like to have a chance to taste seafood, Alex. Maybe another day we can visit your restaurant."

"I don't own it, I just work there. Occasionally I get to eat there too. Most of the time I serve the food or fix the plates."

"Don't you work in a hotel?"

"Yes I do, Rob. The restaurant is part of the hotel."

Paradise

"Papa! We have a guest! It is not good manners to leave a guest you told us that before. Back when we had Mr. McBride's little boy here. Now we have John Taylor here. I need to stay home."

Smothering her smile with her apron as she uses it to wipe her mouth, Delphie looks across at Ethan. Her sparkling eyes giving her amusement away.

Shaking his head at both his wiife's amusement and Ben's continued protest, Ethan faces the boy across the breakfast table.

"Listen well young man. I have had all the arguing I will take from you on this. As I have said twice before, John Taylor is going to be here when you return. You WILL get yourself ready and go to school this morning. The only question remaining is whether or not you will be able to sit comfortably when you get there! Last warning, son. Go. Get. Ready. For. School!"

"I truly believe that child would argue with God himself!" Ethan says to Joseph and Delphie who remain in the room.

Snickering at that comment, Joseph says "Ben could be a good lawyer someday. He has practiced arguing and being contrary since he learned to talk! One of his favorite sayings at age two was 'Ben NO do!' By four he was telling us 'I don't need to do that! I need to do this!' whenever he was told to do something he did not want to do."

"Thank you for preparing the lunch pails, dear. It is nearly time to leave. Go gather your books and your brothers too. Tell them I have hot biscuits and jam ready to eat on the way to school. It is chilly this morning so everyone needs a jacket as well as my warm treat."

"Yes Mama, you're welcome." Joseph answers before going to do as she asked.

After the boys left for school, Ethan finds John Taylor out in the barn admiring the horses.

"The boys showed me the new barn. It looks bigger than the one you had before. Lucky is a good name for a pony."

"After the other barn burned, the town came together to build a new one. We have extra stalls for keeping any horses we may be training. We contract with the Army now to gentle horses for them. We have at least two groups during spring and summer."

"Many changes have occurred since I was here last. The children, you, the homestead, and the town itself. I see you are dressed for your sheriff responsibilities. I won't keep you. I plan to help Delphie today. She requested some help with the drying of herbs."

"She wants to hear tales of old, be ready for questions."

"I had already gathered that was her reason for asking. Drying herbs is not a two person job." John Taylor replies, eyes smiling.

"Today, after our lunch, we will visit the train station! Be ready to take your pencil and lined tablet with you. We are going to write some information while there. Alright lovelies, gather your lunch pails and go out for lunch. The weather is cool so take wraps with you, children." Miss. Donaldson tells the class.

Upstairs, Mr. Davis concludes his lesson by anouncing an assignment.

"We have been reading The Three Musketeers and in this, D'Artagnan sees the other Musketeers as men he admires. He is striving to become a Musketeer just as Aramis, Pothos and Athos are now. I propose an assignment to you all. Write a theme, at least three pages, of who you admire and why. What qualities make this person or people be admirable? Please take your time and use what you have learned. I will be checking grammar, sentence structure, and punctuation. This is due one week from today. Class dismissed for lunch."

Settling himself with Theo, Gordon and Frank, Joseph unwraps his sandwich.

"What did you bring today, Joseph? Chipped beef on toast? Salmon? Perhaps a gourmet spread?" Gordon teases.

"You fellas are just not as special as I am. I can't deny that I have a Mama who loves to fix fabulous lunches. Last week when I did have the warm chicken breast with baked potato and pie, your mouths were watering! I saw you. I just rate higher than all of you guys!" Joseph exclaims giving his friends some ribbing before saying "I am joshing you. Today I have a ham sandwich, cookies, apples and a pickle. Not much to brag about."

"Did your mother become cross with you? That seems an ordinary schoolboy lunch." Frank remarks.

"I am an ordinary schoolboy, Frank. No, my Mama is not cross with me. My parents are busy lately. I made the school lunches today. Would you like an apple or a cookie, Frank? I brought enough to share."

"I have my own lunch! I do not need yours! I am going by myself to eat in peace!" The other boy declares before stalking away.

"Why do you keep trying to be friendly to him, Joseph? He is not a friendly person. He is always trying to cause trouble. My uncle would skin me if I had notes from school every week, I would not be able to sit my horse to get to school!"

"Same here, Gordon. My Pa would see to it I did not bring home another note after the first one! I feel sorry for Frank. Being a new person in a new town is hard. You seem to handle it well though." Joseph replies after chewing his bite of sandwich.

"I have been in five different town schools in two years. My family moved a lot and then when my Ma died, my Pa took a job with the railroads. He sends money for my keep. He will make more if he does not have me to look after."

"Guys, Frank just came from the stable with a gunnysack. What do you suppose he will let loose today? Mr. Davis is a much more patient man than most. Most teachers would have walloped him after his letting a snake loose in the classroom. Even if it was not poisonous." Theo announces.

"The bucket of water over the door, the mice in teacher's desk drawer, the toads let loose in the room, then a snake. His Pa must let him do whatever he wants. He keeps doing these things even with notes sent home." Gordon replies.

Having seen Frank climbing the outside stairs to the upper level classroom, Mr. Davis packs the remainder of his lunch into his deerskin bag. Entering the school from the front and climbing the inside stairs, he moves quietly to observe the miscreant. Wanting to catch the boy in the act this time, he waits before entering the classroom. Finally peering around the doorframe, he sees the boy pull a box of matches from his pocket. Thinking the child has something in the box, Mr. Davis waits before speaking. Seeing the boy strike two wooden matches together and then light a paper bag, he moves quickly.

"What on earth are you thinking, son? Setting a fire on the floor of a wooden building! Put that fire out! Grab the other water bucket by the wall!" Mr. Davis commands as he moves towards the bucket near the wood burning stove."

By the time he has reached the bucket, the boy has fled, leaving behind the now burning bag of manure. Pouring water over the bag puts out the fire but increases the smell. Covering his nose, Mr. Davis leaves the building. Going first to Miss. Donaldson, he informs her "One of my pupils set off a burning bag of manure. We won't be returning to class today. Your children may benefit from your outside lessons this afternoon."

"We have a learning expedition to the train station. We will be out until dismissal anyway."

"I am just going to have to dismiss early."

"Why not join us at the station?"

"No, thank you though. I have no lesson to use there. Besides, it is too small to hold 30 or more students."

Calling his class together, Mr. Davis explains what went on.

"As the classroom is uninhabitable, you are dismissed for the afternoon. You may plan your theme and do your morning homework assignments. Hurry to gather your books. You young ladies may get a gentleman to gather your belongings."

After his pupils have left, Mr. Davis heads over to the sheriff's office.

"Ethan, I have never struck a child in my life. Today, if that boy had not fled, I may have! I seriously have a strong desire to go to his home and apply a yardstick to him! His prior escapades were annoying pranks. This put the school and town at risk. If the building had caught fire, we might have lost it. The wind was blowing today, so the fire could have spread!"

"Yes, this was more than mischief. You say he lit a bag of manure on fire? Somone who robbed the Mercantile did the same thing the other day. What response have you from his parents?"

"He lives with only his mother. None of the notes are returned. My attempt to visit last week, she refused to come to the door. She sent her youngest child to say she was ill and in bed. However, I saw her peering out the window as I left."

"Alright, it is time young Frank and I had a conversation. I will visit his mother also."

"I want you to know Joseph has befriended him. He may be influenced by this young hoodlum. Keep an eye out."

"Has Joseph done anything to cause problems in school? Is there something you need to tell me?" Ethan questions.

"Other than the mishap the first day, he has been a model student. I see a lot of maturity in him from last school year."

"That is very good to hear. It is more than time for him to take his schooling seriously. I will tell him I am pleased with his conduct at school. He has shown maturity at home as well. I will let you know what I learn with young Frank."