A Home at Trail's End (19 page)

Elizabeth examined a board. “This is probably wide enough for a bench—a rather narrow bench. Maybe you could set them on crates or stumps. But wouldn't you have to nail the boards together to make them sturdy enough for a table?”

Malinda showed her the smaller pieces of wood that Will had brought. “He said to attach them to this to make the tables. Maybe the benches too. We'll just leave them fastened together until our wedding.”

“Why don't you let JT do the carpentry for you,” Elizabeth suggested. “He's helped so much with building houses these past months that he's gotten quite handy with a hammer and saw.”

“Good idea. We'll put the boys onto it as soon as they get home.” She pointed at Elizabeth. “And you promised to make pies for my feast.”

“That's right. I should probably get to it.” Elizabeth considered reminding Malinda that the pies were for her family's feast too. After all, she was using her own flour and sugar, and Ruth had picked most of the berries. However, the pumpkins had been grown on Malinda's farm. And she was using Malinda's kitchen and butter. Oh, for the day when she would have her own house again.

Elizabeth was elbow deep in pie filling by the time the children came home from school. And now the house, which had been relatively quiet, suddenly grew noisy, filling as if it were about to burst at the seams as Malinda began giving everyone special jobs to complete before supper. These were in addition to their usual after-school chores. And after some expected complaining, the children shuffled off to their various assignments.

Before going to bed, Elizabeth had told JT and Ruth that they would leave for their grandparents' house as soon as their morning chores were finished. And she was pleasantly surprised at how quickly they completed their usual tasks the next day. It wasn't long until they were dressed in their Sunday best and preparing to leave. However, as Elizabeth reached for the basket containing the pies she was taking to her parents' house, she could see that Malinda's household was in a frenzy.

Elizabeth knew that Malinda was trying too hard to impress the Bostonians, but she had no intention of mentioning this. She'd already suggested that Malinda might enjoy the day more if she kept her preparations a bit simpler, but Malinda had not appreciated that advice.

“Have a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner,” she told Malinda as she made her way to the door.

“Oh, dear.” Malinda wiped a floury hand across her forehead. “I just hope I'll be ready in time.”

“I'm sure you will,” Elizabeth told her. She knew that if she volunteered to stay and help out, Malinda would not refuse her offer.

Before they could leave, Susannah pointed at JT. “You're taking your guitar with you?” she asked.

He shrugged at his cousin. “Yeah. We like making music together. Uncle Matthew will bring his fiddle, and I hope Eli will have his guitar.”

“If he doesn't, we'll make him go back and get it,” Ruth declared.

“I wish we could have music at our Thanksgiving dinner,” Susannah said to her mother.

“Instead of wishing for what we don't have, come over here and chop these walnuts for me, Susannah Marie.”

As Susannah groaned, Elizabeth ushered her two toward the door. “We'll be back before bedtime,” she promised as they went out. Her parents had asked if she and the children would like to spend the night, and although it was very tempting, she knew they would be crowded in their little cabin. Besides that, the children had school in the morning.

As they walked down the mucky road, still wet from last night's rain, Ruth led them in cheerful singing. Despite the mud, the morning sun was clear and bright, and Elizabeth soon felt light and happy and free. As much as she loved her sister-in-law, sometimes she grew weary of her high expectations. And sometimes it seemed that Elizabeth's wedding day could not get here quickly enough. Of course, these were thoughts she kept to herself.

As they walked and sang, she kept something else to herself. She slowed her pace when they came to the brushy spot alongside the creek. Without saying a word to the children, she paused to see that the offering she'd left yesterday was now gone. She sighed in relief, feeling certain the Indian woman and her child were the ones who were benefiting from her gift. Just knowing they were a bit more comfortable made her feel much more like celebrating this special day with her family.

“Happy Thanksgiving!” Ruth proclaimed as Clara led them into the house. Hugs were exchanged, and Elizabeth and Ruth were happy to enlist as volunteers in Clara's cheerful kitchen. Meanwhile, JT opted to go outside and find his grandpa and Brady.

“Remember you have on your Sunday clothes,” Elizabeth reminded him.

“This is truly a special day,” Clara told Elizabeth and Ruth. “Our first Thanksgiving in Oregon. So much to be thankful for.”

“Most of all, I'm thankful for my family,” Elizabeth said as she hung up Ruth's coat and her own.

“Me too,” Ruth chimed in as she removed her bonnet. “We have the best family in the whole world.”

Elizabeth chuckled. “Yes, well, I must agree with you on that.”

“When will everyone be here?” Ruth asked.

“Matthew and Jess will come around one,” Clara told them.

“And Eli too?” Ruth asked.

“Yes, Eli too,” Clara assured her.

Ruth sniffed the air. “Are we having turkey, Grandma?”

“Oh, Ruth,” Elizabeth said. “You know there are no turkeys in Oregon.”

“But she's not too far off,” Clara told Elizabeth with a twinkle in her eye.

“What are we having?” Ruth asked.

“Goose.” Clara pointed to the cast-iron roaster positioned over the fireplace coals.

Ruth clapped her hands. “A goose!”

“Where in the world did you get a goose?” Elizabeth asked.

“Eli brought it over last night,” Clara explained. “Otherwise we would have only had a venison roast. But now I'm fixing both.”

“What a feast!” Elizabeth exclaimed. “Our first Thanksgiving, and we get to have roasted goose.”

“And Jessica is baking yams with apples.”

“And Mama made pies,” Ruth told her.

“And now I need someone to peel potatoes,” Clara said to Ruth.

Together they worked, but not at the frenzied pace Elizabeth suspected was taking place at Malinda's house. Instead, they enjoyed one another's company—talking and laughing and remembering Thanksgivings past and planning for ones in the future. It was a little past noon when Jess joined them. But her company only made the house merrier. Elizabeth felt truly blessed to be with her family like this, and even more so when Eli came into the house with her father, her brother, her son, and her dear friend Brady. This was truly a Thanksgiving to remember.

Although they were in high spirits, chattering happily as they gathered around the table, the room grew quiet, when Asa held up his hands. “As has always been the tradition of this family—in good times and in bad—we will go around the table expressing gratitude for something we are thankful for.” He nodded to Ruth. “As usual we will start with the youngest and end with the oldest.”

Ruth smiled, revealing where she'd recently lost a front tooth. “I'm thankful for my school and my teacher, Mrs. Taylor.”

Asa looked at JT. “I'm thankful that I'm finally getting to know my cousins Bart and Todd.”

“What about Susannah and Emily?” Ruth asked.

“They're girls,” JT told her. Everyone laughed.

“I am thankful to be part of this wonderful family.” Jess smiled at Matthew. “And thankful that our little family is growing.”

“I'm thankful for Jessica,” Matthew looked adoringly into her eyes. “And that our cabin is finished.”

Jess nodded eagerly. “Yes! Me too.”

Elizabeth knew it was her turn now. “I'm thankful for so many things. Where do I begin? I'm exceedingly thankful that we all made it safely to Oregon, thankful to be settling here with my family. I'm thankful for my upcoming marriage to Eli.” She laughed. “I could go on and on.”

Eli nodded. “I feel thankful for many things too.” He looked around the table with genuine appreciation in his eyes. “For the way you've all welcomed me into your family. For all the help Asa, Matthew, Brady, and JT have given me.” He turned to Elizabeth. “For my bride-to-be, Elizabeth.”

She swallowed and smiled.

“My turn,” Clara said. “Well, my list isn't so different. I am very thankful for every one of you at this table. I am thankful and somewhat amazed that an old woman like me made it all the way across the Oregon Trail in one piece.” They all laughed. “I'm thankful my little house is finished.” She smiled at Asa. “And thankful that God is allowing me to grow old surrounded by my loved ones.”

Asa looked at Brady now. “You're a little older than me, Brady, so I reckon I go next.” Brady looked relieved. “I'm thankful for all of you. And thankful for our safe passage to our new home in Oregon. I'm thankful for all our friends and neighbors in this settlement. Most of all I am thankful for God's continued goodness to this family.”

They all looked at Brady. Sensing he was feeling uncomfortable, Elizabeth smiled. “Your turn, Brady.”

He nodded with misty-looking eyes. “I'm thankful for each and every one of you folks. Ya'll been like kin to me. You took me on a journey I won't never forget. I'm thankful for my cabin. And most of all, I'm thankful to be a free man.”

Asa nodded. “Now let us bow our heads and give thanks to our generous Father in heaven.” He prayed a heartfelt prayer of thanksgiving and gratitude to which everyone added a hearty amen.

After dinner some of them went outside to enjoy the afternoon sunshine and to admire the split-rail fence Asa and Brady were building. “Now that Eli is working on the inside of your cabin, he doesn't need our help so much, so we have more time on our hands,” Asa told Elizabeth. “At the rate we're going, I s'pect we'll have a couple of acres fenced in by Christmas. Don't you reckon, Brady?”

Brady nodded. “I sure hope so.”

“Well, since your fenced pasture is so much bigger and better than ours, we just might be wintering our livestock over here,” Elizabeth teased her father.

“That's not a bad idea,” he said. “Then when you get your pasture fenced in, we could move them over there and give this grass a chance to replenish itself.”

“And come summer, you can move 'em on over to our place if you like,” Jess suggested.

Now Asa pointed over to a sunny rise midway between the cabin and the fenced pasture. “I want to put my barn right there,” he explained. “As big as I can afford to build it, and with room to grow it even bigger on down the line. I've got this notion in my head that we're going to be a dairy farm.” He continued pointing at his imaginary barn. “And there'll be a big sign right there above the door, saying Dawson's Dairy.”

“I wouldn't be a bit surprised,” Elizabeth told him. “Maybe we'll all want to become dairy farmers someday.” She looked at Eli, wondering how he felt about seeing these fences going up.