Hogarth II

by Vicky Saari

  Both mother and father had a look of concern on their faces as they listened to the two strange women talk about them and their future. It was a hard question to answer when you consider which was more frightening, being the runaway and fearing capture or being the agent who risked life and limb for helping the runaway. Jessie was the first to recognize the look of fear on the young couple’s face. She sat down again with the mother and father and began explaining how her daughter had found Big George in the weeds, and how they had taken him in until he could be forwarded on toward safety. The couple relaxed at this thought but was still uncertain about the kindness of white people. The truth was, in their own experience, kind white people were few and far between. No matter how hard they tried to relax, they were still uneasy. At this point, though, neither felt they had a choice. They were already committed.

  Martha called down to Hiram to tell him to hitch a wagon, and she instructed Luke to help the women and children down the ladder. Jessie left to hurry home to announce her plan to Caleb and Mittens. Meanwhile, Luke hitched his own wagon and team and drove to meet Job at their coal mine. He wasn’t quite sure how he was going to explain being late, but he’d figure something out. As he saw it, the fewer people who knew what was going on, the safer it was for everyone involved.

  Caleb and Mittens had cleaned up after their breakfasts, and both had gone about their morning chores. Caleb was checking out his cornfield, and young Jessie was hoeing the garden when she heard a wagon coming from the direction of the Hodges house. She was surprised to see her mom sitting beside the Hodges’ hired man, but she was even more surprised to see Martha and the other people riding in the back. She left her hoe in the garden and hurried to meet her ma as she climbed down from the wagon in front of the old cabin. “I was only halfway home when Hiram caught up to me,” her ma rattled on to avoid any direct questions. She disappeared into the cabin and hurriedly shook out the corn-husk mattress Little Jessie had made for Moses and began making places for the children.

  On the ride over, Martha had noticed the wincing of the young mother each time the wagon jolted. When she asked the woman if she was in pain, she said no, but Martha didn’t believe her. She watched the woman more closely as she descended the wagon, and more than once she made a whimpering sound as she moved. She hurried inside to Jessie and told her what she had seen. Hiram and the father each carried a child into the cabin and laid them on the mattress while the young mother stood by the door to watch over her children. Young Jessie was taken by the youth of the mother. She couldn’t be much older than herself. She tapped the woman on the shoulder, held out her hand and introduced herself. The young woman jumped at the start, then saw the girl’s outstretched hand, and took it shyly and smiled. “My name is Marantha,” she spoke quietly. “Dis is my husband, William, and our chil’uns, Marcus and Kitty. You have same name as your ma. Dey say your ma is a medicine woman?”

  Young Jessie smiled and said, “Yes, and I am learnin’ to be one too. Ma let me help deliver my first baby last fall. Is there anything I can do to help you? You look like you are in a lot of pain too. Are you sure you’re not sick?”

  Marantha turned shy at this question and her husband, William, spoke up, “Missy, my wife’s hurtin’ real bad, but she don’t want to say anythin’. The massa beat her real bad afore we left ’cause she wouldn’t do what he tole her to. That’s why we runned away.”

  Embarrassed by this revelation, the young woman lowered her eyes and wouldn’t look at Jessie. Little Jessie took the girl’s hand and led her to the house and asked her to show her where she was hurt. Nervously, Marantha untied her chemise and lowered it just enough below her shoulders to reveal nasty scabs and pus that had formed along the stripes on her back. Jessie nearly gagged when she saw how infected they were. “Your back looks almost as bad as Moses’s leg did when I found him. As soon as everyone gets settled, we’ll fix up some bathwater, and then ma and I can put some poultices on it,” she reassured the woman and motioned for her to repair her garments. “How many lashes did the man give you?” asked Jessie innocently. She recoiled when the woman told her the number.

  “It really weren’t the massa who ordered the lashes; it was his son,” she cried in pain and humiliation. Jessie stopped her before she could go any further with her story. It wasn’t the kind of story that she really cared to hear.

  “Let’s go check on the children,” suggested Little Jessie.

  By the time they returned to the cabin, Hiram had left to drop Martha at the store and return to his own chores on the farm. William had carried water in from the springhouse, and Jessie was busy wiping the children down to lower their fevers. When the mother came in, she immediately turned the task over to her while she began searching through her bag to create an ointment that would help ease the itching the children would suffer when they finished breaking out. She too noticed the delicacy with which the young mother moved and saw her face pinch with pain when she stretched her arms too far. Young Jessie knew what her ma was thinking, and, much to the embarrassment of the young woman, she told her mother about the sores on her back.

  Jessie immediately took an interest and asked the girl if she could see her back. She, too, winced at the sight of the dried scabs and pus across the girl’s shoulder blades. “I think your back is in worse shape than Moses’s was,” she said, her thoughts the same as those her daughter had just uttered. She turned to her daughter and told her to set up the washing kettle and start a fire while she had William carry water and fill the kettle. She dragged the long wooden washtub out of the corner and began dusting and clearing out the spider webs. As soon as the water was warm enough, she told him to fill the bathtub for his wife and then refill the wash kettle so she could wash their clothes. By this time, the sun was nearly overhead, and it was time for Caleb to come in from the field and get ready for Abner’s funeral. He was about to wash up on the back porch when he saw a strange dark man moving back and forth from the springhouse to the old cabin. His appearance from around the side of the house startled William, who literally froze in his tracks and waited to see what the other man was going to do.

  Although Caleb didn’t know what was going on, he guessed that it had something to do with Martha’s visit early that morning. “My name’s Caleb Hogarth,” he introduced himself and held out his hand to the stunned man.

  Nervously, William wiped his hand on his rough britches before he reached for Caleb’s hand. “Name’s Will’um; your misses is helpin’ the wife and kids in the cabin,” he said, exhaling slowly.

  Caleb looked toward the cabin and saw his wife and daughter moving about just before Mittens reached out and closed the door. “I take it that men aren’t allowed inside right now,” said Caleb with a smile.

  “No’um. The missus tole me to fill up the washin’ kettle agin so she could do laundry,” stammered William.

  “Well, I don’t know if the missus has forgot or not, but we have a funeral to go to this afternoon,” Caleb remarked. “I just came in so’s I could get ready to go myself.”

  “If you want, I can call through the door and remin’ ’em,” offered William.

  “Sounds like it might be a good idea. When my wife gets to doctorin’, she forgets everythin’ else,” Caleb thought aloud.

  The moment Jessie and her daughter heard Caleb’s voice, they both remembered Abner’s funeral. Mittens immediately slipped out and ran toward the house, where she was to get some clean clothes for the woman and the children. She paused long enough to tell her pa that she and her ma would be ready as soon as they could. Right now they were pretty tied up. She finished her dash toward the house and almost as quickly was on her way back. She carried with her the ointment that Jessie made regularly to sell at the apothecary for infected wounds. As soon as she had applied it to the woman’s wounds, she took the old blue dress that had once belonged to Mittens and had the young woman put it on.

 
As they started toward the house, William thanked them for their help and reassured Jessie that he would take care of the laundry and the bathwater while they were gone. As soon as his host family had left, he slipped into the cabin and, after shooing his wife and children out, he slipped into the first tub bath he had ever had.

  *****

  The Parsons’ arrival sounded like an invasion as three teenagers jumped from the family van and began going in all directions at once. Immediately, the boys began testing the new basketball hoop, and Hogarth was impressed at how much they had grown. Brad and Kayla both looked like the middle-age spread might be taking root, but Baby Alice was the one who had changed the most. Hogarth hardly recognized her. She’d brought a school friend with her for spring break who appeared starstruck when she looked at the old house. “You’re right, Alli, it looks like a castle,” she squealed as Alice grabbed her hand and started her on a grand tour.

  First was the mantle that had been carved by Jed Hogarth in his youth, then the curved stair railing built by Caleb Hogarth, and then they went into the stone round room. “I asked mom if this could be my bedroom, but she said no. I think she wants to keep this room to herself,” Alice said with a grin.

  Outside, Brad and Kayla were admiring the reconstruction of the old house. “I never dreamed they could put Hogarth back the way he was, but they all did a fine job,” Kayla said, and smiled. “Do you think they could come back and rebuild the old wing they tore off? This place isn’t big enough for us anymore.”

  Chapter 26

  Brad, Jed, and Little Jed were up early and went to the cemetery where Brad’s father was buried. They let Little Jed pick the spot for Abner’s grave, and he helped with the digging. Jed watched his son solemnly apply himself to his task and feared he was about to overdo it a bit when the young man reached his hand up to his father and said, “I gone as far as I can, Pa!”

  With the three of them working, the grave was ready long before noon, and as they were all pretty grimy, Jed suggested they go to the creek and take a bath. He even pulled out a bar of Sarah’s fresh lye soap to finish the job. No one had any new clothes to wear, just one extra suit of clothes, which they routinely changed on wash day. However, this was okay. Everyone had agreed that Abner would have felt out of place with everyone outfitted in some fancy new duds.

  The sun was well overhead by the time the family was ready. Brad drove the carriage with his mother, four-year-old Catherine, and two-year-old Mary. Jed drove the wagon with Little Jed sitting beside him on the seat and Abner at rest behind them. Brother Pritchett was waiting at the church. His wife and the other children in the village had picked several bouquets of wildflowers that morning to decorate the school/church. Lucy’s desk had been pushed to the side, and the pulpit had been moved to the front of the room for the occasion. The students’ desks had also been moved to the side, leaving the plank benches open for the adults, who needed more space. Jonathan and Zeke were waiting with them and were prepared to act as pall bearers when Abner arrived. They didn’t have to wait long.

  Across the street, Martha was surprised when she saw everyone congregating at the church. She had been at her wits end all morning and just now realized that Abner’s services were being held today. Was it really just yesterday when all of this had happened? Fortunately, there were few people passing through today, and the stage was not due for another four hours. Quickly, she turned the closed sign in her window and locked the door, knowing that if a customer should appear, she would only be across the street. By the time she arrived, Abner had been carried into the church and everyone was waiting for Jessie and Caleb. Their being late was cause to start everyone worrying, especially Zeke. “It’s not like ma and pa to be late,” he whispered to Lucy and began wondering if he should go check on them.

  When Martha overheard her daughter and son-in-law, she intervened quickly, saying, “I saw your ma this morning, and since yesterday was so upsetting, she kind of slept in this mornin’ and … I think I see them now.” She turned toward the lane to the Hogarths’ homestead and saw Caleb, Jessie, and Mittens, who were walking briskly to catch up.

  Zeke and Jed were both surprised when they saw their ma. Normally, she spent more time on herself on special occasions, but today sure was not one of them. Her hair was sticking out from under her bonnet, and there were water stains on the front of her dress. “Are you all right, Ma?” inquired Zeke.

  It was Jessie’s turn to be embarrassed as she dismissed her appearance, because she had gotten caught up with her medicines and had lost track of the time. Caleb grinned at his wife and looked at his daughter. She too was somewhat addled.

  Brother Pritchett was standing at the top of the steps and interrupted the questions by announcing that Abner was now at rest, and it was time for the services to begin. Over the years, he’d become quite adept at ad-libbing some of his comments, and he paused on the steps long enough to offer up a short prayer and restore the air of solemnity that the day seemed to deserve. He looked over at Martha and wondered if the reality of what she had done yesterday had yet settled in her mind. After all, it was she who had fired one of the fatal shots, even if it was in self-defense. Perhaps that is why she seemed so distracted today, he thought to himself.

  After the service, the wagons and carriages were lined up to escort Abner to his final resting place. Jed and Sarah were both surprised and disappointed when Caleb and Jessie left the church early and headed toward home. They both claimed that Jessie wasn’t feeling well. Likewise, Martha excused herself and was heading back to the store when she changed directions and followed after Caleb and Jessie. She caught up to them after a couple hundred yards and asked how their guests were doing. When Jessie told her about the young woman’s injuries, Martha was not surprised. “She wouldn’t say a thing to me,” she remarked.

  “She didn’t say anything to me either, but she did open up to Mittens. She got the girl to show her her back. It was in worse shape than Moses’s leg was,” affirmed Jessie. Martha wasn’t surprised to hear about the young woman named Marantha. She would see them later and bade Jessie and Caleb a good-bye and went back to the store. Less than an hour later, Seth pulled his wagon up beside the hitching post and jumped down. He had made another successful delivery and was never so happy to be home. He found Martha in what had been Jacob and Priscilla’s sitting room.

  Martha had heard the bell over the door and was about to put down her sewing when Seth stepped into the room. Surprised, she ran and kissed him and then began crying. Amid the sobs she managed to stammer out the tale of events beginning with Little Jed the day before and up to Abner’s funeral this morning. The sheriff had come that morning with the dead wagon to pick up the two men who had been killed. He also took down the statements of everyone who had witnessed the shootings. Reliving the experience in this manner had only upset Martha even more. Particularly when she realized how close she had come to her own demise. Then she went on to tell him about the darkies who had shown up when the sun set. “Why didn’t you tell me about the things you were doing?” She had finally cried herself out.

  “I’m sorry that I didn’t include you in the planning. It just seemed safer and easier if the fewest people possible knew what we were doing,” Seth confessed regretfully. “What about the people who came to the house last night?”

  Martha told him about fixing them breakfast and finding the children sick and how they ended up in the Hogarths’ cabin. The clothes she was making were for the wife and children, she added.

  Seth studied his wife for a long while before he responded, “I have never been prouder of you than I am at this minute, Martha Hodges.” He drew her into his arms and kissed her gently just as the bell over the door to the store chimed the arrival of a customer. While Martha went out front to attend to business, Seth decided that he should talk to Caleb about their new guests. It worried him that so many people were learning about and becoming i
nvolved in his “other business.”

  At the little cemetery on the old Brad Parson homestead, there weren’t many mourners. Zeke and Lucy were the only ones from Sethsburg to follow Brother Pritchett, Jed and Sarah, Brad, the children, and Little Jessie to accompany Abner to his grave. Little Jed was disappointed that his grandpa and grandma didn’t come with them, and the first chance he got he was going to find out what was wrong. It wasn’t like them to not stay with the family at a time like this. He was sure gonna miss Abner. He’d been part of the family since before he was born. He was a grandpa to Little Jed, even if he wasn’t really his grandpa. The one thing he didn’t want to think about was the idea that Abner had come to town with his gun because “he had a feeling that Little Jed was in trouble.” Knowing this made Little Jed feel somewhat guilty.

  At the Hogarth homestead, William and Marantha were feeling considerably more comfortable among these new people. In private, they couldn’t help but dream that someday they might own a place like this. They even offered up their own private prayers that this could become a reality. William studied the structure and was already figuring in his own mind how he might build a place like this when and if he got the chance. He was also intrigued by the clapboard house with the strange round stone room off the end. When the Hogarths returned from the funeral it was one of the questions William wanted to ask Caleb. He’d seen round stone structures before like wells, silos, and barns but never a room; when he finally got the chance to ask, the older man simply smiled and said, “It was the wife’s idee.”