Love's abiding joy (Love Comes Softly #4) (25 page)

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Chapter Thirty

Plans

Clark and Marty began to make plans for going home, talking quietly together in the privacy of the little soddy. At first it was like a dream to be thinking of boarding the slow- moving train again and leaving behind the West that they had come to respect and the family that they loved so deeply. Marty wished there was a way that she could bundle them all up and take them home with her. But then she thought of Willie and his love for his spread, Missie and the sun reflecting in her eyes, and Nathan and Josiah as they rushed about their beloved hills with the wind whipping at their hair; and she knew that she would not want to pick them up by their roots and try to transplant them--not really.

Marty's thoughts turned more and more to her farm-home family.
How's Clare and his young Kate doin' in the little log house? Is Arnie still seem' the preacher's daughter? What is the girl really like? Is Ellie entertainin' any gentleman callers? Which of the neighborhood young men will be the first one to notice our pretty young daughter who is now a woman?
She

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wondered if Luke still nursed his dream of going off to train as a doctor and how Dr. Watkins and the boy were getting along. Marty was anxious to get home again and have some of her questions answered.

A long letter from Ellie arrived. She told about the new grass and leaves on the flowering shrubs. She spoke of the songbirds that were back and the new colt in the pasture. She reported that Clare had plowed the garden spot and she and Kate had planted the garden--more than they would ever be using themselves, she was sure, but they just couldn't seem to get stopped once they had started. She told of Nandry's tears of joy and sorrow upon receiving the news of her father. She wrote that Nandry had immediately sat down and penned a long letter to Clae and Joe. Ellie gave news about the neighbors, the church, and the school. But she did not say how Clare and Kate were doing in the little house, nor if Arnie was still seeing the preacher's daughter, nor if she, Ellie, was receiving gentleman callers, nor how Luke was doing in his quest of becoming a doctor. Marty's heart yearned to know all the answers.

"Clark," she said, folding up the letter for the third time, "I think thet it be time we got us some tickets."

Clark ran a hand over the rope that he was braiding for Nathan and agreed. "Yah," he said, "I think thet it be. We best have us a chat with Willie an' Missie tonight."

That evening Marty expected some protests when they voiced their decision. Missie set down the cup of coffee she had just poured and took a deep breath.

"No use pretendin' that we didn't know it had to come," she said quietly. "No use fussin"bout it. You must be powerful lonesome for the ones at home. I marvel that you were able to stay away this long." She poured another cup of coffee and handed it to Willie. "'Course I wish you could just stay on here forever. I know better. Truth is, I'm thankful for every day we have already had."

Willie cleared his throat and ran a hand through his heavy head of hair. "Don't know as how I'm gonna git along without yer pair of hands," he said to Clark. "Can't believe the number of little things thet you've seen to over the winter

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months--things thet none of us ever seemed to find time fer."

Clark smiled. "Got a good idea," he said. "Why don't I see iffen I can talk yer pa into comin' out fer a spell? He's awful handy 'round a place. Never seed a man thet could make things look better in short order than yer pa. How 'bout it?"

Willie grinned. "I'd like thet," he said sincerely. "Seems to have been a long time since I seen my pa."

"When do you plan on goin'?" asked Missie.

"I'll be a-ridin' into town tomarra and checkin' out the trains. No use waitin' 'til it gits so hot thet one can hardly stand the ride. It was pretty hot at times when we came out last year. Thought thet it might be a little cooler iffen we go right away."

Missie was silent.

Marty looked at her daughter and caught her blinking away tears.

"We've loved havin' you," Missie finally managed. "You know that. Just sorry we have to send you back to the rest of the family different than you came, Pa. Hope that they won't hold it against us and the West."

"Why should they?" asked Clark. "Accidents aren't confined to one place. Jest before we left home, a neighbor farmer got drug by a team of horses and lost
both
of his legs."

"Still," said Missie, "it's gonna be a shock for them."

"We're gonna miss ya at the church," put in Willie. "Can't believe how much interest there is since we started to have real services."

"Thet won't stop," Clark answered. "Henry is all prepared to give ya Bible lessons jest as I was doin'. He'll do a fine job. I already wrote to Joe to send Henry out some good Bible books fer studyin'. I expect Henry to really git into 'em. He loves studyin' the Word and will bring to the people everything thet he can find. I think thet Henry is gonna make a fine lay preacher."

"We're glad for Henry," Missie said. "He's been a great help and a good friend ever since we left home."

"Ya have some very fine neighbors here," Marty said with feeling. "I'm so relieved, Missie, to know that ya have ladies to

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visit and share with and a good doctor close by so thet ya won't need to go way up to Tettsford Junction fer this next little one."

"So am I," Missie agreed, reaching out to take Willie's hand. "That was what I hated most 'bout havin' Nathan an' Josiah--the long months of being' away from Willie."

"Well, iffen I'm gonna make thet ride into town tomarra, I guess I should be gittin' to bed. Thet's a long way fer a slow rider to be a travelin'." Clark stood and lifted his crutch into position.

"Would ya prefer the team to a saddle horse?" asked Willie.

"Hey, thet sounds like a good idea. Might be I'll even take young Nathan along with me, iffen his mother agrees."

"He'd love to go," said Missie. "He's gonna really miss you. Both of you. He won't know what to do with himself when you leave."

"Won't be long until Nathan will be needin' school. Any plans?" asked Marty.

"Willie and some of the neighbor men are meetin' at Juan's on Wednesday night. There are several families whose children are much older than Nathan, and they are most anxious to get them some learnin' before they're so old that they think they don't even
need
school."

"Glad to hear thet."

"The church committee is goin' to tell them they can meet in the church if they want to."

"Thet's a good idea," said Clark with enthusiasm. "I sure hope thet it all works out fer 'em. Now, we better git. I'll be by to pick up yer son 'bout eight, iffen thet's all right."

"That'll be fine. He'll be up an' ready to go. Why don't you both come on over an' have breakfast with us first?"

"Oh, no, dear, we don't want--"

"Ma," said Missie, "please. There won't be too many days for us to be a-sharin' our time together. Let's make the most of them."

Marty kissed her daughter and agreed on breakfast the next morning.

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Chapter Thirty-one

Farewells

Clark and Nathan enjoyed a leisurely drive into town. Nathan, curious about everything that he heard and saw, kept up an excited stream of questions and comments. Clark realized that the young boy was truly ready for school.

"What ya plannin' to be when ya grow up, boy?" asked Clark.

"I don't know, Grandpa. Some days I wanna be a rancher like my pa. An' sometimes I wanna be a foreman like Scottie, an' some days I wanna be a cowboy like Lane, but most of all I think I wanna be a cook like Cookie."

Clark laughed. The ranch was really all of the life that the boy knew. Clark determined to send Nathan a packet of good books.

"What do you wanna be, Grandpa?"

"Ya mean when I grow up?"

"Yer already growed."

"Oh, yah," said Clark, "I guess I am at that."

"What ya gonna be?" asked Nathan again.

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"Well," said Clark, "I'm a farmer."

"What do farmers do?"

"Much like a rancher, only they don't raise quite so many cows and horses. And they might have pigs or sheep or even goats to go with their other animals. And they plow fields, an' pick rock, an' pull stumps, an' plant grain thet they harvest every fall. Then they build haystacks and store feed fer their animals to eat in the winter months. And they butcher an' cure meat, an' chop wood, an' doctor sick critters, an' take in garden vegetables, an' fix fence."

"Boy," said Nathan, "farmers do lots of stuff, huh, Grandpa?"

"Guess we do."

"Can ya do all thet, Grandpa?"

"Shore. Don't take nobody special to do all thet." "Boy, ya can do lots of things with only one leg, can't ya, Grandpa?"

"Well, ya see, son, when I was doin' all those things I still had me two legs. So I been thinkin' some lately of how I can still do the same things. It's gonna take some special equipment. Ya know the piece of harness that I made fer myself so I could balance and still handle the horse an' the plow?" Nathan nodded, remembering the funny contraption his grandfather had used.

"Well, I plan on buildin' a lot of things like thet. I couldn't start to work on them yet, 'cause they've got to be measured jest so, to fit the different things thet I be usin'--like the plow an' the rake an' the seeder. I'm gonna make 'em all when I git home. I got this here idea of how I'll fix the plow, see--" And Clark commenced to tell Nathan his idea, Nathan's eyes becoming big as he listened. The miles melted by as the two worked together on Clark's plans.

Clark discovered that the next suitable train left the following Tuesday. He made plans for their tickets and then took Nathan to the General Store for a treat. They also pocketed some sweets for Josiah and then headed the team for home. The news of the upcoming departure had Marty in a flurry. She felt that she had so much to do to prepare for the

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journey, but when she set about to do it she found that it wasn't so much after all--not nearly what it had been in preparing for their trip out to Missie. There was only their own luggage to care for since all of the things they had brought west for Missie and the family would be staying right there. Marty relaxed and enjoyed her last days by spending them with the boys just as much as she could.

She cleaned out the tiny soddy and bade it a fond farewell, then moved their things back into Missie's fine house for the remaining days.

Willie came home from the De la Rosas' with exciting news. The community had voted to begin the new school in the church building. Henry's Melinda had been asked to teach. Her close neighbor, Mrs. Netherton, an older woman with no children, had agreed to stay with Melinda's young son while she was at school. Since Melinda was reluctant to leave her boy behind, the first year of school would be held only for three days a week. Still, the neighborhood agreed that this arrangement was far better than no school at all.

Willie and Missie decided that Nathan would be allowed to join the school-bound crowd. As Melinda would be driving right by their ranch, she agreed to pick up the young scholar.

Marty took special note of each day as it ticked by. A little clock ran in her mind:
This is our last Friday. . . our last Saturday . . . our last service in the little church.
She prepared with extra care. Clark had already shared with her some of his thoughts on the scripture portion for the day. Marty felt them to be most appropriate on their last day with the congregation that they had learned to love. There was no better message that Clark could leave with them.

When Clark stood before the group on that last Sunday, he read solemnly, yet triumphantly, from the Word: "Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord" (Jer. 9:23,24).

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As she listened, Marty prayed for each individual who sat in the seats around her. Her desire, and Clark's, was that each one of them might deeply live the truth of the Scripture, this one in particular.

After the service had ended, Clark asked Henry to speak to the congregation. It was common knowledge that when Clark left, Henry would be leading the group.

With tears in his voice, he expressed his thanks to Clark and to Marty for their leadership and encouragement over the months they had been with them, the congregation echoing his appreciation. Then Clark and Marty, taken completely by surprise, were guests of honor as the whole fellowship gathered around to give them a farewell party. Food was spread out on makeshift tables, and ladies served while the men and children dug in with relish. Underlying the festivities and laughter was a feeling of sadness because of the fact that in just two days the Davises would be leaving them. Clark and Marty appreciated each one who came with a special thank-you shining from his or her eyes and warm handshakes. They were special, these people. They were special because they were Christian brothers and sisters. Clark and Marty both knew they would miss them.