Ethan was pleased. This was the same as Hugh saying he was sorry. Ethan was willing to forget the past and be friends.
“You going back to school, Hugh?”
“Yeah … I think I will. Gridley says Mr. Quincy might even give me a job if I work hard. I got to start taking care of myself soon.” Hugh stood and gave Ethan a friendly poke on the shoulder. “See you later, kid.”
He sauntered off toward the barn, leaving Ethan to think that his world had turned upright again. Simon and Will were safe during the day, and Alice was in school with him. He had nothing to worry about.
Even so, Ethan’s heart skipped a beat when Matron told him after supper that Mr. Lehman wanted to see him in his office.
“You don’t have to be scared if you didn’t do nothin’ wrong,” Bert assured him. “He prob’ly just wants to tell you something.”
Mr. Lehman smiled at Ethan when he entered the office. “I’ve heard from your older brother, and he sent you a letter.”
“From Russell? Does he want us to come home?”
“I’m afraid it’s not that. I’m sure he’ll tell you in here.” He handed an envelope to Ethan.
“Thank you. Can I read it now?”
“Certainly. Sit there on the sofa if you like.”
Ethan turned the letter over in his hand several times before he opened it and pulled out a single sheet of paper.
Dear Ethan,
I hope you and the others are well. I am writing to tell you that Pa has decided not to come back from the merchant marines. He says we can do whatever we want about staying here. Rachel is going to marry John Higgins, and Walter and Jake and I are working on farms. Mrs. Kenny is going to keep Molly, so we’re leaving this house.
I wrote to Mr. Lehman and told him that you could be adopted now. You’ll have a nice family to live with and maybe get to finish school. Don’t forget that all of you have to stay together. Ma wanted it that way. Rachel and the others send their love.
Your brother,
Russell
Ethan put the letter down. “So they don’t want us anymore,” he murmured.
Mr. Lehman came around the desk and sat beside Ethan on the sofa. He put his arm around the boy. “I’m sure they would take you if they could. But they have no home together now. It was good of Russell to make arrangements for your future care. I believe he’s done the best he could do. I think he’s right that some good family may want you.”
“All of us,” Ethan reminded him. “We all have to go with the same family.”
Mr. Lehman agreed. “We’ll be sure of that. You won’t be separated.”
Ethan returned to his room, and Matron comforted Ethan when they prayed together at bedtime. “Don’t forget that the Good Shepherd is watching over all of you. He’ll never allow you to go anyplace that He doesn’t go with you. You’re His child, Ethan, and He loves you.”
Better than my pa, Ethan thought as he closed his eyes. At least the Lord keeps His eye on us. I’m glad Matron told me about Him.
Patterson Quincy sat on the broad porch of his home that evening and looked out over the lawn and garden. The evening paper was on the table beside him, and several matters he hadn’t attended to during the day awaited his attention. But he couldn’t think about any of those things. Instead he replayed the scene in the office of the Briarlane Children’s Home that morning.
Although he had been president of the board of trustees at the Briars for a number of years, Patterson hadn’t taken a personal interest in anything other than the business affairs of the institution. He had faithfully watched over the legal matters of the Home and carefully monitored the way the orphanage was run. Although he viewed the children at the Briars as individuals with different needs and personalities, that fact hadn’t made a personal impact on him until today.
His mind returned to the scene from this morning. He had observed two badly frightened boys awaiting judgment. That wasn’t an unusual experience for Patterson. He faced the guilty and the innocent daily in his courtroom and impartially dispensed justice to the best of his ability. Why then could he not regard these young boys as just two more in a long line of defendants? Perhaps it was because, as he listened to Hugh Kelly, Patterson understood the feelings of rejection the boy expressed, and his attempts to take control of a situation that was not of his own making.
While Patterson hadn’t been a homeless child, he had been raised by a couple who didn’t encourage him to better himself. They had cared for his needs and expected him to plow a few acres of land for the rest of his life, but Patterson had seen more and had fought for it.
So had Hugh, he thought, as he heard the boy’s story.
“When Ethan wouldn’t get the money for me,” Hugh said, “I thought I’d have to make one of the older boys do it. But Matron didn’t lock the office door, so I took it myself. I was going to go as far away as I possibly could, and maybe get a job working in a bank.”
“But you didn’t take the money with you. Why not?” Mr. Lehman had asked him.
“I got to thinking that the folks here have been awful good to me. And I’m strong. I can earn my own money. So I brought it back and left it by the barn where Otis would find it.”
“Why did you decide to come back today, Hugh? You could have gone on and gotten a job.”
“I heard Mr. Quincy talking to you last night,” Hugh had replied. “I knew you hadn’t found the box. Mr. Gridley trusted me with his money, and that felt good. So I decided to come back and take my punishment. I want you to trust me.”
The boy was frightened, and Patterson’s heart had gone out to him. Hugh was a fighter, and he needed someone to back him up.
The rest of the day Patterson had thought of Hugh Kelly. He was no longer a name on the roster of the orphanage, but a boy who deserved to have someone take an interest in him and make a difference. Patterson Quincy was that someone.
To his astonishment, Patterson found himself thinking that he would like to adopt Hugh. Unlike Eugenia, who now seemed satisfied to remain childless, Patterson wished for a son to carry on his name, and perhaps even follow in his footsteps. Now here was a boy who had many of the same ambitions Patterson had himself as he grew up. This was a boy he’d like to take into his family.
But how would Eugenia feel about it? If there were the least reluctance on her part, Patterson decided, he would abandon the plan immediately. Her happiness was more important to him.
“Eugenia,” he began, “I must tell you what occurred today.”
Patterson repeated the story and then concluded, “I’ve been thinking that I would like to apprentice Hugh. I would encourage him to finish school, and then help him get training in the profession he chooses to follow. I’m sure George Lehman would arrange for him to stay at the Briars until he could manage on his own. What do you think?”
Eugenia was silent for so long that Patterson decided she must want nothing to do with the idea. Finally she said, “I wouldn’t want the boy to remain at the orphanage, Patterson. We have more than enough room here. You’ll want to watch his progress, and it seems to me that he would benefit from your experience. A child needs a home and a family, don’t you think?” Eugenia returned to her handwork, adding, “Perhaps you would want to give him our name, if that pleases you. There is something very sad about a boy who reaches the age of fifteen without a name that attaches him to somebody. I think your plan is an excellent one.”
Chapter Seventeen
A Stranger Visits Briarlane
Ethan turned nine in November. He decided he really enjoyed school. “I might even be a teacher so I can go to school for the rest of my life,” he confided to Bert.
“What about being a farmer?” Bert inquired. “You said that’s what you would like the best.”
“I’ll do that too. I can farm before school and after school and on Saturdays.”
/> Bert said he wasn’t sure that was a good idea. It sounded like a lot of work to him. “There’s more to farming than hoeing the garden and feeding the animals,” he reminded Ethan. “Are you going to stay here at the Briars the rest of your life too?”
Ethan surveyed the big orphanage, the barn, and the surrounding fields. “I wouldn’t mind. Since we don’t have anyplace to go back to, this is home. I have a lot of years until Will grows up anyway. I can’t do anything else until then.”
Toward the end of winter, Bert spotted a visitor who was a stranger to the Briars. This was an unusual occurrence, and Bert was quick to report it to Ethan.
“Did you see the man who came to see Mr. Lehman?” Bert said. “He came from the city.”
“How can you tell?” Ethan demanded. “He might have come right from Briarlane.”
“Nope. I’ve seen all the people in this town who dress up fancy like that, and he’s not one of them. Besides, I heard him ask Otis who the director was here and how to find him. Everyone from town would already know that.”
The boys peered toward the house from their perch on the front fence.
“He’s staying in there an awful long time,” Ethan noted. “I wonder if he’ll take someone away with him.”
“Not likely. Fathers and mothers come together to choose a kid. This is something else.”
When the stranger stayed for dinner, the matter took on a new seriousness. The dining room was quiet, and everyone was on their best behavior as they waited to find out what the visit might mean.
Mr. Lehman looked around and smiled. “These aren’t the ordinary sounds of mealtime here,” he assured the man. “We so seldom have a guest that the children aren’t sure what they ought to do. But this does give you the best chance to see them all together.”
“This is a nice group of children,” the visitor said. “You’ll have difficulty deciding which ones will benefit most from our program. We’ll begin to advertise in local newspapers at once for the group that will leave in the spring. I suggest that you have your list ready by the end of April, so your children can leave after school is out.”
Mr. Lehman nodded. “I’ll have twelve names for you by that time. There will probably be four or five girls in that number. We always have more boys, it seems.”
The visitor scanned the strong, healthy-looking children with approval. “We’ll have no difficulty placing your children, I’m sure. It might be well to mention this plan in your next letter to your supporters. Some may come forward with a request.”
Mr. Lehman thought for a moment. “Several years ago we placed a sister and her little brother with a couple who live in the west,” he said. “They may be willing to take another child. Our letter goes to many churches out there, so the word will spread quickly.”
The visitor seemed pleased to hear this. “One of our agents and a nurse of your choice will travel with the children. The agent is your link between the Briars and the family who takes a child. He will check the references in each town and act on your behalf. If there are brothers and sisters in your group, we do all we can to place them in the same or nearby communities.”
“I have a family of four, ages three to nine,” Mr. Lehman told him. “They must go to the same home.”
“The same home! I can’t recall anyone ever taking four children at once. Are you sure they can’t just be settled close to each other?”
Mr. Lehman shook his head. “It is the expressed wish of the family, and I have agreed to abide by it. There is very little say that these children have over their lives, and I feel I must honor my commitment.”
“I understand,” the man replied. “It would certainly help if we had a request for that many, but we’ll do our best.”
“I believe the Lord will provide a home for the Coopers,” Mr. Lehman said. “If this is His purpose for them, it will surely be done.”
The visitor agreed, and after discussing with Mr. Lehman other matters concerning the program, he left.
That week Mr. Lehman sent out a letter to friends and supporters of the Home, explaining the plan to be carried out.
Twelve children from the Briarlane Christian Children’s Home will be chosen to travel to the western states on the Orphan Train. In each community where the train stops, people will be asked to take a child into their home and raise him or her as a member of their family. The child will receive an adequate education, religious training, board and room, and the care and consideration a natural child would expect from his or her parents. I would urge each of you to consider the possibility of welcoming one of these children into your home.
Included in Briarlane’s twelve will be a family of four children—three boys and a girl. This is the largest number from one family to be offered for adoption in the history of the Home. Since they must be kept together, I am asking that you help us by making inquiry in your church and among your neighbors about a family willing to accept these children.
Please watch your local newspaper for the dates that the Orphan Train will arrive in your community.
Very shortly after this announcement was sent, the children at the Home were told of the upcoming event. There was great excitement as they listened to Mr. Lehman explain the plan. Most of them had seen the train that came through Briarlane on the trip between New York and Chicago, but no one had ever ridden on one.
“You mean we get to ride to Chicago, and someone will take us home with them?” Philip asked.
“That’s right,” Mr. Lehman assured him. “But you’ll have to go past Chicago. Another train will take you farther west.” He held up a large map of the United States. “The Orphan Train will go through Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas.”
There was silence as the boys and girls took this in. It was hard to believe that such a thing could be possible.
“How many of us will get to go, Mr. Lehman?” was the most common question.
“Twelve of you will leave when school is out,” he replied. “More will be ready to go at the end of the summer.”
Bert looked troubled. “What if our folks come for us after we’re gone?”
“If that should happen, I will know exactly where you are and will let you know at once. No one will be sent on the train from Briarlane unless he or she really wants to go,” Mr. Lehman assured them.
Riley was excited about the trip. “I never thought I’d get adopted, seeing as I’m so old. Are you sure they want big fellows like me?”
“Perfectly sure, Riley. You’ll be apprenticed, and when you’re seventeen, you may stay there and earn wages, or you may go out on your own, just as you would if you remained here. The nice thing will be a family of your own.”
“Maybe we won’t like our family,” someone ventured.
“Then you won’t have to stay,” Mr. Lehman said. “I won’t leave you in a home where you’re unhappy. You’ll be given another place, or you may come back here.”
The children couldn’t imagine not being happy in a real home with real parents, but some of them did have fears about leaving Briarlane.
“What will we do without Matron?” Betsy asked.
“Matron will be traveling with you,” Mr. Lehman told her. “She will stay with you until you are in your new homes. Then you’ll have a mama and papa to look after you. Not all orphans are fortunate enough to have a new life offered to them. Some of you have waited a long time to be adopted, and I’m happy to see you get this chance.”
As they talked this over among themselves, most everyone agreed that it would be a great adventure. The little ones who weren’t yet in school knew that something unusual was going to happen, but they weren’t old enough to remember what a family was like, if they had ever been a part of one. The older boys and girls looked forward to having the things they’d only dreamed about—a mother and father, possibly even brothers and sisters of their own.
But not everyone was anxious to go. When Ethan spoke to Hugh about it, the older boy expressed his view.
“If I have a chance to work for Mr. Quincy, I’d rather stay here.” Hugh seemed thoughtful as he looked out across the field. “Mr. Quincy likes me, you know. There aren’t a whole lot of folks who do. He thinks I can make something of myself, and when I do, I want to be here, where he can see it. How about you? Does it sound like a good idea to you?”
Ethan poked in the dirt with a stick. “I’d like it. But I think Bert is right. Nobody’s going to choose a boy who has so much to take care of. And I won’t go without them,” he said fiercely. “The boys are still little, and Alice is a girl. Ma wanted me to be in charge.”
Hugh had no answer to that.
Chapter Eighteen
The Cooper Children Begin a New Adventure
As March ended and the time came closer for final arrangements to be made for the Orphan Train, George Lehman was concerned about the fate of the Cooper children. This would be a wonderful opportunity for them, but he dared not send them out unless a definite offer had been made to care for them.
“I would rather that all our children had assigned homes,” he told his wife. “I’d like to check each family personally before they take a child. I know that isn’t possible, of course, but I’d feel better about it.”
“Yes, so would I. I keep thinking how some will feel if their friends are chosen and they are left to go on to the next town.”
Mr. Lehman agreed. “It’s not a perfect plan, but I don’t feel that I should deprive any child of a chance for a home and a good future. We must do the best we can and trust God to look after their welfare. This may well be the only opportunity some of them have.”
The time finally came in April when the director was forced to make a decision about the twelve who would be sent out on the first train. Reluctantly he made plans to choose four other children for this trip and hoped that the Coopers might be included in the summer group.
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