Deep in the Heart

by Gilbert, Morris

  Brodie felt Mateo’s arm go around his shoulders, and he leaned against his friend. “I can’t hardly believe it, Mateo. It’s a miracle they weren’t killed too.”

  “Yes. You will never forget this. A man only needs to see one miracle to know that the good God is in heaven.”

  Rhys Morgan was speaking with Jerusalem inside the house. The smell of burned wood still lingered, but little damage had been done to the rest of the house. Wood was charred around one window, but that could be easily repaired.

  “We didn’t know what to do about Josiah, Jerusalem,” Rhys said. He was wearing a black suit despite the hot weather, and his smooth face was even as he spoke. “We didn’t know how long it would be before we got you back, so we went ahead and buried him. We thought we’d wait and have the funeral when you were rescued.”

  “That was the right thing to do, Rhys. Thank you,” Jerusalem said. “I appreciate all you’ve done for us.”

  “Do you have any particular scripture you’d like for me to read at the service?”

  “Grandpa always liked the twenty-third Psalm. He used to recite it to me when I was a little girl. I think it would be nice if you read that.”

  “That’s always good. Anything else?” Rhys asked.

  “No, let’s have the funeral. It’s time now.”

  Rhys Morgan followed Jerusalem out of the house. The two walked fifty yards to the grave where her grandfather was buried. Brodie had picked the spot in the shade of a large pecan tree that he had often sat under with his great-grandfather and listened to his tales. The crowd was not large. Jake was there with his Indian family, Lucita had come with Serena and Mateo on each side of her. About twenty of the neighbors had gathered, and Jim Bowie had remained to pay his respects before returning to his home.

  Rhys waited until Jerusalem took her place beside Zane. Zane was holding Mary Aidan, and Brodie and Clinton stood on one side of her. Moriah was holding Zane’s free hand. Rhys looked around and said, “A beautiful day. This is the day that the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.” He looked over the crowd and said, “We rejoice over the life of our departed brother Josiah Mitchell. I had many a long talk with Josiah. He had a hard life. Most of you know that he fought under George Washington, serving with General Anthony Wayne. His life was filled with activity, but the last time I spoke with Josiah, he told me that the one regret of his life was that he waited so long to take Jesus Christ as his Savior. . . .”

  The crowd was silent, and Brodie listened carefully and fought back the tears. I’m gettin’ to be a regular crybaby, he thought. I can’t let anybody see that. He glanced around and saw Clay standing beside Julie. He knew they weren’t man and wife, but he saw that Julie had tears in her eyes and was shocked. I didn’t know she loved Grandpa that much.

  Rhys Morgan read several scriptures, including the twenty-third Psalm, and then he said, “In the eleventh chapter of John, there’s a story that I never cease to marvel over. A man named Lazarus had died. He and his sisters were dear friends of Jesus. . . .” He read the entire chapter aloud, speaking plainly in his clear, tenor voice. “The thing that always moves me in this story is when Martha came to Jesus and said, ‘If you had been here, our brother would not have died.’ And then Jesus said, ‘Thy brother shall rise again.’

  “Martha believed in the resurrection. She said, ‘I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.’

  “And then in the twenty-fifth verse, Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.’”

  Rhys closed his Bible and spoke for a while about the Lord Jesus Christ, stressing His own resurrection from the dead. Finally he said, “I was speaking with a member of the family, one standing here. Talking about all the people buried in this land and all over the world. The world is one huge graveyard, but for those who believe in Jesus, those bodies will rise one day, and Josiah will be one of them. He will be with the Lord forever.”

  Rhys then bowed his head and said a brief prayer. As soon as he said, “Amen,” he went over and took Jerusalem’s hand and whispered a few words of comfort. Others came, and Jerusalem knew a strange sense of joy.

  She turned to Julie, who had come to embrace her. “He’s with the Lord, Julie. I’m so happy for him.”

  Julie could not answer. She bit her lips and turned away without another word. Jerusalem felt her sorrow and a grief. “God help her,” she said. “She needs Jesus.”

  After all the visitors had gone, Jerusalem stood with the family, looking down. Brodie said, “What’s the matter, Mama?”

  “I wish—” She broke off and then shook her head. “I wish my boys were here.” She turned quickly and walked away.

  Clay, who was standing beside Brodie, muttered, “She sure misses that little cemetery she had back in Arkansas.”

  “I wish they was buried here with Grandpa,” Brodie said. “It would be a real comfort to Mama.”

  Clay turned away but stopped long enough to put his hand on Clinton’s shoulder. “You had a good great-grandpa there, boy. I hope you’ll be as good a man.”

  “I hope so, too, Clay.”

  “Clay, Mama’s not talking hardly at all,” Brodie said. The two were out planting in the new garden, and Brodie’s face was troubled. “You reckon she was so scared by gettin’ kidnapped by the Indians, and she can’t get over it?”

  “Scared? Not your mama.” Clay took his handkerchief out, wiped his face, and leaned on his shovel. “She is in a funny mood, but don’t push her, boy. You can’t understand women. No way to do that.”

  “You think she’ll be all right?”

  “Just give her time, boy, and be good to her.”

  “Clay, I cried over Anthony Wayne. You think it’s wrong to cry over a dog?”

  “Not me! I’ve cried over dogs and horses myself!”

  Jerusalem was more aware than anyone of the dark mood that had gripped her. She could not understand it, but she knew that two things were happening. One thing was her newfound faith. She found herself reading the Scriptures more and more often. Verses spoke to her as they never had. To be able to read God’s Word and understand it better pleased her. She found herself sharing things from the Bible with her children and knew that she had somehow passed into a new stage of her life with God.

  On the other hand, she was experiencing a strange moodiness, which was not at all like her. She knew it had something to do with being kidnapped, and she knew that Clay Taliferro was part of it.

  Clay had not spoken about any of it. He kept himself busy with all the work that had to be done on the new homestead. But when he was not around, Jerusalem often became nervous for no reason at all. The more she thought about it, she realized it had to do with how much she depended on Clay. Ever since they had left Arkansas, and even before, she had been drawn to his strength, although she had not wanted to admit it even to herself.

  The night he had appeared like magic at Red Wolf’s camp and saved her and the children, she realized how much she needed a man out here to protect her. The Indians were still there, and another raiding party could appear again tomorrow. War was looming on the horizon with the Mexicans. Jake had never been a help to her with the family, and she had borne the burden of raising them alone. The constant threat of danger surrounded them every day, and now she felt it more than ever.

  Without realizing it, she found reasons to keep Clay close to home.

  She felt apprehensive when he rode over to help Mateo with work, as he often did. She found herself looking for his return with a strange nervousness. She chided herself for worrying, for she had never been one to worry much in her life!

  Others sensed it too. Brodie had already mentioned it to Clay, and more than once Moriah would say, “Why are you so worried, Ma?”

  Jerusalem had always been the anchor of the family, and now she found herself needing someone, and with each passing day, this longing grew stronger and stronger.


  Brodie had practiced his speech for days, and finally he was alone with Serena. He had ridden over to help Mateo, and the two of them had worked on a new smokehouse. But Mateo had gone inside, and Serena had come to bring him a dipper of water.

  “Thanks, Serena.” He drank it, and then as he handed the dipper back, he blurted out, “You know they’re having a celebration in San Antonio.”

  “Yes, I heard about it. What are they celebrating?”

  “Oh, it’s something about Stephen Austin’s colony. Anyhow, would you go with me?” Serena turned, and for a moment Brodie’s heart sank like a plummet. He thought, She’s gonna say no.

  But instead she said, “I wouldn’t mind, but I can’t leave Mama alone.

  She gets lonesome, you know.”

  “Well, that’s all right,” Brodie said. “Clay wanted me to ask your mother if she’d go with him.” The lie fell easily from Brodie’s lips, so easily he could not believe it. He almost opened his mouth to contradict himself, but Serena beat him to it.

  “Why, that’s wonderful, Brodie! I know she’d love to go. I’ll go tell her.”

  “Well,” Brodie said quickly, “I’ve got to get on back home.”

  “I’ll be ready to go on Tuesday morning,” Serena said, smiling.

  Brodie got on his horse and rode away from the Lebonnes’ farm feeling miserable. “Why did I have to lie like that? What am I gonna do now?” he said in a plaintive tone. “I’ve got to find Clay.”

  He rode at a fast gait all the way back and found Clay napping in the shade beside the house. Scrambling off the horse, Brodie went up and said, “Clay, wake up.”

  “Why, hello, boy. What mischief you been up to?”

  Brodie swallowed hard and squatted down beside Clay. “I done a bad thing, Clay. I told a lie.”

  “Why, I told one once myself. I think it was back in 1822, if I remember correctly.”

  “I’m not foolin’, Clay.”

  “What’d you lie about?” Clay was sleepy-eyed as usual, and he listened as Brodie stammered for a time and finally came out with it.

  Clay reached out and pulled Brodie’s hat down over his eyes. He laughed and shook his head. “Well, if that’s the worst thing you ever done, I reckon you’ll make it through the pearly gates.”

  “But Serena won’t go unless her mama goes.”

  “Why, you done settled that, didn’t you? I’ll put on my best clothes, and we’ll take those ladies. It’ll be good for both of us to get away from all this work and celebrate a little.”

  “Will you really, Clay?”

  “Shore, boy. Be glad to go.”

  Brodie rose and went into the house. He burst out, saying, “Mama, Serena’s going to go to the celebration with me in San Antonio. First time she’s ever let me take her anywhere.”

  Jerusalem saw the happiness on Brodie’s face. She came over and reached out and ruffled his hair. “Why, that’s wonderful. You’ll have a good time.”

  “Well, she wouldn’t go unless her mama could go, so Clay’s takin’ Lucita.”

  Brodie did not notice that something changed in his mother’s face.

  She simply said, “Oh, is that right?”

  “That’s right. And, Mama, you ought to go too. It’ll be a fine thing.”

  “I’m not going, Brodie,” she said evenly.

  Brodie stared at her. “Why not?”

  “I’m just not. That’s all.”

  Brodie stared at his mother and then turned and walked out of the house. Women sure are funny. You think she’d be glad to go and enjoy the entertainment. Maybe I can convince her of it. He put the idea out of his mind, however, for he could barely contain one idea, much less two. And all he could think of now was that he was taking Serena to a celebration.

  CHAPTER

  TWENTY-THREE

  Stripped to the waist, Rhys Morgan brought the razor carefully down the side of his cheek. He had come to the back porch of the Hardin house, where he’d spent the night. He was in the midst of his shave when Moriah came out to watch him. She began to pepper him with questions, which he answered as best he could. Now as he wiped the lather off on a bit of cloth, she asked, “Well, where did Cain get his wife, Preacher?”

  Well, devil fly off! Rhys found Moriah fascinating. At fourteen she was between adolescence and womanhood, but she was the most direct person Rhys had ever met—with the exception of her mother. He looked into Moriah’s deep brown eyes and smiled. “Why would you ask a strange thing like that?”

  “Because there was only Adam and Eve. If Cain got a wife, she must have been his own sister. Ain’t that right?”

  “Don’t say ain’t. And I’d appreciate it if you’d let me finish shaving without asking any more questions.”

  “But you said in your sermon we ought to study the Bible and learn to ask questions. Well, why won’t you answer me?”

  “Because I don’t have a good answer, Moriah. Of course Adam and Eve started the race, but they may have had children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren. It may be that by the time Cain got married, he had plenty of second or third cousins to choose from.”

  Moriah stared at him and then smiled. “I knew you’d say that.” She narrowed her eyes and said, “How come you have muscles that are so strong? Most of the preachers I’ve seen have been either fat or skinny as string beans.”

  “I’m what I am from working in the coal mines. It either kills a fellow or muscles him up.”

  “You look real strong. When I get married, I’m not gonna let my husband get fat.”

  Rhys Morgan laughed. “I’ll bet you don’t,” he said. “That young fellow will have a fine time being married to you. Now, go and help with the chores!”

  Moriah did not obey. She sat quietly, watching intently as Rhys finished shaving. He finally washed his face, put on his shirt, and tucked it into his pants. “Now, let me get my tie and coat, and we’ll be ready for the celebration.”

  Moriah’s face suddenly grew long. “We’re not going.”

  “Not going!” Rhys said, staring at her. “Of course you’re going.

  Everybody’s going.”

  “Mama says she won’t go. Please go in and make her let us go.”

  “Why, I can’t make your mother do anything,” Rhys protested, “but I will ask her.” He came forward and, reaching out, pulled Moriah’s earlobe. “I’ll turn my charm on her. We Welshmen can do that, you know.

  Why, I can charm the birds out of the trees. Come along and watch.”

  Going inside the house, Rhys found Jerusalem changing the sheets on one of the beds at the end of the hall. “Now, Sister Hardin, I think it’s time you had a vacation. Go get yourself ready, and I’ll drive you to that celebration myself.”

  “I’m not going, Rhys,” she said as she straightened out the sheet.

  Rhys quickly surveyed Jerusalem’s countenance. He saw that her lips were set and did not understand why she wouldn’t want to go to the celebration. She led a dull life in many ways here on the ranch, and now he said lightly, “I think it would be good if you went. I’d like some company myself, and the children need a break. They’ll be disappointed if they don’t get to go.”

  “Rhys, I got too much work to do around here to be trotting off to some celebration. Besides, it’s foolish,” Jerusalem said as she finished making the bed.

  “Suit yourself, Jerusalem, but I think you’re going to miss a real fun time. And the kids were really looking forward to going,” Rhys said as he followed her to the kitchen.

  As she worked in the kitchen, Rhys continued to try to convince her to go.

  Jerusalem started to mull over what Morgan had said about the children. They do work hard, always helping Clay out with all the work, she thought as she swept the kitchen. Twenty minutes later, she threw up her hands and said, “All right, I’ll go! You’ll drive me crazy, if I don’t. I declare, Rhys Morgan, you’re worse than one of the children!”

  “So you’ll go, then?” Rhys s
miled. “Good.”

  “You did it, Preacher!” Moriah said. She had followed the pair around and listened in. “You really did it. I didn’t think you could.”

  “What did he do?” Jerusalem demanded, turning to stare at Moriah.

  “He said he could charm the birds out of the trees and that he could certainly make one woman go to a celebration.”

  “Now wait a minute,” Rhys protested. “I didn’t exactly say all that.”

  Jerusalem’s eyes flashed, but when she saw the guilt in Morgan’s face she laughed. “All right. I believe you Irishmen can charm a woman.”

  “I’m not Irish, bless you. I’m a Welshman, but I’m glad you’re going.”

  “Can I wear my new dress, Mama?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’ll go get ready.”

  As Clay helped Lucita into the front seat of the wagon, she asked, “Where’s Jerusalem?”

  Clay jumped up in the wagon and took the lines and looked back at Serena and Brodie, who had seated themselves in the back. “Well, she wouldn’t come.”

  “Wouldn’t come?” Lucita said. “Why not?”

  “I don’t know. I can’t figure it out.”

  “I can’t either,” Brodie said. “We told her there’d be plenty of room in the wagon for her, but she just got stubborn. Ma does that sometimes.

  I think she needs some kind of a tonic or somethin’.”

  “I always consider myself an expert about women, but Jerusalem puzzles me sometimes,” Clay said.

  Serena laughed aloud and reached forward and touched her mother.

  “Better be careful, Mama. You’re sitting beside an expert in women.” She sat back and glanced over at Brodie. “Why, you look nice, Brodie.”

  Brodie was wearing a new shirt he had saved up and bought for the occasion. He had even shaved, which he scarcely needed to, but it made him feel more grown up. He flushed with pleasure and said, “You look real fine, Serena. Is that a new dress?”

  “Mama and I made it.” The dress was made out of a shiny green material and fit Serena well. Her black hair was glossy and shone in the sun, and she smiled and whispered, “I’m glad you asked me to go, Brodie.