A Winter's Promise (20 page)

The wonderful part about it was that, in spite of their
differences and Jenny
’
s advantages, Jenny didn
’
t m
ake
her feel inferior. It wasn
’
t so much what she
said
that kept Emma from feeling
like an unlearned farm wom
an,
but
the way she looked at her
—
with
approval, borde
ring on admiration. Emma couldn
’
t
even remember
the
color of her eyes—only that they held a rare warmth
that melted Emma
’
s apprehension.

Emma s
aw, too, that they had many things in com
mon: their mutual love of nature and children, the
pleasure they found in accomplishment, their desire for
everyone to be loving and kind.

A shiver of excitement made Emma cuddle deeper
i
nto the covers. Questions swarmed into her mind. Jen
ny had to be the answer to Al
’
s prayers—maybe even
the answer to hers. But the thought of God banished the
excitement and left only regret.

Even in the darkness she wanted to
hide her face
when she thought about how angry she had been at God
for not helping her. How many times she had felt this
way as a child, when she had sassed her mother or diso
beyed her. She could see her mother working, tight
lipped and grim, refusing to speak to her for hours, even
days after Emma had misbehaved.

She sighed and groaned. She didn
’
t blame God for be
ing angry and disgusted with her. Here He had been
planning all along to send her help—help for all winter,
not just, for a day or two, but she had insisted on help
right now!
She rolle
d over, trying to get away from
the
echo of her impatient words and the memory of all the
times she had doubted and refused to pray.

When the baby cried at five, Emma didn
’
t want to move but, remembering that cold room upstairs, she
hurried to fix the fire. Her excitement returned with the
dawn, and she chattered happily through breakfast,
thankful that shyness still kept the children comfortably
quiet.

Jenny was hardly out of the house, though, before
they reverted to their usual noisy selves.

When Emma watered the cattle at noon, she realized her back didn
’
t hurt nearly as much as yesterday. Grati
tude flooded through her. While the little ones napped,
she rolled out molasses cookies and let Albert help cut
them with a scal
loped cutter Kate had given her.
If only,
she could tell Kate all that had happened. Kate would love Jenny!

“
Oh my, you look tired!
”
Emma said as Jenny sagged
into the rocker when she got home Monday night.

“
I
’
ll get used to the walk,
”
Jenny assured her.
“
There
’
s a lot of snow. I tried to brush the snow off my
skirt, but it was wet until noon.
”

“
It
’
s probably wet now. Can I get you a dry skirt?
”
Jenny jumped up.
“
Oh, no! I
’
ll change. Is it all right if
I hang my wet skirt behind the stove?
”

Oh dear,
Emma thought when Jenny went up to change.
I hope we don
’
t have another snowstorm.

After Jenny had changed her skirt, she ate her onion
sandwich and the children ate cookies. They showed her
their treasures: pictures, pretty stones, Ellie
’
s red ribbon.
Emma let them chatter. She
’
d have her turn to talk after
the little ones were in bed.

At suppertime, Emma saw that
Jenny w
as waiting for
her to ask the blessing, but she busied herself getting El
lie settled. Surely Jenny would simply bow her own
head and pray silently, as she had done last night and
this morning.

Then Albert piped up,
“
When Papa
’
s home,
we
pray,
too.
”

Emma felt her cheeks flush. She didn
’
t dare look at
Jenny. Then Albert began to chatter, and the uncomfort
able moment passed. Jenny, she noticed, bowed her head
a moment before she ate.

Later, when the children were in bed, Emma made up
for her silence. She told Jenny about her fears for the
children, how she had yearned for someone to talk to,
how she missed Kate and her parents, and many other
things. She carefully avoided talking about her discord
with God.

All too soon the clock struck nine, and the two women reluctantly prepared for bed, Emma filled the stove.
“
I
hope you won
’
t be cold tonight. I
’
ll try to keep the fire
going.

“
I
’
ll be fine,
”
Jenny assured her, filling the china pitcher with hot water.
“
I
’
m so glad I
’
m here. We
’
re go
ing to have a wonderful winter, Emma. You have such
a keen mind
—
I
can
’
t wait to
see
you enjoy some good
books. I
’
ll
read
to you while you knit or sew, if you like.
”

“
I
would
like that!
”
Emma exclaimed.

It was comforting to hear the floor squeak above her
as
Jenny prepared for bed.
Surely tonight I
’
ll go right to
sleep.
Snuggled in bed, Emma tried to think about all the
pleasant things they
’
d talked about. But, once again,
guilt-ridden thoughts plagued her. When sleep finally
came,
she dreamed that Jesus was frowning at her.

^“
W
h
en will Miss Clark be home?
”
the children asked on Tuesday, more times than Emma could
count. She didn
’
t blame them. She was eager, too,
for the light and laughter that Jenny brought with
her.

Gratitude welled up in her as she shaped bread
dough into loaves. She wanted to thank God for
sending Jenny, but she could still see Jesus frown
ing at her as He had in her dream. Over and over
she pushed aside those troublesome thoughts and
concentrated on the new things she had heard from
Jenny. But no matter how hard she tried, regret clung like a bad taste in her mouth.

When Jenny got home, the fragrant brown—
crusted bread was cooling on Emma
’
s whitest dish
towel. Only her best would do now, as she saw everything through Jenny
’
s eyes.

“
Yum ... the bread smells good,
”
Jenny said as
she made her onion sandwich.

Emma and the children joined her at the table
with bread and syrup.

Jenny told them how the schoolchildren had
sung song after song that morning, and how
well
the little ones were beginning to read. Even Ernie, who
had tried h
er patience almost to the limit all
winter, had
done neat sums on his slate.

Albert wrinkled his nose.
“
What
’
s a slate?
”

Jenny flashed him a smile.
“
I have one of my own at
Verlegers
’
, Albert. Instead of telling you about it, I
’
ll stop
by and pick it up tomorrow night, and you can use it.
”
She turned to Emma.
“
I need to bring more of my things
over here. Grandpa said there was no hurry, but I know
Grandma!
”

When the children ran off to play, Jenny said,
“
Wait
‘
til
you see what I brought for us to read tonight!
”
Eyes
twinkling, she pulled a book out of her schoolbag and
handed it to Emma.

“
Little Women
,
”
Emma read.

“
It
’
s about four sisters. I read it twice a long while ago,
but I don
’
t mind reading it again.
”

Reverently Emma fingered the pages.
“
My goodness,
it
’
s long. It
’
ll take us all winter.
”

“
I thought you could read some during the day, and
we
’
ll pick up at night where you leave off. I don
’
t
mind.
”

“
But my work! My knitting! I can
’
t waste time reading!
”

“
Emma, reading isn
’
t a waste of time. Some of the
most important things in life are the ones we can
’
t see!
”

“
But I have work to get done.
”

“
You will. You
’
ll be surprised how fast you
’
ll work,
when you have a reason to get it done—something to
look forward to.
”

After supper Jenny began to clear the table, but Emma
said,
“
No, you
rest.
You look all worn out.
”

For a moment Emma thought Jenny might burst into
tears.
“
Want to tell me about it?
”
she asked gently, as
she filled the dishpan with hot water.

Jenny nodded.
“
First of all, I couldn
’
t get the fire start
ed this morning. There
’
s so little kindling wood left,
and
I
’
ve been trying
no
t to
use much. But the wood is
so
green, it just lies there and smokes. We had to wear
ou
r
coats until almost noon. I
’
d have the children get up and stomp their feet now and then to warm
up.
” Her
face brightened.
“
You should have heard them!
”

Emma chuckled.
“
I can imagine. And you must have
been frozen stiff. When you were at Grandpa
’
s, did
you
use to start the fire earlier and then go back to the warm
house?
”

“
Oh, yes. Sometimes I
’
d make several trips. The
room would be quite warm by the time school started.
”
She sighed.
“
I
’
d better leave half an hour earlier tomor
row morning.
”

Emma washed the last dish and poured out the water,
“
About the kindling.... Who cut wood for the school
this year?
”

“
Mr. Schuft.
”

Emma groaned.
“
I might have known. You could send a note home with young Herman, and tell Mr. Schuft you need more kindling.
”

“
I did, last week. He w
rote back that I shouldn
’
t have
used it like firewood. He said the school doesn
’
t have
any more money for wood this year, and he isn
’
t bring
ing any more.
”

While Emma did chores that evening, she fretted about Jenny in that cold schoolroom. By the time she came in from the barn, Jenny had started getting the
children ready for bed. When the little ones were tucked
in, Emma
’
s knitting needles clicked faster than ever as
she listened to Jenny read.

Once Jenny stopped for breath, and Emma said,
“
Jo
is
my sister Gustie all over again—always doing something unladylike.
”

“
How many sisters do you have?
”
Jenny asked.

“
Two now. My sister Anne died.
”

“
Oh, I
’
m sorry. Do the others live near here?
”

“
Winnie lives over in Knox, about five or six miles
away, but Gustie lives up in Ashland. I was so sad when
she got married and moved way up there. I don
’
t get to
se
e
much of Winnie, either.
”

“
So you were the l
ast one married. You must have bee
n lonesome.
”
.,
Emma nodded.
“
I sure was. I know Ma must be lone
some now, with all of us gone. Of course Walter and Dick are still home, and she has my sister Anne
’
s
daughter, little Anne. And Pa. But Pa doesn
’
t talk to Ma
much. I can
’
t ever remember him asking her opinion about anything.
”

Jenny put the book down on her lap.

Emma continued.
“
That
’
s what
I especially liked about Al. . .
uh . . . Mr. Verleger. He
talked
to me. He asked me what I thought about things.
”

“
Where did you meet him?
”

“
Right in my home. He came to talk to my father.
”

“
And then?
”

Emma
’
s face flushed.
“
Well, I took notice of him that
day, but I wasn
’
t sure he noticed me. He had, though. A
few weeks later he appeared and said he had come to see
me!
”

“
How long was it, then, before you got married?
”

“
About a year later. We were married the first of July.
”

“
Did you have a big wedding?
”

Emma looked puzzled.
“
A big wedding?
”

“Yes,
”
Jenny continued brightly.
“
Did you have lots of
bridesmaids and a big reception?
”

“
Reception? Well, up here no one makes much fuss
about weddings. The couple just goes wherever they can
find a justice of the peace or a minister, and they get
married. Sometimes there
’
s a square dance in their hon
or.
”

“
Oh,
”
Jenny said softly. She sounded so disappointed
that Emma hurriedly explained.

“
You see, people here just don
’
t have money for any
thing that isn
’
t really n
eces
sary. I wanted so much
to
have a
minister
marry us, but we would have, had to
go
somewhere on the train and stay overnight, and that
would have cost a lot. W
hat, little Al had, we needed fo
r
nails and window glass and things for this house and
a
cow and an ox and seed.... I didn
’
t have any money at
all, because I
’
d always worked at home. Of course, Ma
gave me lots of things to get started.
”

Jenny hesitated a moment. Then she asked,
“
But you
were happy on your wedding day?
”

Emma
’
s face brightened.
“
Oh, yes! We were happy. We walked to Ogema to the justice of the peace, Mr.
Morgan, and we laughed and talked and—
”
She
laughed.
“
Well, you know what young couples do.
”

Jenny joined her laughter.

“
Well,
”
Emma said,
“
on the way back we stopped at
Pearson
’
s Lake and went for a boat ride.
”
She leaned
back and closed her eyes.
“
I
’
ll never forget how beautiful,
it was. I don
’
t know what was more beautiful—the
white birch and evergreen trees along the curving shore
line, or Al
’
s big, strong arms rowing that boat like it was
no effort at all. He sang some, too. He
’
s got a real good
voice. I remember he sang,
‘
The Maple on the Hill,
’
‘
cause he knew that was my favorite.
”