Threads of Change

by Jodi Barrows

  It was hard to talk to the peddler as they traveled together into town because the wagon made so much noise from all the clamor and clanging of all the items suspended from pegs and nails inside. It wasn’t far though, and soon they approached the edge of the community.

  “This way,” Thomas said, and soon they stopped at the foot of the steps to the Mailly mercantile.

  Liz came to the doorway to see what the noise all about, a dust cloth in her hand and a thick braid loosely dangling down her back. She wore an earthy brown calico dress with small flowers and random dots scattered across the cloth, and the apron she donned over it boasted a dark tan checkered pattern with little flower branches. Thomas thought she looked very pretty with tendrils of blonde hair springing from her braid and framing her flushed checks.

  “Hello there!” she greeted him with a smile. “Who’s your friend?”

  “I think he will be your friend too, after you see what he brought you,” Thomas answered. “He has a letter for you!”

  Liz grinned and bounded across the threshold of the store.

  Thomas made the introductions and, as predicted, Liz invited Skelly to stay for supper. After accepting her invitation, Megan and her cousins appeared out of nowhere and looked over Liz’s shoulder as she opened the letter.

  “Thank you, Mr. Skelly. It is an unexpected pleasure to have a letter from friends. Will you be going back that way?” Liz asked. “We’ll write one for you to take back to her when your travels take you that way.”

  “Sooner or later, I always make it back to Fort Polk. I’ll be happy to take her your letter.” The peddler pulled his watch from the tight pocket at his waist.

  “Why don’t you rest for a while and we’ll find you when supper is ready. Emma will finish up soon. Do you pass our way often?” Liz quizzed the peddler.

  Thomas thought Liz had as many questions as the peddler did!

  “No, not really, but if the place becomes stable and settled, I’ll return as often as you’d like, m’lady.” He paused and looked at her storefront. “Looks like you could use some glass windows for your new business.”

  “Yes, I hope to have some sent our way with the first load of freight.” Liz looked at the empty door and window frames that needed glass.

  “If you like small windowpanes, I have them on my wagon now. I think I have enough windows and doors.” The peddler turned to retrieve the windows from the back of his traveling store.

  Liz tucked her towel into the waist of her apron and scampered down the steps to the wagon to see what Mr. Skelly had inside.

  This man has everything in that wagon of his, Thomas thought as he peered into the back again. He wanted to inspect the window panes himself since he knew that he would be the one installing them.

  Liz looked them over and Thomas nodded his approval.

  “Yes, we will take them all. What do I owe you, Mr. Skelly?”

  The sun came up that Sunday sending a message of hope and peace to Liz’s new world. She and the others had had a good night’s sleep and felt well rested for the first time since they’d left Lecompte.

  Liz needed to adjust to one of her new dresses, as well as to her new relationship with Thomas. She felt much better about things that morning, and had decided overnight that it was a good choice to marry Thomas. He was her friend as well as a good man who had loved her for a long time. She’d awoken with a new resolve, she was even looking forward to settling into her new relationship as Thomas’s soon-to-be wife. And seeing Thomas’s excitement about it endeared him even more to her heart.

  The other Mailly women wore dresses that had been packed away for months. Her sister and both of her cousins behaved as if they’d just purchased them that morning. The day had finally arrived when the family would attend church together and enjoy a whole day of festivities afterward. It was a short stroll to the church and the ladies chatted with anticipation as they walked part of the way on the wood sidewalk and then crossed the dirt street. They stepped along a patted-down trail created by many others before them on their way to church or the pastor’s home.

  “I can’t stop thinking of all the school children who will be taking this same path to our classroom,” Abby told them.

  “You’ll probably meet a lot of them today,” Emma pointed out.

  “I hope I make a good impression,” she replied, suddenly pensive.

  “Of course you will,” Liz reassured her. “You look lovely in that dress.”

  “Do I?” Abby asked, and all three of them confirmed Liz’s encouragement. “You don’t think we dressed up too much, do you?” Megan asked Liz in a hushed voice.

  Liz shook her head and smiled. “I think most will just have on their best cotton dresses and newest bonnets.”

  Liz didn’t tell them that she’d already noticed that their bonnets seemed nicer than most she’d seen, but Megan seemed to sense her reluctance.

  “I just don’t want to seem unapproachable,” she whispered.

  “You think we’re unapproachable?” Abby exclaimed.

  “Not at all,” Liz said as they reached the curve in the path leading to the church.

  “I just don’t want to appear uppity,” Megan said, “but I want everyone to be sure to see what lovely dresses I can make for them or teach them how to make on their own.” She stopped and planted her feet. “Maybe we can go back and take our layers of petticoats off so that our dresses appear less fancy.”

  “The good book said to wear our best to worship the King,” Liz pointed out. “And that’s what we’re here to do, above anything else. Now let’s lift our heads up and walk into the church together, remembering why we came.”

  “Good morning, don’t you all look lovely,” Anna complimented the women as they filed up the path toward her. “Come and meet some of the others.”

  “We were about to turn around and go back home,” Megan said to Anna, and Liz shushed her with a soft jab to the arm.

  “Why? Is something wrong?” Anna asked.

  “We’re afraid that we’re overdressed and want to make the proper first impression with the townspeople and Abby’s students,” Megan told her anyway.

  “You look very nice. Don’t worry. I think they’re expecting you to be a little more cultured than we are. Word has spread like a wildfire that you’re here and that all of you are exactly what Fort Worth needed.”

  Liz smiled at Anna for having soothed their worries as the woman took Liz by the hand, moving them in the direction of the church. “Most everyone has already arrived and is over by the shady side of the church visiting.”

  As Anna led the women along, voices and laughter rang out like a lovely song. Two children ran around the corner and stopped in their tracks as they saw the ladies coming toward them.

  “Look, Sissy … they are so pretty,” the youngest of them said.

  Anna bent down to the girl’s level and said, “I want you to meet my new friends, and your new schoolteacher.” Anna motioned to each one as she introduced them. “And this is Miss Wilkes, your new teacher.”

  Abby reached out to take their little hands. “Lillie, Daisy, it is so nice to meet you. I can’t wait to have you in my classroom. Do you know how to read yet?”

  “A little, Miss Wilkes,” the older one spoke proudly. “Mama went to school back east before she married Pa and she has taught us a little. I can get some of the words in the primer and Sissy knows most of her letters.”

  The younger one was so excited to talk to her new and very pretty teacher that she started reciting her numbers for Abby right there on the spot. Abby chuckled over the little one’s mistakes.

  “That’s very good, Daisy! We’d better meet the others now.” Anna encouraged Daisy toward the shade where the crowd had gathered.

  “Good morning!” Anna called out in her sweetest attention-getting voice. “Earlier this morning you met the men from Louisiana, and now I would like for you to welcome the women who have come with them.”

  Before Anna could
get all four names out, small groups gathered around each one with outstretched hands and ready smiles. As the church bells rang, the people of Fort Worth began making their way up the steps to hear the sermon Pastor Parker had prepared for them on this Sunday morning.

  Liz and her family sat on the left side of the church, a few rows from the front. Behind them were all the others who had traveled with them, but Thomas sat down to Liz’s right, with Anna at the aisle. A few of the ladies went to the front to sing along with two men who played instruments to accompany them. Liz didn’t know the men and couldn’t recall the names of the women, but they sounded lovely. She enjoyed the lively sound of the harmonica played by youngest man. The familiar hymns had never sounded so good!

  Her attention diverted to the pew benches across the aisle. A large white dog stood there with the rest of the congregation, and howled as if he knew the song quite well. Liz glanced around to see if anyone else was amused by the singing dog, but no one seemed to pay any real attention to the dog.

  Pastor Parker prayed, and the dog bowed his head. He welcomed the new guests, and the dog looked around as if he wanted to see who they were. Liz was almost sure the dog winked when Pastor Parker welcomed her, and when Pastor Parker asked the congregation to be seated, the congregation’s furry member took his seat on the pew also.

  Liz smiled and lifted her hand to hide her amusement. She was afraid she would laugh out loud any minute. She could feel it bubbling up inside of her, threatening to spill out. Thomas looked down at her and she pressed her lips together to hide her giggle. She didn’t dare look at Megan. If their eyes met and she had seen the dog too, then there would really be trouble! The more she watched the dog participate in the worship service, the more her control wavered, and soon her shoulders started to shake.

  “What is wrong with you?” Thomas whispered, but Liz held her hand tight to her mouth and waved at him with the other. Her eyes welled with tears in the effort to stifle her laughter.

  Liz hoped she would not have to discuss the sermon after church. She had not heard a word the pastor said! When the service finally ended, Liz turned to Megan in amused disbelief, and Megan burst into cackling laughter. “You saw it, too?” Liz cried.

  Anna joined in the conversation with a giggle of her own and explained. “Angel is the dog’s name, and she belongs to Parker. He always practices his sermons with her during the week. Everyone knows Angel. I’m sorry, we should have warned you about her earlier.”

  Megan held her stomach. “I have never behaved like this in church before. It is just so funny.” She laughed again. “Angel knew just what to do and when to do it.” Liz held her Bible in her hand and reached inside the cover for a hanky. All the joking had brought the tears in her eyes to burst free.

  A loud scream sounded suddenly from somewhere outside. Liz and the other women quickly followed Anna out the side door where a small girl squeezed her doll to her chest and stood facing a fallen tree trunk, paralyzed with fear as a large prairie rattler coiled defensively within inches of her and appeared ready to strike. The ominous sound of the snake’s tail rattled out a warning.

  Without thinking it through, Liz was guided by instinct and rapidly retrieved the small pistol from the church handbag she had around her wrist. After taking careful aim, she squeezed the trigger gently. The shot rang out and the bullet ripped the head clean off the deadly snake. Its writhing, scaly body fell over the small leg of the child and she screamed loud enough for the entire state of Texas to hear her. In seconds, her mother sprinted to the horrified child and folded her protectively into her arms of reassurance. The little girl wept against her mother’s shoulder.

  As everyone gawked at Liz in shocked silence, the little girl’s mother mouthed, “Thank you.” Huge, grateful tears glided down her face.

  It seemed to Liz that the child’s scream had brought everyone running toward them just in time to catch her sharpshooting. The father of the child stepped up to Liz and put his hand on her gun to lower it. He took her by the shoulders and looked into her face. “Mrs. Bromont, I don’t know how to thank you. You just saved my little girl’s life.”

  Liz blinked to clear her head and answered, “Is your daughter hurt?”

  “She’s fine, thanks to your quick thinking and good aim.”

  Tex let out a snort as he joined them.

  “These dainty-looking city ladies didn’t need any of us men to accompany them.” He took his hat and brushed it against his leg, shaking his head. “I’ll know who to call the next time I get in a jam. You Mailly women, in your fancy city dresses … I think you’ve earned the respect of everyone in your new town.”

  Liz hadn’t noticed that Thomas had come a-running at the sound of the gunshot until he said, “I always marvel at your hidden talents.” Liz leaned against him and chuckled. “Very impressive, Elizabeth Bromont.”

  Parker called out, “Let us give praise to our God, for He is good. Now let’s get these tables set up so the women can get our lunch baskets laid out for everyone to share.”

  When everyone had enjoyed their Sunday dinner and all the children had settled down in safe places for a nap, the women excitedly set up the two quilt frames. Anna’s backyard was the perfect spot. A cool, light breeze made this Sunday afternoon very pleasant.

  “Emma, have you named your quilt yet? It’s a nine-patch something, isn’t it?” Anna asked as she threaded her needle to start on the red squares.

  Emma stood back for a moment, admiring the top stretched in the frame. The setting gave it a two-block interaction. She commented, “Maybe it should be EMMA’S FOLLY!”

  “I like it,” Megan said. “And I’m going to call mine, MEGAN’S FEATHERED STAR.”

  Liz admired Megan’s twelve beautifully pieced feathered stars. Each center was a different star block with intricately pieced triangles. Black star points with red feathered points continuously flowed through the quilt top.

  There was a nice turnout of women to work on the two framed quilts and the afternoon went by quickly. Liz concentrated on learning all of the names and who belonged to which family. She thought that was important and would help Abby with the school children as well.

  Three women were pregnant and a lot of the talk centered around babies. Emma picked up her thimble and scissors and moved over to the feathered star quilt. “Megan, do you have room for me at your frame? I really want to quilt some on your pretty star.”

  “Sure. I’ll trade spots with you so I can quilt some on yours. I see it’s almost finished, so I’d better hurry.”

  As they passed each other, Liz touched Emma’s arm and whispered in her ear, “Too much baby birthin’ talk?”

  “How did you know?” Emma asked with a smile.

  The day had grown long and Liz was pleased with the friendships that her little band of women had made. The quilt frame had always been the perfect place for women to learn more about each other. With caring families around each corner and scattered along the countryside, life would be happy and rich in Fort Worth. She wished she could let her grandfather know how lovely she found their new home, and how well they were settling in.

  Liz stood to stretch and go to the pump for fresh water, and she found Pastor Parker there as well.

  “Having a good time?” Pastor Parker asked. “How is our new town heroine?”

  Liz chuckled. “I really am enjoying myself. I didn’t know what to expect. I feel like this is home already,” she added as she took a drink of cool water.

  “I talked with Thomas some today. We talked about your wedding plans, and some about Caleb. If you need to discuss anything at all, Anna and I are always here for you. And remember that it stays with us. We care about you along with all of our flock. Thomas is a good man and he sure seems smitten with you.”

  Liz listened to what her new friend and pastor had to say and decided to confide in him. It seemed that he could see straight through her anyway.

  “Yes, I know, and I care about Thomas. He has been a cl
ose family friend. It seems that he has had a long time to think about his feelings for me and I’m only discovering mine for him. He is ready to jump ahead and …” She hesitated before adding, “I still feel connected to the one I loved. I don’t know if Thomas can give me the time I need—” she paused, collecting her thoughts—“to learn to depend on him.”

  “I understand how you both feel. I think, given some time, it will work itself out. Both of you are good, sound people. Thomas will give you the time you need, I feel convicted of that. Just be honest with him, Liz.”

  She nodded thoughtfully, and the pastor switched topics.

  “By the way, great shooting today! That poor family has already lost one child and another death would have devastated them.”

  Pastor Parker smiled at Liz before heading toward the men at the fire pit where wonderful smells of roasting meat circled the air.

  As the afternoon turned to evening, Abby decided to look for the school committee to discuss her decision and turn in her signed contract, and she asked Liz to go with her.

  Samuel and Smithy looked over the contract presented to them with perfect penmanship and a signature at the bottom. They seemed very pleased with their new schoolmarm, Abigail Victoria Wilkes, and Liz beamed proudly.

  “When would you like school to start?” Abby asked.

  “What do you think?” Smithy asked her. “We could start with the younger ones and then add the older boys after harvest.”

  “That sounds good. We can pick a date in a few days,” Abby said to the board members as she shook their hands to seal the deal.

  A few moments later, Pastor Parker joined the group and called out, “I have an announcement to make and then we can get ready to eat again.” The citizens of Fort Worth gathered around once again in anticipation of what would be said. Pastor Parker cleared his throat so that he could be heard well. “We are waiting on final word for the permanent location of the county records. We have reason to believe that the location will be here.”

  Cheers went up from the crowd.