Story Grace, Mercy and Blessings

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PacNorWest

Veteran Member
#55

Donny was digging potatoes, when Andy walked over and used the toe of his boot to nudge a couple of potatoes back into the row. "We could use a couple of buckets," Andy remarked and turned astonished eyes at his brother, when Donny merely said; "there's the extra shovel, help yourself."

Andy quickly recovered, "ah. um. yeah; well I was hoping you might dig'um, we have other things to do."

"Not if you want potatoes," Donny was neutral in his reply. "I'm digging for my own supper; as I said, get the shovel and get busy." Donny used his shovel vigorously and moved on down the row.

When Donny got to the end of the row, he straightened up and told his brother to get busy. "I don't like the way you've been slackin, you're a husband and by golly you'd better start actin like the head of the house. You wanna eat, start digging, then get Judy out here to pickup potatoes."

"I helped you as much as I could, but I have my own business to take care of. Ma and Dad need my help, and you're young and able bodied." Donny added on for good measure.

"Geeze, who made you keeper of the rules," Andy complained.

"Ever since you got back here married," Donny left no doubt as to his feelings. "So you can stand there and look like a big idiot, or you can get busy." For good measure, Donny started back through the row he had just dug, picking up the cold potatoes.

Dragging his feet, Andy got the shovel and started on the row of potatoes one row over from Donny. Judy came to the door and started to wave at Andy, hoping to get his attention. Andy looked up and yelled, "go get bowls and a gunny sack, if we have one." Two hours later, whatever the couple had planned to do, was eclipsed by cold, wet, muddy shoes and clothes.

Donny worked stoically, hauling sacks of potatoes to the root cellar, not slowing down one bit to give Andy a boost in the digging department. Along toward dark, he mentioned to Andy, "I'm going hunting in the morning. You can go with, or stay and dig potatoes; but you're responsible for getting your own meat from now on. I have other responsibilities to take care of."

Donny picked up the half filled sack of potatoes he had dug to finish the row, cleaned his shovel and told Andy to put his cleaned shovel just inside the barn door. "I'm leaving at first light tomorrow, no matter if your here or not, so if your goin, be ready."

Andy took his sack of potatoes to the house and told Judy he would need a early breakfast and a sack lunch tomorrow morning.. She kinda pursed her lips and looked pointedly at his muddy boots and hands; nodding her head, she agreed without words.

"I've got to go hunting tomorrow with Donny; we don't have enough meat to get us through the winter. It would be a good thing if you washed the mud off the potatoes and sorted through them, picking out those that have been nicked by the shovel. We need to eat them first." he added, bent over to untie his boots. "Is supper ready?"

"No, it's not," Judy added calmly, "I've been out in the potato field, remember?"

Judy was mostly silent during supper, but Andy was too tired to notice. He gathered up what he needed to take hunting, and when Judy hadn't heard him moving around for some time, she found him fast asleep in bed.

"I think the honeymoon is over," Judy closed up the house and blew out the lamp.


Early the next morning, the weather was cold and windy. Donny got ready, and when it got light enough to see, there was no lights or activity over at Andy's. Donny shook his head and went hunting.

Donny was lucky in the hunt, A large doe and a smaller 2x2 were hung over the pack horse and Donny was back in the barn by noon. Hoisting the two deer to cool and bleed out, Donny finished the morning barn chores and pumped the water troughs full.

Clora smiled, put two huge sandwiches on a plate and slid a mug of hot coffee to her son. "I had an interesting visit with your brother and Judy this morning," she remarked. "it seems they forgot to set the alarm and missed being ready."

Donny merely shrugged, not really caring one way or the other what had happened. "Do you remember the girl that talked to me in church a month or so ago?" he changed the subject smoothly. "I wound up way over by her place. They weren't doing so good, so I shot a doe and left it with them. Ma, it made her cry, and that made me feel all funny inside."

"Thank you Donny for your spirit of giving, do you think they might need some potatoes?"

" Ma, there were a dozen kids running around there, all of them looking poorly. I'm sure they will need everything, and I need to go cut wood for them. Is it Ok if I dig a sack of potatoes this afternoon? I did the chores in the barn and the deer are hanging."

"Donny, I am more than pleased to have you help our neighbors, it is the mark of a responsible man that he helps without expecting payment." Clora replied softly.

Donny had to have another mug of coffee to warm up, and five cookies.

"I also want to thank you for the way you handled Andy. He does need to step up. You did the right thing." Clora praised the young man, and Donny ducked his head shyly.
 
Texican

Texican

Live Free & Die Free.... God Freedom Country....
Donny teaching brother about life and providing for others. The way it should be.

Thanks Pac.

Texican....
 
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PacNorWest

Veteran Member
#56

It was a long, cold, snowy, wearisome winter that seemed like it would never end. By Clora's reckoning, it was mid March and there was no sign of Spring. Every member of the clan ate sparingly, and more and more it looked like they would be out of food before planting time.

Donny had several frostbitten toes from riding over to help Sally and her family by hunting and chopping wood. The game had all disappeared, either by being hunted out or by the stressors of winter. Occasionally, Donny could find an unlucky rabbit or two that he contributed to the hapless family, but try as he could, what he could provide was pitiful little.

It was a cold day, but the snow had stopped, when Donny rode in with a small doe he had shot. The family was gathered in the kitchen, all of them crying. "Mom died," Sally sobbed, burying her face in Donny's shoulder. "Dad's so weak from not eating that he can't even carry her outside."

"I can do that," Donny offered, and when he passed through the kitchen with the woman's body, all the children had to touch their mother and cry afresh. "Sally," he whispered, "your Dad is dying too. I don't think he will make it through the night."

Sally looked at him with stricken eyes, her voice whispering that she was afraid that would happen. "He wouldn't eat, so we kids would have food.."

"I want you to think on this," Donny told the oldest daughter aside from the crush of brothers and sisters. "I can't come here every day, I want you and your brothers and sisters to come to our place so I can help feed and keep you warm. Don't worry," he tried to calm her upsetting cry; "I won't leave you alone tonight. I will need your help to skin and get some meat cut for soup for supper."

Sally nodded, she couldn't speak through her panic and terror, but Donny was strong and capable and she held tight to his instructions.

The father died in the night, and Donny moved his body out to the empty woodshed with his wife. He sat at the kitchen table and drank hot water and held Sally as she cried herself out of tears. The children were bedded down on blankets in the kitchen, next to the stove, and they were so exhausted, thin and miserable, that they slept because that's all they had the energy to do.

All during the night, Donny burned anything in the house that would burn to provide warmth. The ramshackle house yielded up beds and rails, drawers, chairs, all were broken by the strong young man and put in the fire, It was his intention to strip everything from the house so squatters wouldn't want to move in.

Staying awake, Donny pondered how he would, could move that many children through the cold weather. Sally wasn't much help. Every time she started to speak, she started crying. To make matters worse, three of the younger children were coughing and spitting thick, yellowish sputum. Sick with what Donny suspected was the flu, as they alternated between shivering and sweating.

The house that he had looked at, came to mind. He could move them all into that place, as he knew Dad wouldn't allow that many sick people in his house. Donny could keep them altogether in his house and he'd have to beg, borrow or bargain for food. But, he had to get them there, first.
 
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PacNorWest

Veteran Member
#57

"Sally, you have to help me plan on how to move everyone. Well, I guess I need to back up and ask you if you want to go with me, first of all. Let me give you some background. There is a house that I have spoken for, it's big and has room for all your brothers and sisters, and you." Donny was helping Sally dice meat for a breakfast soup.

"Do you have anything else at all, like an onion, or carrots, potatoes?" he asked. Sally had explained that most of the children had poor teeth due to malnutrition, and failure to brush their teeth when the toothpaste ran out. The meat had to be cut in very fine dice, and then boiled.

"No, we haven't had any of those vegetables. You brought the potatoes and the kids went wild eating them soft boiled. Donny, I don't know about going with you. What if your parents don't want us there?"

"Well there is something I need to tell you and we need to talk about. My folks won't let me stay there overnight unless we are married." Donny kinda stammered and ducked his head with a hot blush on his face.

"Oh."

"I mean, I dunno if you ever thought about bein married, and I wouldn't mind it and all that, cause I like you fine enough and all that. That's what I mean when I say we need to think and then talk about things. I don't wanna force you into anything, and I know having all those brothers and sisters is a big responsibility for you."

"Two babies have already died," Sally had a quiver in her voice, blurting out the sad news.

"Hey, I'm real sorry about that. There's a little girl here that doesn't look to good, she looks like she has the flu." Donny had minced the meat that was available in the skinny backstrap of the winter thin deer. Scraping the meat into a cooking pot, he pumped water into the kettle and set it on the stove to start heating. "I'm sorry, I should have thought about doing this last night so it could have already been cooked. I hate making the kids wait to eat." he apologized.

"We're used to waiting. Dad, he never did anything ahead. Donny?" Sally was wiping the counter and the cutting board. "I can't figure how to get all the kids through the snow to go anywhere. Did you think of a way?"

"Yeah, but it means the two of us will have to walk there and it's several miles, and there's a good foot of snow." he explained. "Both the horses can pull what's known as a travois, and we can put the kids on them so they don't have to walk."

"Oh, that would be so good, they ain't strong enough to go anywhere." the relief was evident in her voice. "The two boys that are sick, it wont do them any good to be out in the cold, Emmy either." she worried.

"Do they have blankets, I ain't sure how many kids are here," Donny kinda joked.

"There were 14 of us, but two babies died. I'm not sure the three that are sick will make it. I'm really scared, we can't stay here, we'll be out of wood by tonight. But if we go and the three kids get sicker, I'm afraid they're gonna die."

"We're all gonna die if we freeze to death." Donny said quietly, allowing Sally to come to her own conclusions.

"You're right," Sally said slowly, "what can I do to help us get ready to go?"

"We need all the blankets, coats and sturdy shoes. Have the kids pack as much stuff as will go in a pillowcase to take. If you will watch the soup and help the kids get ready, I'll go to the barn and fix the travois. We have to leave by noon, or we won't get there before dark. Now there ain't nobody living in the house and it's gonna be as cold inside as out, until we get a fire going." Donny was trying to be as honest as possible.

"Yeah, but you yourself said it would be as cold here tonight, so we might as well go." Sally looked at the young man and tried to smile. "Thank you Donny for helping us, and as for being married, I would like it fine." Sally said quickly as possible, blushing as red as Donny had.

Donny nodded and scattered rapidly toward the barn. He had seen canvas and boards in the barn when he put the horses in out of the weather. The horses were thirsty, and the pump was frozen, so Donny gathered up a rusty and battered pail and went back to the house for water.

Young children looked at him with scared expressions, afraid of the stalwart young man that was going to turn their world upside down. Donny gave the crowd his very best friendly smile.

Back to the barn in three trips to water the horses, he started fashioning the travois. The one was strong and sturdy, the second one more fragile, and he thought to put the smallest children on that one.

The trip to the Linderman stronghold was long and arduous. Half way there, Sally played out, having used all her strength to get that far. Donny put her on his saddle horse, and they went slogging through the cold and miserable afternoon.

It was near dark, by the time they reached the imposing house, silent in the night that was beginning to snow. Sally helped the children inside as Donny went in and started the fire. There were tea bags in the cupboards, and Donny didn't pay any attention to the lack of food, he was searching for the oil lamps. Finally, finding the lamps he put them on the table with a stern warning to the children not to touch.

"I'm going next door to bum some food, and let my brothers know we are here and safe. I'll be back as soon as I get the horses put up. If you would please start pumping the handle for water, we will need a lot of it." he asked the older boys.

Running through the night to Milo's place, he bummed a box of canned stew jars and coffee. "Hey, if you would go tell Dad that we are here and safe, but we have three kids sick with the flu, so don't come to visit. That's why I'm standing outside, I don't want to pass on the sickness.." Donny said his thanks, and headed back to the slowly warming house.

They were eating, standing close to the stove, when Mark knocked on the door. Passing in loaves of bread and soap and aspirin, Mark asked questions through the two inch crack in the door.

"We're here," relief flooded Donny's voice. "Three of the kids here are sick and we're all exposed to what I think is the flu."

"Ma sent onions and sugar for coughs, give the kids weak tea to keep them hydrated and most important, keep them warm. We'll be around tomorrow with wood and what we can spare." Mark concluded his talk and went for home, the lantern he was carrying, barely making a glow in the swirling snow.
 
Texican

Texican

Live Free & Die Free.... God Freedom Country....
Donny has a ready made family and a wife to be.

Donny's large house is now filled.

Donny has heart and love for all which is missing with way to many.

Thanks Pac.

Texican....
 
ted

ted

Veteran Member
If I was closer I would ask what time dinner was...LOL Since I am not close all I can say is have a relaxing evening.
 
Griz3752

Griz3752

Retired, practising Curmudgeon
PacNorWest said:
#57

Just a thought but I've always thought of Donny, Ricky, Jimmy et al as the very juvenile variations on adult names and there's not a lot 'juvenile' about this young man -- is there a promotion to 'Don' in his future?
Click to expand...
 
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PacNorWest

Veteran Member
#58

It was getting colder and snowing harder; but Donny had to make another trip tp Milo's place to get a pail of water. The long unused pump was not going to work unless it was primed, and three quarters of a pail did the trick.

Sally had trimmed thin strips of meat from the last haunch, shaving the meat as thin as possible so it would cook quickly. Over and over she worked; throwing the meat into the bubbling water turned broth. There was salt in the cupboard, and scraping the solidified salt block with the back of the knife, the grains seasoned the slowly coming together soup.

Sally found another pot and started heating water to make a hot drink. The oldest boy named Cotton, went looking through the cupboards and found the tea, some oatmeal, baking soda and pepper.

There were plates, cups, and a limited amount of silverware. Some glass glasses and more dingy looking plastic ones. Not one of the kids would budge away from the stove that was bravely warming the kitchen. The complete darkness beyond the feeble light from the old and dirty oil lamp chimney's, had them all huddled close to one another.

Donny brought armfuls of wood into the kitchen to dry as much as possible before going into the stove. Stacking the wood next to the kitchen door, he brought in enough for the night and morning.

Sally stirred the boiling meat, occasionally tasting the strips to see if they were chewable; and finally filled the glasses with broth and meat strips for the youngest kids. Slowly she worked, careful not to spill a drop of the precious food. and the children sat cross legged on the floor next to the stove and drank the warming broth.

When the pot was empty, Donny opened the jars of canned stew and started that to heat. While he worked at the stove and counter, Sally sat on the floor and reached for the sick girl to help her eat. The poor child was hot with fever and too weak to hold her own glass, but Sally coaxed patiently, getting several tablespoons of warm soup into the child.

One of the sick boys started coughing, and coughed so hard that he passed out. The second sick boy was making a rattling, wheezing sound as he breathed, and finally Donny suggested that the three sick kids be together, in an effort to prevent scattering further illness among the other children.

Sally, sitting on the floor holding her ill sister, warmed by the stove and exhausted by the effort needed to get to Donny's safe haven, went to sleep propped against a table leg.

"The stew is warm enough to eat, if you want some, please bring your glass or bowl here to the stove." Donny invited with a low, soft voice. Silently, kids stood up one by one and walked to the stove for more food. Donny was amazed at their behavior, thinking that they acted like baby ghosts. He looked with concern at Sally, sleeping with the small child clutched to her chest.

"She needs food," Cotton said to Donny, "she ain't been eatin at all, savin it all for us kids. Please save some for her."

Donny looked at the young boy. "You're Cotton?" he asked the boy, "how old are you?"

"I dunno, maybe ten. We never paid no nevermind to stuff like that. You gonna marry Sally?" the boy challenged.

"Yes," Donny replied. "Sally is a good woman, but she can't care for all of you by herself."

That seemed to satisfy the boy, "how old are you?" was the next question.

"I'm eighteen."

"Sally's only sixteen, there was a brother and a sister between Sally and me, but they got the red spots and got real sick and died. Sally, she don't ever talk about them, but Ma was never the same after they died. Then there were the two youngest babies that died not to long ago. They were less than two years old, but I'm thinkin they starved to death." Cotton lapsed into silence.

"I'm real sorry to hear that. It hurts to lose brothers and sisters. I lost two brothers and a sister and my two parents. God was good to me and gave me another set of parents. Ma and Dad Linderman are the best, but they're getting old, and I help them as much as possible. Now you're grown up enough to help me cut wood and go hunting. We all help each other, and I will help you to learn to do things like butchering and gardening."

Donny looked at the boy, and Cotton's eyes were drooping, so he told the thin child to get his blanket and get some sleep. All the rest of the kids were sleeping, cuddled in tight with one another.

Donny was starving, he had missed supper and breakfast, and the smells were driving him crazy. He ate a whole quart of stew, and could have eaten another two quarts, but resisted, instead he slurped up all the broth and started another pot of meat and water for breakfast.
 
Griz3752

Griz3752

Retired, practising Curmudgeon
So -- here's hoping your very late supper was good AND you had a decent breakfast today because we're certainly enjoying this.

This chapter reminds me of a journal one of my long-deceased aunts left from the Dirty 30's; an ugly time but they mostly survived although I'm certain their lives were shortened by the deprivations they suffered.
THX
G
 
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sssarawolf

sssarawolf

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Thank you Pac.
We had 3 of our boys up here yesterday helping with building the lean-to on the barn. All the upright are up now and the header board on the front. I had fixed up the crock pot with a 6 lb. chicken, green beans, potatoes and carrots so they had a hearty lunch. The older one drove 3 hours to get here (he works 2ed shift) and spent the night. The other 2 live 40 min. away. Today they will be here again one of the wives and kids.
 
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PacNorWest

Veteran Member
#59

By morning time, it was a full fledged blizzard.

"There's no hunting today, and we need food. I'm going down to the store to see what supplies I can get. I think I can work for George to reply what we need." Donny was going through the shelves in the pantry and cupboards. "We need to make a list of the most important items; say, do the kids like pancakes?"

"They will eat anything, but we do like pancakes just fine. They're actually pretty cheap to make with flour and a few pinches of baking powder, or soda and buttermilk." Sally said with a sigh. "Donny if you are going to the store, would you get me some supplies please," there was a bright red blush on Sally's pale cheeks, and she ducked her heard shyly.

"Ok, if I can afford it. What do you need, give me the list."

"You know, supplies," Sally spoke with a trembling voice.

They went back and forth until Sally said, "is there a lady at the store? If so, just tell her I need supplies, she will understand."

"Ooohhh," Donny got as red faced as the young woman, "I get it. um, yeah, I can do that."

Donny wrote out the list, remembering to put down coffee. "What do you guys like to drink?"

"Tea," Sally said promptly, happy that they were on a different subject. "Just plain black tea with a tiny bit of sugar. It's like an energy boost."

"Ok, that too, anything else?" Donny questioned.

"Flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, vinegar, yeast, would there be enough money for some dried milk?" Sally asked hopefully.

"Yes, actually, Millie and George are good at knowing what to start us out with. I trust them to do us a good turn. Now, there's enough wood in here to keep you warm for several hours, so don't go outside, the kids might have a wash up while I'm gone to the store. Explore the house and see if there's anything here you guys can use, it's all ours, so don't worry about anything." Donny was putting on his cold weather hunting gear, it was going to be a difficult trip.

The trek along the small lane that connected his house to the main road, took Donny an hour to navigate. The fence was his direction finder, as the swirling snow obscured vision. He got to the store, and pounded on the door, as George and Millie hadn't opened for the day, rightly figuring there wouldn't be anyone out traveling.

George and Millie fussed over him, bringing the cold youth into the radius of the fancy stove to warm up. Millie took the list and scanned the pencil written items. "Ah yes, we have everything. You just sit right here and I'll have the things together in a jiffy."

A quick look at George confirmed what Millie expected. He gave her a nod that would have her being generous with the needed food.

"I need to find Mr. Seamus, I have a favor to ask of him,' Donny looked at the second list he drug from his pocket.

George turned to look at the Regulator clock on the wall. "Give it another twenty minutes and he'll show up for coffee."

"Ok, does he come every day?"

"Most of them do, gives every one a little time apart so the cabin fever doesn't get to burning to hot in the houses."

Donny chuckled, "there's a dozen in my house. Say that reminds me, There are three sick kids, bad cold and sore throat type of sick. What do you suggest?"

"Dr. Bruce might be over, you can ask him." George looked up as the grocery store door opened and Seamus walked in.

An hour later, the men of the clan each hefted a box and walked with Donny back to his snowbound house.
 
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PacNorWest

Veteran Member
#60

Putting the boxes on the table, the men shuffled their wet, snowy feet in the warm kitchen and all told Sally hello, and smiled at the children, and escaped back out into the cold and windy blizzard to find their way home.

Sally stared at the bounty of food and teared up once again. "I can't believe it," she whispered brokenly. "How can we pay for this?"

"All of it is a donation from the family," Donny found himself with a huge lump in his throat, "this family is amazing, they care for us, and all they ask is that we honor God and raise the children in God's love."

"Oh,"

"Mr. Seamus will be back tomorrow to marry us, he was pretty insistent about that, and I told him that we had talked and were both Ok with the idea." Donny stopped talking and waited for Judy to agree or not with what he had done.

The silence drug on and then Judy looked up to see Donny waiting expectantly for her answer.

"Oh, are you waiting for me," she acted confused. "Yeah, it's Ok with me. Donny, I'm not used to having somebody ask my opinion, so it's gonna take me a while to get used to the idea."

"We got time," Donny soothed. "As soon as the weather breaks and warms up we have garden to plant. I can get seeds from Dad, and all the kids will have to help in the garden. We need to teach kids to help you in the kitchen, and me with the outside chores." Donny would have said more, but there was a cry from one of the kids still grouped around the stove.

"Sally, Alphonse ain't moving, neither is Emmy." one of the girls cried out.

All three of the sick children had passed away in the confusion of the clan family arriving with the food boxes.

"Oh no." Sally dissolved into tears once again, "oh, the poor babies." and she went to tenderly gather up the body of tiny emaciated Emmy. The children gathered the passed away brothers and sister and they all sat on the floor and cried.

Donny wanted to tell them to not get so close to the sickness, that they all would get sick, but he held his peace.

It was Sally that finally said, "we have to let Donny have the bodies, kids we shouldn't be so close to them." Tear stricken faces turned to Donny and he nodded, "we don't want the rest of you kids to get sick." It was very difficult for Donny to take the stick thin bodies from the arms of their family, but he took them outside to the barn.

The boxes of food were forgotten as the group of heartsick youngsters grieved their siblings. Sitting on the floor, they huddled together near the stove. Donny went to stand near Sally and she tugged his hand and him down to sit next to her. Leaning against his shoulder, she cried softly.

Seamus and the men went back to George's store, talking among themselves as they battled through the weather. The hot stove feeling wonderful to the wind chapped and snow stung men.
Millie had hot coffee, and the guys thankfully took a cup. Not many words were said, until Seamus spoke out.

"The laddie has asked me to marry them, and I agreed. Now I've not talked to Mr. Mark aboot this, but the lad is showing adult thinking. Is there any dissent here?"

Men shook their heads in the negative, and finished their coffee. "I can do some hunting for them," Chuck offered. That brought agreement from Gary and the other men. "As soon as the weather breaks, I'll head out." Gary wasn't about to be outdone by Chuck, after all he was an adopted son, and Chuck was just a 'johnny come lately.'

The two men were still at odds with one another, since their first hunting trip. Chuck went out of his way to avoid Gary, and the feeling was mutual. The competition was issued, and Donny and his new family would be the winners.

Clora baked bread, and made small hand held meat pies. In a basket, she loaded the jars of broth concentrate and canned venison. "I would like to go, but I don't want to be out in the weather. It wouldn't hurt if you waited until the blizzard blows itself out, either." Clora looked at Mark and was quick enough to catch his casual shrug.
 
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