Into the Wilderness
Page 69
The usual crowd of men was gathered by the hearth. Elizabeth nodded to them from a distance. Julian waved one hand over his head in her direction without bothering to get up. Anna's father was sound asleep, the fringe of his long gray beard spread over his chest like a moth—eaten blanket. Moses Southern gave her a curt nod from his perch on a barrel of pickled eggs, but Jed McGarrity jumped up and came forward to pump Elizabeth's hand with both of his own.
"I'm glad to see you, Miz Elizabeth," he said. "I keep trying to catch you after church on Sunday. Been wanting to tell you what a fine job you're doing. You keep them young'uns hopping, that's sure enough so."
Elizabeth smiled. "It is certainly good to hear that you're satisfied with the progress your boys are making."
"Satisfied! The missus and me can't hardly wait till they come home and tell us what stories you come up with. Yesterday it was that Trojan horse that got them Greeks into such a mess." He stroked his whiskers thoughtfully. "Wonder if our generals knew about that trick. Might of worked when we was trying to shift the Tories out of New—York, back in the war."
This was greeted with a sharp glance from Moses Southern, and a broad smile from Julian. "You could have done with Lizzie's help, I'm sure," he said. "She is a very handy tactician. Don't know how that particular skill serves her in the classroom, but it's stood her in good stead elsewhere."
"Don't you go criticizin' the schoolmarm," said Anna from her perch on a stepladder. "Ain't my Ephraim reading the Good Book to me every evening? Even that great hulk Liam Kirby is tame as a kitten these days. Don't know how she done it, and for sure she ain't going about it the way most would"—Anna sent Moses a narrow stare" but whatever she's up to, it's working."
There was an uneasy silence as Julian settled back down into his seat and Elizabeth retreated toward the counter once again. Lately she was finding it harder and harder to cope calmly with Julian's teasing. He seemed to take every opportunity to goad her. The fact that Richard Todd called regularly on her now did not seem to make any difference. Elizabeth wondered once again if Julian had somehow gotten a hint of her plans. She was thinking this through once again when she was called out of her thoughts with a jerk.
". . . Nathaniel," said Jed McGarrity.
"Pardon me?" asked Elizabeth as calmly as she could. "I'm afraid my thoughts were—elsewhere." What a fraud I've become, she thought.
"I said, Nathaniel is moving along quite smart on the new schoolhouse. He's got Otter helping him raise the walls, and I'd warrant they'll be done with the bulk of it in a week. You'll be in that school come mid—April, no doubt."
"Well, that is good news," Elizabeth said, trying to sound prim and pleased at the same time. "I haven't been by to see in a long time, I've just been too busy with teaching."
"You should go on along, then, have a look."
"I think not," Elizabeth said, looking down at the wares on the counter. "Nathaniel has made it quite clear that he doesn't like me interfering."
"Is that so?" Jed asked slowly, his head tilted to one side. "That don't sound much like Nathaniel."
"Oh, well." Elizabeth wondered how she could remove herself from this discussion of Nathaniel before she said something completely incriminating. "Perhaps I misunderstood. But I am glad to know that the schoolhouse will be finished soon."
"Injuns in the classroom," muttered Moses Southern behind Elizabeth.
"I beg your pardon?" She had heard him quite clearly, but she wanted to give the man an opportunity to back down. Elizabeth had realized for weeks that this confrontation was waiting for her, and she dreaded it. The scowl on Moses Southern's face made it clear that her worries had been well founded.
She straightened her shoulders and met his gaze full on.
"Did you have a problem with the school you wanted to discuss with me?"
"Moses is of the opinion that Indians don't belong in the classroom." said Julian easily, his eyes fixed on Elizabeth's face.
"Your Jemima is doing very well in my class, Mr. Southern," Elizabeth said quietly. "I am very pleased that you decided to send her to school after all. I don't think you have to worry that her education is suffering in any way."
"Jemima ain't the problem," Moses barked, causing Anna to come out from behind her counter, a yardstick clutched in one fist.
"You watch yourself in my place," Anna said. "I won't have none of your tricks."
Moses turned on Anna. "If she wants to teach redskins, then she should do it somewhere else. She brings them two niggers into her own house to teach 'em; she could do the same with the Bonner half—breed. And what that young squaw is doing there, I want to know. That Mohawk ain't got a thing to teach a decent Christian girl."
Julian had been following this outburst with a look of mixed amusement and curiosity, but now he looked away.
Everyone was looking at Elizabeth, waiting for her to reply to Moses. Even Jed McGarrity, who had supported Elizabeth in every one of her ventures and at every turn, looked as if he needed an answer to this question. They all wanted to know what Many-Doves had to do in the classroom.
She drew in a breath and clutched her gloves tighter in her hands to control their trembling. Anger could be a very good thing, she knew, if she could just harness it and turn it to her advantage.
"I'm glad to see you, Miz Elizabeth," he said. "I keep trying to catch you after church on Sunday. Been wanting to tell you what a fine job you're doing. You keep them young'uns hopping, that's sure enough so."
Elizabeth smiled. "It is certainly good to hear that you're satisfied with the progress your boys are making."
"Satisfied! The missus and me can't hardly wait till they come home and tell us what stories you come up with. Yesterday it was that Trojan horse that got them Greeks into such a mess." He stroked his whiskers thoughtfully. "Wonder if our generals knew about that trick. Might of worked when we was trying to shift the Tories out of New—York, back in the war."
This was greeted with a sharp glance from Moses Southern, and a broad smile from Julian. "You could have done with Lizzie's help, I'm sure," he said. "She is a very handy tactician. Don't know how that particular skill serves her in the classroom, but it's stood her in good stead elsewhere."
"Don't you go criticizin' the schoolmarm," said Anna from her perch on a stepladder. "Ain't my Ephraim reading the Good Book to me every evening? Even that great hulk Liam Kirby is tame as a kitten these days. Don't know how she done it, and for sure she ain't going about it the way most would"—Anna sent Moses a narrow stare" but whatever she's up to, it's working."
There was an uneasy silence as Julian settled back down into his seat and Elizabeth retreated toward the counter once again. Lately she was finding it harder and harder to cope calmly with Julian's teasing. He seemed to take every opportunity to goad her. The fact that Richard Todd called regularly on her now did not seem to make any difference. Elizabeth wondered once again if Julian had somehow gotten a hint of her plans. She was thinking this through once again when she was called out of her thoughts with a jerk.
". . . Nathaniel," said Jed McGarrity.
"Pardon me?" asked Elizabeth as calmly as she could. "I'm afraid my thoughts were—elsewhere." What a fraud I've become, she thought.
"I said, Nathaniel is moving along quite smart on the new schoolhouse. He's got Otter helping him raise the walls, and I'd warrant they'll be done with the bulk of it in a week. You'll be in that school come mid—April, no doubt."
"Well, that is good news," Elizabeth said, trying to sound prim and pleased at the same time. "I haven't been by to see in a long time, I've just been too busy with teaching."
"You should go on along, then, have a look."
"I think not," Elizabeth said, looking down at the wares on the counter. "Nathaniel has made it quite clear that he doesn't like me interfering."
"Is that so?" Jed asked slowly, his head tilted to one side. "That don't sound much like Nathaniel."
"Oh, well." Elizabeth wondered how she could remove herself from this discussion of Nathaniel before she said something completely incriminating. "Perhaps I misunderstood. But I am glad to know that the schoolhouse will be finished soon."
"Injuns in the classroom," muttered Moses Southern behind Elizabeth.
"I beg your pardon?" She had heard him quite clearly, but she wanted to give the man an opportunity to back down. Elizabeth had realized for weeks that this confrontation was waiting for her, and she dreaded it. The scowl on Moses Southern's face made it clear that her worries had been well founded.
She straightened her shoulders and met his gaze full on.
"Did you have a problem with the school you wanted to discuss with me?"
"Moses is of the opinion that Indians don't belong in the classroom." said Julian easily, his eyes fixed on Elizabeth's face.
"Your Jemima is doing very well in my class, Mr. Southern," Elizabeth said quietly. "I am very pleased that you decided to send her to school after all. I don't think you have to worry that her education is suffering in any way."
"Jemima ain't the problem," Moses barked, causing Anna to come out from behind her counter, a yardstick clutched in one fist.
"You watch yourself in my place," Anna said. "I won't have none of your tricks."
Moses turned on Anna. "If she wants to teach redskins, then she should do it somewhere else. She brings them two niggers into her own house to teach 'em; she could do the same with the Bonner half—breed. And what that young squaw is doing there, I want to know. That Mohawk ain't got a thing to teach a decent Christian girl."
Julian had been following this outburst with a look of mixed amusement and curiosity, but now he looked away.
Everyone was looking at Elizabeth, waiting for her to reply to Moses. Even Jed McGarrity, who had supported Elizabeth in every one of her ventures and at every turn, looked as if he needed an answer to this question. They all wanted to know what Many-Doves had to do in the classroom.
She drew in a breath and clutched her gloves tighter in her hands to control their trembling. Anger could be a very good thing, she knew, if she could just harness it and turn it to her advantage.
