A Heart for Home

by Lauraine Snelling

  Astrid could feel the heat rising, and she knew it wasn’t the schoolroom warmth that was causing it. The way he’d said your box made her swallow. “Thank you. Where would you like to eat?”

  “How about outside, where it is cooler?”

  “All right.”

  They found a bench and sat to eat the fried chicken, pickled green tomatoes, fresh rolls, and potato salad. Astrid poured glasses of rhubarb and strawberry shrub, and they finished off the chocolate cake last. Before they were done, the musicians had started tuning up by the piano that sat outside on a low deck to keep it out of the dirt. Besides Joshua and Johnny Solberg on the guitars, Joshua’s brother on a banjo, and Lars with his fiddle, one of the construction workers brought out a mouth organ and another a banjo. Daniel knew Jonathan and Elizabeth would be trading off on the piano.

  “We really have a big group tonight,” Astrid said, wiping her fingers with a napkin.

  “This will be fun.”

  As predicted, there were more men than women, and everyone wanted to dance. Mrs. Jeffers tried to demur, but her son waltzed her off, and from then on others cut in. Astrid was dancing with Thorliff when Daniel cut in.

  “I can’t seem to get a full dance with you.”

  “I know. This is the wildest dance we’ve ever had.” She smiled up at him and caught her breath. The moonlight gilded his hair, and his smile melted right into her bones. She stumbled, but his firm hand at her waist steadied her. The smile he gave her made her heart flutter.

  At the end of the dance she headed for the punch bowl. What had happened out there? She joined her mother and Mrs. Jeffers, who were dispensing the cold liquid.

  “You look to be having a good time,” Mrs. Jeffers said.

  “I am.” Astrid reached for the cup, but a male hand took it from his mother and handed it to her. Then waited for his own.

  Daniel and Astrid stood watching the Texas Star square dance, with Mr. Valders calling.

  The moon was so bright that the lanterns weren’t even needed, and the fire was allowed to sink into coals.

  When the musicians took a break, she watched Joshua as he took some punch over to Miss Christopherson. Astrid looked to see if her mother was noticing and received a nod in return. And there were Deborah and Toby, and if she wasn’t mistaken, they were sharing a cup.

  After the break she danced the polka with the man whose hand she had stitched, and he thanked her again.

  When they called for the last dance of the evening, she found herself in Daniel’s arms again, a slow waltz that made it easy for him to draw her closer. Romance under a harvest moon was the way she described it to Grace later.

  Grace agreed. “Jonathan leaves tomorrow.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Me too, but this is our last year to wait. And I am home to stay.”

  Jonathan and Daniel came up at the same time.

  “May I walk you home?” Daniel asked.

  “If you’d like.” Astrid turned to smile at him. There it was again. Surely it was the moonlight. “What about your mother?”

  “Mrs. Wiste had a buggy brought out for those who wanted a ride back. I don’t think my mother has ever had an evening like this.”

  “I hope she isn’t too tired.” As they walked along, his hand brushed hers, sending tingles clear up to her shoulder. What would it be like to hold hands with this man? Thorliff and Elizabeth had left a bit earlier to take Inga home, but they were sitting on the porch swing when Astrid and Daniel arrived.

  “I’m too keyed up to go to bed yet,” Elizabeth said with a chuckle.

  “I had no idea you could play the piano like that.” Daniel took his place on the railing and was joined by Thorliff.

  “Elizabeth played for all our dances before Jonathan arrived. For dances and church and sing-a-longs. We’ve been so fortunate to have musicians. And after tonight we have even more.” Astrid leaned against the swing back. “What fun that was.”

  “Did you see Mr. Landsverk and Maisie Christopherson? That just tickles me. She is such a lady.”

  “I know.” Astrid nodded. “And if I’m not mistaken, Deborah might be getting her wish.”

  “What’s that?” Thorliff asked.

  “At the girl party, she finally admitted she’s been wishing Toby would notice her, you know, as more than just a longtime friend.”

  “I think he got the idea.” Thorliff shook his head. “The girl party?”

  “Well, we all grew up together and – ”

  “I know, but you aren’t exactly girls any longer.”

  “Ah, so you’ve noticed.” His wife gave him a teasing look.

  “You know what I mean.”

  “Come on, Thorliff, before you put your foot in your mouth and can’t walk. Good night, you two.” Elizabeth took her husband’s hand and pulled him to his feet.

  “’Night.”

  “May I walk you to church in the morning?”

  “I . . . I guess.”

  “Good. Then I’ll say good-night too.” He touched her hand and bowed slightly before heading up the street, whistling as usual. This was getting to be a habit – a rather nice habit, she thought as she closed the door behind her.

  Church in the morning was bittersweet when Pastor Solberg thanked Jonathan for his musical contributions and asked that everyone would pray along with him for this young man to finish his schooling and return to become a permanent part of Blessing. There was more than one handkerchief touching eyes as the prayer time ended.

  Astrid stood between Daniel Jeffers and her mother, with Daniel’s mother on his other side and her father on her mother’s other side with his hand on Emmy’s shoulder. How could this feel like a family so easily?

  When Daniel and his mother accepted Ingeborg’s invitation to come for Sunday dinner, Astrid smiled up at him. “You don’t know what you are in for.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Just wait and see. Oh, and I’m sure there will be a baseball game, so you might want to change clothes.”

  After dinner at the farm, Jonathan came downstairs with his suitcases packed, and after telling everyone good-bye, he and Grace took the buggy to the train station.

  While Astrid helped clean up in the kitchen, Daniel asked if he could talk with Haakan.

  “Of course. How about out on the front porch.” Haakan led the way. “Now, what can I do for you?”

  “I . . . I would like your permission to court your daughter.”

  “I see.” Haakan puffed on his pipe, nodding. “I have a question for you.”

  “What is that?”

  “My daughter is a doctor, first and foremost. The man she marries has to understand that. It is not easy. I can attest to that, since her mother was the only doctor in these parts for years. Babies and illness and accidents rarely happen during office hours. Can you live with that? Without her duties causing you or her hard feelings toward each other?”

  Daniel nodded. “I’ve always known she is a doctor. That is a part of who she is. Like my mother is a teacher. I see that Thorliff and Dr. Bjorklund manage. It can be done if two people agree and are willing to work together.”

  “That is a very good answer. One more thing. This will take prayer, a lot of prayer for her health and her safety. I believe you are a man of God, and if this is God’s plan for your lives, He will reveal it to you both.”

  “Yes, sir. And thank you.” Daniel extended his hand to shake Haakan’s. “I am honored that you give me this permission.”

  “Does Astrid know how you feel?”

  “I’ve never mentioned anything, because I had to speak with you first.”

  “Then we will all pray for God’s perfect will. Agreed?”

  Daniel nodded. Now if only God and Astrid would agree.

  32

  OCTOBER 1904

  “I can’t believe it is really here.” Astrid stood at the door to the operating room in the soon-to-be-dedicated Blessing Hospital.

  “Me either.�
� Elizabeth stood beside her.

  “So, what do you think?” Thorliff asked them both.

  “I am overwhelmed.” Elizabeth leaned back against her husband’s strong chest. “I believe you and your men are miracle workers to have managed to get this ready for the dedication.”

  “And on time,” Astrid added.

  “I was hoping for completion on a few more rooms, but that will come soon.” Thorliff shook his head.

  “All of our guests from Chicago will be here tomorrow.” Astrid heaved a sigh. All this planning and working and reworking, but – There could be no more buts. “You even got the construction mess all cleaned up.”

  “Thanks to Mrs. Sidorov and her sister. When we found that family, we found a treasure.” Daniel joined them.

  After Samuel had taken Boris Sidorov to Walhalla to find someone who spoke Russian, they gleaned enough information for the elder Mr. Gould to locate the missing family in New York. He put them on the train and by mid-September, the man was reunited with his wife, their two children, and his wife’s sister. Mrs. Jeffers took on the new students, and they too were learning to speak English. One of Mr. Sidorov’s sons was old enough for school, so he was learning English there too.

  “There is nothing more to be done here, so let’s go home. Thelma has supper waiting.” Thorliff took his wife’s arm.

  Daniel smiled at Astrid. “Tomorrow will be a big day for the whole town.”

  “Not as big as the next.” Astrid glanced down at the sheaf of papers in her hand. She’d been going over the schedule for the dedication to make sure everything would happen as planned. There would be speeches by Dr. Morganstein and Mrs. Josephson’s nephew, Jason, on behalf of his deceased aunt, along with several local people. Then would come a thank-you speech from Thorliff and the blessing by Pastor Solberg. Then lastly, the ribbon would be cut and the hospital would be open for tours.

  “Are you coming?” Daniel asked.

  “Oh yes, of course.” Astrid tried to smile, but all of a sudden she felt like a balloon with all her air escaping, zipping around and then going flat. “I think I am too tired to eat.”

  “We’ll make sure this is short, then.” He touched the middle of her back with a gentle hand, guiding her toward the door.

  Why did she all of a sudden feel like weeping? She blinked and swallowed. This was silly. She should be dancing and whooping for joy, yet all she wanted to do was collapse in the corner and bawl. I want my mother. That thought caught her by surprise. Ingeborg would be at the station in the morning as part of the official greeters for the visitors. They had buggies to take them to the hospital to see it before heading to the boardinghouse, where they would all be staying.

  The four walked back to the Bjorklund house, which would soon lose its designation as the surgery.

  The next morning arrived almost before Astrid fell asleep, or at least it seemed that way. A rooster crowing woke her before the full light of day. She sat up and pushed the pillows behind her, taking a few minutes to stare out the window and focus on her heavenly Father.

  “All this you have prepared and accomplished for these next days. The hospital could not be ready without your intervention and without your blessing. Thank you for guiding those working on it, both here and in Chicago. In places where there could have been dissension, you poured out peace. You prevented any major accidents and brought swift and clean healing to those injured. You kept me calm when I wanted to scream. Lord God, I praise your name, for this hospital is rising in your name and for the sake of your people.” She blew out a breath of night and sucked in a deep breath of fresh morning. “And to think I even went to sleep right away and slept all through the night. Thank you. I hope Elizabeth did too. Amen, Lord God, amen.”

  Throwing back the sheet and blanket, she went behind her screen to wash and dress. The train would be in around eleven. With the cooling weather, she pulled on a navy serge skirt with a kick pleat in back for walking. She would add the jacket later. After buttoning the front of a new high-necked blouse with straight sleeves to fit under the jacket, she sat down at the dressing table and brushed out her night braid. Brushing her hair was always calming. She twisted the mass and formed a bun at the base of her skull so her new hat with a curved feather would sit properly on her head. On the way out the door, she snagged one of the coverall aprons that they wore when treating patients. It should keep her clothes clean until she needed to go to the station.

  Downstairs, Thelma had the coffee started. “You’re up early.”

  “I know. On one hand I think I have a million things to do, and on the other . . .” She shrugged and let her raised hands fall. “I think we got it all done. If that is really possible.”

  “I’ve checked all the lists, and I think we’re done.”

  Astrid fetched a pitcher of milk from the icebox. “I think I’ll just have bread and milk for breakfast.”

  “You want it toasted?”

  “That would be good.”

  While the bread toasted over an open burner, she set the butter, jam, and sugar on the table. She could hear Thorliff tromping around upstairs, but he always came down before Elizabeth. Not a peep from Inga’s room. As soon as she woke up, she would run across her room and into her mother’s to say good morning, then run down the stairs and into the kitchen. She could make a whirlwind blush from ineptitude.

  Astrid took her toasted bread and sat down to break it into pieces into her bowl. She poured in milk and sprinkled sugar, thinking what a good idea this was. After buttering and spreading jam on half a piece of toast, she dug in, enjoying the snap of the fire in the cookstove and the birds awakening outside. Many had already left for the south, but the chickadees would stay through the winter, along with the juncos.

  Thorliff entered the room, settling his tie into his vest. “You were mighty quiet this morning.”

  Astrid nodded, having just taken a bite of milk and toast.

  “Do you have anything to do besides nervous pacing until the train arrives?”

  She shook her head. “Not unless a patient is desperate. I put up the Emergencies Only sign.”

  When they met the train, both Astrid and Elizabeth, along with the others, waited on the platform as the train screeched to a stop. When Mr. Josephson assisted Dr. Morganstein down, the two doctors Bjorklund exchanged looks of sadness before assuming their welcoming smiles. Dr. Morganstein had aged in the last year to the point of weakness.

  Dear doctor Morganstein, are you ill, or what is happening that you are so weak? But she knew not to ask, at least not at this point. “Thank you for coming all this way.”

  “I wouldn’t miss this for the world – our first distance hospital.” Dr. Morganstein’s smile had not lost its force but her voice quivered – just a bit, but noticeable to her two protégés. She took Astrid’s arm and smiled her thanks when Elizabeth took her parasol and her other arm. “Now I am set. What an adventure this has been.”

  “If you stand right here at the edge of the platform,” Astrid told her, “you can see the hospital. Not much but a slice.”

  They paused a moment while she took a look.

  “We have the buggies here so that we can drive all of you by the hospital before taking you to the boardinghouse,” Elizabeth said.

  Dr. Morganstein turned to Mr. Josephson. “Where is Dr. Red Hawk?”

  The younger man turned. “I thought he was right behind me.”

  Astrid knew instantly where he was. She scanned the crowd for her two nurses in training. Sure enough, there in the shade of the station, a dark-haired man in a gray suit stood talking with the two women. The look of awe on their faces was a sight to behold. “He’ll be along in a minute. I’m sure our two Indian nurses are thrilled to hear their own tongue for a change.”

  Dr. Morganstein squeezed her protégés’ arms. “You have gone beyond what I dreamed for here already. Are they ready to return to the reservation with him?”

  “Not what I’d call ready, but they are a far
distance from when they came here. They both learned quickly and seemed to enjoy their schooling. Learning to speak English was harder than learning nursing.” Elizabeth motioned for the doctor to climb up in the buggy.

  Thorliff assisted her on one side and Astrid the other. Ingeborg waited in the buggy.

  “Ah, Mrs. Bjorklund, what a delight to see you again.” Dr. Morganstein took the arm Ingeborg offered to steady her and help her to sit.

  “We are so glad to have you here in Blessing. I can’t thank you enough for all that you have already done.”

  “And this is just the beginning.” Dr. Morganstein leaned against the buggy seat. “My, I forget how wearing these trips can be. I was just so excited to come.”

  “The men are taking the luggage to the boardinghouse, so your things will be there waiting for you. We thought you might want to rest awhile before the meeting at four o’clock, followed by supper in the dining room.”

  “Do we have an itinerary?”

  “Right here.” Astrid handed her a copy. “I gave one to Mr. Josephson too, and there will be one for Dr. Red Hawk. How many people are there in your party?”

  “Four. I brought one of the nurses along to assist me. These old joints have trouble sometimes with buttons and pins.”

  “Good. Are you still running the hospital?”

  “Officially yes, but Mrs. Hancock oversees all the business matters, and Dr. Whitaker is in charge of all things medical. We have a new man in charge of the training programs. Dr. Hammond came to us from Johns Hopkins. He wanted to come along, but some people needed to stay in Chicago to keep things running. He is as excited about our distance facility as I am, or rather, as we all are.”

  Thorliff made sure Astrid and Elizabeth were settled in the rearfacing seat and clucked the team forward.

  “What is that new building?” Dr. Morganstein asked.

  “That is the factory building – just now ready to move the machinery in – in which a seeder adapter as well as a new seeder will be produced and sold to farmers.”

  “And all these new houses.”