Joseph, My Son
Chapter 6
Hoss brought home two young breeding mares named "Michigan" and "Nebraska" (or "Mitchy" and "Nebbie" for short). Mitchy in particular was very sweet; it seemed to Pru that she was more like a dog than a horse. If allowed to, she would follow them both wherever they went, interested in all the things they were doing. If not careful, she would try to follow them into the house, even though the doors were not Clydesdale-sized. Since she couldn't fit, she would whinny sadly until Prudence opened the top half of the Dutch-style kitchen door so that the horse could stick her head in watch her do her chores.
Fortunately, Hoss had added four more stalls to the barn before he had left on his trip. Adam and Joe had made some additional water troughs and filled up the expanded hay loft and when Mitchy and Nebbie were brought down from the railhead, all the family gathered at Hoss and Pru's spread to welcome them and enjoy a barbeque.
Ben slapped his middle son on the back. "Nice job, Hoss. They look like two very fine specimens." Mitchy turned back to the humans when she heard the slap, and nuzzled Hoss as if to make up for what she took to be a punishment.
"No, Mitchy, I'm OK," Hoss said laughingly to the concerned animal. "It was a friendly pat on the back, just like this," and he gave the horse several pats of his own. Turning to his father, he shook his head. "I swear Pa, inside this horse, there's a little girl. And one who's got a crush on me, no less!"
Eleanor had come with Little Joe, and she liked being included. As an only child, she realized how special it was to see the Cartwright children together. They exuded a sense of comradery and support. They could make seemingly snide comments, disagree, and even pull tricks on the others, but they really couldn't be pulled apart. It must be wonderful to have that sense of security, she mused. For his part, Joe was happy that she seemed to be more and more at ease with his boisterous family. He knew they'd be welcoming, but unlike Prudence, (who was well used to an active family life), Eleanor at first seemed uneased by the vigorous manners of the Cartwrights.
He lifted her from the buggy and brought her over to where the group had gathered at the Clydesdale's corral. With all four horses together, it seemed to her that she was facing a wall of Valkyries. The size of them frightened and intimidated her, and she backed up against Joseph.
"You don't have to be afraid," he whispered to her. "They're really very gentle, see?" He went over to Jack to rub his face and then took her hand to do the same. "This is Jack and he's a real gentleman." Of course, Mitchy had to come over for her share of attention and this won over Eleanor completely. Prudence walked over to them, giving them both a kiss on the cheek. "I wanted to stop in to say hello when I was in town yesterday, but it got to be too late. I was intending to ask you Eleanor if you'd like to come riding with us on Sunday afternoon. I know you're not used to riding western style instead of side-saddle, but my horse Polly has got a very easy gate. She'd be perfect to learn on. And the four of us can take a picnic basket with us and enjoy the countryside."
Joe looked at the younger woman. "I think that would be an excellent idea. You wouldn't have to worry about a thing with us there and of course, out on the Ponderosa, there wouldn't be anyone else so you wouldn't have to be self-conscious. And you know, it wasn't all that long ago that Pru was getting used to riding again and look at her now; why I've even seen her ride Chubb!"
"Well, I do need to use a step to get on him, but I can handle him," his sister-in-law replied with a laugh. "I've even ridden Sport a little bit, but only when Adam's there. He usually won't tolerate anyone on him if he's not nearby."
Hearing his name, Adam came ambling over. "Did I hear mention of my gallant steed and myself?"
"We were talking about how good Prudence has become with riding and we want to give Eleanor a chance to try a western saddle," explained Joe. "We were planning a ride and picnic on Sunday. Care to join us?"
"Well, I always enjoy time just meandering on horseback, but I don't want to be a fifth wheel, and I wouldn't want to invite anyone who might make it difficult for you to feel comfortable," he replied, turning to the other young woman.
It was a good opening for Eleanor to ingratiate herself with Joe's oldest brother, something she knew would be important to him. "You'd never be a fifth wheel! But I do appreciate the idea that it would be just you, at least this time. Maybe when I feel more confident…?"
"Then it's settled," announced Joe. "We can all meet at the big house around one o'clock and we'll sort out the horses there and then go."
"You'd better make it noontime. By one, Eric will be hungry already for lunch and there will go the theory of riding before the picnic!" stated Prudence and Adam and Joe laughed, knowing that it was no exaggeration.
XXXXX
They were all gathered in front of the Ponderosa's big ranch house come Sunday. Ben was standing outside with all of the young folks, chatting and enjoying seeing them together. He had bestowed a great honor on Prudence by allowing her to take his horse Buck while Eleanor mounted Polly. His sons were on their usual horses and Hop Sing handed one picnic basket filled with food to Hoss ("NO TOUCH, Mr. Hoss!") and another with blankets, a table cloth, napkins, and utensils to Little Joe. Adam normally would have preferred to take one of the baskets so that his youngest brother could devote his full attention to Eleanor's riding, but Spot was acting a bit fractious with the large group, (including an unfamiliar human) around him.
Ben squeezed Eleanor's hand. "Just relax, my dear. I know you'll do just fine." Turning to the group as a whole, he said. "Have a good time. Some of my friends will be stopping by later on, so don't think you have to rush back on my account." He watched as they set off at a gentle pace and he started to consider when his youngest son would decide to marry his sweetheart.
If the truth be told, it wouldn't be long. Joseph tended to act quickly when he knew (or at least thought he knew) his mind. Unlike Hoss and Pru, they could marry any time it suited them. And if Anna Williams had worked behind the scenes to bring them together, the resulting romance had developed itself from there.
Lastly, there was no question that the two young people were well suited for each other. Both were high-spirited, a little impulsive, and naturally sunny personalities. Unlike Adam, they didn't analyze their lives, nor did they share Pru and Hoss's tendency to take time to come to joint conclusions. And if they weren't the soul partners his middle son and his wife had been almost from the start, who was to say that they wouldn't be in time? The younger couple were more outgoing, and even with the initial jealousy Eleanor had faced from the other young women of the town, they had come to enjoy a growing circle of friends, both single and attached. It made for a different type of relationship, freer with the world at large but it was less a world that was filled essentisally with each other.
The group rode at a gentle pace along a western course toward the end of Lake Tahoe. There were plenty of nice little meadows off that way and many held spectacular views of the lake. Despite Polly's easy gait, Eleanor knew that she was going to feel sore the next morning. After passing by a couple of pretty spots, she asked the group to stop at the next meadow. "Feeling a little tired?" Prudence whispered to the other woman. Eleanor merely nodded.
Hoss noticed that the bottom of his picnic basket with the food was wet. "I think Hop Sing packed some ice in this basket. Once we lay out the blankets, you can put some under you," he said quietly to Eleanor, also sensing the situation.
It took only a few minutes to set everything down and put out the picnic. Joe gently helped Eleanor sit down on the blanket-covered melting ice. He didn't mean to, but he was unable to suppress a giggle, much to Eleanor's annoyance.
"Joseph Cartwright! Don't you dare laugh!" she said in real irritation.
Adam had no intention of letting the situation go unnoticed. "Uh oh, little brother. You are in trouble now!" Leaning over Eleanor, he staged whispered, "His middle name is 'Francis' if you really want him to know you're serious. When he was younger, anytime that Pa was upset with him, you could hear him yell, 'Joseph Francis Cartwright! Get over here, now!' and Hoss and I would find good places to hide but still see whatever was going to happen."
"Oh, yeah?!" Joe replied. I remember Pa still putting Hoss over his knee even though his knee wasn't really big enough to hold him anymore, and then here was one time that he made you stand all through dinner when you were what, sixteen?!"
Eleanor and Prudence looked at each other before bursting out in their own laughter. "We'll have to remember 'Pa Cartwright's Disciplinary Methods for Boys and Young Men' when it's our turn to handle our own sons," said the latter young woman.
"And tell us how your folks disciplined you and your brothers and sisters when one of you did something wrong?" asked Hoss, looking a bit put out.
"Oh, they were pretty inventive. They didn't hold much with spanking, especially as we got older," answered Prudence. Papa never used a belt or a paddle, although Sally Ann tempted him sorely a time or two."
Joe started giggling again. "Sorely….sorely….I….you said 'sorely'…" He could barely breathe, he was laughing so hard.
The rest were laughing as well. "Wait, it gets better," stated Prudence. "When we were old enough to start memorizing poems, for punishment we had to stand up in front of the whole family and recite every single poem we were supposed to know. If you didn't know it, you had to read it. And read it again and again and again -out loud- until you could recite it without looking. That's why to this day no Whitman child likes poetry!"
"No poetry? What's life without poetry?" asked Adam.
"Limericks. That's what it is. Life without poetry is limericks. When Sally Ann gets back to Virginia City, ask her to tell you some choice ones," replied her sister. "She knows them all. And let me advise you, she knows plenty of the "inappropriate" ones as well. You just didn't hear it from me. And don't you dare say a word to my father."
Adams eyes popped wide open. Teenaged Sally Ann telling obscene limericks? He'd never, not in two lifetimes, be able to imagine such a thing.
After they'd eaten and cleaned up, Hoss and Prudence walked across the meadow hand in hand. Adam found ways to make himself scarce and Joe and Eleanor were grateful for the time to sit together and share some talk. When the other three were well out of sight, they stopped talking and started kissing.
"You know," began Eleanor breathlessly when they separated for a moment, "I think I'm really beginning to enjoy kissing you, Joe."
"Only just beginning?" he asked. "I could have sworn that you enjoyed it from the very start! "
"Well, there are some things that a woman should not admit to very quickly. Like enjoying kisses and…"
"And what?"
"Being in love," Eleanor answered.
Joseph took her face gently in both his hands. "And what would you say to me if I asked you to marry me?"
"I'd say 'Yes'".