Corn Silk Days Part 4

"I'll give you sixty-five dollars for him on one condition."

"What's that?"

"That you'll have supper with me." He watched her eyes as he waited for her response.

A slight smile moved across her lips and her eyes softened. "I don't even know your name, Mister."

He removed his hat and swung it across the front of him as he bowed. "Alexander Storm. May I have the honor of escorting you to a light supper this afternoon, Miss ...?"

She pulled off her hat and in one shake of her head, her hair fell down to her shoulders, framing her face with the rich auburn color. She extended her hand and said, "Miss Sally Day. I'm pleased to meet you, Mr. Storm." She smiled and added, "I will accept both your offers."

Having no desire to bring a new wife into any dangerous situation that might arise on his Ohio farm he made the decision to move to Iowa. He married Sally Day shortly after buying eight hundred acres in Story County, Iowa and building a farmhouse that she would be proud to live in.

Alexander's reputation as a man who would not put up with injustice followed him and he had the respect of everyone who knew him, or knew of him, except for a few who thought him wrong for taking the stand that he took on that Ohio road. But Alexander cared little about the opinion of those who opposed him. He was a man who believed in doing something about man's inhumanity to man, no matter the color of skin, and he did so at every opportunity. That firm belief often would become a challenge for him as he was pressured to convince others that his position was the righteous one.

And now, at seventy-three years of age, he was greatly troubled by the war of the states.

Elizabeth Jane's kitchen smelled strongly of bread baking and apple and cinnamon spice. She stood at the stove and stirred the simmering kettle of apples. She glanced over her shoulder at Alexander who sat at the table sipping a cup of hot coffee.

"Pap, I can't believe Mrs. Bennet had the nerve to call Silas a traitor to his country," she said. She put down the wooden spoon and wiped her hands on her ap.r.o.n as she turned toward Alexander and continued, "Look at her husband! Mr. Bennet's as lazy as an old c.o.o.n dog on a hot August afternoon."

Alexander chuckled. "You might say as lazy as an old c.o.o.n dog as drunk as a skunk."

She laughed. "You're right. Who'd want the drunk in their army anyway? Maybe the Rebels would take him but the Union sure wouldn't want him. Mrs. Bennet calls him a Patriot because he stays at home to protect his family."

Alexander tapped fresh tobacco into the bowl of his pipe, put a match to it and puffed on the stem until he had a satisfying burn. He then said, "Some people's politics are different, Janie. Not everyone agrees with Mr. Lincoln."

"Well, maybe I don't either in all ways, but you got to support our Union boys. They're fighting an ugly war and they're fighting it for every one of us. If I wasn't such a lady I would have slapped her," she said. "Maybe next time she says something I will forget I am a lady."

Alexander pulled the pipe from between his lips and laughed.

She said, "When I wrote to Silas and told him what Mrs. Bennet said and how some others think he is a traitor and he only volunteered because he was scared into it, he wrote me that he read my letter with pleasure. He said it gave him pleasure to know the friends he left behind thought he was a traitor. He said he thinks such people have little sympathy for soldiers and soldier's wives and such folks who fear going to war should be glad that somebody was scared into it."

"He's right. If my old bones weren't a'creaking and this old rheumatism making them stiff I would be a volunteer'n.

"Silas says there should be less volunteering and more drafting and they would get some of those 'brave men' who stay at home and they'd teach them a thing or two about war."

He told her, "They've been talking about drafting. If they can't keep the quota of volunteers up, they may have to draft in our county. You wait and see what will happen. Lots of healthy men will be running off to old Doc Samuels complaining and limping around saying they're not able to go to draft."

She moved back to the stove and stirred the simmering apples. "You know, Pap, you're probably right. The cowards find their way out of fights. Silas says it would look well in such men that want to stay at home to say very little and to mind their own business and let the men that are fighting for their country alone."

Alexander said, "Silas wrote me about the hardships he has and how a good soldier learns to take it with good cheer. Some men who are enjoying the good life at home have nothing to do but blow off about the true men who are out there fighting for the Union cause. When Silas comes home he will set men like Mr. Bennet straight, and if he don't, I will."

Elizabeth Jane laughed. "Oh Pap, you don't have to worry, Silas will enjoy setting him straight. Silas says that he's for the Union and has to be ruled by the President. He says they will thrive and do well and finally succeed in putting down the rebellion," she said. She stared into the bubbling sauce for several moments and then added quietly, "I just wish he'd come home."

Alexander remained silent, puffed his pipe and drank his coffee.

Elizabeth Jane removed the kettle from the heat. She poured a cup of coffee for herself and refilled Alexander's cup. She returned the coffee pot to the stove and then sat down at the table with Alexander. "You know Pap, Silas wrote he could have a furlough but he said he doesn't want it. I don't know why not. His baby will be here soon, before the newly planted corn seeds grow to our knees." Her eyes were tearing. "I just don't understand."

Alexander reached out and gently and rea.s.suringly patted her hand. He said nothing but he understood well the sadness she was feeling. Life without the one you love at your side can sometimes be devastating, and always, always, lonely. And, as Alexander had discovered, loneliness can occur even with your loved one nearby.

Chapter Five: Sally.

Sally Day Storm's world, and in turn, that of her husband, Alexander, began to change drastically during one harsh winter month in 1823, when two of their young children's lifeless bodies were buried deep below the surface of the near frozen ground on their Iowa farm.

The fever that was to take her children had begun more than a year before in the vicinity of the Schuylkill River in Pennsylvania along the Appalachian Trail. As settlers and frontiersmen made their way along the trail they were accompanied by the fever, in many cases, unbeknown to them. The fever took many lives as it spread out in all directions across the country, and the prairie land was not immune.

Death and grief were no strangers to Sally. It had been a part of her life almost from the moment she was born. Her father, John Day, had left the green, fertile Shenandoah Valley of Virginia for the offerings of Clermont County, Ohio in 1797. Shortly after the arrival of the family to their new homestead, Sally was born, having the distinction of being the first White born in Claremont County. Her birth was followed in minutes by a twin brother. The second born, Isaac, was tiny and frail and his struggle for life ended two days after he made his entrance into the world. Tiny baby Sally, weighing only three-and-a-half pounds, apparently not only had determination but an eagerness for life. Much to the surprise of her parents, she grew fast and before the age of ten months was walking and talking. Her words came fluently and soon her single words grew into phrases. Of course, too young to understand that she had been a twin and that her twin brother had died, Sally was a young child when she had to confront death for the first time. By the time she was ten years of age, four of her siblings had died. Two years later, when Sally was twelve, her mother died soon after giving birth to her tenth child. The baby lived only two days. Five years later, her father pa.s.sed on. It appeared Sally had taken all the losses in stride and moved forward, but apparently somewhere deep in her psyche all the grief she had endured was about to burst wide open with full emotional effect.

When Sally's own child took his last breath, she was inconsolable. Less than two weeks later, her three-year-old daughter gave up her battle with the fever.

Alexander, although overcome with his own grief, struggled to give his grieving wife comfort but she had closed herself off to receiving comfort from anyone.

He would never forget the pain he felt as he stood in the softly falling snow not far from the two fresh graves of his children. Sally sat on the cold ground, a child's rag doll clutched tight in her arms, rocking back and forth. The light snowflakes were building up on her dark hair and clothing. There was absence of sound-no wind blowing, no birds singing, no crickets chirping-nothing to be heard in the silence of the falling snow except the mournful wailing of a grieving mother. Now and then, the wailing would stop and the pain-filled voice that Alexander did not recognize would break out into verses of a familiar hymn-the lyrics crescendoing and falling with heart-pained emotion.

He had stood there for nearly three hours, afraid to leave her, and unable to get her to leave the graves.

Their world was never the same after that. Sally grieved for months, at times neglecting her two older sons. As she slowly began to emerge from her deep grief, life seemed to be about to return to normal. But it did not. She would go through periods when she would curse G.o.d, shake her fists at the heavens, rail anger at Him for taking her precious babies from her. Following those all too common outbursts, she would then be overcome with feelings of guilt and retreat into a world no one could touch, not even Alexander.

Alexander recalled when there came a time it appeared Sally had released her anger, but throughout the years there would be short periods of rational behavior and then something might occur that would produce long periods of deep bouts of melancholy, often lasting for weeks or months at a time.

Alexander was frustrated that he was unable to help her. Every time Sally had a good period he would pray that things would be completely normal again, but despite the prayers and his hope that normalcy had returned, those periods never lasted long. There was nothing left of their marriage except two people living under the same roof in desperate isolation, he isolated from the woman he had known and loved, and she isolated from the woman she had once been.

And it was that fact that turned Alexander's interests to another woman. He found in Abigail all he had lost in Sally. Those few who knew about Abigail did not scorn Alexander. It was some of those same few, who for several years had suggested to Alexander that he take Sally to the mental asylum in Des Moines. Alexander could not do that. He had recurring nightmares at the thought of locking Sally away in a place such as that. But he also had recurring nightmares of Sally locked in her own mental and private world and he couldn't find the key to let her out.

Many dark and lonely nights he had cried on his pillow as he heard her babbling and irrational outbursts coming from the next room. The most difficult times for him were his attempts to explain to his two remaining sons, Valentine and Michael, what was wrong with their mother. He was often at a loss for words. As they grew older, they did come to a place of understanding but for Alexander it was those years when they did not understand that were so difficult. All he could do was to comfort his sons in the only way he knew how, by giving them as much of his loving attention as he could. He would take them for walks, or hunting, or fishing at a nearby stream, and most often out to the fields to work alongside him-anything to remove them from what they had to endure on a daily basis.

Abigail became Alexander's rescue from the darkness that prevailed in his home. With her, he found solace, comfort, and what turned out to be a deep and enduring love. But under the circ.u.mstances, it was a love that could not be fully recognized in the way they wanted.

The last three years of Sally's life were extremely painful for Alexander. She most often needed full time care, unable to care for herself in basic ways. But something happened one spring morning that Alexander would never understand.

His two barking dogs awakened him in the early morning hours just after dawn. He got up from bed, the dogs insistent in their howling and barking. He hurried downstairs, grabbed his rifle from the wall rack above the fireplace mantel, emerged into the yard where he was met by his hound dog, Rascal.

"What is it Rascal? Do we have some varmints out here?" he asked.

Rascal pranced at Alexander's feet, seemingly impatient. Alexander reached down and patted his head. "Okay, boy, what is it? Does Laddie have a fox cornered?"

Alexander moved toward the incessant barking of his sheep dog, Laddie, who was a couple hundred yards from the house. As he approached in the early light of dawn, Alexander saw the p.r.o.ne figure of his wife atop his children's graves. Laddie stood over her, barking and obviously distressed. Alexander knew before he reached her what had happened.

He knelt on the ground alongside her lifeless body. "Oh, Sally, my sweet one," he said softly. She was dressed in a white lace nightgown he had not seen on her slender body since their wedding night. Her right hand limply held a revolver. Clutched in her left hand was her Bible. Laying across the top of each of their children's graves were small bouquets of fresh picked flowers still wet with morning dew.

Alexander took her Bible from her hand. A folded paper stuck out from between the pages. He opened the Bible to the marked page, the 23rd Psalm of David. He unfolded the paper. There in the dim morning light with eyes filled with tears he read her words: My dear Alexander, Please do not feel sad for me. I am so sorry life has become so terrible for us. I cannot find happiness nor can I give you happiness. My only happiness will be with my children in heaven. I trust there I will find the peace I need. My little ones need me. They need me more than you do, or my sons. You are a good father and I know my boys will be just fine. You will be just fine, too. You are a man of strength and you have endowed that on your sons, Valentine and Michael, who are now young men in their own right. My heart was taken when my little ones died, and I have none left to give to you and the boys. I pray that my heart will mend when I see my precious babies in heaven. I will always love you and the children. Please, please forgive me. May the Lord watch over you and the children.

Blessings, Sally Alexander replaced the letter in the Bible and pulled his wife into his arms. He held her for several minutes, unmindful of the fact that the moistness of blood was soaking his shirt. Both dogs had quieted and lay on the ground near by. Alexander was aware of the rustling sound of corn stalks moving in the gentle morning breeze and the chatter of birds looking for worms that might be found in the moist earth of early morning. The sun was rising above the clouds that lay low on the eastern horizon, coloring the sky.

He rose to his feet and held her body tight across his chest as he carried her toward the farmhouse. He could feel his heartbeat in his chest in faster rhythm with every step he took. Following close were his two dogs. As he approached the porch the dogs ran ahead and stopped at the bottom of the steps and sat. They watched as their master ascended the steps onto the porch. Alexander swung the door open with one hand and moved through the threshold with his wife in his arms as he had done so many years before.

Only this time, his tears were not tears of laughter and joy, but of sadness and heartbreak.

Abigail Wright filled the emptiness in Alexander's heart almost to overflowing but not quite. After what both he and Abigail considered a reasonable length of time following Sally's death, they were married. The mother of three grown children, Abigail had been widowed for several years. She owned the small general store in town and had lived in the upstairs above the store. That had been the place where Alexander could escape his problems, at least temporarily. He was not proud of the fact he was seeing another woman during those years. But he figured it might have been what kept his own sanity. He had done all he could have done for Sally. He saw to it she had good care, especially during the times when he was out tending to farming. Maude Elders had been a faithful friend and companion to Sally even through her darkest days. She had helped to raise his kids when Sally was incapable of doing so. She tutored his boys at times when they were unable to attend school. She had hot meals on the table when Alexander had spent a long and hard day in the corn fields. And even though Maude had known about Abigail she never said a word to Alexander until the day he married Abigail.

On his wedding day at the reception, held at his son Michael and daughter-in-law Rachel's home, Maude had planted a kiss on his check and told him, "Alexander, I'm happy you now have the happiness with Abigail that you both have deserved for all these years."

"Thank you, Maude," he replied.

Maude's eyes were soft and her voice gentle as she told him, "There is something you should know, Alex."

"What is it, Maude."

She adjusted her wire spectacles higher on her nose, and lowered her voice so none of the others in the room could hear her words. "Sally had known for years about Abigail. So many times she wanted to tell you but I think I discouraged it."

"I had no idea she-"

"I know. But I want you to know Sally understood. She knew you needed more than what she could give. But she was unable to give to you, you know that." Maude reached out and patted his arm. "She loved you. But she had a broken heart and you couldn't fix it for her, Alex. You do understand?"

He nodded and said, "I do. How hard I prayed it would change."

"We all did," she said. "Many of us knew what you were going through. I saw the loneliness in your eyes. And I saw the day your loneliness left. Soon after, I realized it was Abigail that took it from you and gave you what you so much needed."

"Was it that obvious?"

She wrinkled her nose at him. "Yes, my dear, it was."

He smiled and patted her hand, still on his arm. He said, "Thanks Maude for telling me. You know, I don't know how I would have managed all those years without you."

She laughed and her eyes twinkled as she said, "Hey, you forget. You're a Storm boy. The story that goes round is, there is no stopping you boys."

Life was good for Alexander and Abigail until the year 1851, when the influenza epidemic hit the Great Plains. Abigail lingered near death for days. For the second time in his life, Alexander was helpless. She died peacefully. And again, Alexander was to know what loneliness was.

Alexander watched his grandson's wife as she returned to the stove and picked up the coffee pot. Disappointment was still on her face. Silas had married a good woman. Alexander had liked Elizabeth Jane from the first time he had spotted her on Silas's arm at a Fourth of July picnic. They were two young lovers, full of exuberance and joy. Alexander had turned to his son Michael, Silas's father, and said, "Looks like your boy has a fine one there."

Michael had responded, "That's Daniel and Catherine McCord's daughter, Elizabeth Jane."

Alexander replied, "Well, well. The little filly has grown up. She's quite a young lady."

"Silas thinks so. It's my bet they'll be married before long."

Michael's words of prophecy had been valid. Less than two years later they had married. Alexander believed it to be a good solid union but he couldn't help but wonder now why his grandson had been so willing to leave his family and volunteer for the army. He supposed he understood Silas's desire to fight for his country as he, himself, would probably be doing the same if he was younger and capable. But then again, Silas had a young son, a baby coming, and a large farm to care for. It seemed to him Silas could have held off until the need was greater and they started drafting men. He couldn't help but wonder as Elizabeth Jane was wondering, why would Silas not want to come home on furlough if he had the chance?

He asked, "Janie, what did Silas say about the furloughs?"

Her eyes were sad as she returned to the table and poured fresh coffee. She replied, "Pap, he said that it would cost too much and it would be too hard for him to go back once he was home."

He shrugged. "Maybe he's right."

"But why doesn't he want to see us? I just don't understand. I really don't." She lowered herself onto the chair and stared at Alexander, her eyes pleading for an answer that might be there in the worn and wise face across the table. "Do you, Pap?"

Alexander had to admit he had no answer for her. He puffed on his pipe and wondered what he could offer in a way of comfort. He pulled the pipe from his mouth and said, "Maybe Silas will change his mind soon."

But Alexander really doubted those words. He believed his grandson was taking his soldiering seriously and he knew good soldiers were there until the last bullet was fired.

Chapter Six: Benjamin.

The busy spring school term at the Learning School had been a G.o.dsend for Lucinda Garrison. Her days were filled with the challenge of teaching and her evenings filled with school papers to read over and correct. It left little idle time for her to brood over the absence of James. Although busy, thoughts of her husband rarely left her mind for long. She looked forward to his letters and wrote him every day or two. Reading of his military adventures could be disquieting but most of his letters did not speak of the details of war and she tried not to bring it up in her letters to him. She believed the less she knew about what was really happening the better off she was. Occasionally James might share a battle he had endured but most letters were filled with philosophical renderings unrelated to the situation the country was in. James wrote of his future dreams for them, of his educational aspirations and goals as a teacher. He had hoped at some point in their future he could take a professorship at a leading university.

His letters were also filled with beautiful poetry. Lucinda wondered how he could clear his mind of the horror and devastation of war and bring forth such creative and marvelous poetry. Even his prose was often laced with metaphor and evocation of emotion in very much the same way their in-person discourses would be. They had always had deeply meaningful conversations. That was what she loved about him. Although she very much enjoyed every letter, it somehow wasn't quite the same as seeing the excitement in his eyes and the animation on his face as he pa.s.sionately discussed an idea or concept. She also loved his intelligence and astuteness and even his quiet moments of introspection. At those times, she would quietly but excitedly await his next words because in those words she knew she would learn something new about the world.

On most school days Lucinda would have sixteen students in attendance. Her teaching techniques consisted of group teaching, involving more advanced children in the tutoring of the less advanced ones. Those who could read well would patiently read with the ones who had not yet developed good language skills. Together, she and the students had cut large cards from paper upon which would then be printed in large letters, common everyday words. The cards would be used in a game setting, and points would be given for correct responses. It would be used for both reading and spelling enhancement. A similar technique was used for mathematics. The children enjoyed the games and Lucinda had various prizes for the day's accomplishments, such as pieces of hard candy or fruit.

She believed children could learn much more than what was found in the traditional school books and she found inventive ways to stimulate their learning and encourage what she considered to be a natural hunger for knowledge.

She and James developed a curriculum that not only was challenging to the children but challenging to the both of them as teachers. She would post a quote for the day from some famous person of the past or present and it would be used for a topic of discussion at the next cla.s.s.

As the school week was ending she gave them each their homework a.s.signment for the weekend, which of course varied according to the grade level of each child.

She told the cla.s.s, "Today's quote is from Sir Richard Steele. He lived from 1672 to 1729." She walked to the chalk board where the quote was printed out and pointed to each word as she read, "'Reading is to the mind what exercise is to the body.' I want you to all write it down and take it home with you and think about it this weekend and we will discuss it on Monday."

There was a murmur as the children copied the quote onto paper. For a few, their penmanship was slow and painstaking. Others wrote it out, closed their books and waited anxiously to be dismissed for the day. A few moments later, she told her students, "Cla.s.s dismissed. Thomas, could I see you for a moment?"

She gathered up a report lying on her desk. Thomas Karns, a young man of seventeen, was one of her more advanced students but he was also a problem student and Lucinda had misgivings about his behavior. He was tall, and his adolescence had given way to a maturing body, muscular, and filling out with firmness. But despite his maturing appearance, he often acted immature and displayed a lack of respect for the other students and would direct inappropriate anger at them, even the young ones. He appeared to enjoy intimidating and threatening others and on several occasions Lucinda had to resort to discipline such as removing him from cla.s.s. He approached her desk and she handed him his graded papers and said, "This is very good, Thomas."

He smiled as he looked at the A mark on the top edge of the paper, "Thank you, Mrs. Garrison."

She said, "You must have enjoyed the book."

"Oh, I did."

"Good. Let me know if you have any choices of books for your report next month."

"All right, I will. I have been thinking of Plato. I recall Mr. Garrison spoke highly of his writings."

"Yes, I'm sure he did. I believe you'd find Plato's writings quite stimulating."

He asked, "How is Mr. Garrison?"

"He's doing well, thank you."