This chapter is a short one because I didn't feel that it needed anything more!

Chapter 21

Kindness

The next day at 10:00 Elizabeth takes the basket of food and lemonade and a couple of books, Jack walked her to the the school. All the children were there waiting for her. She walked in and was bombarded with hugs! She said hello to all of them. She took the basket to the front and sat it down on her old desk. She brought her old chair around to the front of the desk. She asked, who wants to go first and tell me how you've been doing?

Everyone will get a chance to tell me. We are going to spend the day together! Each child told her everything that they had been doing and how they were doing in school. Unbeknownst to them, someone was sitting outside listening.

The children asked about her new school and about the children there. She told them everything. She told them about the four field trips that they take every year and what they look for. She told them about the projects they do. She told them that the children never bickered or bullied one another. They only teased nicely. She looked at Robert and James. They hung there heads because they knew she was talking about them.

She told them about her learning to cook and it's as good as Abigail's. They snickered and she said, you can ask Mountie Jack and Abigail. They said they would.

They stopped to have lunch. She passed out the sandwiches and cups of lemonade. After lunch she passed two cookies to everyone. Did you make these cookies Miss Tha…Mrs. Thornton? I did Emily! They are delicious! They all agreed.

After lunch she asked them if they wanted her to read to them. They all said yes. Okay, do you want me to read something from your bookshelf or read what I brought? They asked what she brought? I brought Tom Sawyer and the Wizard of Oz. They voted for Tom Sawyer. They all gathered close. She began reading to them. By the end of the day she had read the whole book to them. They discussed it afterwards.

Jack had walked up and asked, are you the new school teacher? She stood and said yes I am. I'm Miss Adams. Are you Mrs. Thornton's husband? I am. I met you before I left town once. Yes I remember.

She's a lucky lady that one. What do you mean, Miss Adams, he asked? I've tried to get their attention in school but they're all so gloomy. She comes in and it's like the rain rolls away and all the sunshine comes out in them. All I ever hear is I wish Miss Thatcher would come back or that's not how Miss Thatcher does it or Miss Thatcher never treats us like that. I have big shoes to fill and I don't know how I'm going to do it.

Jack said, take a walk with me while they finish up. She followed him around the school and down towards the pond. He had to choose his words wisely as to not offend her. He said, I'm going to ask you a couple of questions and I want you to truly think before you answer. She nodded.

He asked, are you teaching because you have to or are you teaching because you want to? She looked at him for a minute and said, I've never been asked that before. Well if you feel it's your calling then you wouldn't have trouble getting the children to love you as much as they love her.

You see my wife came here from Hamilton. Her family is in the high society. Her parents let her go to teachers college but didn't really want her to leave to teach. They wanted her to teach at some prep school there in Hamilton.

That's not what she wanted. She wanted to teach the underprivileged children because she wanted to make a difference in their lives.

She came here all by herself to a town that had just lost almost all the fathers and some of the son's in the mine explosion. She had to work at getting their attention. It took levity.

She was teaching them about inertia, gravity. They just sat there not paying attention so she took the comb from her hair, took off her boot and climbed up on her desk and asked them which did they think would land first. They all got excited and were calling the boot and some thought the hair comb. She dropped them and they landed at the same time. They had so many questions.

So you see you have to figure out if teaching is your calling or is it just a job. The children say you're to strict. May I ask why? Because you can't let them run over you. True but in the two and a half years she was here she never raised her voice to them. Sure she had a snake incidence and a frog incidence and even a skunk incidence but every time something happened she sat the child down and calmly talked to them like they were somebody. She truly loves these children. She would do anything for them.

So my question was are you teaching because you have to or are you teaching because you want to? She thought for a minute and said, I'm teaching because I have to. I'm not married. I don't have anyone to take care of me. Teaching is the only thing that I can do.

Did you want to do anything else besides being a teacher? I mean you could've went to secretary school. Well to be honest I was a waitress. That's how I paid my way through teachers college. I think i would double think being a teacher because you have to find your calling to be happy.

Well they will have to put up with me for another year because I already signed my extension contract. That's fine but you need to find your levity. Treat them like they are somebody not a child that can't make a decision on their own. Those children are all smart.

They love to help decorate for any of the events in town. She used it as art projects. She did art? I was taught to do the three R's. There is more to learning than those.

She has taking them on field trips to the woods for science. She's taught them kindness in order to chose who got to play Joseph and Mary in the Christmas padgent.

Sit and listen to the ideas they have. Have you met Bo yet? He had a learning disorder. He had trouble reading. She made letters in the shape of the animals with dough. She had him reading in no time.

So you see you find what works. I see. You have given me a lot to think about. Thank you Constable. She went back towards town and he went back to the school. They were just finishing up when he got there. He walked in and asked how everyone was enjoying their day? They all said they enjoyed themselves.

He stood next to Elizabeth and said, I need to talk to you all for a minute. They all sat back down and he put his hand on her shoulder.

I want to understand something. I hear that you all won't give your new teacher a chance. Emily says, she's mean and so strict. We can't do anything fun in school. All we every do reading, math and writing. No science, no history and no art. We aren't aloud to talk and ask questions. If we ask then she gets mad and puts us in the corner. She says that she explained it already and if we had been paying attention then we wouldn't have any questions.

Elizabeth looked up at Jack and nodded towards the door, meaning she had this. He said his goodbyes and left to sit out on the steps. She explained to them pretty much what Jack had explained to the teacher but in a way they could understand.

Do you all remember when I first came here to teach? I was scared that I would let you all down. I tried extra hard to get to know you that I pushed you away because you had just lost someone you loved. I didn't know how to get past that because I had never lost someone that close.

Someone told me that I should give you time and to be there, to let you know I cared. They also told me about levity. Now I'm not saying that you need to try it but I am saying that kindness goes along way. I understand that you miss me but she's your teacher now.

I don't know how long she's going to be here but I do expect you to treat her with kindness and respect, the same as you showed me. I love you all with all my heart.

I hope that you will give her a chance and don't compare her to me. Everyone is different and all teachers have different ways of teaching. By the time she was finished they had promised to try really hard to be nice to the new teacher.

She kissed and hugged them all and they left going back home or to play. She gathered up her baskets and head back outside knowing Jack was sitting outside waiting on her. Did you have a good time with them, he asked? I did! We talked about everything they had been doing and then they wanted to know everything I've been doing.

Then they voted on which book to read to them. They voted for Tom Sawyer. Then when I was done we discussed it. How was your day she asked? You know, God knew what he was doing when He made you a teacher! I'm proud of you, you know! Thanks hon, that means a lot!

So are you going to answer my question, she asked? It was good. She looked at him and put her hand on his arm and asked, hon, what aren't you saying?

I know that look. There's something going on. I see that far away look you get when you have something to say but don't know how to tell me. Bella…it's not that I can't figure out how to tell you, I can't tell you yet.

I'm worried about why dad wouldn't tell me something in the telegram. I know it's bad but just don't know how bad. Bella I have so many different scenarios running through my head. All bad ones but i don't know which one it is. There's no doubt that we will be able to capture him but i don't know at what cost.

Don't worry Bella, I will keep you and our son safe and protected. Please don't let the fear you are feeling set you back. I think that's what worries me the most. Oooh Jack Hon, I pray every day that that doesn't come back but Hon, look at me, I mean really look at me in the eye. He hesitates, she reaches her hand over and gently turns his head to look at her.

A lone tear falls from his eyes. She touches his face with both her hands and wipes the tears with both her thumbs. She kisses his cheek and says, Hon, you have to keep your head in the game and don't worry so much about us. You put us where you want us when the time comes and we will be there when you come back for us but until then you tell me what you can and we will get through this. Bella…how did I manage to get so lucky? We're both lucky Hon to have each other! We are blessed! They walked back to town arm and arm!