When she heard the door close behind Adam, Mercy turned to see where Faith had gotten off to. Spying the open door to Eletta and Isaac’s bedroom, she figured Faith had gone to see her mother. Eletta’s illness and Faith’s concern for her reminded Mercy of when her own mother had been dying. Mercy had been so afraid to be left alone with her mother for fear she’d die when no one else was around. Faith, of course, had no need to fear her mother’s death. Eletta was only expecting a baby, and they’d soon have her back on her feet.
In a few minutes, Isaac and Faith came from the bedroom. “Eletta said to come see her when you’re done,” Isaac told Mercy. “She wants to discuss some things with you.”
Mercy did her best to not look as tired as she felt. “Did you get her to eat anything?”
“A piece of shortbread.” He shrugged. “I guess it’s better than nothing. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to speak to some of the Tututni men and let them know the state of things regarding the fighting.” He pulled on his black coat and took his hat from a peg by the door. “If you have any questions, I’m sure Faith can help you.”
“Thank you.” Mercy looked at Faith and smiled. “I’m sure she can.”
Once Isaac was gone, Mercy turned her attention back to the dishes while Faith took up a dish towel.
“Tell me about your school here. Your mama said she needs me to teach, so it might be nice to know what your classes are like.”
“We have ten students,” Faith replied. “They’re all Tututni except for me. Oh, and two of the mothers come to learn too. Bright Star and Red Deer. Mama’s been teaching all of them to read and write.”
“I see. And do you like to read?”
Faith giggled. “I read a lot. Mama taught me when I was just a baby.”
Mercy looked at the child in surprise. “A baby?”
“I was just two years old. Mama said I learned so fast she could hardly keep up with me.” The little girl’s smile widened. “I can read the Bible, and every day I write down words and look them up in the dictionary.”
“Well, I’ve never heard of a child who learned to read so young. You must be very smart.” She rinsed a plate and handed it to Faith. “Are you good at mathematics as well?”
“Not as much. I don’t like numbers. I like stories.”
Mercy agreed. “Stories are my favorite too. I’ve brought several books with me, in fact.”
“Oh! May I read them?” Faith’s eyes were wide in anticipation. “I haven’t seen any new books for a long time.”
“Of course. I think you’ll enjoy them. Two are biographies. One is about George Washington, our first president, and the other is about the old kings and queens of England. I have some others, but those two would perhaps interest you the most. I think it’s always fun to read about other people.”
“Me too.” Faith stacked the dried plates and bowls.
Mercy hesitated a moment. She wanted to ask Faith about Adam but didn’t want to appear overly curious. “Are you and your folks the only white people around this area?”
“Just us and Uncle Adam. Well, sometimes the soldiers and militia come here. I don’t like them, though. They’re always mean to the Tututni.”
“I heard about the fighting when I was still back home. I suppose the soldiers have their orders from the government.”
“Some of them aren’t real soldiers,” Faith added. “They’re volunteers, and they can be very mean. They hate the Indians.”
“I know. I ran into some men like that on our trip down here.”
“You don’t hate Indians, do you, Miss Mercy?”
“No. I used to when I was young, but that was because they killed some of my friends.”
“So why don’t you still hate them?” Faith watched her as if trying to figure out Mercy’s heart.
“Well, I suppose the biggest reason I no longer hate them is that I learned to forgive and give all of my anger to God.”
The little girl nodded. “That’s good. The Tututni are very nice. I think you’ll like them a lot. Adam says both sides of this fight have a lot to forgive and forget.”
“Your uncle sounds wise.”
Faith smiled. “He is, and he’s so much fun. He’s been teaching us at school since Mama took sick. He makes up all sorts of games to help the Tututni learn. He says it’s important to help them understand our ways, but also for us to understand theirs. He spends a lot of time with them.”
“And what do they think of that?”
“They love Uncle Adam! He’s always helping them and talking to them. They invite him to eat with them all the time, and that’s an honor. They don’t invite just anyone to come into their house, and they only share meals with friends.”
Mercy considered that for a moment. The man Faith described was nothing like the staid man who’d graced their table earlier. He’d barely conversed and certainly hadn’t extended much of a welcome.
In no time at all, they had completed their task without the conversation leading back to Adam. Mercy decided against asking Faith anything more. No doubt in time she’d come to better understand him.
She untied her apron and draped it on the back of one of the chairs. She would deal with the wash water after she talked to Eletta. “I’d best go see your mother now.”
“I’m going to practice my sewing. Mama’s teaching me to make quilt blocks.”
“That’s wonderful. I like to sew and spin yarn and knit. Can you do those things too?”
Faith began to hop on one foot and turned her face to the floor. “Mama tried to teach me to spindle spin, but I’m not very good at it.”
Mercy laughed. “I wasn’t very good either—at first. My sister Hope taught me how to get better.”
This brought Faith’s head back up, and she smiled and kept hopping. “I wish I had a sister. Mama said maybe the baby would be a girl. I hope it is.”
“I bet your papa would like a boy.”
Faith did a little spin. She seemed to have a hard time staying still. “Yes, he says a boy would be just fine, but he’ll take another girl. He just wants Mama to get well and for the baby to be well too.”
“And so do I. I’ve brought some medicines with me that should help your mama get well. Now, you go work on your quilt, and I’ll go speak with your mother.”
Mercy smiled as Faith hurried to her bedroom. It was hard to imagine the child getting much quilting done when she didn’t seem to be able to sit or stand still for more than a minute.
Chapter
6
Eletta’s door was open, so Mercy peeked inside. “Are you still awake?”
“I am. Please come in.” Eletta sat up and reached for the pillow beside her.
Mercy quickly stepped forward and helped her position the pillow behind her. “How’s that?”
“Perfect.” Eletta smiled. “Oh, Mercy, I can’t tell you how glad I am to have you here. It wasn’t my idea to bring in help, but once Isaac started talking about it, I knew it was as if the Lord Himself had proposed it. We both almost immediately thought of you.”
“I’m glad you asked me.”
“Please pull up the chair and sit. We have so much we need to discuss.”
Mercy did as she asked. “I’m sure you’ll have plenty of time to teach me what I need to know. I don’t want to over tire you.” She didn’t bother to mention that her own exhaustion was getting the better of her.
“I know I look a fright.” Eletta put a hand to her hair, which had been plaited into a single braid. Its sandy color looked dull. “I haven’t been able to wash my hair for so long.”
“You don’t look a fright, and as soon as you feel like it, I’ll wash your hair for you,” Mercy assured. “Tell me about the day-to-day running of your house and what you need me to do.”
“Well, the Tututni women have been so good to help me. Of course, they have families of their own to worry about, but the wealthier have slaves.”
“Slaves? Truly?” Mercy had never heard of such a
thing.
Eletta nodded. “Many of the tribes embrace slavery. The more prosperous families take on poorer members of the tribe to work for them. Sometimes poorer members indenture themselves. They’re treated well and given food and lodging. In many ways it’s no different than employing servants in any other household. There are always those who treat everyone badly—slave or free—but the people here are very kind.”
“I see.” Mercy considered this for a moment. “So who is in charge of the tribe?”
“There are many chiefs. Any man with wealth can take on the title. The more prosperous he is, the more importance and power he has.” Eletta smiled. “You’ll see how it all works once you’re out among the people. This group has received the gospel message quite well.”
“That’s wonderful to hear.”
“And like I said, the women have been very helpful. They’ve washed clothes and brought up water and wood. Adam usually chops wood in his spare time. Sometimes it seems we can never have enough, especially now with the cooler temperatures.”
Mercy thought it might be a good time to bring up Adam. “I’m sure Adam has plenty to do, and I’m pretty fair at chopping myself. If he doesn’t have time, I can help with that as well.”
“Isaac helps too, but he’s usually busy. Sometimes just keeping the peace between the tribes gives him more than enough to manage. Nevertheless, I’m sure that compared to all you must have had to do at home, my small household will seem easy.”
“I can easily handle cooking and cleaning, as well as sewing and washing clothes.” Mercy hid her disappointment that the conversation had moved in a direction that didn’t include Adam. She smiled and saw Eletta relax. “What about the school? Faith tells me there are ten children and two adults who attend. What level are they?”
“The children learn quickly and are eager to share their knowledge. Most read at a beginner’s level, however. I’m so excited that your sister sent the McGuffeys. I also try to incorporate comparisons between their culture and ours, which will be harder for you, since you don’t know their ways.”
“I’m happy to learn.” Mercy leaned back and felt the tension in her shoulders begin to fade. “Do you also teach them about America and our history?”
“I’ve shared a little, and now that Adam is teaching, I’m sure they’re learning even more.”
Mercy saw her opportunity. “Faith said Adam makes up games to help them learn. She said he’s quite loved by the Tututni.”
“It’s hard not to love Adam. He’s got such a generous and kind heart. I’ve never seen anyone save Isaac who held such sincere kindness for others. I doubt there’s a person in the world Adam wouldn’t befriend.”
Except me. Mercy kept the thought to herself. “He seemed, well . . . very serious tonight at supper.”
“Probably just tired.” Eletta put her hand to her stomach and smiled. “The baby just moved.”
Mercy had seen the delight of this moment on the faces of her sisters. She let go of her concern about Adam. Her conclusion about them both being tired was no doubt the reason he’d seemed so distant.
Eletta beamed. “I’ve waited for this for so long. We weren’t sure it was even possible.” She fell silent and looked momentarily uncomfortable. “I’m just glad to bring another child into our family.”
“My sisters have been doing their part to populate the territory. There are four little ones back in Oregon City and a fifth on the way. Grace is due in late March.”
“This babe should come near the first of the month.”
“Faith hopes it’s a girl, but I told her it might be nice for Isaac if it were a boy.”
Eletta gave a light laugh. “You can probably tell that Faith keeps us busy. She’s an amazing child—so very smart. Maybe too smart for her own good.”
“She told me you taught her to read at the age of two!”
“She was speaking full sentences before her first birthday. She’s always been well ahead of other children her age. Perhaps it’s because she was constantly surrounded by adults. Perhaps it’s just because God has endowed her with a special gift.” Eletta shifted in the bed. “She reads anything she can get her hands on. Isaac always tries to bring her books when he goes to Gold Beach and Port Orford.”
“I look forward to getting to know her better.”
Mercy glanced around the room. It wasn’t much larger than Faith’s room. There was a single window—or at least a space for a window. It had been boarded up.
Eletta’s gaze followed Mercy’s. “In the summer we leave it open. Glass is too expensive and would be terribly hard to get this far upriver, so when the weather starts to chill, we put a blanket up. When it’s colder like it is now, we board it shut. Isaac put in some bent nails in such a way, however, that we can easily remove the wood and let in fresh air.”
“That’s ingenious.” Mercy noticed a square slot in the overhead logs that comprised the base of the roof. “What is that?”
Eletta looked up. “Now it’s access to the roof. It used to be for the smoke from our fire. When we first came here, we didn’t have a fireplace or stove. Oh my, you should have seen us trying to get a cookstove up here from the river. Much heavier than the small heating stoves.”
Mercy grinned. “But how nice to have such a luxury.”
“It is. When we first came, we had to do like the Tututni and make a hole in the roof for our fire smoke. This was our entire house then. We’ve added the other rooms on over the years. We also added wood planks for the floors. For the longest time we only had packed dirt. Once we got the stove, Isaac went up on the roof and put a little trap door over the hole. You can push it open from inside, but you’ll need something to stand on to reach it.”
Mercy could no longer fight back a yawn. “I’m so sorry. I’m afraid the day and the excitement has left me worn.”
“I’m the one who should apologize. You must be exhausted, and here I am rambling on about the roof and stove.” Eletta smiled. “We can talk tomorrow. You go on to bed.”
“First I have this to give you.” Mercy pulled a letter from Grace and a small bottle out of her skirt pocket. “Grace swears by this tonic to battle the nausea. Take a teaspoon each time you feel particularly bad and one about a half hour before eating. She said it will allow you to eat and not be sick.”
Eletta took the bottle and letter. “Thank you. How thoughtful.”
“I have some other tonics to put in tea, but they can wait until tomorrow. Grace said the important thing is to get you eating and back on your feet.”
The older woman smiled and nodded. “I trust her to know. She saved me once before.”
Mercy got up and returned the chair to where it had been beside the wall. “Will Isaac be back soon?”
Eletta nodded. “He’s speaking to the men. They need to know about the wars and what the government is doing.” She sighed. “I hope that things calm down and the militia and army stop with this idea of extermination. It’s horrible. They have no regard for any Indian life.”
“Isaac told me as much. I suppose it’s far easier to kill than to learn to live together.”
Eletta nodded. “It always has been.”
Faith was still awake by the time Mercy was ready for bed. The young girl’s sewing lay in a small wooden box beside her bed, and she was settled under the covers.
“I figured you’d be asleep,” Mercy said.
“I waited for you. You might need something. There’s a pot under your bed if you need to go in the night.” She leaned over the side of her mattress and pointed to the end of Mercy’s bed.
Mercy made a point to check for it. “Yes, I see it. Thank you.”
“Papa made an outhouse, but it’s not wise to go out at night. If you need anything else, I can help you.” Faith reached down and pushed the box of sewing under her bed, then settled back under the covers. She held her doll close. “If you hear some barking or howling, that’s just the Tututni’s dogs. They sometimes hear animals in the
forest, and Mama says their barking scares off intruders.”
“I’m sure she’s right. We have a couple dogs back at my home on the farm. We have a herd of sheep, and the dogs help us keep them safe.” Mercy snuggled down under the heavy quilt and sighed as her muscles began to relax. “I can tell you all about it tomorrow. It’s been a very long day.”
“Mama said you had to sail on a ship to get here.”
“I did.” Mercy tried to suppress her yawn. “I enjoyed it. Ocean travel is amazing. All you see for miles and miles is water. It makes you realize just how small you are and how big the world is.”
“Were you ever afraid?” Faith asked.
Mercy closed her eyes. “Only when a storm blew up. It rocked the ship terribly, and knowing we were so far from land frightened me. But I prayed, and my fears went away.”
“That’s what I do,” Faith replied and yawned.
“And what are you afraid of?”
“Angry people.”
Mercy opened her eyes and looked at Faith. “Have there been a lot of angry people here?”
Faith nodded and curled up on her side, the doll tucked under her chin. “There’s lots of them. They scare me because I know they scare Papa and Mama. I keep praying God will make those people stop being angry, but so far they’re still mad, and when they’re mad, they kill people. They kill the Indians especially.”
“I’m so sorry about that, Faith. I know it isn’t easy to hear about such things. I’ll pray that God makes them stop being angry too.”
Faith nodded ever so slightly. “Pray God hurries, ’cause I don’t want them to kill my friends.”
Mercy had a momentary memory of the Whitman Massacre and the friends she’d lost. “I will pray for that, Faith. I don’t want your friends to die either. I don’t want anyone to die.”
Cherished Mercy Page 6
