Possums, Persimmons and Petticoats

By Verba Lee Birge

Mrs. Susie and Joshua had no matches and they were alone, tired and hungry.
It was late August when Mrs. Susie Jones and her lame nine-year-old grandson Joshua had believed they were fortunate to be accompanying the last wagon train of the season that was bound for Oregon. Joshuas uncles were already there and were anxious for Josh and Grandmother to arrive.
Mrs. Susies team of mules and wagon of supplies were envied by Mr. Ferguson the Wagon Master. After two weeks on the trail west of Independence, Missouri he insisted that his men drive all of the wagons and the travelers walk. This, he claimed would help them to travel faster. Each person was required to carry a personal pack. Mrs. Susie was too weak to resist.
When she became ill and overcome with weakness she could not walk fast but the others continued. It was nearing sundown when she and Joshua realized that they were completely alone on the trail. Their mules, wagon and supplies had been taken from them. All they had was the pack each carried on his back.
Josh walked closer to Grandmother. Are they really leaving us? I am scared, are you?
Grandmother smiled weakly and pointed to the little creek. We always feel better after weve eaten, and had a drink. I have some food. Lets eat and rest for a few minutes then we will find shelter for the night.
Grandmother, we need food, shelter and fuel and I saw a big fish in the creek.
Grandmother chuckled, you are a thinker! My father told me often, Susie, a person can overcome most hardships if he remembers to think, plan and be calm. Joshua, see that uprooted tree? Lets investigate. Sure enough, there was a cave-like opening underneath large enough for a small room. After making sure there were no varmints or crawling creatures inside, Grandmother said, Well, well, my grandson, my partner, I do believe that we are to be the only guests here tonight. It seems to be a good Inn. Together they placed several branches across the opening to form a makeshift door.
Admiring their work Joshua picked up a big stick and said, If an old possum tries to get in Ill just go whack him and say, Mr. Possum, this Inn has no extra room.
The sun was shining. They went to the creek, washed and drank and filled their cups with water before returning to the Inn. They picked up dead branches for a fire. Grandmother made a fire and set their cups on flat stones near it. They would have hot tea and dried apples while they opened their packs and checked their belongings. Joshua had a gift package that he had not opened. The Blacksmith had instructed him to tell no one except Grandmother and soon he would know why.
Joshua was so excited that he had difficulty untying his package, then, Look, look, a hatchet! A sling shot, a flint and steel, a pocketknife and tiny whetstone and oh, Grandmother three fish hooks and lines. We will not be hungry. I can catch fish!
Grandmothers pack had a special package too. It seemed that she had wrapped all their food packages in linen bags made from petticoats. Two special bags were spices and vegetable seeds and her sewing kit containing scissors, needles, an awl, thimble, linen thread, yarn, and a tiny piece of bees-wax.
When Grandmother was nearly finished emptying the pack Joshua held his breath. New boots! When, where, how and will they fit? When he attempted to put one on he jerked his foot back. There was something in the boot.
It wont hurt you. Grandmother was laughing as she removed two pairs of socks from one boot and a box with six canes of peppermint candy from the other.
Joshua hugged Grandmother. Because you are wise and I am a good helper we will be alright. We will think and plan and remain calm and when winter gets here we will have food, fuel and shelter.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Apr 26, 2007
• ISBN: 9781469117003

Verba Lee Birge

Verba Lee Smith Birge was born in Polk County, Arkansas near the north slope of Whiskey Peak Mountain. After earning a Masters Degree in Education from Henderson University at Arkadelphia, Arkansas she taught in public schools in Arkansas for thirty-five years. She taught both high school and elementary grades and for ten years she taught children with special needs. Verba Lee and her husband Coolidge have three adult children with families of their own. To her children and her school children she taught pride and honor, and truth and honesty along with the three Rs always emphasizing that in order to be respected one had to be respectable. Verba Lee and Coolidge Birge, both retired teachers, now live near De Queen in Sevier County, Arkansas.

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Contents

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

‘POSSUMS, PERSIMMONS

AND PETTICOATS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I owe a great debt of gratitude to my friend, Kathleen Campbell who typed and retyped and helped me along the way making this book possible.

My Daughter, Jerri Lynn Rivers did the artwork and two of my nieces read the manuscript. Elizabeth Higgins thought it was interesting and fun. Anita Brock said, Aunt Verba Lee, it’s worth publishing.

To each of these I am grateful.

‘POSSUMS, PERSIMMONS

AND PETTICOATS

The old woman stumbled then walked on. She was so very tired. Again she stumbled but this time she was unable to regain her balance and fell slowly to the ground. This was the third time that she had fallen since their midday rest. She was so weak and tired that she could not rise by herself and her young grandson hurried to assist her. He too was tired and frightened and the grandmother realized that she must appear calm and unafraid.

Mr. Brown told me to walk beside the ‘Old One’ until we make camp. Why are you so slow, Grandmother? Are you sick?

I will not let them call you ‘Old One’ again. I do not like it he continued, as he took her by the hand. The men all say we must Hurry! Hurry! Hurry! There are many days before we can set up winter camp.

Grandmother, we are getting far behind the others. Why don’t they wait for us? Look, I can see they are leaving us, and they are taking our wagon!

I will walk beside you and if you wish, you may put your hand on my shoulder.

A few minutes later he continued, Are they really going to leave us alone? Grandmother, talk to me! I am so very scared.

My brave grandson, forgive me. I am very tired and it requires energy for me to talk. But she managed a smile and with her hand on his shoulder the two figures, a lame boy of nine summers and an old woman past sixty trudged slowly on, no longer able to see those ahead of them.

Finally she spoke again. It is getting late, I thought we would be able to see the cooking fires before now.

Grandmother, there will be no cooking fires tonight. There is to be no sleep as long as the bright moon lights the way. I am so tired and thirsty. Can’t we rest for a little while and get a drink from the creek over there? And I have some dried deer meat.

Yes, my brave one, I too, have some food. We will eat and rest by the creek. I am very thirsty also.

Soon the two weary people were seated on a huge rock and eating their meal. The rock was warmed from the late sun and they enjoyed the warmth but the Grandmother knew that they must find a safe place to spend the night and neither was able to walk much farther.

The sunlight was nearly gone and with darkness it would be much colder. Grandmother’s eyes were searching for a safe place, protected from the wind. At last she said, "Do you see that big tree that has been up-rooted? Let’s investigate. It may be a warm place for the night.

So, gathering twigs, sticks and branches for their beds, the two approached the fallen tree. The very old spruce had been brought down by a windstorm and the huge roots had left a deep gash in the earth as they were torn from it. Taking one of the branches, the old woman methodically searched the ground, making certain there were no unwelcome varmints or crawling creatures hiding beneath the leaves in the small cave-like opening beneath the old roots.

Satisfied, she said Well, well, my brave grandson, Joshua McGuire Jones, I do believe that we are to be the only guests staying at this Inn tonight.

Joshua helped to place several larger branches across the opening to make a makeshift door. Now it was almost dark and Joshua laughed softly before asking Grandmother, do you prefer the bedroom on the right or the one on the left?

Grandmother chose the left side and Joshua the right. After a quick goodnight both were fast asleep.

During the night the two slept peacefully. Once a raccoon wandered to the opening, looked inside and sniffed the unfamiliar human smell then wandered on. It was searching for a winter home but this place seemed to be taken. Much later, three deer walked by on their way to the stream for a drink. The human smell was strange to them and they hesitated but, sensing no danger, they too walked on.

Sunlight shining through the makeshift door awakened the two tired people. Grandmother came a soft whisper, are you awake?

Yes, my brave Joshua, Grandmother is awake and very thirsty. We must go to the stream for water. Carefully and slowly they walked down the hill to the stream. Joshua lay on his stomach and drank heartily but his grandmother sat down on a small rock at the edge of the stream and began to wash her hands, then her face in the cold water. Finally she dipped water with her hands and drank several times. She was careful as she got slowly to her feet and walked away from the stream before she began to speak:"Joshua, I do not know if you understand this and what it means but you and I are alone again. You are nine years old and have a lame leg. I am sixty-one, some call me old. Yesterday you asked if the people of our wagon train were taking our mules and wagon and supplies and leaving us. I did not want to believe it but now I know the answer is yes.

It is the middle of September and there should be six more weeks of travel time for healthy people before the group reaches its destination.

I am recovering from a cold and fever. Because I was the Old One and you were lame we could not continue to walk at the pace they are traveling. I don’t believe the people wished to be cruel or to leave us but Mr. Ferguson is the group leader and wants our mules and wagon. Because our wagon is so well stocked he is taking it and deliberately leaving us.

Yesterday I was frightened, today I am all right. I feel better and rested and I remember that when I was a child my father often told me ‘Susie, a person must think, plan and remain calm’. Now, Joshua, you and I must do this. We can be angry and frightened later. Today we will think, plan and be calm. Grandmother smiled as she patted Joshua on the shoulder. It is good that each of us was required to carry a personal pack so we do have a few things. Let’s walk up the hill to our Inn and check our belongings. When we know what we have we can plan for what we must acquire.

Grandmother, I will open my pack first. Here is one blanket that I sleep on every night, one soft tanned deerskin, one tin plate, one tin cup, one wool sweater, one pair of wool socks, one pair of pants, one shirt, one pair of winter underwear, my coat, cap and gloves and my good hunting knife. Then my secret package that Mr. Greene the blacksmith gave me before we left Ohio. He told me to keep it wrapped until we reached our new home. And the little package of dried fruit and deer meat that Mr. Brown gave to me. He told me to tell no one but you. That is all I have, Grandmother.

Joshua, you have much and I believe it is time that you opened your gift from the blacksmith because we must make a home here or near here for the winter. You may have a very useful gift.

Grandmother, I’ve wondered about it nearly every day. And, oh, look! A hatchet, three fishing hooks with lines, a slingshot, a flint and steel. And here is a pocketknife! And a tiny whetstone to keep it sharp. Grandmother, this was wrapped tightly in a square of deerskin then wrapped and tied with this piece of cord or rope that is about as long as I am tall. I’m beginning to understand why Mrs. Greene cautioned me to tell no one except you about the gift. All of the men wanted hatchets or small axes at their belt, and two did not have them.

Joshua, the Greene’s are wise people. Their gifts and advice will make our lives much easier this winter. We must remember them in our prayers.

Now, let’s see what I have in my pack. First my blanket, next, my sewing things, scissors, needles and awl, a roll of linen thread, some wool yarn, a few yards of leather string and a little piece of beeswax.

Grandmother, so much in a bag no bigger than my hand!

Grandmother continued "one change of clothes, one extra apron, one extra pair of stockings and a wool cap, wrapped in a square of linen. Wrapped in this square of deerskin … do you remember that some of the people laughed at my funny looking deep metal plate? Well, in this little pocket is a long handle, see? It slips over these three little prongs and makes a very nice skillet. In the same pocket is a small, very sharp knife. Then I have some food. My tin cup hooks over the cords tying my pack. Actually Joshua, instead of just wrapping and tying all of my things in the roll of deerskin I