The Little Sparrows (7 page)

Frances bit her lip.

All three children were puffing as they reached the porch and bounded up the steps, eyes fixed on the uniformed men. Johnny and Mary still gripped their sister’s hands.

Demers bent down, hands on his thighs just above the knees. “Children, I am Officer Harold Demers, and this is my partner, Officer Ed Holbrook.” His eyes centered on the oldest. “I know your last name is Marston. What is your name, honey?”

“Mary.” Her voice quivered slightly.

“And how old are you, Mary?”

“Eight.”

He nodded, then set his eyes on the next oldest. “And what is your name, son?”

“Johnny.”

“And you’re how old?”

“Six. And my little sister’s name is Lizzie. She’s four.”

“What’s wrong, Officer Demers?” Mary asked.

Demers looked at Frances. “Could we go inside and sit down?”

“Of course,” said Frances, and began her struggle to get out of the chair.

Johnny let go of Lizzie’s hand and stepped to Frances, offering both hands. Officer Ed Holbrook stepped up. “I’ll help her, Johnny.”

The boy moved back and nodded.

When they were in the parlor and seated, the officers were facing Frances and the children. Lizzie sat between Mary and Johnny on the sofa, and Frances was next to Mary. Lizzie reached for her sister’s hand, sensing that something bad had happened. The siblings sat close together, their wide, troubled eyes fastened on the two police officers.

Demers sat on the edge of his chair. He cleared his throat, fixing his gaze on the children. “Mary, Johnny, Lizzie … I have some bad news for you. I wish it could be different, but … but I must tell you that the ship your parents were taking to St. John’s, Newfoundland, was in a fierce storm on the Atlantic Ocean yesterday, and—”

Demers cleared his throat again. “The ship sank some twenty miles off the coast of Nova Scotia. All but two crewmen were able to get into lifeboats and make it to the Nova Scotia shore. They—they reported to the Nova Scotia authorities that the ship’s captain, your parents, and the other two crewmen were thrown into the sea by a huge wave that swept across the deck, and—and went into a watery grave. This information came to police headquarters by wire from the Nova Scotia authorities.”

Frances’s arm slid around Mary just as she and Johnny burst into tears. Seeing this, little Lizzie did the same, though she did not quite understand what had happened.

With tears flowing down her own wrinkled cheeks, Frances said, “Babies, listen to me. I know this is horrible news, and my heart goes out to you … but you must understand that your mama and papa are in heaven with Jesus.”

Suddenly, Johnny jumped off the sofa and dashed out of the
parlor. He bolted through the front door, crossed the porch, and ran around the corner of the house. They all saw Johnny run past the parlor’s side window, heading toward the backyard.

Wiping her own tears, Mary said, “Mrs. Roberts, I need to go to Johnny. Lizzie, honey, you stay here with Mrs. Roberts.”

Frances valiantly gathered her wits about her. She leaned over, picked Lizzie up, and sat her on her lap. “Go on, Mary. I’ll take care of Lizzie.”

Mary hurried after her brother.

The officers watched Mary go, then Ed Holbrook set his gaze on Frances. “Mrs. Roberts, are there any relatives who can take the children and raise them?”

“No. There is no one.”

Demers and Holbrook looked at each other.

“This is bad,” said Demers. “We’ve got to find someplace for these poor children.”

On Frances’s lap, a puzzled Lizzie looked up into her face. There was a dull look of sorrow in her faded brown eyes. Frances drew a shuddering breath. “Officers, I would like nothing better than to take these three precious children into my home and finish raising them, but it just isn’t possible. I’m almost eighty-two years old. They need someone younger and much more capable than I.”

Demers nodded. “Yes, ma’am. We understand. Would you happen to know anyone who might take them in?”

“Only one thought comes to mind. My pastor—who is also the Marstons’ pastor—may have someone in the church who could take them.”

“All right,” said Demers, taking a small paper pad from his shirt pocket, along with a pencil stub. “Would you tell me your pastor’s name and where he lives?”

Frances gave him the information, which he wrote down.

Then Holbrook asked if the Marstons owned their house.

Frances nodded. “Yes, but there is a mortgage on it.”

“I see. Well, we will have to let the court handle it.”

Mary caught up to Johnny in the backyard as he stopped and leaned against a tree, still sobbing. She took him in her arms and held him. As he sobbed, he bewailed the fact that their parents were dead, and that the three of them had no one to care for them.

Mary caressed her brother’s face. “Johnny, as Mrs. Roberts said, Papa and Mama are in heaven with Jesus. We will be with them someday. The Lord loves us. He will take care of us. Please don’t worry.”

Johnny looked at her through his tears. “We won’t be able to stay in the house. Where will we live?”

Mary bit down on her lower lip. She was trying to fathom the enormity of their predicament, but it was too much for one so young.

Louise had experienced a difficult time giving birth to Lizzie some four years earlier and had never completely regained her strength. From that time, Mary had always been her helper. She had learned to do many things in the past four years that most girls her age would find impossible to handle. Her mother had always been there to guide her, but now, Mary was overwhelmed with the task of comforting both Johnny and Lizzie without that guidance.

“I don’t know where we will live, Johnny, but the Lord will see that we have a place to live, food to eat, and clothes to wear.”

Johnny looked at her, his eyes puffy and red. “He will do that, won’t He?”

“Yes.”

Johnny’s lower lip quivered. “I miss Papa and Mama.”

“Me too. But just think how happy they are now. They are with Jesus.”

The boy frowned. “But don’t they miss us?”

“Of course they do, but being with Jesus in heaven is the most wonderful place to be. Mama and Papa know that you and I are saved, Johnny. They know that we’ll be together with them in heaven someday. And you remember what Pastor Moore preached a few weeks ago about babies and little children going to heaven when they die? You know. It was the Sunday after Mr. and Mrs. Kirtland’s little baby boy died.”

“Uh-huh.”

“Well, if anything happened to Lizzie right now and she were to die, she would go to heaven because she is too young to understand about sin and how to be saved. In his sermon, Pastor Moore showed from the Bible how when Jesus died on the cross and shed His blood, he provided for babies and little innocent children who would die. Mama and Papa know this. And when Lizzie gets old enough to understand these things, you and I will show her in the Bible how to saved, and we’ll lead her to the Lord.”

Johnny was comforted to a degree by his sister’s words. He tried to be brave. “Yes. We’ll do that. And … the Lord will take care of us with Mama and Papa gone.”

Mary hugged him. “Yes, He will.”

“We’d better get back inside, Mary. Lizzie needs us.”

“I’m sure she does. Let’s go.”

When Mary and Johnny entered the house through the back door and walked past the kitchen toward the parlor, they saw the police officers and Frances Roberts go out the front door.

“Come on, Johnny,” said Mary, breaking into a run.

Johnny followed on his big sister’s heels, and they both moved through the door onto the front porch together.

The officers stopped and turned around, as did Frances, who had Lizzie’s hand in her own. Frances looked at Johnny with concern in her eyes. “Are you all right?”

Johnny looked up at her with his reddened eyes. “I’m better, ma’am. Mary helped me. I’m … I’m very sad to know that Mama and Papa won’t be coming home, but Mary made me feel better.”

Frances pulled him close to her side. “I’m glad, Johnny.” Then she said to Mary, “Thank you, sweetheart, for going to your little brother.”

In spite of the sadness that was in her heart at the moment, Mary smiled at her, then set her eyes on Johnny. “I had to, Mrs. Roberts, because I love him, and he needed me.”

Officer Holbrook had misty eyes as he said, “Children, I’m so sorry for this tragedy. I know how terrible it must be for you.”

“Thank you, sir,” said Mary.

“I’m sorry about it too,” put in Officer Demers. “And I’m sure glad you have this kind lady to take care of you right now. We’re going to Pastor Moore’s home immediately to let him know what happened to your parents, and to see if he can find a family in the church who will take you in.”

The appreciation Mary felt showed in her sky-blue eyes. “Thank you so much for doing what you can to help us.”

Officer Demers laid a hand on her shoulder. “It’s our pleasure, Mary. We wish we could just snap our fingers and make everything all right for you.”

Mary managed another smile.

Demers turned to his partner. “Well, Ed, we’d better head for the parsonage.”

Frances and the children looked on as the officers mounted up. Both men touched the brims of their caps and put their horses to a trot.

As they turned the corner, Demers said, “Ed, that little Mary
is quite the young lady. What marvelous composure she displayed for an eight-year-old.”

Holbrook nodded. “I’ll say. Indeed she is quite the young lady. She’s hurting every bit as much as her little brother, but she’s keeping it inside for his sake, and no doubt for little Lizzie’s sake too.”

Standing on the front porch of the house, Frances and the children watched the officers until they passed from view.

“Let’s go into the parlor,” Frances said.

When they entered the parlor, Frances sat on the sofa and took Lizzie into her lap. Johnny snuggled up to her on one side, and Mary did the same.

Frances put an arm around Mary and an arm around Johnny. “Don’t you sweet babies worry. The Lord is going to see that you have a home.”

“We’ll always miss Mama and Papa, though,” Johnny said.

“Of course you will, honey. But just think how happy your mama and papa are right now. They are with Jesus. Not only that, but do you realize they are in the presence of all of those beautiful angels?”

Mary’s eyes widened. “I hadn’t thought of that. Mama and Papa have met Michael and Gabriel, haven’t they?”

“They sure have. And you know what else?”

“What?”

“They are also in the presence of all those wonderful Bible saints like Moses, Daniel, Elijah, Paul, Peter, and John.”

Johnny’s eyes brightened. “Do you suppose they’ve met Abraham and Sarah?”

Frances smiled. “I’m sure they have.”

Mary’s eyes showed a glint. “And just think, Johnny: they’ve
met the thief on the cross who got saved. And they’ve met Mary Magdalene and the woman who got saved at the well, and Nicodemus, and Lazarus, Mary, and Martha, and the Philippian jailer and his family. And they’ve met Jesus’ mother, Mary, and Joseph, and John the Baptist … and—and—”

“The list goes on and on, doesn’t it?” said Frances. “I’m glad this is a comfort to you. And something else—from what your mama and papa told me, both sets of your grandparents are in heaven, along with an uncle and three aunts.”

Mary nodded. “Uh-huh. And they’re all together, now.”

“And someday you will see them again,” said Frances. She glanced at the grandfather clock across the room. “Tell you what. It’s almost suppertime. I know you’re probably not feeling hungry after learning about the shipwreck and all, but I know that food helps in any situation. And you have to eat to keep up your strength. How about we go to the kitchen and fix us something to eat?”

Frances led them into the kitchen, and while she sliced brown bread and cheese and set a kettle of soup to heat up on the stove, Mary and Johnny set the table with Lizzie’s help.

Mary poured milk in tin cups for herself and her siblings, and Frances brewed a pot of strong tea.

When they sat down at the table, Frances led in prayer, thanking the Lord for the food and that He was going to take care of the Marston children.

It was a somber gathering at the table as each one looked at the chairs that had always been occupied by Bob and Louise. Though the children had little appetite, Frances urged them to eat. There was some sniffling between bites, but Mary, Johnny, and Lizzie obeyed Frances, doing their best to eat enough to satisfy her.

They were just finishing when there was a knock at the front door.

Johnny pushed his chair back, saying he would get it, and hurried to the door. When he opened it, he found Pastor and Mrs. Moore looking at him with tender eyes.

The pastor picked him up and hugged him. “Johnny, the policemen came to see us and told us about your parents. We’re so sorry.”

Johnny’s lips quivered as the sound of footsteps came from the hall and the Moores saw Mary and Lizzie coming their way, with Frances following.

Dora Moore immediately put her arms around the girls, held them tight, and told them she loved them.

They went into the parlor and sat down.

The pastor spoke words of comfort to the children about their parents being in heaven with Jesus. “Frances, tomorrow I’m going to make visits in the homes of the church members and see if any of them would become foster parents to Mary, Johnny, and Lizzie.”

Frances nodded. “I’d take them if I could, Pastor, but at my age, I just can’t do it. They will have needs that I simply can’t provide.”

Pastor Moore nodded. “I understand.”

Dora sighed. “Pastor and I would love to take them, but as all of you know, we have both of our widowed mothers living with us. There just isn’t any more room in the parsonage.”

“We understand, Mrs. Moore,” said Mary. “But thank you for wanting to.”

After Pastor Moore had prayer with Frances and the children, they walked the couple to the door.

As the two of them stepped out onto the porch, the pastor said, “I’ll be back sometime tomorrow after making my visits.”

Frances thanked them for coming.