by C L Lassila
Chapter 16
Every day now Adelaide’s view from the back porch changed. As the snow gradually disappeared from the landscape the colors that she had missed so much during the winter months began to show themselves. She began to see the color green. Although some snow still remained in the woods, most of the snow around the house and out in the field had melted. The shoots of new plants began to push their way out of the soil and the light green buds of leaves began to form on the trees and bushes. The milkweed began to grow. After the long, hard winter it was a most glorious sight. Adelaide also began to see more birds in the vegetation around the house, some of them were species that she was familiar with and some were completely new to her. It had become mild enough for her to once again sketch outside and she had to balance her desire to do this with the need to do spring chores around the farm. Wash that could not be hung outside to dry during the cold months of the winter could once again dry in the sunshine and fresh air. Even with chores to do, she and Darwin spent much of their day outdoors.
Jonas was working long hours preparing to return to Isle Royale. A small group would go with him initially and later Jonas would return to Copper Harbor to hire more men. Adelaide rarely asked anything of Jonas. She felt she had everything that she needed. But she was concerned with stories of the copper boom that was to come. Although the farm was a good distance from town she worried that development could encroach upon her paradise if there was a rapid increase in the population. Owning more acres on the other side of the stream would provide a buffer of forest that could protect her home and protect the woods. She learned in the early days of their marriage that the best way to get Jonas to agree to something was to seduce him into it. And while the passion which was so strong when they were newlyweds had diminished somewhat, they still enjoyed their lovemaking, even if it was done with less frequency.
When Jonas came home from town that night, Adelaide was sitting on the front porch with Darwin, waiting for her husband to arrive home. She stood up when he reached the steps and kissed him on the cheek.
“How were things in town?” she asked. “Did you have a good day?”
“Productive,” Jonas answered. “We should be ready for Isle Royale soon.”
“Are you tired?” Adelaide asked.
“Not really,” Jonas replied.
“Good,” Adelaide said. She laughed and took him by the hand. “I have plans for you.”
She led her husband into the bedroom. Jonas watched as his wife unbuttoned her shirt. She had no underclothes on. He looked at her bared breasts, perfectly formed, her nipples erect. She then unzipped her trousers and let them slide to the floor. Jonas walked over to her and, grabbing her hand, he placed it on the erect penis still confined beneath the fabric of his pants. As they kissed, Adelaide undid her husband’s clothes. When he was naked they both fell back onto the bed. Adelaide wrapped her legs around Jonas and felt his erection enter her. She lifted her hips to meet his thrusts and take him deeply into her. They moved together, their bodies joined, until they both climaxed. After their lovemaking they lingered in bed. Adelaide lay next to her husband, her hand resting on his chest.
Suddenly Jonas began to laugh. He looked at his wife a smile lighting up his face.
“What put you in such a mood?” he asked. “Is it the spring weather that has you so randy or is there something else that you want from me?”
Adelaide kissed her husband’s shoulder.
“You really have come to know me very well,” she said, laughing too. “There is something.”
“What can I do for you, my lady?” Jonas inquired.
“There has been more activity on the road. I know that more people have been coming here since the lake ice has melted,” Adelaide replied. “And with the mines hiring, more are going to come. I want to expand the farm while land is still available. Eventually we will want to have a team of mules and maybe two cows. We will need grazing land for them.”
Jonas, teasing his wife, said, “Are you sure that you don’t want to sell the farm? I could build us a house in town.”
Adelaide punched her husband playfully and replied, “Don’t even say it in jest. You know how much I love this place.”
Jonas rolled over on top of his wife and pressed his lips against hers. She parted her legs and felt his hard member resting against her.
“I will see what I can do for you,” Jonas said, looking into Adelaide’s eyes.
She felt his penis penetrate her.
“Thank you,” she sighed.
Jonas wanted his wife to be happy. Their marriage worked largely because they both had respect for the other’s differences. Adelaide was the rarest of women in that she fit comfortably in an environment that could be very harsh and challenging. Although her temperament was much less sociable than his, it was her independent nature that enabled him to go out to Isle Royale to pursue his fortune. Adelaide was a strong woman, who had made it clear early in their marriage, that she could take care of herself. Jonas appreciated that immensely.
The next morning Adelaide walked into town with Jonas, Darwin by her side. It was time to buy some of the provisions that had been consumed over the course of the winter. Boats could now bring in supplies and commerce was flourishing. Adelaide was shocked at what had changed in the short time since she had last been there. Trees were being felled at an alarming rate. Land was being cleared to build houses and businesses for those that were sure to come. Opportunistic individuals were arriving daily to try to make their mark in the world.
As Adelaide, Jonas and Darwin neared the general store she was surprised to hear someone call her name. She turned to see the portly Mr. Pope hurrying up the road toward them.
“Good day to the Roses,” he said when he reached them, slightly out of breath. “How serendipitous that I should see you, I hope that you are all faring well. Mrs. Rose, a letter arrived for you on the last boat. It is so good that the post can come and go again.”
“A letter,” Adelaide said in surprise. “Do you know who it is from?”
“The post was from Sault Saint Marie.” Mr. Pope replied. “I wish that I had it with me but you will have to stop by the office.”
Adelaide decided to accompany Mr. Pope back to his workplace to retrieve the letter while Jonas began the shopping. The town was abuzz with activity.
“There are so many new faces in town,” Adelaide said to Mr. Pope.
“Copper Harbor will become a thriving community,” Mr. Pope replied. “It seems that they have been finding copper all over. There is money to be made.”
When they reached his office, Mr. Pope went inside and returned with the envelope which he handed to Adelaide.
As Adelaide read the handwriting on the envelope, Mr. Pope asked, “Is it from family?”
“No,” Adelaide answered. “It is from a woman whom we came to know when we traveled through the Sault.”
“Kind of her to remember you then,” Mr. Pope said. “I must be getting back to work. Good day to you, Mrs. Rose.”
“And to you, Mr. Pope,” Adelaide said as she walked away. She folded the letter and placed it in her pocket.
Walking back toward the general store, the wind blowing into her face, Adelaide noticed that the town had a foul odor. The smell was not as bad as that of the coroner’s shed in the early spring but it was quite unpleasant. She had smelled the odor before, in towns with larger populations, and now it was here, brought by the influx of people.
There was a barker peddling something near the general store. This too was a new addition to the town. The man did look familiar to Adelaide though. She walked by him as someone else engaged the curious individual in conversation. She would ask Jonas about it later. Darwin took an unusual interest in the peddler and stopped. The hair stood up on his back as the dog growled and bared his teeth, atypical behavior for the gentle canine.
“Come on, Dar,” Adelaide said, not wanting any trouble with the man. “Let’s find Jonas.”
&n
bsp; Darwin followed along behind her but his coat remained bristled.
Jonas was talking to the store keeper when she entered the store. She brought Darwin in with her, something that she rarely did, but she did not want him going back to bother the peddler.
“Hello, Mrs. Rose,” the storekeeper said in greeting. He then addressed Jonas, “I have everything on your list. Just give me a moment.” The two men then shook hands.
“Who is the letter from?” Jonas asked his wife as the storekeeper walked away.
“Mrs. Lessing,” Adelaide replied. “I will read it when we get home. Will we be able to carry everything?”
“I had him set aside everything until tomorrow. I will arrange for a wagon to bring it to the farm in the morning,” Jonas said. “The store has gotten quite a lot of new merchandise in. I wanted you to look around and see if there was anything that you might like; a new dress, a bonnet or something?”
“What I do need is some new watercolors and journals to sketch in,” Adelaide answered. “But they probably don’t have them in stock.”
Jonas looked at his wife, delighted by her reply and said, “They will be delivered to the house tomorrow with the rest of the supplies. I ordered them last winter.”
Adelaide gave Jonas a quick kiss on the cheek. “Thank you,” she said.
Jonas laughed. “You didn’t really believe that I thought that you would want a bonnet did you?
“I will see you in the morning, John,” Jonas said to the shopkeeper as they left the store.
Once outside Adelaide made an effort to keep Darwin’s attention focused on her until they were a good distance from the peddler.
“It was very odd,” Adelaide said to Jonas. “Darwin took a dislike to the man peddling by the store. He growled at him. What is he selling anyway?”
“You won’t believe it,” Jonas answered. “He claims that he has a chicken that was lost under the snow for five months. When the snow melted the bird supposedly emerged alive. He asks people to give him money to take a look at it. If they give him extra they can feed the chicken corn from their hand. He claims that it will bring good luck. The man is a drunkard and a huckster.”
“He has a chicken in that small crate that was covered with a cloth?” Adelaide asked.
“He keeps it in there,” Jonas answered. “I expect that he is afraid that if he lets it out he will not be able to catch it again.”
“How horrible for that poor bird,” Adelaide said in disgust. “No animal is meant to live its live in a cage.”
A bit further on they encountered Reverend Fay. He informed them that now that the lot had been cleared for the new church they planned to begin to rebuild it on Sunday after the morning service. If it was a fine day, the service would be held at the site and the construction begun directly afterwards. He added that he looked forward to seeing them both there.
“Sunday morning then,” Jonas said to the reverend as he and Adelaide walked away.
As they moved on Adelaide mentioned the foul odor to Jonas.
“It has been that way for a week or so now. People dumping their chamber pots, I think,” Jonas replied.
“Another reason to not come into town,” Adelaide said laughing. “I guess since the wilderness is being tamed there are probably those that would say that it’s the smell of progress.”
“You would like it out on the island,” Jonas said. “More wilderness and fewer people.”
“If we didn’t have the farm I would come with you,” Adelaide replied. “I have a feeling that I will learn how much hard work it takes. When we arrived everything had been done for us. But I am looking forward to it. I am excited about watching things grow.”
Jonas had set aside a few days to devote to making sure that everything on the farm was in good order. With his departure imminent he wanted to make sure that Adelaide and Darwin would be safe and secure while he was away. He cleaned the stove pipe and repaired the roof and brought the supplies in from the store. On Saturday afternoon he returned to town. New people were arriving almost daily, both laborers and men with money in their pockets seeking business opportunities. The Saturday night card games had become interesting again.
So many young miners far from home had resulted in the bar and the whore house becoming thriving businesses. This increased the sense of urgency in the Reverend and Mrs. Fay to get the new church built. There were souls that needed to be saved before they went too far astray.
Jonas arrived home well after darkness had fallen. He attempted to slip into bed without waking his wife but with Darwin occupying his place this proved to be impossible. As the dog reluctantly moved to a spot at the foot of the bed, Adelaide rolled over and looked up at her husband.
“How was town?” she asked.
“Good,” Jonas replied. “There is new money in town.”
“You mean new money and bad card players,” Adelaide continued.
“The best combination,” Jonas said as he settled into bed next to his wife. “It was a good night.”
They awoke to a beautiful morning. It would be a good day for the church raising. Jonas started a fire in the stove while Adelaide and Darwin went out to feed the chickens and the crows. Every day now, when Adelaide walked out onto the back porch, she looked out on a farm that had changed. It was a place transformed from its winter white to a glorious spring array of varying shades of green. New shoots and seedlings were pushing their way out of the soil and unfurling their leaves. The deciduous trees that had lost their colorful foliage months ago were now in new leaf as the small, yellow green buds opened to the sun. As much as Adelaide would have liked to linger outside, she had breakfast to make and then they were off to town.
The congregation gathered on the lot recently cleared to make way for the new church. Where there had been, a few weeks ago, forest with all off its biological diversity, there was now a patch of bare ground. Tall pines that had reached to the heavens had been felled, the trunks uprooted, the underbrush cut away. What was left was a rectangular plot of soil. Two weeks of human labor had destroyed what had taken innumerable decades to grow. But they would have a church.
The site sickened Adelaide but she knew that it was just a taste of what was to come. She watched as people gathered. Several came over to converse with Jonas. It was early in the spring and already there we so many new faces. She listened as Reverend Fay began the service.
“We must thank the good lord for bringing us together here today at this site that he has provided for us for our new place of worship,” the reverend said. “He has looked over us and has brought us through the trials and hardships of the winter into his season of new life and new hope. As he brought us through the winter, he has also brought us to this land to tame the wilderness and to bring the lost souls of the Indians unto him so that they too will have new life and new hope. In Genesis we are told: “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” Our Lord is looking out for us. He has provided us with what we need to survive and prosper. He has led us here to join together and bring a godless land unto his glory. Rejoice. Let us join together in song.”
Adelaide had to bite her tongue as she listened to Reverend Fay speak. It was difficult to be in a situation where you wanted to engage in a debate and yet had to remain silent. But then, what was the point of debate when people were being told what they wanted to hear. A hundred year old tree meant nothing to these people other than how many planks of wood would it supply for the floor of the new church.
Darwin had lay at her feet during the service but with its conclusion he stood up and wagged his tail as eager to be on his way as Adelaide was. She stood next to Jonas and engaged in small talk with some of the parishioners. Jonas was going to stay in town and help with the church construction. The women began to leave, many making their way to the
Fay’s home to cook for the men. Adelaide stood and waited for her husband to finish a conversation so that she could say goodbye and leave for the farm.
Finally Jonas turned to her and said, “You’re off then?”
“If you don’t mind,” Adelaide answered. “It is far too beautiful a day to spend in a kitchen.”
Jonas laughed and said, “No, it’s good that you will spare them your cooking. When you get to the farm take a look in the barn.”
“I am intrigued,” Adelaide replied.
“I think that you will like what you find,” Jonas said. “I might be home late.”
Adelaide kissed her husband on the cheek. “Thank you,” she said. “And be careful.”
Jonas left to join the men while Adelaide and Darwin headed off back to the farm. The dog went down the road ahead of her, his nose to the ground, engaged in his world of smells. As Adelaide walked she thought about Reverend Fay’s words. There had been no mention of Mary. A service had never been held for her as Mrs. Fay could not accept the girl’s horrible death. The word ‘dominion’ echoed in her head. She remembered a conversation that she had with Ten Crows. He had explained to her the Ojibway beliefs. He had told her stories of trickster gods. Perhaps the Holy Trinity of the Christian faith was a trickster god. Perhaps by appealing to the greatest human weaknesses this trickster god had led humans away from what was truly holy. He appealed to the human ego by telling people that they were made in the image of god. He appealed to human greed by telling them that everything in nature was for their use, theirs for the taking; there in teaching no respect or reverence for the natural world. Adelaide had seen how quickly the human hand could destroy nature. The concept of dominion led people to destroy what should be held sacred. It encouraged people to destroy what was needed to sustain life. This trickster god did not just lead people away from what is sacred; much worse, he leads them to destroy it.
