Unlikely Friends in an Unfriendly Time

By Jeanne Shirk

In the late eighteen hundreds when Shirks grandmother was a young person, womens choices were limited. Frances knew she was meant to be a nurse, but, being young and unmarried, society said no. Her friend Sally, granddaughter of slaves, knew she could be a great teacher, but there was little chance for her to get training. Reading this book in a group and then having a discussion about it takes courage. Its not easy to talk about race and gender issues.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Aug 8, 2013
• ISBN: 9781483678719

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Copyright © 2013 by Jeanne Shirk.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Rev. date: 08/29/2013

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CONTENTS

Introduction

BOOK I

Prologue

Part One: The Secret

Frances

Jessica

Opportunity

The Clinic

Second Thoughts

Clues

Detective

Revelations

Sally

Part Two: So Many Questions

The Sheriff

Papa

Mama

Sally’s Pa

Part Three: Rumblings

Gossip

The Meeting

Part Four: Danger

The Noose

The Mayor

Pranksters

Part Five: Decisions

Mama’s Plan

Papa’s Plan

Final Straw

That’s That

Part Six: Away!

Memories

Promises

BOOK II

Prologue

Part One: The New Life

Sara’s Story In Her Own Words

Frances’s Decision In Her Own Words

Mama’s Story In Her Own Words

The Fire In Julia’s Own Words

A Beau For Frances

Friends

Surprise Guest In Frances’s Own Words

Part Two: Mystery Patient

Charles’s Story In His Own Words

The Request

The Letter

To The School

To Rosa’s

Sally’s Reflections

Frances’s Reflections

Charles’s Reflections In His Own Words

Rosa’s Reflections

Interim

Part Four: Called Home

Papa

The Clinic

Jessica

The Epidemic

The New Doctor

The Clinic Grows

Troubling Rumors

Visiting The Sheriff

The Mayor And The Sheriff

The Lambing

Danger

Part Four: Changes In The Air

Frances’s Plan

Conversation Through The Night

Josiah’s Plan

At The Mayor’s House

What’s Different?

Another Meeting

The Incident

Back To The Mayor’s

Part Five: Sally Comes Home

Part Six: Another Picnic

INTRODUCTION

Despite our many modern ways of communicating, old-fashioned storytelling still bears much fruit. I’ve chosen this way to introduce you to my maternal grandmother, Frances Cummins, and her two friends Sally and Jessica—unlikely friends in an unfriendly time.

The historical facts in my story are accurate. Sally, Jessica, and many other characters just appeared in the telling.

The three young women were products of their time. Until tragedy struck their community, their lives were laid out for them and boundaries were set. Suddenly, their friendship was threatened; even their safety was called into question. Will they shrink in fear, or will we see what they are really made of?

Jeanne Shirk

BOOK I

PROLOGUE

Warm July darkness blanketed the farmland of Black Hawk County, Iowa. Houses and barns dotted the landscape. It was 1894, twenty-nine years after the War between the States. As the moon rose, the figure of a slender young girl could be seen walking across the field toward a wooded area behind one of the barns. The flickering light of a bonfire was visible through the trees. A circle of white slowly moved around it. The girl approached a tree at the edge of the woods. Something was hanging from one of the branches, swinging back and forth like the pendulum of a large clock. Moving closer, the girl raised her head, stopped abruptly, and collapsed in a heap. The landscape held its breath. Something was terribly wrong.

THE SECRET

FRANCES

"Where is Frances? Mary Cummins said to anybody who was listening. I need her to gather the eggs and bring them to me. The men will be coming in from the fields any minute, and they will want breakfast."

I’ll do it, Mama, answered little Nellie. Frances is down the road, talking to Mrs. Stewart, the widow lady. Grown-up at the age of twelve, Nellie was there when you needed her. Frances, on the other hand, at sixteen, was never nearby. When not busy doing her chores or lessons, she would seek out a person who needed a friend to talk to.

As she waited for Nellie to bring the eggs, Mama’s thoughts of Frances tumbled over each other like balls of yarn escaping from her knitting basket. This Iowa farm woman was blessed with six daughters and two sons. One daughter died shortly after she was born. The Cumminses’ older daughters had followed the pattern of the day. Like most farm girls in the late 1800s, two were married and one had a steady beau. Nellie, the youngest daughter, was already a little homemaker. Only one was different. That would be Frances. Ever since the first day of school, she had taken to learning with ease and enthusiasm. Mary suspected her daughter’s hopes and dreams were not the same as her sisters’.

Although Frances had many friends among her classmates, she didn’t have a beau. It doesn’t look like this daughter of mine is going to be married anytime soon, Mama thought. Frances might have to make her own way in the world. One time, when Mama asked her daughter about her dreams, Frances mumbled something about being a nurse. That didn’t suit Mary! It was wrong for an unmarried woman from a proud family of Scotch Irish pioneers like them to subject herself to the kind of work that nurses do, taking care of men!

From a very young age, Frances picked out people who were hurting and seemed to be drawn to them. Mama was proud of her for befriending people who were in trouble. You could say that Frances was compassionate. Back then, Mama felt strange thinking that about her little girl, but it was true! If you were sad, you’d find Frances coming to sit close by or bringing a daisy or a ginger cookie to make you feel better. She’d ask, What’s wrong, Mama? and invariably something was wrong. Now a young adult, Frances still reached out to others, even grown-ups like Mrs. Stewart.

Frances planned her visit with Mrs. Stewart carefully. If the widow was overwhelmed by the daunting task of running the farm alone, Frances would find out. She was young, but she watched her mother and the other neighbor women in their little town of Cedar Falls and saw that their lives were hard. They had husbands, and now Mrs. Stewart did not. Caring for the farm and the animals all by herself, Mrs. Stewart would no longer have time to read books and arrange flowers, things she loved to do. At least Frances would listen and ask questions.

She knew that her visit with her grown-up friend would be different from visits in the past. It was the first time Frances had been to the Stewarts since Mr. Stewart died, and she felt a bit nervous. These neighbors welcomed any and all the Cummins family members. They had no children of their own and were always happy to see the young ones when they stopped in after school. Homemade cookies and conversations were provided and willing ears to hear about what went on during lessons that day. The Stewarts had a barn full of animals, including kittens. Often there were baby chicks in the henhouse. Mama was heard to remark it was sad that such nice people didn’t have children of their own. The grown-ups thought a lot of the Stewarts.

Why did Mr. Stewart have to die? Frances asked herself. He went to the barn to feed the animals one day and didn’t come back. Doc Butler said it was apoplexy, and the whole town turned out for the funeral. Now the widow was managing everything by herself. She did all right for a while but lately didn’t seem to be as friendly. There were no invitations to stop in. The grown-ups talked about the state of the garden and the barn, but offers of help were refused. When Frances saw Mrs. Stewart at the general store, she noticed that her dress, usually clean and pressed, was wrinkled and dingy, and her soft chestnut-brown hair, always done up in a neat bun, was straggly and greasy. Frances couldn’t stop thinking about the changes in her friend and knew she should visit her.

Come in, child, Mrs. Stewart said weakly. I’m afraid I don’t have any cookies today.

Frances thought, I didn’t come for cookies, but she said, I came to say I’m sorry that Mr. Stewart died.

After a pause, Mrs. Stewart replied, Won’t you sit down, dear? Here, let me move those things. I’m sorry the house is such a mess.

Frances thought, It is a mess, but she said, It must be hard to keep up with everything all by yourself. Much to Frances’s surprise; her friend began to cry. Not knowing what to do, Frances just sat there and waited.

A few moments went by, and then Mrs. Stewart said, I miss him so much. He was very good to me. You remember, Frances, he enjoyed you children.

Frances remembered. She thought, Oh! I don’t know what to say. She said, He was kind, funny too. We’re missing him. They sat quietly for a while, then something inside Frances told her to stand and say she would be leaving. Mrs. Stewart asked her to return. Frances was pleased.

Two weeks later she went back to Mrs. Stewart’s, taking her friends, next-door neighbor Jessica Gordon and her colored classmate Sally Smith. The two girls had visited the Stewarts in the past, but they were slow to agree to come along this time. They said they didn’t know what to say to Mrs. Stewart now that Mr. Stewart had died. Frances explained that the widow needed company, and they finally said yes. At first it was slow going. Mrs. Stewart apologized for not having cookies, the way the house looked, and even how she herself looked. That was embarrassing! The girls said little until Mrs. Stewart ventured the fact that there were some newborn chicks in the henhouse. She didn’t volunteer to go with her guests but seemed pleased when they asked if they could see the new additions. When they returned, they were treated to some bread-and-butter sandwiches. Yes, Mrs. Stewart apologized for those too. Frances thought, I would eat anything she offered me, no matter what! She said, That bread was good. There was talk about the chicks, then it was time for the visitors to leave. Again, Mrs. Stewart asked them to return. Again, Frances was pleased.

Frances, Sally, and Jessica had been friends all through school. Each was serious about her studies. Each could be counted on to help her teacher with the younger children. People smiled at the familiar sight of the three girls walking home together—Frances with her flaming red hair and freckles, Jessica with her blond curls and ivory complexion, and Sally with her jet-black pigtails and chocolate-brown skin.

After the girls left Mrs. Stewart, Sally and Frances came up with an idea. Maybe they could help their friend with some of the chores. Jessica went along with the idea, but she didn’t show much enthusiasm. It’s just another example of how Jessica has changed lately, Frances thought. She said, Jessica, what’s the matter with you? You used to be the one with all the good ideas.

I’m all right, Jessica said weakly. That didn’t satisfy Frances, but she decided to let it go. She and Sally went back to planning how to help Mrs. Stewart. The girls knew the widow had refused help from many who offered, so they were surprised when Sally said her pa was doing chores at Mrs. Stewart’s house. He worked at the Stewarts before Mr. Stewart died, so after a while, he just came back and did what was needed.

The girls didn’t ask Mrs. Stewart right out, but they began to do things like gathering the eggs in the henhouse and washing the dishes they used. As they worked, they talked about their day at school. Sometimes Mrs. Stewart laughed at a funny happening. One time she commented that Jessica, usually quite a talker, didn’t have much to say.

What’s the matter, dear? You don’t have many smiles today.

Jessica answered politely, I’m all right, thank you, but she continued to say little.

One day when the girls came in the kitchen door, there was a big plate of freshly made cookies on the table. Mrs. Stewart went to the back door and called to Sally’s pa, Josiah, who was working in the widow’s vegetable garden. She asked Josiah to come in and have some cookies, but he would only come as far as the kitchen steps. He did take a cookie and then went back to weeding.

Afterward, when Frances thought about the visit, those freshly made cookies seemed to be a good sign! She was pleased.

JESSICA

Doc Butler went to church like most people in his small farming