Wintering Well

by Lea Wait

  The jailer grunted a little but did as the doctor said and took the shackles outside the cell, where he hung them close, ready for use again.

  Will came back with the pail, and the doctor rubbed liniment moistened with willow water over the inmate’s sores. “This should take down some of the swelling and aid healing,” he explained. “Now, Silas,” he said to the man on the bed. “This is not an easy life you are living, but the jailer can make it even more difficult for you. It would be best if you’d listen to him.” Silas nodded. Dr. Theobold touched the man’s shoulder as he left.

  The jailer locked the door and closed it with a thud.

  “Thank you for taking the time,” said Dr. Theobold. “The men will appreciate it.”

  “Not likely.”

  “And you will remember the extra blankets for Mr. Alcox?”

  “All will be in order when you come again next week, Doctor.”

  “In the meantime, should you need me, you know where I can be found.”

  “What did those men do?” asked Will as he and Dr. Theobold got back in the wagon and started up the road out of town. “Why are they in jail? That old man looked so sick!”

  “The old man? He is about thirty years old but has been in jail for six. He was in a tavern fight and a man was killed. He has consumption and probably won’t last the winter. But at least he should be kept warm.”

  Will shivered. The man had looked fifty years old, not thirty. “And the other man?”

  “He stole a horse. Has another year before his sentence is up.”

  Will was quiet as they headed up the Alna Road. He was not sure this day would convince him to be a doctor. But it had convinced him not to commit a crime.

  CHAPTER 28

  “What patients did you see, Will? What did the doctor do?” Cassie walked next to him on their way home.

  “We visited two men in the jail,” Will said. “One had a coughing illness, as Mrs. Theobold did, and one some sores that needed liniment. Then we visited three families in Alna. One man needed a tooth pulled. I helped hold his head while the doctor pulled it out with those iron pliers he has. The man yelled as though he were being murdered, despite the rum he had drunk even before we arrived.”

  “And the other patients?”

  “A woman whose back was covered by running sores. The doctor gave her some lotion for them.”

  “What kind of lotion?”

  “I don’t remember. It was sort of yellow looking. And then there was a family with six or seven children; they were all yelling and running about, so I’m not sure how many. Last year one of the boys had an ear infection and no one called a doctor, so the infection wasn’t treated; now the boy is deaf. Dr. Theobold said he tries to stop in there every couple of weeks to see if anyone needs doctoring. The children live with their father in a house with little food and much dirt.”

  “Where is their mother?”

  “She died giving birth to the youngest one. The father should be farming and caring for his family, but he spends the little he has on drink. The doctor gave me a long lecture on the evils of alcohol on our trip home, despite his having prescribed it for the man with the rotten tooth.”

  “What will happen to those children?”

  “Dr. Theobold is going to ask Reverend Packard to help find some families in the church to take them in. If not, they will have to go to Mr. Trundy’s poorhouse.”

  Cassie and Will walked in silence for a few minutes.

  “Doctoring is more complicated than I thought,” Cassie said. “I imagined it would be healing people. And I suppose, in a way, it is. But the situations of most of the people you saw today could not be fixed with just medicine.”

  “He cured the man with the bad tooth. That was the simplest visit of the day. Although”—Will looked down at his left hand—“it was painful in other ways.”

  Cassie looked down too. “Will! The man bit you?”

  “He didn’t mean to, Cassie. He was in so much pain he didn’t know what he was doing.”

  “He should have thanked you, not bitten you!”

  Will grinned at her. “It’s all right, Cassie. Today I learned that a doctor isn’t always thanked for what he does.”

  CHAPTER 29

  September 15

  I continue to work with Dr. Theobold, and Will has spent several days with him in the past week. It aggravates me that Will’s mind does not seem to be on doctoring, but on the whispered plans he is making with Sam and Paul. He also spent several days doing I know not what down on the wharves and was not available either to the doctor or to Alice. He seems content and smiles to himself often, but I wish he would share his thoughts with me. September is half gone. In early October we return home for Nathan and Martha’s wedding, and Pa and Ma expect us to stay. I have talked with Dr. Theobold and with Alice about possibilities for remaining in Wiscasset, but Will makes no plans that I can see. Perhaps he will be able to think more clearly once his plan for the Pendleton brothers has been acted out. As I write this, he and Sam are in the back of the house talking again. Tomorrow is the night for what Will has planned. The weather has to be fine and the timing right. I have my fingers crossed that all shall happen as he hopes. I intend to be there to see every moment of it!

  On a September Saturday afternoon Davey and Thom Pendleton could usually be found standing around the town pump on Main Street. There was no school on Saturdays, and most masters let their apprentices take the afternoon off. It was too chilly now for swimming, but not yet cold enough to have to find an inside location. Often they were joined by other boys, but Davey and Thom would be there for sure.

  Will was not usually among those who stood watching wagons filled with pumpkins and squashes and potatoes coming to town, but today he had a reason to be there.

  “I want to go too,” Cassie begged. “Please, let me come!”

  “No,” Will answered, pulling her long hair a bit to show he did care about her. “If you were there, Davey and Thom would want to show off. They wouldn’t act naturally. But you can come tonight. Alice agreed.”

  They had talked long about that the night before, but finally Alice had said Cassie might go, as long as Will stayed close by her. Alice was getting larger every day, and as the time for the baby got closer, she was more and more careful about what she did, and to their distraction, about what Cassie and Will did too.

  “I’ll be back soon enough to tell you all that happened.” Will left, walking at a good pace. It was finally going to happen! It had taken careful planning, but this was the day. Sam was going to meet him at the corner, and Paul would come along a little later, just in case there were any problems. But there could be none. His plan was too perfect.

  Davey and Thom and several other boys, including Sam, were where Will had predicted: on the corner, calling out comments to passing wagons and riders, and making quiet remarks about any girls or women who happened to walk nearby.

  Will took a deep breath and walked to the corner. “Afternoon, Davey, Thom, Sam.”

  “Heron Boy has decided to join us this afternoon.” Davey bowed low before him. “We are indeed honored by your presence.”

  “I came because I knew you’d all be here. I need your help. You have lived in Wiscasset longer than I, so I was sure you’d be able to tell me the truth.”

  “We know everything that happens in this town, don’t we, boys!” Davey grew at least an inch or two in establishing his authority. “What seems to be bothering you, Heron Boy?”

  “You all know my sister and I sometimes help Dr. Theobold.”

  The boys nodded. Davey was right about one thing: Everyone in Wiscasset knew what everyone else did.

  “It is getting dark earlier in the evening now, and I have to walk near the old graveyard on my way home to Middle Street.” Will leaned over and whispered loudly, “I’ve seen ghosts rising from the graves there!”

  “What?” Thom looked at him. “That cemetery has been there forever. It has graves going back to
my great-grandfather’s time. But I never heard of anyone seeing ghosts. Of course”—he looked directly at Will—“maybe the ghosts just scare people who don’t belong in Wiscasset.”

  Will ignored Thom’s comments. “I heard a story of a boy—a boy about your age, Thom—who was killed by the British army during the Revolution. He was shot up so bad they had to bury him in pieces. And somewhere between where he was shot and his grave, they lost one of his hands. So now he rises from his grave at night searching for it.”

  Davey and Thom looked at each other. “I never heard that story,” said Davey. “Any of you boys ever hear that?”

  Will and Paul and Sam had done their work well. There were many boys in town who wanted to see Davey and Thom proved foolish. Two of the boys nodded. “I’ve heard of that ghost,” said one boy from in the back of the group.

  “I heard about it first thing I came to town,” said Sam. “For sure. Mr. Wright told me to stay away from the old cemetery at night because you never knew who—or what—might be there.”

  “I don’t believe it,” said Davey. “I am not afraid of any old cemetery.”

  “Would you go there, then, with me tonight and see?” asked Will hopefully. “I would feel much reassured knowing there is truly no ghost there. It has scared my little sister, Cassie, too. In fact, if you boys would all go with Cassie and me tonight, I would be obliged.”

  “I’m not sure,” said Davey. “I don’t believe there are ghosts down in the cemetery, but still, my ma has chores she’ll be wanting me to do tonight.”

  “You wouldn’t be scared, would you?” asked Sam. “Scared to go with Heron Boy and his little sister to a place you know there are no ghosts?”

  “I’m not scared,” said Thom. “Come on, Davey, we can go! We have nothing planned for tonight. And it will not take long to show this Heron Boy and his baby sister there is nothing to be afeared of.”

  “Then, we can all meet here at midnight tonight?” Will tried to look very innocent.

  “Midnight!”

  “To make it a good test, we have to give the ghost the best chance to come out. And midnight’s the time for ghosts to rise from their graves, right?”

  All the boys nodded. That was common knowledge.

  “You will be able to sneak out, won’t you? After your ma is asleep?”

  “We do that all the time,” Davey boasted. “Midnight is a good hour.”

  “Best part of the evening,” said Thom.

  “Then, it’s set. We’ll meet here at midnight,” Will said. ‘I’m really glad all of you are so brave, because I walk past that graveyard every night, and thinking of that poor boy looking for his hand has given me nightmares.”

  “We’ll be there,” said Davey. “We’re not scared like you and your little sister. Maybe your name should be Chicken Boy instead of Heron Boy.”

  “Till midnight, then,” said Will, heading back toward home.

  “Midnight!” Thom called after him.

  CHAPTER 30

  The weather held, and the night was just as Will had planned it: dark, with only a little light from stars and from the new moon. When he and Cassie got to the corner shortly before midnight, Davey and Thom and several other boys were waiting.

  Davey paced nervously. “I cannot believe you got half the town out of bed in the middle of the night, Heron Boy,” said Davey. “And you even brought your baby sister to take care of you, just as you said.”

  Will squeezed Cassie’s hand hard, warning her to be quiet.

  “I appreciate all of you coming out to help me,” Will said quietly. “If I know there are no ghosts, then I will feel much better. Especially about walking near that dark cemetery at night.”

  “Me too,” Cassie said, pretending to be very scared.

  “Well, we don’t want any girls to be scared of ghosts, now do we?” said Thom, swaggering a bit in front of Cassie.

  “Now that we are all here, let’s go!” a voice came from the back of the group. “My ma will kill me if I am not awake to do morning chores before church or fall asleep during prayers tomorrow.”

  “That is a good idea,” Will said. “To pray. Ghosts are afraid of prayer, aren’t they?”

  Davey looked around at the other boys, several of whom were nodding in agreement. “Guess it wouldn’t do any harm to pray. Just in case.”

  Cassie squeezed Will’s hand again as her clear voice was heard over the group. “I think we should start toward the cemetery now and pray as we go.” Before any of the boys had time to react, she turned and headed toward the cemetery. The boys followed. They wouldn’t be outdone by any girl. And as her voice started to say the familiar words, the boys all joined in. “‘The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures …’”

  It was only a few blocks to the graveyard. As they approached, Will whispered, “Turn down your lanterns! We don’t want the ghosts to see us coming.”

  They walked quietly into the dark graveyard. Near the entrance was a slight mound of earth. Silently Will led them up the little hill. There was no sound except the crunching of fallen leaves under nervous feet. Suddenly, from the far corners of the graveyard, there rose a strange humming, groaning noise. It started low and then it grew. Louder. And louder. And louder still.

  Not one boy—or girl—moved.

  Will cried out, “Come out, ghosts! Show yourselves! If you are there, prove it to us!”

  The other boys moved back as, suddenly, there was a sense of movement in the graveyard. Rounded white shapes rose from the ground.

  Davey and Thom screamed and ran as fast as they could. No one else moved.

  Then, before the brothers had disappeared, laughter erupted. Cassie’s giggling was loud enough to let the boys know something was wrong.

  Davey and Thom stopped.

  Cassie’s voice rose over the laughter. “Those ghosts have tails!”

  As Davey and Thom looked back, the white forms in the graveyard moved and appeared to rise from the ground.

  Then the moonlight made them clear.

  A herd of sheep had been sleeping in the cemetery. When the eerie sounds awakened them, they had slowly gotten to their feet. Sam and Paul came running from the far corners of the burying ground, each carrying the large conch shell they had used as a horn. Conch horns were common enough in a town filled with mariners who had sailed southern waters, but not common in a graveyard at midnight.

  All the boys turned and pointed at Davey and Thom, laughing loudly. They all had been in on the trick.

  “Guess you were right, Thom. There aren’t any ghosts here!” Will said seriously.

  The other boys doubled up in laughter as Davey and Thom stood, furious and embarrassed.

  As the brothers stomped their way home, the rest of the boys and Paul and Sam and Will clapped one another on the shoulders and grinned. “We still have a long night ahead of us,” said Paul. “We have to get all of Mrs. Pickle’s sheep back to the Green. But it was worth it to hear Davey and Thom Pendleton scream!”

  Three of the sheep bleated in agreement as the boys scattered to the corners of the graveyard and started herding the animals back toward the Green. This night would long be remembered.

  CHAPTER 31

  October 6

  We have been busy making preparations for tomorrow’s journey back to Woolwich to see Nathan and Martha wed. Alice’s baby is active as her time nears, so I did most of the baking necessary. I have greatly increased my knowledge of cooking these past months. Ma will be pleased at that. We made apple cake and biscuits, and are taking along comfits, two kinds of pickles, and a ham. Alice has finished her State of Maine quilt as a gift to warm Nathan and Martha’s wedding bed, and I have made them two quilted pillow covers embroidered with their initials to match the quilt. Aaron is bringing them spices and sugar and tea from Mr. Stacy’s store. Will has carved a chickadee, a cardinal, and a song sparrow for them, as Martha loves birds. I can hardly believe Will and I have been away from
home more than five months. Last October, Will’s future seemed bleak. Now we return to Woolwich not only with wishes of happiness for Nathan and Martha, but also with wishes for our own futures. I am anxious to see Ma and Pa and Ethan and the boys. But I am even more anxious to know their reactions to our plans. I’ll not sleep tonight for the wondering. Will we be returning to Wiscasset? Or will Ma and Pa decree we are to stay on the farm?

  Saturday dawned crisp and clear. Maple and elm and sumac leaves colored the ground yellow and orange and red. It would have been a beautiful day for any activity. But this day was special because it was Nathan and Martha’s wedding day. Alice, big with her child, climbed slowly into Aaron’s wagon, and Cassie snuggled next to her under a large quilt. Will sat up front with Aaron.

  The wedding was to be at Martha’s home, with family and a few neighbors present. “What dress do you think she will wear?” Cassie asked. “Martha has three or four dresses, but she might have made herself a new one.”

  Alice smiled. “In the months before their wedding most women spend their time weaving blankets and patching quilts and preparing linens. But Martha has always loved clothes. We will have to see.” She looked at her younger sister. “I wonder if the family will recognize you, Cassie. You have grown so over the summer.” They had let out Cassie’s two dresses and had made over one of Alice’s for her. Cassie was now nearly as tall as her sister.

  “You’re the one who has grown,” Cassie threw back. “You’re twice as big as when Ma last saw you.”

  The two sisters laughed together as the wagon, despite Aaron’s careful driving, lurched over the rutted road.

  They were going home first, and then the family would travel together, with Nathan, to Martha’s house. After the ceremony Nathan and Martha would return to the Ames home, where Pa and Nathan and Simon had built a new room onto the house for the newly married couple. That way Ma would have help in the kitchen, Pa would not lose help in the fields, and Nathan would begin establishing his future claim to part of the farm.