New Beginnings: Life Changes
ch.41
Worktime And Time For Tales
The time between Christmas and school resuming seems especially long for Delphie. Having the boys home all day instead of in school is tiring. The unexpected well below freezing weather that blew in two days after Christmas has kept the children inside for the third day. Her energy level as well as her patience is low what with the advanced pregnancy. Deciding the best way to keep the boys busy and help herself, is to assign chores so she enlists Ethan's help.
"I feel we need to thoroughly clean the house to prepare for the baby. I'd like Joseph and the boys to help if you do not have plans for them. Rob mentioned he was planning to join the group going to the high river to cut ice for the new ice house. Would this be a safe job?"
"I will be working in town so I have no plans for extra chores. I will make sure they understand the tasks you assign are the same as outside chores. They are to be done promptly and correctly. As to Rob, the job is safe as he will only be helping load the blocks after they are cut and possibly drive one of the wagons. He will not be involved in the cutting of the ice. I told him this specification before agreeing to let him go. I also told David Abbott, who is the head of this excursion, Rob is not to venture out on the ice. He assured me no one under twenty one will be allowed to cut the ice from the river."
"How did Rob take your restrictions?"
"We had another one of those times where he balked at my rules with him telling me he is eighteen! I do not understand why the children continue to believe I forget their ages! He seriously reminds me of a goat butting at something knowing it won't budge. He is well aware of my beliefs but for unknown reasons continues to occasionally ram his head against me. Not literally, at least not yet." Ethan reassures his wife after seeing her expression.
"I'm not worried he would strike out at you. My concern is with him getting frustrated by your restrictions to the point he leaves home." Delphie replies.
"Your brother's leaving has you thinking our boys will do the same. I'm not placing Rob under the same type of restrictions as your Da did with your brother. I allowed him to go as long as he agreed to my rules. I explained it was for his safety as he has never been on an ice cutting mission before. I could have refused to allow it."
"You must keep in mind he is no longer a child, dear. He may not be of legal age but he is not a boy any longer. He grew into a young man during his time on the cattle drive. Try to loosen the reins a little with Rob."
"Mmmhmm, so you keep telling me. I feel I allow much loosening of the reins! He and his girl are together much more often than I allowed with Claire and Alex."
Before leaving for town the next morning, Ethan talks with the three younger boys.
"Your Mama needs your help to clean inside today. I expect you all to do as she directs you to do, promptly and correctly. The animals are taken care of until this evening. Rob and I cleaned the stalls, gave fresh hay, grain and water to the horses early this morning. Pepper, Ginger, and Shadow have fresh water, cream, and food as well. There is no need for any of you to go outside in the cold today. I kept them in the barn where it is warmer. Leave them in."
"Papa, why isn't Pepper able to come in the house anymore? You and Mama let Ginger and Shadow come in."
"Yes Ben, the cats are welcome. Pepper has grown into a fairly large dog, wouldn't you agree?"
"He is as tall as me when he stands on his hind legs with his paws on my shoulders! He likes to give hugs." George exclaims.
"Pepper likes to dance too. He is a big dog now." Ben agrees.
"Yes and that is the reason he is not welcome in the house," Ethan replies.
"You left out the part about Pepper chewing on everything. I thought he would stop that when he grew out of being a puppy. He still gnaws on things he shouldn't and he is almost three years old now." Joseph contributes to the conversation.
"That reminds me, I found another chewed bridle this morning. Ben, weren't you practicing puttling a bridle on your horse a few days back? Did you put the bridle away when you finished?" Ethan asks fixing the boy with a stern look.
"I meant to, Pa. I remember Mama calling me to come in for supper. I must've left it out."
"This is the second time, just since Christmas, that you have left a bridle where the dog can get to it. Bridles are not cheap things for dogs to chew! You best remember to put your training materials away when you are finished! If I hear of, or see one more piece of equipment left neglected, you and I will be having a more thorough discussion. You know how to take care of the tack! Understand me, young man?"
"Yessir" Ben answers as his bottom tingles just with the threat.
Leaving the boys at the table, Ethan and Delphie move to the front entry for Ethan to dress to leave.
"I thank you again for my gift of a knitted sweater. You did well as it fits perfectly. I need it today with the temperature as low as it is. It feels as if it must be around the low teens. With the wind it feels even colder! I'll have to check the thermometer at the feed store. You stay warm and keep the kids inside." Ethan tells Delphie as he wraps the wool scarf around his neck before putting on his coat. Adding gloves and a hat, he calls to the boys watching from the kitchen. "Remember to stay inside. We don't want any frozen boys today."
"Pa, you look like a black bear. Black coat, hat, scarf, and boots. Do you like the boots we got you? Do they fit well?" George asks, having come into the entry to inspect the boots.
"I feel as big as a bear in all these layers as well! Yes, George. The boots are just what I needed. My others are now just for ranch work. You boys picked a perfect pair. Have a good day. I should be home by four today."
After Ethan has left, Delphie tells the three boys "Now that we got rid of the bear, let's get busy. First, I want you to go take the bedding off your beds and Rob's too. Just pile the bedding in a corner. We aren't going to be washing bedding today."
As his brothers do their room, Joseph goes to do his and Rob's beds. Wondering why his Mama wants the bedding off if she has no plans to wash it, Joseph puts the last quilt on the pile. Finished, he returns downstairs.
"Mama, what would you like me to do now that the beds are stripped?"
"All three of you work together to turn the mattresses around and flip them over. The straw is beginning to clump up in one end so let's shake them as you lift." Delphie answers as she takes him into the younger boy's room.
Following her directions the three lift the staw filled mattress.
"Now everyone gets an end or side and shake it the way Pepper shakes a treasure he finds. Good! Now flip it over and put it on the bed slats."
Looking down at the wooden bed slats, Ben sees a shiny new nickel.
"Money! There was money under the mattress!"
"Well, how about that! Go ahead and keep it, Ben. We will take the five cents and put a new penny in its place. A brand new year is coming and the penny will be for good luck. Let's quickly make the bed and do George's mattress. Maybe he will find a treasure as well."
Sure enough, George has a nickel also.
"Shake, shake, shake boys. The straw needs to be loosened." Delphie says as the boys lift Rob's mattress.
Getting into his task well, Ben starts flipping his end up and down making the mattress buck like a horse.
"Easy there, Ben! We don't want to have to refill this mattress because you flipped all the straw out!" Joseph warns his overly eager brother.
"Rob didn't have a nickel, the rest of us did. Does that mean he does not get a lucky penny too?" George asks his Mama.
"No need to be concerned, George. We want to wish good luck to Rob as well. Here, you put his penny under the mattress. Now once you've remade the bed come downstairs. I have another task for you boys."
Once the children are downstairs, Delphie assigns jobs.
"Joseph, I need the kitchen floor scrubbed. Before you begin, move the chairs and bench out, please. The lye soap and scrub bucket are under the sink. Wear the rubber gloves too as the lye will burn your hands. I will pay you a dime for scrubbing the floor. Remember to work from the far wall back towards the entryway."
"I'll remember, Mama." Joseph answers not looking forward to this task. Scrubbing the floor means being on his hands and knees crawling backward. His arms always ache after scrubbing. This is one chore he dreads being assigned. Luckily it isn't assigned often. Being paid helps motivate him to get it done.
Handing out torn cloths to the younger boys, Delphie instructs "Use your cloth to dust the front room. Dust well as there are ten pennies hidden in here. Whoever finds one keeps it."
"This is much more fun when we are hunting for hidden treasure!" Ben tells George as they move to dust near each other. Both finish the fireplace mantel not finding any coins.
Deciding to dust the rocking chair next, George carefully wipes between each vertical slat before bending down to dust the curved legs. Carefully rubbing the cloth on the bar connecting the rockers in the back and then the bar in the front, he is rewarded with two pennies. "I found two pennies!" He calls to his brother.
"Eight more to find, maybe I can get one soon." Ben replies as he wipes the spindles of the back of the wooden bench. Thinking his Mama would check to see if the seat was dusted, he unties the cushion she made and removes it before dusting. Looking on the seat there is a penny.
"I found one! Seven more to find!" Ben calls over to George.
Fifteen minutes later, the two boys had found four more pennies, two each.
"What have we missed? There are three more but I think we've dusted everything in here!" Ben exclaims, hands on his hips.
"Did you remember to do the legs of the bench? I found my first pennies on the bottom of the rocker. You might check it. I will go back and check the mantel. I don't remember that we dusted the candlesticks or lantern."
"You were right. I found another penny on the back of one leg of the bench. Did you find any?"
"No, I dusted everything on the mantel but there were no pennies. We still have two more pennies missing. What should we dust again now?" George asks slowly scanning the room with his eyes. "I know! We need to dust Claire's whatnot shelf! Get the footstool and we'll take turns dusting the four shelves. We have to dust each of the things on the shelves too. Don't drop anything, Ben!"
Carefully lifting the small box he and George gave Claire once, Ben finds a penny under it. "Here's one more, only one left now."
Looking at the photograph Claire sent of herself and Alex, Ben says "Claire sure dresses differently now. That is a tight bodice and waist on that dress and it has a high neck. It would take an hour to button all those buttons up the front! There are two rows! Look at the skirt part, it has a bunch of fabric pulled up in rows along it."
"Yes, Mama said they were called ruffles, Ben. Alex is wearing that strange coat-jacket that stops above the waist but has long parts hanging in the back. I wonder if he chokes himself sitting on the hanging part. He looks older with a mustache and dressed up." George comments as he examines the photograph as well. "I wonder if Rob will start dressing like this?"
Coming over to sit down to rest while the floor dries, Joseph remarks, "From what Rob has told us, clothes are different depending on where you are. Here, we wear less formal clothes because we work with animals and are often doing outside work. In Boston, the men work inside in buildings so they dress fancier. Are you finished dusting?"
"We can't do the very top as it is out of reach. Would you do it?" George asks.
"Done, now let's rest and I'll read a story from your new book, Just So Stories. Mama is taking a rest. We will get lunch ready when we can walk on the floor."
"We are missing one penny. There are ten and we found nine. We forgot to dust somewhere. We need to find one more penny."
"I'm tired of dusting! One more isn't worth more work, George."
"Remember what Pa says "Do a job well and to the best of your ability." George tells his slumping brother.
"I did do the job to the best of my ability! My ability is tired! You go ahead and dust everything all again to find that one more penny! I don't care too. Let's read Joseph. Mr. DoAJobWell can search and listen at the same time."
Sticking his tongue out at his brother, George flops down next to Joseph with a huff.
"Better not stick out your tongue in front of Pa or Mama, George. Pa would probably put you over his knee and spank you! You know how strict he gets about being respectful. Besides he has warned us all about sticking out our tongues. He doesn't forget, either. Mama might send you to your room for bad manners."
Scanning the contents page, Joseph smiles before turning to the correct page.
"Here's a good one that reminds me of you, Ben. It's called The Elephant's Child." Joseph says beginning to read.
Once, years ago, in a place called Africa, there were many animals including elephants. Back in the day, elephants did not have the long nose we call a trunk. They had a bulging bump for a nose about as big as a boot. It could not do anything much but sit on the face. You will hear how the elephant got the long trunk.
One day a mother elephant gave birth to a little elephant who was different from others as he was enormously curious about EVERYTHING! All-day every day he would ask questions.
He asked the snake 'Why are you down on the ground and travel by wiggling?'
He asked the giraffe 'Why do you have such a long neck and tiny little ears?''
He asked about why the ostrich had those tail feathers. Why the porcupine had quills. He even asked why birds could fly when he could not!
There were endless questions and the animals around him grew weary of them. His parents scolded and punished him for repeatedly bothering the other animals. Nothing stopped the young elephant as he was extremely curious.
When he asked his favorite question one too many times, the Kolokolo bird replied "I am a bird, not a crocodile! I can not answer: 'What does a crocodile eat for dinner!' Go to the far green lake and ask him!"
Little elephant gathered melons, sugar cane, and other food and set off on his journey. He walked three days and three nights before reaching the water. Spotting a long grey creature in the lake he did what he always did, he asked a question.
"Do you know where a crocodile is?" He asks, not knowing this was a crocodile as he has never seen one.
"Why do you want to find a crocodile?" Asks the crocodile.
"I need to ask him an important question. I need to know; What does a crocodile eat for dinner?" I have asked the ostriches, the giraffes, the snakes, my family, and others. No one has the answer.
"That is a good question. Come closer and I will tell you the answer. That's right, just a little closer to the edge now. Lean down so I can whisper.
Following directions, the elephant's child leans over.
"Today, I am having elephant!" Replies the crocodile just before latching on with his long jaws to the elephant's bulging nose.
With the crocodile pulling backward, the young elephant has to brace his feet and pull back to keep from falling into the lake. As the two play a game of tug of war with the elephant's bump, it begins to stretch. The more tugs, the longer and thinner it gets. Frantically, the elephant begins backing away, and rather than be pulled out of the water, the crocodile releases his grip. Suddenly free, the elephant's nose swings up in the air, and lake water pours out on his back. Feeling the water, the elephant learns his new nose is useful. He learns to use it to eat, bathe and flick the flies off his head. Proud of his accomplishment he returns home. From that day on all the elephants stretched their noses.
"Why did you say that story reminds you of me, Joseph? I am not an elephant!" Ben declares.
"Because you are just like the little elephant, always curious! Sometimes your curiosity has brought you to trouble just like in this tale."
On his other side, George says "Joseph? I need to ask a curious animal question too. I need to know if it would be alright to name my new horse Lucy after our first mama. Do you mind? Ben said he didn't"
"That sounds like the perfect name for your golden horse. Mama's hair was just about that same color, a lot like your own, George. Ben? Have you decided on a name for your horse yet?"
"I think so. After George told me his choice I wanted to pick something to remind us of our new Mama. I asked her to tell me the name of her mother. She said her Mama's name was Orla Kelly Finnigan. I like the name Kelly for my horse. Orla is too unusual."
"Lucy and Kelly are fine names, boys! I approve of your choices. You need to ask Pa and Mama if they approve too. Let's get lunch started. You two, please put your coats on and go down to the cellar. Bring up three potatoes, a bunch of carrots, an onion, and look to see if we have any apples. Don't bring apples just look for them. I will get meat from the smokehouse after you get back. We can make a stew. I think we have a can of green peas in the pantry. I will look."
Standing to follow Ben to the coat rack, the book Joseph was reading dropped out of George's lap. Bending to pick it up, George sees the last penny under the short table.
"I found the last penny! We just overlooked it because it was hidden up against the very bottom at the center."
"That's great, George. Now go help, Ben." Joseph tells him.
Later that night as the family is enjoying bowls of hot stew, plus meat, cheese, and bread, Ethan compliments the meal.
"Hot thick stew is just what we need to keep warm tonight." He tells his wife.
"Yes, it is but it is Joseph, Ben, and George we should thank. They created this delicious stew this afternoon. They made enough for us to enjoy tonight as well. I just added bread, venison, and cheese to the supper.
"Well then, I thank you, boys! This is delicious. Did you boys help your Mama today?"
"Yessir. We flipped the mattresses, remade the beds, scrubbed the kitchen floor, and dusted everything in the front room. Mama said we did an outstanding job. After lunch, she gave us time to play and read." Joseph answers for all three.
"The boys were so independent, I was not even needed. I took a long nap." Delphie adds.
"Rob?" George asks as the family is enjoying hot chocolate or coffee.
"Hmmm?"
"I have a question. How do the men cut the blocks of ice?"
"Well George, first they divide into teams of two. They flip a coin to decide who goes below the ice to pull the saw while the top guy pushes! Spreading out about six feet apart they begin. The saw goes up and down until you cut a long slab. The slab is then cut into smaller chunks and blocks about the height of the smaller milking pail. Then they load the blocks on the wagons covering them with burlap and sawdust. We brought four wagon loads to the ice house today. Tomorrow we will have another four loads."
Having listened intently, Ben asks "Are you making that up? No one can really go under the ice to cut! You couldn't breathe."
"Very good thinking, Ben. You are right, that is impossible. I was joking with George on that part. It is an old joke I heard from the men. They did ask me if I would 'go below' but I knew not to agree. The rest is true. The men have long saws to cut straight down but no one goes down to pull the other end!" Rob finishes, sharing a grin with Joseph.
"Well, it sounds as if you had a busy workday today. Did you remember to honor our agreement?" Ethan ask
"Yes sir, I loaded as they cut. I did not step out on the ice. Just as you instructed." Rob replies. His tone of voice giving Ethan respect but also a hint of resentment.
Deciding not to address the issue, Ethan nods. "I appreciate you following what I instructed. Loading is just as necessary as cutting. Please continue to remember that is your job, not any cutting." Changing the topic, he says "We had something very unexpected happen in town today." before deliberately stopping to sip his coffee.
Watching his Pa take his fifth sip, Ben asks "What was it, Pa?"
"What was what, son?" Ethan asks, eyes dancing with mischief.
His return question and look causes Ben and George to say "Paaaa! Tell Us!"
"Ethan. Do stop teasing the children. I want to hear as well!" Delphie scolds.
"Yes, Ma. Chris and I were reading the reports from the regional Marshall's office. The door opens and a lady I have never seen walks in. She has two children with her. I greeted her and asked if she needed help. She replied she had come to meet her future husband a Mister Johnston. She had been informed he would be here."
"Chris? I wasn't aware he was courting!" Delphie exclaims.
"He wasn't aware he was either! In talking to her, we discovered she had been writing letters back and forth from Virginia! This Mister Johnston had agreed he would pay her travel expenses if she would agree to come out to marry him. She has train and stage fees. She paid for her train travel but was expecting to have her future husband reimburse the money. She said she sold nearly all her possessions to make the trip. As a widow of two years, she stated she needed a new start."
"A mail-order bride? Who was she writing to if it was not Chris?" Delphie asks as the boys all wait for the answer.
"We don't know. Chris paid her stage fee and I set them up in the hotel. We will talk more tomorrow. Her children were exhausted. Two young ones, Charlotte, a girl aged six, and Nathaniel, a boy aged four."
"What lovely names. What is their mother called?" Delphie asks.
"She told us her name is Savannah Miller. I find it odd she just up and leaves to travel to meet an unknown man."
"I find it very romantic." Delphie replies.
AN**** The Elephant's Child, based on the story of the same name by Rudyard Kipling.