“Cora, you’d better get up if you’re going with Ben and me to deliver gifts.” Eliza’s voice pulled her from a deep sleep.
“All right.” Cora moaned as she sat up and rubbed the fuzziness from her eyes. She lowered her head against her bent knees. “Leave me alone. I’ll get up.”
Eliza twirled away from the bed. “Fine. I’ll see you downstairs, and you’d better hurry.”
How did she do it? Eliza went to sleep and woke immediately. If only Cora could do the same. She fell back against the pillow. Maybe she’d close her eyes just for a moment.
Aaron. Her eyes flew open wide. Today she would see where Aaron lived, and she’d give him the handkerchiefs. Excitement grew inside as she threw the covers back and sat up. Within ten minutes, she climbed down the ladder to the floor below.
Ben stepped in from outside and closed the door. “I’ve got the horse ready, and I’ll bet you haven’t even eaten yet.”
“Do I have time?” Cora swung toward him. “If not it’s all right.”
He laughed. “No, go ahead and grab something. I don’t want to listen to your stomach growl.”
A few minutes later, Ben helped Cora and Eliza mount Father’s large workhorse then hoisted up in front of them. He spoke to the horse and began a slow plodding ride west to the natural ford in the creek.
At Bill Reid’s homestead, a large cabin, every bit as big as theirs, came into view. Why would a man alone need such a large house out here on the prairie? His barn was even bigger. With a large section in the center and a shed on either side, it dominated the settlement.
Mr. Reid came from the barn as Ben stopped near the house. He lifted his hand in a welcoming salute. “Hello, there. I was just thinking how nice it would be to have company for Christmas and here you are.” He set the bucket down near the back door. “Come on in. I think there’s coffee left from breakfast.”
Ben jumped to the ground and lifted first Cora then Eliza down. He turned to Mr. Reid. “We were just admiring your barn as we came up. It looks big enough for a dance.”
Mr. Reid laughed. “I guess it is at that. Maybe one of these days we’ll have a party here.”
Cora glanced around Mr. Reid’s clean, neat house before handing him the gift her mother had wrapped. “We had some pecans that Mother put into candy. She thought you might like some for Christmas.”
As Mr. Reid took the package, his hand touched hers for a moment. She’d have thought nothing of it except for the look in his eyes. She’d seen that look before in boys her own age, but never in a man so old. She jerked her hand back.
“I…it’s pralines.” She looked away and stepped closer to Ben.
“Thank you. I know I’ll enjoy these. Don’t forget to thank your mother for me. I have a gift for your family, as well.” Mr. Reid moved to a bookcase against the end wall.
“This is a collection of poetry from some of the world’s most renowned poets. I know your mother will enjoy it, and I’m sure the rest of you will too.”
Ben took the book and thanked Mr. Reid. Cora covertly watched the older man as he talked with Ben about some of the poems. While they talked, she shifted closer to the outside door. The sooner they left Bill Reid’s house, the better she’d like it. She breathed easier when Ben told Mr. Reid goodbye and helped her and Eliza on the horse.
As soon as Cora saw the Newkirks’ cabin, she knew it could belong to no one else. Even in the well-tracked snow, there was an air of order about the place. The house was smaller than Mr. Reid’s, and a large shed stood several yards away with a rail fence built out from one side.
Gilbert burst through the door, calling over his shoulder. “It’s Ben and his sisters.”
Ben shook Gilbert’s hand. “We’ve come to wish you a merry Christmas and bring a gift from our . . .”
Cora followed Ben’s gaze to Esther and Rebekah who had just stepped outside. She laughed. He’d never finish his sentence now.
They all went inside where Mrs. Newkirk stooped over a large pot suspended above the flames in the fireplace. She stirred the contents carefully then hung the long-handled metal spoon to the side of the mantel. She straightened with a welcoming smile. “You will stay and eat, won’t you?”
Ben’s eyes held a light that told Cora he’d like nothing better than to prolong their visit. Eliza looked at him and nodded. He glanced toward Esther then back at her mother. “Ma’am, I certainly appreciate your hospitality. We’d be honored to stay.”
“Good. It’s settled. Rebekah, will you please set the table? Esther, the bread is ready to take up.”
“Is there anything I can do?” Cora felt out of place as everyone bustled about. Even Eliza stepped in to help Rebekah at the table.
Mrs. Newkirk nodded toward the fireplace. “The stew could use another stirring if you don’t mind.”
Mr. Newkirk came in from outside, and Ben moved out of the way. The men sat at the far side of the room with their voices making a low rumble as background to the women’s work.
“Well, it’s true that many hands make lighter work, isn’t it?” Mrs. Newkirk smiled at the girls. “Let’s sit at the table.”
“Cora, sit by me.” Margaret scooted over and patted the bench.
“All right.” Cora sat by the younger girl.
As soon as everyone had settled around the table, Mr. Newkirk bowed his head to pray. “Father God, thank you for the food before us and bless it for our use. Amen.”
A gentle hum rose and fell as several conversations went on at the same time.
“Margaret turned to Cora. “Do you have a tree for Christmas?”
“No, not yet. My father and John took Lenny and Nicholas down to the creek this morning to cut one, though. They may have it up by now.”
“Won’t you help decorate it?” Margaret’s eyes widened.
“Oh, yes.” Cora laughed. “I’m sure they’ll wait for us.”
“I guess that means you wouldn’t want to help us decorate ours.” Margaret’s expression grew serious. “It’s outside. We’re going to put it up this afternoon.”
“I would love to, but I can’t. We have one more stop to make, and Mother made us promise to be home well before dark.” Cora shook her head. “She still hasn’t gotten over the night Ben and I stayed in a tree.”
“You stayed all night in a tree?” Margaret’s eyes grew wide, and the other conversations stopped. “Why’d you do that?”
Cora and Ben shared a smile. “You can tell it, Ben.”
Ben set his spoon down. “All right. Remember that first snow storm that came all at once before we had a spell of warmer weather?”
Mr. Newkirk nodded, and everyone else watched Ben.
“Well, before we knew it would snow, Cora and I went into the woods. She wanted to look for pecans, and I hoped to replace our meat supply.”
When Ben finished his story with Ralph shooting at the tree where they were, Mrs. Newkirk sighed. “Isn’t that just like our God? He surely had His hand on you. How else could you have found that very tree?”
“And escape being shot.” Mr. Newkirk shook his head. “Sounds like a miracle. It makes me wonder if God has a work for you to do. Maybe you two young’uns will be mighty soul-winners for Him one of these days.”
He reached for his Bible. Cora’s heart sank. He wasn’t going to preach to them, was he? He opened the well-worn book and ran his hand over the pages. When he looked up, his eyes met Ben’s. “We always read a little after a meal. Would you mind reading for us today?”
Ben shifted in his chair. He looked ready to bolt for the door, but he took the Bible. “I’d be glad to.”
“Good.” Mr. Newkirk smiled. “Why don’t you read from Isaiah 49? It’s Christmas Eve. Let’s read about Jesus from the Old Testament.”
Ben nodded and found the place. “‘The Lord hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name. And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword . . .’”
Cora looked around th
e table. That didn’t sound very Christmassy to her. Mr. Newkirk kept his attention on Ben and even the younger children sat quietly. She shrugged. On and on Ben’s voice droned as Cora tried in vain to pay attention. “ ‘Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted.’ ”
“Amen!” Mr. Newkirk’s hearty voice interrupted. “Our God is, without fail, wonderful.” A broad smile lit his face. “If you don’t mind, just look on over to chapter fifty. It’ll tell us what Jesus came to this old, sinful world to do.”
Cora’s eyebrows lifted. How did the man know where to look? Was he making this up? So far, she hadn’t gotten much sense from what Ben read.
“ ‘I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.’ ”
Ben really was reading about Jesus. Suddenly, the Scriptures took life in her mind, and she saw Jesus surrounded by Roman soldiers. Jesus came to earth to be punished and die. But why? Why would the Son of God suffer unimaginable torture when He didn’t have to?
Cora’s eyes burned, and she blinked to chase the tears away. How silly to cry over something that happened so long ago. She forced the image of Jesus from her mind.
Ben looked up as soon as he finished the chapter. “I’ve never read this before. I thought the Old Testament was about a time before Jesus was born, but this is talking about Him, isn’t it?”
Mr. Newkirk nodded. He leaned forward. “Yes, and this isn’t the only place. You can find Scripture as early as Genesis that gives us the promise of His coming.”
Cora looked at Eliza and was shocked to see the interested light on her face. What was going on? They’d come to give gifts, not go to church. She waited for a break in the conversation.
“I don’t mean to interrupt, but we haven’t given our gifts, and we have a long way to go yet.” She glanced toward Mrs. Newkirk at the other end of the table. “Eliza and I need to help with the dishes.”
“No, you don’t.” Mrs. Newkirk jumped up and reached for the nearest plate. “I’ve got plenty of girls to help without putting our company to any more work.”
Ben stood, handing the Bible to Mr. Newkirk. “Maybe we can talk some more later. We do need to go.”
“I’ll count on it.” The older man nodded.
Cora slipped out the door and back in with the package of candy and aprons. She handed the candy to Mrs. Newkirk. Eliza took one apron for Rebekah, and Cora gave Esther the other. “This is from Eliza and me. We both worked on it. I hope you’ll like it.”
Esther held the apron against her and gave Cora a smile. “I do. Very much. Thank you.” She hugged Cora. “I have something for you too. I’ll go get it.”
She hurried to the ladder in the corner of the room and climbed out of sight. When she returned, she took Cora’s hand, turned it palm up, and dropped a delicate golden beaded necklace on it.
Cora let the necklace dangle from her fingers. A tiny rosette of red beads had been worked into one spot on the gold. “It’s beautiful.” She whispered the words. “Did you make this?”
Esther nodded. “I like working with beads. I’m glad you like it.”
“How could I not?” Cora flung her arms around Esther. “Try to come see me soon.”
Esther nodded. “I will. Maybe for your birthday. It’s soon, isn’t it?”
Cora smiled. “Yes, January ninth.” She’d be married by then. How could she have forgotten? There’d be no reason for Esther to come, although she couldn’t say anything, not even to such a good friend.
As they left, Mrs. Newkirk handed Ben a large package of cookies to take home. With everyone calling out their thanks and good-byes all at the same time, Ben helped his sisters on the horse. Cora’s heart filled with gladness as she waved to her friends. She would hold this day in her memories for later when she was in St. Louis. But for now, she looked forward to their next stop. Ben headed the large workhorse east toward the Starks’ place.
Chapter 12
A skinny hound greeted them with long, loud brays that sounded threatening to Cora. He ran alongside the horse, jumping and barking as they carefully picked their way around various odd-shaped bumps in the snow.
The Starks’ sturdy cabin appeared smaller than the Jacksons’ house. It had no loft. Instead, two shed-like rooms projected from either side of the main cabin as if they’d been added later.
The dog continued to accentuate each bark with a jump at their feet. When the door flew open, two more dogs ran out, adding their voices to the din. Ralph stood framed in the doorway, a huge grin on his face. He yelled over the dogs’ brays. “Hey, come on in and make yourselves at home.”
Cora sat high on the horse. So this is how a treed raccoon feels
Eliza’s grip on her arm tightened. Maybe she would change her feelings toward Ralph.
Ivy shoved past her brother. “Ralph, don’t you have no manners at all? Call them dogs off so’s they can git down.”
“Why? They’s jist bein’ friendly. Ain’t like they’re gonna bite nobody.” Ralph grinned at the two girls.
“Old Blue!” A deep, commanding voice brought instant silence. Aaron walked around the corner of the cabin, grabbed the largest dog by the short rope on its neck, and led it back the way he’d come. The other dogs followed with their tails tucked.
Ben dismounted and helped his sisters down. Cora glanced at the corner where Aaron had disappeared with the dogs. She followed her brother inside, hoping for another glimpse of Aaron.
“Howdy.” Mr. Stark raised himself to a sitting position on a braided rug before the fireplace. “Gitcha a chair.”
He motioned toward five stumps arranged around a taller stump with a smooth-sanded board nailed on top. Cora stared at the amazing collection with wide eyes. It was a dining table and chairs. The center stump, driven into the dirt floor, looked as if it had grown there.
Before Cora sat down, she slipped the small package containing Aaron’s handkerchiefs into the full gathered material of her sleeve and hoped no one noticed. She couldn’t give him a gift in front of his family, even if he returned from taking care of the dogs. She hadn’t been thinking. She might not be able to get his gift to him.
“Don’t speck ta see no more warm days now afore spring.” Mr. Stark spoke.
“No, I don’t suppose so.” Ben sat on one of the stumps. “What sort of crops do you grow here?”
Ralph chuckled. “Ain’t nothin’ much but corn’ll give you any cash. Corn liquor that is.”
Mr. Stark nodded. “Yep, that’s the cheapest way they is to make a livin’ off’n corn. Hit’d take a whole wagon train to take as much to Springfield as we take on our one ox’s back.”
“I see.” Ben squirmed and looked around the room. Maybe he was remembering his encounter with their corn liquor and the headache he’d had the next day. “Well, we came by to wish you a merry Christmas and deliver a gift.” He looked at Cora. “You’ve got it, haven’t you?”
“Yes.” She stood and crossed the room to Mrs. Stark who sat in a rocking chair. “This is from all of us to all of you. We hope you’ll enjoy it.”
“Well, if that ain’t nice. You be sure and thank yore ma fer us.” Mrs. Stark’s rough, work-worn hand gently touched the white paper then moved to the green ribbon holding it. When she looked up, the beauty of her large blue eyes touched Cora. An inner light seemed to radiate from the woman’s soul as though she’d been denied beauty for so long, she’d forgotten she even missed it.
“Ain’t ya gonna open it, Woman? Cain’t git no good outta that fancy paper.” Mr. Stark’s rough voice sliced through the emotion he obviously didn’t feel.
Cora frowned at his intrusion, but at that moment, she understood why Ivy was so desperate to marry well. She didn’t want to end up like her mother, working herself into an early grave and being unappreciated by her husband. Poor Ivy. Deep sympathy for the girl filled Cor
a’s heart. How could she escape a life of drudgery except through marriage to the right sort?
“All right. I’m a-takin’ it off.” Even as she spoke, Mrs. Stark carefully slid the ribbon to one side and lifted the paper. She gasped. “Why, looky there. It’s some kinda fancy candy.”
“They’re pecan pralines.” Cora stepped toward the door. Poverty, hard work, and hopelessness fed on women like Mrs. Stark and Ivy. Slowly the lifeblood was sucked from their souls, leaving them old, tired, and ugly. Sympathy for them and fear for herself rose as gall in her mouth. She needed to get out of this house and away from what could be her future.
Another step backward brought Cora against something hard. She turned, her cheeks burning for her clumsiness.
“Ya didn’t hurt a thing. That’s my spinning wheel.” Mrs. Stark’s voice held a note of pride.
Cora reached a tentative hand toward the gleaming cherry wood of the head assembly. She’d never seen a spinning wheel quite like this one. Especially the wheel post. An intricately carved wreath of rose leaves circled each end of the post while a single rose bloomed just below the peg holding the wheel. How odd something of such beauty would find a home in these humble surroundings. Where had the Starks gotten it? Surely they’d paid an enormous price for such a treasure.
As if to answer her unspoken questions, Mrs. Stark sighed. “Purty, ain’t it? My boy done made it fer me. Took a tolerable long time fer him to git all that foolishness on there, but it pleasures him to whittle.”
“He’s very good at it.” Cora thought of the box Aaron had made her.
“He certainly is.” Eliza brushed against Cora as she crowded close to look.
Mrs. Stark shifted in her chair toward them. “Was your ma able to bring her spinning wheel when ya moved?”
Eliza shook her head. “She doesn’t own one.”
“Don’t own one?” Mrs. Stark’s eyes grew wide. “A body cain’t make cloth without a spinning wheel and a loom. Ya got one o’ them?” She nodded toward her unassembled loom leaning against the wall.
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