by Cyndi Raye
If only her body didn’t ache so bad she may enjoy the time she had left with the children. Low back pain was normal of late. Cooking, baking, cleaning, and taking care of the children’s daily needs were all she did. Once in a while she used her nursing skills but not often. It was so awful these children didn’t have anyone to love them enough.
Matron Eldridge was so strict with the children. If one got out of line, she had Mr. Marksman go outside and get a switch to tan their backsides.
Several children had wounds Ellie had to tend to from that switch. A little girl name Betsy had cried in her arms, her little body shaking so bad Ellie thought she may break apart. What would happen after she left? The girl was barely four years old. Her parents had died in a carriage accident with no other family or relative to take her in. Little Betsy was all alone. Ellie wondered how she could leave the child now since they had grown so close.
Was she truly needed here? Was this where God wanted her to be? No! She didn’t dare think this way. Ellie had plans, big plans to use her nursing skills out west.
As she lay in bed her heart ached for the little girl who would grow up in this awful place. It was dark and dreary, filled with strict rules and as soon as Betsy could, they would have her working her whole life away.
Ellie admitted it to herself. She had fallen in love with little Betsy. Pulling back the covers, she tip-toed across the large open room, careful not to wake any of the children sleeping there. Fourteen beds, including hers were lined up along the wall and through the center of the room. Sleeping bodies, some restless, others lying dead as a doorknob had her quickly moving across the room in order not to wake anyone. She had to be quiet otherwise her mission to speak with Matron Eldridge would be interrupted.
At this point, she had one day to make a difference in the small child’s life.
Ellie knocked on the study door, where she knew the matron read late in to the evening. Pale light from a lamp shone underneath the heavy oak door.
“Enter,” a soft voice called out. It surprised Ellie to hear the matron speak so quietly. She was used to the older woman’s loud, obnoxious drawl.
“Matron Eldridge, if I may have a word with you?”
“Come in, sit.”
Ellie sat in the chair opposite the matron. She let out a breath of air.
“You must have something important on your mind, Ellie. What is it? Are you having second thoughts about leaving?”
Ellie’s fingers gripped the arms of the Victorian chair. “Not exactly, although I questioned that also. I’ve come to the realization that it is my duty to use my nursing skills to the fullest. I cannot do that here as you know.”
The older matron nodded. “I agree.” She looked up from her book, staring at Ellie before speaking again. “I was once like you, full of spirit and wanting to change the world.”
That surprised Ellie. “You were?”
She nodded. “It wasn’t to be. I came here and never left. I worked my way up and here I am. As long as they’ll have me, my duties are here. It was what was intended for my life. Many may believe I can be cruel and heartless but I want the best for these children.”
This was the opening she needed. Ellie leaned forward. “If this is so, Matron Eldridge, let me have Betsy as my apprentice.”
The matron’s eyes narrowed. “She’s four and indentured to the orphanage.”
“I would be willing to care for her, just as every other apprentice does. I will train, house and clothe her and train her in good morals. Each year I promise to send a letter of progress. Please, Matron Eldridge, I can give this child a better life than she could ever have here.”
“How do you know this? Why, in a few years she will be able to find someone to apprentice her as a seamstress.”
Ellie was horrified. “She’s so scared here, Matron. She’s lost both her parents. Most of the other children have some semblance of hope. They have a parent or relative to fall back on. She’s so young, the others are older. She has no other relatives. Besides, she has grown to love me so much and I feel the same way. I’ll be married in Texas, working as a nurse. She can apprentice there in a few years.” Ellie had no plans to teach the child to go to work so young. All she wanted was to take her away from this life.
“This is unheard of, Miss Jacobs. I’ve never had an employee offer to apprentice a small child. I’m not sure it will be approved.”
Ellie twisted her hands together. She didn’t want to beg. “Please, try, Matron. You are a woman of today’s innovative ideas. Look what you have accomplished here in this orphanage. They send children on the mercy train from large cities like Philadelphia and New York City all the time to work out west. Is this any different?”
The matron’s eyes lit up. “You are correct, I do like to be in the forefront of modernization. This may be just the thing this home needs to boost its donations for funding.”
Ellie wanted to scream but didn’t dare. To want to utilize her suggestion to get more donations was indecent in her eyes but if it helped the children to get away from this dark place, then her time here was well spent. “I’ll be leaving the morning after tomorrow. Will you know by then?”
“I’ll speak with the superintendent tomorrow afternoon. You best go on back to bed. It’s going to be a busy day tomorrow.”
Ellie smiled. It was a busy day every single day. “Thank you, Matron Eldridge. You’ve taught me a lot.”
“I’m sorry to see you leave and yet, I’m not. Spirits are known to be broken here. Yours is still intact. Good night, Miss Jacobs.”
Ellie left feeling accomplished. She presumed what the matron said to her was a compliment. She tip-toed back across the room and tucked herself in bed. Visions of a life with little Betsy and a doctor husband ran through her thoughts.
She realized the doctor she would be marrying may not appreciate a small child but if he had any compassion he would certainly understand.
Wouldn’t he?
Chapter 2
James had closed his practice for twenty minutes to wait on the train. After the last of the passengers were done unloading, he still didn’t see his intended. He had it all figured out. He’d introduce himself, take her to Miss Addie’s boarding house to get settled in, go back to his practice for the day and visit with her later in the evening. He didn’t have a lot of time to do it any other way.
He wasn’t even sure when he could take the time to be officially married. Miss Addie told him she’d work that out. He realized he was depending a lot on her to see this through, but then again, it was Miss Addie and his aunts idea. Mostly.
Miss Jacobs would either agree to it or turn around and go back to Charleston. If she were a nurse, she’d understand his work. He had maybe an hour or two each evening to fill out any paperwork or study up on recent medical news. He loved when he received new medical journals on occasion, sometimes spending long hours in to the night sitting by the lamp reading. It had taken precious sleeping hours away but he had to keep up with the new techniques.
“All aboard!” The conductor called for those leaving Wichita Falls to load up or be left behind. James kept looking for his intended bride but all he saw was a young woman with a small child standing on the platform. The little child with curly hair looked terrified. When the dark-haired woman noticed, she picked the child up, placing her on a hip and wiping wet tears from the child’s puffy face.
He watched the two, oblivious to anything else. The woman didn’t notice the train as it slowly pulled away, her eyes were on the child, tenderly speaking with her in low tones he could barely hear. After a few moments, the child looked up with big brown eyes and giggled.
When the woman smiled back at the little girl, her face lit up. James felt his chest tighten. He began to move forward. He had a sinking feeling this was Nurse Ellie.
She had said nothing about a child.
How would she help him run a practice with a small child?
As he got closer, the woman smiled, pressing
the child closer. She seemed nervous as she should be. All James could think about was his practice and how he would grow it with a wife and a small child. He had planned to have children some day but not until his practice was making better money.
“Ma’am. I presume you to be Miss Ellie Jacobs?”
She nodded, taking her hand and reaching out to shake his. He shook hers, doing so automatically, interest rising in his gut. She wasn’t as shy as he presumed. Most women nod curtly, not shake hands like this. He was getting himself a modern woman.
“It is a pleasure to meet you. Doctor Winters, I presume?” She didn’t say a word about the child.
“A pleasure.”
The little girl giggled. A small, thin hand reached out towards him. James stood very still, not sure what this child wanted. Her tiny fingers touched the wooden cylinder of his Cammann binaural stethoscope hanging haphazardly around his neck. “Is this a toy?” her little voice croaked out, its hoarseness causing him to pause.
He shook his head. “I’m afraid not. I use this to listen to hearts.”
Her eyes opened wide. “Oh,” she said. “Can I play hearts?”
“No, I’m sorry. This is for doctors.” James had no plans to allow a child to play with an expensive instrument for his work. The German silver ear tubes and ebony wood piece cost him a fortune before he left Baltimore. He didn’t think he’d ever come by such a fine piece again.
Then he noticed the disappointment in the child’s forlorn face and it got him right in the gut. She lowered her eyes in defeat. He felt like a horrible person. Moving closer, he took a finger and raised her chin until she was looking right at him with those big, brown eyes. “I’ll tell you what. When we get back to my office, I’ll let you see how they work. But I have to be right beside you, okay?”
She nodded, her face instantly changing to joy. “We play?”
He laughed. “Yes, we play. Can you tell me your name?”
“My name is Bethsee.”
He tilted his head. “Bethsee? Do you mean Betsy?”
She nodded again, her head moving up and down so fast her curls bobbed all over. He took her hand in his and shook it as if she were a little adult. “Nice to meet you, Betsy. I’m Doctor James. That’s what most of the townsfolk call me.”
“Can I call you Doctor James, too?”
“Of course you can.” He turned to Miss Jacobs. “Miss Addie, the owner of the boarding house, has a room for you prepared. I’m going to drop you off there to settle in. Later, I’ll come by so we can talk.”
He turned, smiling at Betsy. Just because Miss Jacobs forgot to mention this little girl didn’t mean he would be rude to her. An instant feeling of protectiveness came over him when he looked at the small child.
What had gotten in to him in the matter of a few minutes conversing with her? Miss Jacobs had a lot to answer for but it would have to wait.
“I’m sorry.”
Her soft words startled James.
As they left the train platform, he tried to speak in a low voice so the child didn’t hear. Betsy was walking alongside of Miss Jacobs, watching the horse and carriage that trotted by. She clapped her little hands and jumped up and down, distracted by the large animal. “We will most certainly talk later. You said nothing about a child.”
“It was most unexpected.”
He didn’t know what to say. As she walked alongside him, James took a good look at her. His mail order bride was beautiful in his eyes. Her dark brown hair had a sparkle of auburn when the sun caught the locks peeking from her wide brimmed hat. The simple gown was clean and tidy, even after the long train ride. She would make a wonderful doctor’s wife but was she a good nurse? Did she have the skills needed to help in this type of work here on the prairie? Or would she spend most of her time taking care of Betsy? How would this all play out?
When James dropped off the two at the boarding house, he was puzzled when Miss Addie seemed shocked at meeting the child. He had thought this was part of her doing. When he saw the surprised look on her face, it angered him. Had Miss Jacobs tricked them all?
Yet, he didn’t have time to confront her right now. There were patients to attend to waiting on his porch and in the waiting room. He had to get started, otherwise he’d be working late in to the evening. James wanted to get through the day so he could spend some time with Miss Jacobs for some much needed answers. He had no intention of becoming someone’s fool.
“Miss Jacobs. Miss Betsy. Miss Addie.” He nodded to all three before leaving them on the porch at the boarding house to cross the street towards the doctors office.
His porch was indeed filled with a small crowd as he suspected. They watched him as he made his way up to the door. “What you got going on, Doc? Was that a woman I seen ya with? Didn’t know you was gettin’ married?”
James shook his head, unlocking the door and waving the first patient in. “No time to talk about it right now. You will find out like the rest of the town when the time is near what I’m doing.”
“No fair, doc! We wanna know if you is getting married.”
Several others voiced their strong opinion. They all wanted answers. He held up a hand.
“Fair enough. It looks like there may be a wedding.”
Some of the folks on the porch clapped. “That a boy! Time you got yourself hitched.”
“Wasn’t that a little girl I seen with the lady?”
“Yes, it was. Now, no more questions.” He closed the door, leaving everyone on the porch wondering who the little girl was. He was just as puzzled. He wasn’t about to give any details until he found out for himself.
<><>
James yawned. His stomach growled. It was close to supper time and there were two patients left in the waiting room. Most people sat outside on the porch since the waiting room held maybe two or three people at a time. His house, a large two story home had enough rooms to accommodate a good sized family. A small foyer inside the front door served as a waiting area. It had a small wooden bench and a stool for patients to sit on. To the right was his office, an overly large room with a patient table and one chair. His desk took up a corner by the window, where he could sit late in the evening and still look outside. That’s where he heard his aunt and Miss Addie deciding on his fate last night.
To the left of the foyer and through a closed door was his living area. It was set up as a sitting room even though it was rarely used. Most nights he fell asleep at his desk until he trudged upstairs to bed, where there were a total of four average sized bedrooms. Down the hall from the foyer was another closed door. Through there, his dining area and kitchen was found. It was a large area, big enough for Betsy and Miss Jacobs to be comfortable in.
When he first moved here, his aunt had lived in this house until she decided to move in next door. The house was smaller and she wanted to make room for his medical practice and a family some day. Obviously, she had marriage in mind for him all along.
The bedrooms upstairs would fit Miss Jacobs and Betsy comfortably with enough room for a few more children someday.
He shook himself. When did he start daydreaming? James was a practical man, he loved medicine and didn’t dally with wishy-washy things like this. If Miss Jacobs was a trouble maker, he wasn’t about to marry her. She owed him an explanation and until he got that, there would be no mail order bride marriage as far as he was concerned.
He best get to his patients.
James walked in to his office, where his first patient waited patiently. He held a hand over the right side of his jaw. “Yes, sir, what can I do for you?”
The older man tried to explain by pointing to the side of his mouth. His words were garbled, his face contorted in pain.
“Sit down on the table. Let me take a look.” As much as he tried, James couldn’t pry the man’s mouth open for the likes of him. The older man jerked away as soon as his fingers got too close to the man’s mouth. “Look, sir. I can’t do a thing unless you let me see what is going on.”
A whoosh of air had him look back to see who entered. Miss Jacobs rushed to the man’s side, concern on her face. She instantly touched his arm, asking him to close his eyes and to try not to clench his mouth shut.
James stood back when he felt the man relax. He watched intently as she spoke softly to his patient, smiling, squeezing his hand that had just been holding his cheek. “Let the doctor take a look inside. Can you open your mouth just a bit more?”
Miss Jacobs looked at him then. “You best get to it, Doctor. This won’t last longer than a minute or two.”
James got to work. He peered inside to see the reason for the man’s discontent. “I’m afraid you have a bad tooth which must come out.”
The moment the man groaned in agony, Miss Jacob was again giving him comfort. “Now, now, the good doctor will have you fixed up in no time. Close your eyes and imagine no more pain. I’m going to give you something to ease your hurt.”
James knew she meant laudanum. He dispatched to his apothecary cabinet to grab a bottle of the strong elixir. Grabbing a dropper, he handed them both to her. She had the man under control for the moment so he readied his instruments to extract the bad tooth.
Miss Jacobs took the dropper filled with morphine, careful not to upset the already traumatized patient. “After you swallow these drops, I want you to lie back on the table. What is your name?”
“Jacob. Jacob Smith.” The man was hardly able to get those words out, but he tried as she directed him to lie down on his back. The medicine worked quickly to help relax every muscle in his body.
Before long the patient was breathing steadily, his eyes focused on the patterns on the ceiling. “Let’s get this done, shall we? Please open the black leather case with a mirror on top and hand me a scaler.”
