The Work and the Glory (570 page)

“This is for you,” Savannah said, holding the doll out.

Her father spoke briefly. Finally, Daughter of the Morning Mist, blushing furiously, reached out and took the doll. All around, the other children edged closer, their mouths agape.

“Thank you,” Rattlesnake said softly.

“Thank you for letting us cross your land,” Joshua answered. He reached out and took Savannah’s hand. “Come, Savannah. We have to go now.”

They started back toward the wagon. The girl’s mother stepped up beside her husband and whispered quickly in his ear. He nodded, then turned. “Sa-van-nah?”

They both stopped and turned back.

“My wife say we give Sa-van-nah Potawatomi name.”

Now Caroline was smiling as she came forward to take Savannah’s hand. “That would please us very much,” she said.

He turned and eyed Savannah as though measuring her for a dress. After a moment, he nodded to himself, looking satisfied. “You shall be called Kee-wau-nay,” he said.

“Kee-wau-nay,” Savannah repeated.

“Yes. Good name for you.”

“What does it mean?” Caroline asked.

He did not turn but continued to look into Savannah’s eyes. “Kee-wau-nay means Prairie Chicken. You small. Very happy. Good heart. You Prairie Chicken.”

It was late in the afternoon of the next day, June ninth, that Brigham’s company reached the middle fork of the Nishnabotna River. It was deep and swift and had no natural fording place, but to Brigham’s surprise Bishop Miller’s advance party was camped on the east side of the river, preparing to construct a bridge across the stream. So Brigham called a halt for the day.

The Steed company of ten was only about a third of the way back in the line of wagons, but they had been stopped for almost ten minutes, waiting to swing out and find a place to camp.

Nathan stood beside his oxen, now almost to where a man was directing the wagons where to go. Lydia and the younger children had moved back with the rest of the family. Josh was at the head of the oxen for Matthew’s wagon, his standard place since Matthew had left them. Joshua was next, and Derek brought up the rear of their four wagons. Only now could Nathan see clearly down near the river to where the wagons were gathering. He hadn’t yet taken note of the fact that there were more wagons there than there should have been.

Suddenly he heard a whoop. He looked up, squinting. About a hundred yards away, a lanky figure had burst out from the circle of wagons and was waving his arms, running full tilt toward them. Nathan peered more closely, and then his face split into a big grin. He spun around. Jenny and Mary Ann were with the family. Jenny had Emmeline in her arms. Betsy Jo was off with the rest of the children.

“Jenny!”

She looked up.

“I think you have company.”

She raised a hand to shade her eyes, but Nathan’s wagon blocked her view. “Who is it?” she called.

He laughed aloud. “He looks quite familiar,” he called. “Tall, big smile. Answers to the name of Matthew.”

“Matthew!” she gasped. The whole family swung around now.

“Is it really?” Mary Ann cried.

“It is, and coming like a greyhound after a rabbit.”

Jenny shoved Emmeline into Rebecca’s arms and sprinted forward. She reached up and ripped off her bonnet and sent it spinning, leaving her hair to stream out behind her. “Matthew! Matthew!” As she reached Nathan, she could see Matthew’s running figure now and began waving.

He waved back and shouted something. As the two reached each other, he threw open his arms to catch Jenny as she hurled herself into them.

Mary Ann ran past Nathan and reached the couple just as Matthew finally set Jenny down. He opened his arms for his mother and swept her up now as well.

There was only one thing that could have made Jenny happier than seeing Matthew again, and that was his news. They were close enough now to the Missouri River that Brigham had declared that Matthew would no longer have to go ahead. He didn’t have to leave Jenny again, at least not until they reached the Missouri River. It was a very happy family that gathered in around their son, brother, uncle, husband, and father who had rejoined them at last.

Just before supper that same evening, Brigham sent word for the men of the company to come to a meeting. They gathered around his wagon as the women in the camp set to work preparing supper.

“Brethren,” Brigham said, climbing up on a wagon tongue. “Could I have your attention, please.”

The group quickly quieted.

“Thank you. Some of the Twelve and I have met in brief council. We are very pleased with our recent progress. At last we’re making good time. Brother Clayton, who, as you know, has the responsibility of being our camp clerk, is still behind us but sends word that we are now making about fifteen miles per day. Striking the Indian trail was a great blessing to us. We are no longer knocking our wagons to pieces as we cross virgin prairie. The grass is good and our animals are healthy. We have been fortunate to catch up to Bishop Miller’s party today, for, as you can see, we will have to construct another bridge. We’ll use flood wood, and if we all pitch in together, we can finish it tomorrow and we won’t have to swim our wagons across the river.”

“Oh, I don’t mind,” someone called out. “It might drown the lice, bedbugs, and other creatures which seem to have taken residence with my family.”

There was general laughter all around, Brigham included. Joshua smiled. Breaking out of the never-ending morass of mud had done wonders for their spirits. They were energetic, happy, and almost playful. He thought about that. They hadn’t felt playful for a long time.

Brigham continued. “We now estimate that we are no more than thirty miles from the Missouri River. We hope to reach it by Saturday or Sunday. There we shall stop for a while so that we can establish another settlement for our people.”

That brought nods of approval and a lot of excited comments. For many, the Missouri would be their stopping place until spring.

“And since we are making such good progress, the brethren and I feel to make another announcement. We don’t have all of Brother Pitt’s brass band with us—Brother Clayton being one of those not present—but Brother Heber assures me that we have enough to hold a concert and dance tonight.”

The men erupted with applause and cries of approval.

Brigham nodded in satisfaction. This was exactly why it was needed. “We shall build a bonfire over in the meadow, and we shall commence festivities promptly at eight o’clock.”

Caroline’s cheeks were flushed with excitement. She reached out and grabbed Joshua’s hand. “Come dance with me, Joshua.”

He looked momentarily startled.

“Come on,” she pleaded. “Please, Joshua.”

He glanced at Nathan and Lydia with a forlorn look of surrender and allowed himself to be towed off. It wasn’t much of a band, not considering what they had enjoyed during the first part of the journey, but no one cared. In William Clayton’s absence, someone else played the violin. There were two clarinets, two flutes, three trumpets, a trombone, a drum, and someone had dragged out a set of sleigh bells to provide a different touch.

It was enough. The band played several marches and a rousing version of “The Upper California” to enthusiastic applause, then moved away from the center of the meadow so that there was room for dancing. It started with a grand cotillion, but from then on there were none of the more sedate dances—minuets or waltzes or stately quadrilles. This was a celebration of spirit, and the people were filled with exuberance. The violin became a fiddle, with the brass following along. They went through such dances as the Fox-Chase Inn, Gardens of Gray’s Ferry, the Copenhagen Jig, and some French Fours.

As Caroline pulled Joshua forward, the band struck up the Virginia Reel. The people formed quickly into squares, with Joshua and Caroline joining Derek and Rebecca, Matthew and Jenny, and young Josh and his grandmother.

“I should make you take me in there too,” Lydia said wistfully from the sidelines.

Nathan nodded, knowing that that wasn’t a criticism of him but an admission of how tired she was. It was almost ten o’clock now, and they would have to return soon so she could feed Tricia. The past week they had pushed hard every day and it showed on her. Even though the baby was two months old now, Lydia was still not back to her full strength.

“Are you ready to start back?” he asked.

“Not yet.” She was swaying to the music, and he saw her skirt moving where she was tapping her foot.

“This is a great thing for the camp,” he observed.

“Yes. It does wonders for the spirit.” Then she smiled. “Look at them, Nathan. Look at Joshua. You would think he was ten years younger to watch him right now.”

“Yes. He certainly can surprise you, can’t he?”

She turned to him. “Has he said anything more to you about what’s going on in his mind?”

His mouth turned down. “Not a word.”

“No more questions?”

“Not since we left Mount Pisgah. Not that we’ve had a lot of time to sit around and talk.”

“Caroline told me he finished the Book of Mormon the other night.”

“Really? Good for him. So does he talk with her about it?”

“Some, but not much,” she replied, openly showing her discouragement. “Caroline is trying to convince him he needs to pray about it.”

“I don’t know why that is such a problem for him,” Nathan mused. “It’s almost like he’s afraid he might actually get an answer and have to commit himself.” He turned to watch the dancers, picking Joshua out quickly. He was fully into it now, any semblance of the reluctant partner completely gone. He spun Caroline around, then took her hand and ducked beneath it. He was thoroughly enjoying himself and Caroline was responding with great enthusiasm, laughing like a young girl. Was this the same man who had been dragged out to participate?

“Do you think he will make it, Nathan?”

Nathan turned to her. His face was solemn as he thought about that. Finally, he shrugged. “I don’t know. There’s something inside him that’s like a big granite boulder standing in his way. On some days he goes after it with hammer and chisel. Then other times it’s like he looks at the rock and says, ‘Is it really worth what it’s going to take to move that out of here?’ ”

Her head went up and down slowly as she watched him dancing.

“Out here is not the best place to try and think things through,” he went on. “There are too many things to occupy your mind. Maybe once we get to the valley and things settle down to normal again, maybe then he’ll finally make the choice.”

She tipped her head back and closed her eyes. “Mmm, the valley. I like the sound of that. If it’s as beautiful as Brigham says, it will be wonderful.”  

“Sometimes it seems like only a dream,” he said, suddenly discouraged. It was still so far away, both in time and distance. If he left his family at the Missouri and went on with the vanguard company, that was going to be difficult. The whole thing just felt so overwhelming now.

Seeing his face, she came over to him and took his arm. “Come on, Mr. Steed. I think I have one more dance left in me. How about you?”

“I think I just might,” he said, bringing up a smile. “Let’s go show these youngsters of ours just what their mama and papa are capable of.”

The dancing didn’t stop until just after eleven o’clock, when a laughing Brigham Young overrode the protests and reminded them that there was another day of work awaiting them on the morrow. He called for prayer and in a moment the camp was quiet. When it was done, the people began to disperse and return to their wagons and tents, talking happily.

“Thank you, Joshua,” Caroline said, taking his arm and leaning against him as they walked. “That was wonderful.”

“No, thank you, Caroline. That was enough to lift a man’s soul tonight.”

“Joshua!”

Joshua stopped at the sound of a man’s voice and turned around.

Brigham Young was with Heber Kimball and Willard Richards. The senior Apostle waved his hand toward Joshua and Caroline. “Hold on a moment.” He said a few more words to his brethren, then strode over to them. “Mind if I walk with you for a moment?”

“Of course not, President,” Caroline said. “It’s our pleasure.”

“Glad for the company,” Joshua agreed.

He fell into step beside them and walked slowly along. Joshua and Caroline had set a path back toward their encampment. Brigham’s wagons were in a different direction, but that didn’t seem to be on his mind at the moment. He looked up. Above them the sky was stunning. There was not a cloud and as yet no moon. It was as though they were under a thick canopy of branches, with every leaf a sparkling diamond of light.

“Isn’t that something?” he breathed.

They both looked up. “It’s beautiful,” Caroline said in a half whisper. Joshua merely nodded.

“Hard to believe that that all happened by accident, isn’t it?”

Joshua looked at him sharply. It was said as casually as if he were commenting on tomorrow’s weather, but Joshua suspected the comment was aimed directly at him.

Caroline, also sensing that something had just happened, did not speak. She left it for Joshua. He had no choice but to answer. “It is enough to overwhelm a man,” he said cautiously.