New Beginnings: Life Changes
Ch.35
Handling It
Once inside the store, Joseph is led to the storeroom.
"What was going on outside? You were just here and then you go outside and get in a fight? He claims, and you agreed, that you were insulting his mother! What would Ethan do about this?" Matthew questions sternly.
"Pa would listen to my side and expect honest answers. He would not accuse me before he heard what happened. I did not insult his mother! I do not even know the brat's mother!"
"Joseph, name calling does not help your case. Suppose you just tell me, from the beginning, what happened."
"Well, I have tried before to talk to him. I did that with the other new boy and we are friends now. I don't know what Frank is upset about but he is always mad around me. I offered him some of my lunch early in the term, he didn't seem to have any, he called me names and ran off. When he sees me he now calls me "perfect sheriff kid".
"Let's skip in this tale to the incident today. I can not stay in the storeroom all day listening to the events of the first weeks of the school term." Matt says with a slight grin.
"I spoke to him on my way into the store, he was rude again. I just came inside. I bought extra candy because I doubt he and his little brother or sister get many treats. I went out and offered it to him. He said he didn't want it. Then I lost my patience and said something like 'Go on! Take it! Your Ma and brother and sister might enjoy the candy. I know your Ma works hard so she should get a treat. He lunged at me with his fist aimed at my nose. He shouted something about 'not talk about my Ma that way' or something. I don't know what I said to make him so mad, Uncle Matt. I just offered candy and he fought me."
"You said you don't know his mother. What did you mean then, when you said she works hard?" Matt asks, once again stern.
"She is a mother. She has a young child home with her all day. She must work hard like my Mama and Aunt Linnea do. Why is that wrong to say? I do not know why you are mad at me again."
"Joseph, has there been any talk among the schoolboys of Frank's mother?"
"No sir. We don't talk much about women. Mostly the fellas talk about the girls they want to court but are too shy to ask."
"Is there something wrong with his Ma? Does she have a disease? I can tell Mama to visit or get Dr. Amy to do so."
Shaking his head, Matt answers "That won't be necessary, son. You go on to the hardware store now. This was all a misunderstanding on my part. Don't forget your basket of purchases for Delphie."
On his way home that evening, Matthew stops at the sheriff's office to speak to Mitch.
"I found out today's scuffle between Joseph and Frank Palmer was nothing more than a misunderstanding. Frank has a broad chip on his shoulder and seems to be easily aggrieved. Joseph meant no harm. He was genuinely offering treats to the boy's family. He made a remark about Frank's Ma working hard and Frank took it as an insult. It seems Joseph has not heard of what Mrs. Palmer does for a living. I was assuming his remarks were derogatory considering her occupation but he has no idea. He was referring to all mothers in his comment of Frank's mother working hard."
"That is what I determined also. I told Frank this was his one warning. If he causes any more problems he and I will take a visit to the woodshed behind this office. I simply told him I would apply my belt to his backside until it was very warm!"
"It is raining hard now. Would you like to use one of the oilskin ponchos to get home dry?" Mitch asks as the men hear the distant rumbling of thunder.
"I would, thank you. I will return it tomorrow. Enjoy your quiet evening. I will think of you at the 4 AM howl fest with the babies."
Out at the Circle 5 Ranch, the boys are enjoying a dessert of apple turnovers with fresh cream.
"This is so good, Mama. It tastes somewhat like apple pie." George tells her, taking another bite.
"Thank you, George. It is very much like an individual pie if it turns out correctly. The crust is made the same but the filling is folded inside and there are no pie pans needed. As you see, the triangle has the edges just crimped together. I added butter and brown sugar to the top after they cooked."
"Someday soon we might get to make homemade ice cream to have with these delicious desserts you make. The ice house being built by the General Store is going to keep ice frozen all year."
"That will be wonderful, Joseph. Boys, let's skip the dishes and have a story session. Come, let's sit by the fire. This storm is unsettling. Boys, tell me of first meeting Ethan and the journey from St. Louis when he came for all of you children."
"It was awkward. None of us knew Uncle Ethan well at all. He came to visit us in St. Louis once a few years before Mama became ill. I was about six and the boys were babies. I think I remember that visit but not nearly as much as Claire does. So when he showed up nearly a month after our mother died, I was angry. I was ten going on eleven and resented him leaving us with an older couple who traveled with the stage troupe. I resented everything back then. Nobody could say or do anything to please me. I was mad and took it out on everybody I could. I was behaving badly but no one stopped me until Uncle Ethan took us.
He showed up, told the couple he was now our guardian. He had received a telegram about Mama but he was away from town for a month. He explained to the couple how as soon as he did get the telegram, he made some arrangements and came east to get us. We gathered what we could take inside a train, he arranged to have the rest of our family belongings shipped to Paradise. We didn't have much. We had some heavy dress clothes for opening performances and a set of everyday clothes. We had a couple of boxes of household items Mama had collected.
This was our first trip out of St. Louis and the first time on a train. He ushered us all like a flock of chickens to our two seats. We sat facing each other. Me, Ben, George together and Uncle Ethan across from us with Claire. Right away he sternly informed us we were to stay still in the seat. He didn't know much about children then. He was very stern and no one misbehaved the first day. Claire and I looked after the boys needs. He had a few learning times on that trip."
George adds to the tale. "I was five then and Ben was six. We had a birthday a few months after we came here. Papa was frowny and scary. He barked at us instead of just talking. I was quiet and good but Ben really was fidgety and could not be quiet either. I remember him asking a lot of questions about the train. Not the first day because we were afraid Uncle Ethan might wallop us if we talked much. By the second day, he was not as fierce looking. We talked some then. He asked us questions and let us stand up by him on the seat. He told us to look for animals or some other things out the window."
"So your interest in trains started back then. Isn't that right, Ben?" Delphie asks.
"I love trains. I don't remember much about that trip. Only that I got to see up in the engine one time. I will let George and Joseph tell it.
"How long was the trip, Joseph?"
"We were on the train six days. We slept on the seats, me and Ben and Claire and George. Uncle Ethan slept on the floor between the seats.I don't know how much he slept because every time I would wake up, he would too. He would tell me to try to sleep. The train was hard to travel on, I remember that. Luckily, there were a lot of stops for putting water in the engine and to load more wood. We would get off, walk around and if we could find a place selling meals. Some stops Pa was just able to buy a basket of sandwiches and hope for some fresh milk. Mostly we had water from a bucket on the train and a communal dipper to drink from. The boys were enthralled with the water bucket when we first started the trip. I would bet, if I was a betting person, they made twenty trips up and down the aisle to that bucket the second day. Claire would scold and try to get them to sit and stay still but they didn't. Of course, all that water would not stay inside them so it wasn't long before Pa had two squirming boys. He took them to the open caboose and then brought them back. I remember this because it was the first time he scolded any of us. He told us we were to ask permission to leave the seat from then on. No more walking back to the bucket anytime we felt like it."
"So he never lost his temper and punished any of you during that journey?" Delphie asks.
"Mama you know what Pa likes to say! He says 'I never lose my temper." Ben speaks up trying to make his voice gravelly and deep like Ethan's.
After they stopped laughing, Joseph answers "No, Mama. He somehow kept his patience with us during the trip. Looking back, I am amazed because I was not very nice or helpful. I only answered him if he asked me a direct question. I let him handle everything instead of helping the way Claire did."
"Well Joseph, that is what adults are supposed to do. From what I have heard, you and Claire were taking on much more responsibility back then than you should have. You were a child, not an adult. Ethan eventually succeeded in having you and Claire let him be the parent and you two be the older children. You just let go, right this minute, of any guilt you may feel for not being helpful. Do you hear me, young man?"
"Yes Ma'am." Joseph answers blushing at her scolding.
"I remember we saw a group of Indians once when we were on the train. We'd never seen Indians before! They were riding these spotted horses and not wearing shirts, just beads and feathers. Claire got scared but Pa said they wouldn't hurt us. After we got to the cabin, Ben and I used to try to get Papa and Claire to let us play outside with no shirts. They always said "no". One time, Ben plucked several chickens and we used those feathers to play Indians. Claire was not pleased and Pa told us he would wallop us where our tailfeathers would be, if we scalped her chickens ever again!" George shares.
"I would be nervous seeing a group of Indians as well. You two boys best not get any ideas to pluck my chickens either! If I find any featherless chickens, I know two boys who will be copying pages from the Bible instead of playing outside. It's time for baths and bed. Ben, you go first tonight. Go on, get your nightshirt and lay out your clothes for church in the morning while I heat water for your bath. George, you are to do the same."
"Why do I have to go first? Why can't Joseph go first? He's older! I'm not ready to go to bed!" Ben complains crossing his arms with a stubborn look his family recognizes.
"Yes Ben, none of us are ready for bed just yet. We are getting ready now with our baths. I chose for you to get to bathe in the soothing warm water first. If you don't want the privilege of being first, George can go first. So, George, I found some special soap that makes bubbles in the water. You get to be the first one to try it out! Ben is giving up his chance to be first."
"No, I am not! I will go first! Stand aside, George! I go first!" Ben declares loudly while rudely shoving George as he passes him.
As the two younger boys move off into their bedroom, Joseph says "That was good, Mama. You handled Ben perfectly. I don't know why he is acting the way he has been. Pa would nip this attitude he is showing really fast, if he were here. Ben would find himself face down getting his bottom roasted for his behavior. I can as well if you want me too. Just tell me when! I'll set a fire on his backside!"
"That won't be necessary but thank you for the offer." Delphie replies as she sets the teakettle on the stove to heat.
Timberland,Texas (four days later)
Having washed and eaten after arriving in the closest community with a train station, Ethan catches a stagecoach to Timberland. Checking into the hotel, he writes his name as Allen Carroll on the hotel register. Having thought about his plans during the trip, he decided to use an alias while in the community.
"Here is the key to room twelve, Mr. Carroll. If you would like a hot bath, there is a bath house down the road. Three buildings down on the left before the saloon. Baths are 25 cents or 75 cents for unused fresh water. There is a place for meals next to this hotel. We do not allow any food in the rooms, sir. Please follow that rule as it brings rats inside."
"Thank you for your help. I will not be bringing any food into your hotel." Ethan replies to the young man near Rob's age who is working the registration desk.
"You are welcome, sir. It is not my hotel, sir. I only work here."
Finding a wardrobe in the second floor room, Ethan puts his carpetbag containing extra bullets, one more set of fresh clothes, sleepshirt and shaving materials into it. Checking his jacket pocket for the photo he brought and moving his gun from behind his back to a side holster, Ethan locks the door to the room and returns downstairs.
Recalling the information Alex wrote to Mitch, Ethan walks down the dusty dirt street to the shop he believes is the place to find the young woman named Amelia Sawyer.
Going inside, Ethan hears a man's voice berating someone.
"Why is the money drawer so empty? What have you done with all my money, Mellie?!"
Unable to make out the reply but hearing a woman's voice, Ethan eases closer to the back room.
"Do NOT Lie! I have seen customers come in here! You are turning into a liar just like your slut of a mother! She was useless too! YOU LIE YOU FEEL MY HAND!" The male voice continues before the sound of a hand on flesh occurs. "Get out front and make money! I will rent you out tonight if you fail me again!"
Quickly going back outside the store, Ethan waits until he sees the male walk out of the alley beside the store. As much as he wishes too, he can not confront the man. His plan does not include him.
Walking inside once more, Ethan finds an attractive young lady with light brown hair. She seems not to notice him as she arranging a kerchief to cover her reddening cheek and part of her hair.
"Excuse me, Ma'am. Could you help me? I am looking to purchase some clothes for my son."
"OH! Pardon me for not noticing you. Of course, I will be happy to help. What age is your son?"
"I have four sons and a daughter. My two oldest are seventeen, then I have fifteen, eleven and ten year old boys. I also have another child due to be born after Christmas. I would like to shop for the fifteen year old."
"The young men's clothes would be on this table. I have tailored trousers and dungarees. These four shirts are handmade by a local seamstress but these five on this side are from the Sears and Roebucks catalog. I ordered several ready made shirts to stock for children and adults. I have some pretty handsewn ladies beaded blouses and functional shirtwaists as well."
"Thank you. I will look at those. I believe Delphie and Claire would like new clothes. Rob, Joseph, Ben and George may as well." Ethan replies, watching her for any reaction in her face at his deliberate listing of names
To his surprise, the young lady whispers, "Please sir, walk with me to the back corner tables. No one can see from the front windows."
Following, Ethan finds she has led him to a table of boots.
"Are you Rob's Pa? The names you told me are the names I remember he told me as his brothers and sister. Are you here to help me get away?"
"Rob is my eldest son. Do you know where he is at this time? What is the name he knows you by?" Ethan asks as a test to make sure he has the correct young woman.
"He calls me Amelia but everyone else calls me Mellie. Rob was in the city of Boston by the last telegram I had. He sent me instructions to get money for train fare. I was to leave here Saturday. He said he had arranged a place for me to stay in Paradise but did not say you were coming."
"Hello Amelia. I am Ethan Cord, Rob's father. Is the man who hit you your father? I came in during the situation but left. I could not let myself be seen by him right then. I prefer not to have contact so I will not be followed."
"He is not my real father. He was married to my mother for a few years but she died leaving me the store. He wants to take it. He makes me give him all the money and gives me just a small amount for food. Please sir, help me leave!" Amelia ends, begging and near tears.
"Calm yourself. That is why I am here. Let's talk plans while I shop. It is best to move around in case someone is watching. I wish to purchase three boy's shirts and one of those beaded blouses you mentioned. Do you sell any baby clothes? I will purchase some of those as well."
"I have some drawstring fleece sleepsacks and some little gowns. Let's go look at them." Amelia answers smiling as she leads him back to the clothing.
As Ethan is arranging to help Rob's friend, things at home are becoming more difficult for Joseph.
Having sent George to go get them all something to drink, Joseph confronts Ben.
"Look Ben, we have to work together! You know Pa told you to cooperate and behave. When I tell you to help you don't say "I don't have to help!" You DO have to! I have said this enough times in the last few days. Pa told us to get these chores done. Now do what I say! Put this mud/hay chinking mixture between the logs on your side. I have half of my side done, George has much done on his wall but you have done nothing! We are doing this to weatherproof the barn walls. This keeps the cold out. Get to it!"
"Joseph, you just boss us all the time! We spend all day at school and you make us work more at home!"
"Ben, quit complaining and do your part! I mean Now! You are not going to get away with being uncooperative this time!"
Not listening to his brother's warning Ben continues "Yesterday we didn't get to do anything fun! We worked at school, came home, worked on the inside walls and then had to do homework! The day before we did nothing fun either just chores and homework after school! I say if you want this wall done then YOU chink it! I Am Tired Of You Bossing Me!" Ben retorts turning to flee before his brother can grab him. The furious look he just saw on Joseph's face has him choosing to run, not argue more.
"GET BACK HERE!" Joseph yells after his fleeing brother. "When you DO come back, I will be waiting, Ben!" Joseph shouts after the boy.
Two hours later, Joseph follows George inside knowing it must be suppertime as their stomachs were telling them so.
"I don't see anything on the stove. Isn't supper ready? Where is Mama?" George questions.
"Well how would I know? I have been out with you! Was she here when you came to get us the cold water from the kitchen pump?" Joseph asks rubbing his dusty hair.
"She told me she was tired and was going to rest. Should we wake her if she is asleep?"
"I'll check on her and then we will get cleaned up. I have chinking in my shirt and in my hair. You have it in your hair too."
Easing open his parent's bedroom door, Joseph sees Delphie on the bed covered by their wedding ring quilt. She doesn't even twitch when he softly calls "Mama? Do you want to wake up?"
Walking back out to where he left George, Joseph tells him "She is fast asleep. I called to her but she didn't wake. You go clean up while I start our supper. We can have hotcakes and whatever we can find in the cellar to go with them. Do you want fried eggs too?"
"Uggggh! No thank you. That is Ben's new way of eating eggs not mine. I like scrambled eggs. I also want toast and jam. I will help with making eggs and toast after I clean up. What about adding sausage to the meal? I know we have sausages in the smokehouse."
"Good idea, George. I plan to fry some ham too. Go get your bath so I can have my turn. I am beginning to itch."
After mixing the flour, a little sugar, buttermilk and eggs in the largest bowl, Joseph washes the smaller soup ladle. Taking the large iron skillet from where it is stored in a cabinet, he puts it on the stovetop. Carefully lighting the burner, he pulls the skillet over the flame. Cutting a section from the round butter, he puts it in the skillet pushing it around with a wooden spatula to coat the pan before ladling pancake mixture and pouring three circles. Waiting until the sides and top of the pancake bubbles before flipping them, he has nine pancakes finished by the time George returns from his bath.
"I didn't mean to take so long. I'm sorry. The hot water just felt so nice. It stopped my arms from aching. All that raising and lowering your arms to spread chinking sure hurts your arms!"
"I know. The first time I helped do the cabin, my right arm was so sore, I could hardly lift it to eat supper that night. I remember Pa taking me out to the barn to soak in hot water. Then he put some special liniment he had made from plants all on my shoulder before wrapping it. It smelled awful but by morning my muscles were working again. Let me get these last three pancakes out and we can let them keep warm in the stove. After my turn in the bath, we'll finish cooking and eat. I will be fast as I'm hungry!"
Coming back to the kitchen to find a very dirty Ben sitting at the table, Joseph has to take several deep breaths to calm himself.
"I see you decided to finally come inside. You know you are to be in by dark. The darkness came an hour ago! Mama is asleep so we are cooking supper. Go out to the smokehouse and bring in the small cut of ham. It's wrapped in butcher paper and just inside the door on the shelf. After that, you can bathe while George and I finish cooking. We have pancakes made but we are doing fried ham, sausage, toast and eggs."
"I won't take a bath. I'm not going back outside either! It is very dark out there with no moon out. You are not the boss of me, Joseph!" Ben answers, arms crossed and glaring at his brother.
"I will light the big lantern so you can see well. We are all tired and hungry. Just cooperate and help us, Ben. With all of us working together we can get the food fixed faster. Come on, the big lantern is on the side porch." Joseph says as he tries to reason with the stubborn child.
"NO. I WON'T DO IT!"
Losing the ability to stay calm, Joseph lunges and grabs his younger brother. Lifting him straight off the chair, slinging him over his shoulder stomach down, he says "George, I will be down soon. Just get the meat ready but don't cook it. I need to have a talk with Ben upstairs."
"NO! Put Me Down!" Ben commands, kicking his feet into Joseph's side.
"George? Pass me the big wooden spoon." Joseph says. Keeping one arm locked across his brother's thighs, he takes the spoon with the other, tucking it in his back pocket spoon first.
Now sitting on Rob's bed which he has been using, Joseph has moved Ben off his shoulder to over his lap. Still holding him down with one arm he tells him "I have tried my best to be patient with you this week. You have been rude and disobedient to Mama, refused to do your part of the daily chores, refused to help with winterizing the barn even though Pa said to work together. I have had more than enough! You WILL do as you are told after tonight or I WILL take my belt to your butt! Do not test me on that, because it is a promise!"
Finished with his speech, ignoring the protests from Ben, Joseph applies the large wooden spoon to his bratty young brother's pants. Making sure to whack just on his bottom, not his legs, he lays down ten firm swats before adding one strong smack at the end with his hand. One whack per year of Ben's age.
The smack at the end causes Ben to wince and declare through tears "Just you wait, Joseph Adam Cord! I'm telling Pa you beat me! You will get a whipping in the tack room when he gets home!"
"I spanked you, not beat you. There is a huge difference in those, believe me, I know. Our first Pa showed me when I was seven. Now, as to getting a whipping, I highly doubt I will be the one who receives a whipping, Ben! You go right ahead and tell Pa all about it though."
Down in Texas, Ethan waits for Amelia at the pond. Watching through the moonlit trees he sees her come to him.
"Is this all you are taking with you? One satchel?"
"Yes, I brought some clothes and a picture of my mother. I don't have much as HE took everything that we had and sold it. I am ready to leave this place."
"So am I. Now, remember, you are my niece. I am Allen Carroll and you are Mary Carroll. I chose Mary as it is close to Mellie. You are accustomed to hearing that so Mary will be easy to remember. We are returning to Denver from visiting friends. I don't know if we need a cover but we have this story just to be ready. I do not want your mother's husband trying to track you."
"Yes, Uncle Allen." Amelia replies with a smile. "I doubt he will even care that I have left. As long as I don't take the money and leave him the store, all is fine. He will be glad to get rid of me finally. It is control of the store he wants. Ma left the store in my name not his so I owned it. He has wanted to sell it for years but couldn't because it was in my name."
"I took the liberty of talking to your banker. With just a little persuasion on my end, he allowed me to remove the funds from your account. I left fifty dollars of the one hundred fifty that was there, for his use. The funds will be waiting for us in Colorado Springs at the bank. We will then transfer the money to Paradise bank. Your money belongs to you, not him." Ethan tells her as he helps her mount the rented horse.
"Oh my! Thank you! What are we to do with these horses at the train when we reach it?"
"We leave them with a stable hand at the stable I rented them from. We will only ride to the nearest stagecoach station. There is one in Big Sky. We take the stage to Austin and the train the rest of the way. We have a three day trip from there back to Colorado."
😻 :-) Sending an early "Happy Birthday" to Sylvia.