The Arrival
Prologue
For years the London Company, many refer to it as the Virginia Company, was controlled by a group believing in the absolute power of king and church, and failed to make a profit for the stock holders. A new group in the early years of the seventeen century gained control of the Company. These new leaders believed in the power of Parliament and the rights of Englishman.
On an early brisk January 5th Monday morning in the year of our Lord 1619, inside a quiet inner chamber of the London Company offices two new leaders sit waiting. Each leader has an accompanying personal agent. Sir Edwin Sandys and the Earl of Southampton the new controllers of the London Company sit behind a long narrow table and watch another man, George Yeardley, enter, remove his feathered hat with a flourish and a deep bow, and take the empty seat in front of them. Each new leader returns his bow with a dip of their white wigged heads. Both men have agreed on the appointment of George Yeardley as the new Governor of Jamestown Colony in the Americas and their man sits before them waiting their pleasure.
Sir Edwin Sandys starts the meeting with a nod at his agent who starts reading. All three men quietly listen to an unpleasant report read by Sir Neal Alport about the Jamestown Colony, its history of lack of profitability, and the greatly diminished payments to shareholders in the year of our Lord 1618. When Sir Neal Alport stops reading, the Earl of Southampton hands him another document signed by both of them for him to read.
From the London Company: Instructions to George Yeardley Governor Jamestown Colony:
It is our intention that you, George Yeardley, make for us changes. We want a colonial Parliament called, laws written for our and the king's approval, and legal rights extended to colonials. The present "Dale Laws" were written by Sir Thomas Dale. Some of those laws are too harsh and must be eased or people will leave and discourage new arrivals. We will provide a list of the ones you should keep and amend.
We want changes in private ownership of land in the colony. At present a freeman has no ownership rights and may only lease three acres from the Company. Grant ownership of one hundred acres to each freeman and a similar grant for each share of stock owned, call it a "Head Right". We will send with you a list of the stock holders and number of shares owned.
It has come to our attention that only a few women live in the Jamestown colony. We need more families to make the settlement of Jamestown more permanent, more attractive to Englishmen, and more profitable. You will offer young single women, properly chaperoned of course, less than twenty-three years of age a chance to volunteer for a life in the colony. The Virginia Company will provide free transport to Jamestown if they agree to marry a land owner upon arrival or work as an indentured servant for seven years. The company will provide transportation for each women and her husband shall reimburse this company with 120 pounds of tobacco.
After Sir Alport stops reading, the Earl of Hampton speaks. "We believe and hope that larger land ownership and sending a number of single women to marry settlers, farmers, will make the colony more successful and permanent. We understand your ship will hold about ninety and needed supplies."
Sir Yeardley frowns over a duty he had not foreseen but responds. "Young unmarried women will not volunteer in large numbers to go to live in a far away wild land. Sire, many will have to be asked to find ninety and time is short before we sail."
"Find them ... a ship full and one or two extra," Sir Edwin Sandys orders.
"Sire, debtors are the only ones easily available," Governor Yeardley offers.
"Collect them then, but only to cover any shortfall. Governor Yeardley, order your London agent Sir Dale Corwen that his men ask in a days ride of the London-Thames area for as many volunteers as he can acquire. Sir Corwen will then send a messenger to Sir Alport waiting in Birmingham telling the number of debtors that he need collect. Alport's agents will discharge these women's debts. Sir Alport, it is our intention that you will collect debtors down along the River Severn. Load those from Gloucester, Cheltenham, and Gloucestershire at Gloucester. Load Drybrook and Cinderford debtors at Newnham. Lydney's north-channel is closed with silt. So, Lydney, Yorkley, Bream, and Chepston debtors use the River Wye and load at Beachley on the Severn. If we need additional debtors, Sir Alport, your agents will collect these in the Bristol area. Do either of you have any questions about this?
Corwen and Alport shake their heads.
"Sir Dale Corwen, before all your young volunteers are aboard, you will purchase three full bales of used average or better quality women's dresses and white cotton head coverings, two bales of women's undergarments, a bale each of warm long stockings and socks, three barrels of shoes, and three bales of trade blankets. Any extra is to be bundled and sold on the dock in Jamestown. The weather in the Atlantic is bitter cold in the winter so add two crates of warm capes and two crates of woolen gloves. Include an extra barrel of leather belts for women in assorted sizes, two crates of hair brushes, crate of small mirrors, two crates of perfumed powders, and a crate of hair ribbon rolls to make them presentable."
"Yes, my Lord."
"Now, Sir Neal Alport, will you read for us a detail listing of Jamestown's exports and imports for 1618."
I
Bright midmorning sunlight was a welcome change in a cold overcast rainy week. It burst through a small window below a vaulted ceiling and streamed into the right side of the Drybrook and Cinderford District's open paneled courtroom. Tuesday January 26, 1619 was Debtor Day. Some in the courtroom came in hope of repayment and others to watch their monies vanish with a debtor sentence. A number of people moving around had stirred up dust and this new shaft of sunlight looked almost golden. A strange omen in a room where unwashed men and women stood quietly in ragged clothing, hands shackled, gloom etched on faces expecting a sentence to debtor's prison, a confinement of undetermined length, and one at time are led away head down in despair.
A fat sweating stout Matron drags the next unresisting victim, chains rattling, into a newly emptied docket. Her strong fat fingers squeeze harshly a limp bicep and pulls on the thin arm of a sad-faced tall and skinny woman, nearly seven inches over five feet.
The bony victim wears a tattered old cheap often patched brown muslin dress, and without a waist-belt or tie it hangs on her thin frame like old sacking. The loose twice cord-tied bodice front displays two wet spots of a new mother. When the puffing matron releases her arm the thin woman stops, her hands dangle limply, and her small head on a long thin neck slowly tips downward like she has not energy enough to carry it. One glance by any sensitive person could easily see that this woman was lost in her own world of grief. Her downcast tear-streaked unwashed oval plain sad face displays openly her grief to any that look and see.
The thin bony woman took no notice of her wrist chains, what the matron did to her, or where she was. No indignant treatment, no pain, no shame, and no prison term could cause her more pain on the outside than she felt inside.
Not even her shame a day earlier of Mrs. Pirkle sharp words while her landlord stripped of her dress and petticoat affected her. Nor the further shame of standing in cotton underwear before the landlord's handy man, Alvie. Forced to stand in the room with a strange man staring at her did not give her any relief from her terrible inner pain. Nor the angry words of Mrs. Pirkle while pawing through a pile of her clothing, looking for the cheapest and poorest dress, and giving out a loud cruel laugh on finding an old often patched brown muslin washday dress.
All the time her angry landlord searched she had been forced to stand in her underclothes. In her grief she had not tried to hide any part of her from Alvin's eyes while he waited to bundle and tie up her clothing, Dock's few cloth remembrances, and her stillborn baby's things. Once bundled Mrs. Pirkle would have protected her claim, and then a constable could be sent for. No sharp landlady words or the shame of a strange man staring at her could turn her mind away from her inner pain of loosing Dock and her baby.
With an angry grunt Mrs. Pirkle tossed her the poorest
dress, a brown patched-muslin and old torn petticoat, but did not offer any head covering or shawl. The stern faces of Alvie and Mrs. Pirkle stared while she pulled on her torn petticoat and oldest and cheapest dress. Not even this shame pushed her grief aside even for a moment. Neither did Mrs. Pirkle strong gripping hand causing pain in her bicep, dragging her downstairs, and out on the cold windy stoop. People passing by stared at her until Alvie returned with a constable to lead her away. Not any of this pushed her grief aside.
Standing in the docket the unaware woman did not realize others in the room stared at her. At the grieving woman's side dangled manacled wrists with a chain across her thin body to restrain a woman unable to escape her pain and would not try to shrink away from their docket, laws, or lesser punishments.
Across this gaunt woman's unwashed tear-streaked face a blank stare as her mind turned deeper into her pain. On her small bent forward head only numerous short narrow tuffs of brown hair, cut extremely close and poorly done leaving not one tuft longer than a half-inch, and between the tufts four dark brown scabs from jabbed sharp scissor-points. Her head bore the evidence of the sale of her hair for a few coppers to bury her baby. In this condition the sad-faced woman looked older than her eighteen years and at first glance looked like someone tried to cure a case of lice. However, there was not any evidence of the normal dusting of gray powder used on that troublesome pest.
In the quiet courtroom there was very little movement to draw the eyes away. The long curls of his white-wig shook a little as Judge Wayman Wyatt accepts two new pieces of paper from his clerk, takes a moment to review and sign a document from the last case, and puts it aside for his clerk. Judge Wyatt looks again for a long moment at the next two new documents taken from underneath it.
"Next case ... number 126-44 concerning Jannette Anne Dabury-Laffin debtor," Judge Wyatt's old raspy voice orders his clerk and matron.
Out in front of Judge Wyatt a black robed fat short Barrister, James Edgar Simeon, adjusts his much cheaper powdered wig. Barrister Simeon collects his papers from the table by twisting in his chair, rises, and clears his throat.
"Humph ... Your Honor, Mrs. Jack Pirkle is owed two shillings nine pence for two months room and board. Mrs. Pirkle requests the right to sell the woman's possessions of almost entirely of the poorest quality often washed clothing. A vendor has offered Mrs. Pirkle six pence for the lot. Mrs. Pirkle wants to recover some of her rent and food money and requests a debtor judgment against Mrs. Laffin for the remainder."
Judge Wyatt turns his head and looks for the first time at the tall thin sad-faced woman standing in his docket. Noticing the milk spots on her bodice he wondered who watches her child. In a calm voice he asks his usual questions, expects the usual answers, for he has long served and listened to debtors.
"How did this woman become a debtor? Does she have the ability to pay if given more time?"
"Your Honor, the woman's husband Abner Laffin, a street-cobbler, day worker, and handyman known to most people as 'Dock', was nearly two months ago twice mortally wounded by knives and robbed of his money and tools. At the time of his death Mr. Laffin's wife was near to birthing. Mrs. Laffin had no income, family, or benefactors. In her kindness Mrs. Pirkle allowed this woman to remain in her boarding house and eat her food until the child was born."
"Where is the child?"
"Your Honor, the child was stillborn two days ago."
Judge Gist nodded, shaking his white curls, and asked calmly his next question. "Why has this woman's hair been cut so?"
"Your Honor, Mrs. Laffin sold her hair to a wig maker to pay for her baby's burial."
"Mrs. Laffin, do you have any way to repay this debt?"
The prisoner makes no sign that she heard or understands the Judge. The fat Matron stepped forward and her strong hand jerks the woman's arm harshly and her chains rattled loudly in the still room. Not even that could make Mrs. Laffin lift her head. She just turned her face two or three inches to glance at the fat matron jerking angrily on her arm.
The matron spoke low in an angry tone. "You...answer Judge Wyatt."
A second time Judge Wyatt patiently asks his question. "Mrs. Laffin, do you have any family, or friends that will pay this debt for you?"
The woman in his docket did not look up but slowly shook her head.
"Mrs. Laffin, do you have an offer of a job, items of value to sell, a benefactor that could assist you, or any way to discharge this debt?"
Paying no attention to the angry matron painfully gripping her arm the grieving woman kept looking down and again shook her head.
"Then, Mrs. Laffin, I do order you detained as a debtor until your debt is discharged and assess a half crown court fee. Also, I will sign the order to allow Mrs. Pirkle to reduce your debt by the sale. Do you wish to make any statements about why I should not sign these two orders?"
Again the woman did not look up at the Judge or out at the courtroom, and the sad manacled and chained Widow slowly shook her head. Her expression did not change afterward or when the matron removed her hand. To her no evil could be worse than the pain of loosing both her husband and child-not even debtor prison.
Judge Wyatt signed both documents, glanced up at the Matron, and nods. The still angry Matron roughly grabs and jerks Jannette Laflin's arm pulling the grieving woman away with a loud chain rattle. In the midst of the newly sentenced debtor's noisy exit Judge Wyatt laid her two signed documents aside for his clerk and picks up the next document.
Before the door closes fully behind her the grieving Widow hears the Judge speak again.
"Next case ... number 126-45 concerning Garron Thomas Zink debtor," Judge Wyatt orders in a loud clear voice.
II
Late the next evening as dusk settled down inmates have finished a bowl of porridge and dry biscuit. All evidence of an evening meal has been cleared away from the woman's cell in Drybrook Dungeon, underneath the city's Royal Court building, holding sixteen women prisoners. All save one are clustered in the corner away from the smelly waste bucket. Two women kneel beside another sweaty debtor lying on a folded blanket near a moist rock basement wall. From that wall protruded a curled iron bar and a glassless candle-lantern hung from it. The reclining sweaty debtor clutches her huge bulging belly, knees raised, shakes as new pains burst inside her, flings wide her knees, feet lift jerking violently, and screams repeatedly. For a time her terrible screams continue and women around her talk in low serious tones about what to do.
One woman, chosen for midwife duties, kneels between her legs, lifts her dress hem, looks, and shakes her head saying, "Its not yet time. "Slowly the screams died away only to soon rise again and then cease. Neither the woman's repeated screams nor the eerie silence between screams seems normal and finally those crowded around her shake their heads. Something is terribly wrong. The temporary midwife kneeling shakes her head and begins her first try at midwife duties.
None of this life and death activity penetrates Mrs. Jannette Laffin's grief-filled world. The grieving widow sits huddled in the far diagonal corner leaning against the front bars lost in her misery. Does not even notice the Matron hurriedly rattling keys to enter the holding cell, leaves the barred door open while carrying in a bucket of water. It does not dawn on Jannette Laffin that there is only a slow fat matron to stop her from running away. Only when the new mother's screams change to low desperate spaced moans and finally cease does this unique thing happening register.
Her dull lifeless greenish-brown eyes close to shut out the exploding silence of death she has heard before, presses trembling hands over her ears to shut it out, and squeezes shut both eyes even tighter. A sudden new gush of tears roll down both of her dirty cheeks, drip on the floor's filthy straw, and shakes violently as her hands drop away from her ears to grip the iron bars so fiercely that her fingers turn white.
Finally, a low soft buzz of women talking starts again from the crowd surrounding a dead mother, and Jannette lifts her shaking hands and tightly presses them
again over her ears to shut out this cruel and terrible silence and low talking. Not wanting to hear that silence or that low ominous cruel buzz of women afterward, the grieving widow scoots backward, squeezes down deeper into her corner, tries to retreat back into her own grief, and clamps her shaking hands even tighter over her ears.
The silence and low buzzing voices of a passing renews with sudden full force her own pain and freezes her. A blank look haunts her tear-streaked face, hands remaining over her ears tremble, and greenish-brown eyes close only to open wide shocked by a new sound.
Strangely it gets past her hands, cuts like a sharp butcher knife does through a stale loaf of bread, cleaves through her pain and grief, forced her teary eyes wide open, and points her wet cheeks toward a first sound-a baby's cry. A little new throat's wailing cuts through her mother's grief like nothing else has done for a week. It opens wide Jannette's greenish-brown eyes, pulls her now calm hands away from her ears, returning from an inner world of death and despair, and thin pale lips try to form a smile. They almost succeed.
In a few minutes the Matron enters, collects a bundle, and walks away from the group. In her stout arms she carries a torn piece of sheet-wrapped around a small red-faced still wet baby trying out a good strong pair of lungs. The matron stops halfway to think about a new problem.
Timidly Jannette rises unsure of where she finds herself, sure only of a small red-faced wailing child, steps forward, and reaches out to touch a still wet wrinkled forehead. As her fingers touch a small soft warm head her lips finally succeed in smiling.
The Matron shouts at the other fat Matron on guard that had taken Jannette to the courtroom. "Mother's dead. What'll I do with the poor little thing ... it'll die without milk."
A hopeful look fills Jannette's tear streaked face and suddenly without thinking blurts out in an emotional tone, "I've milk."
The Matron glances at the milk spots on her bodice and asks, "Where's yours?"
"Stillborn."
The Matron looks again at the wet spots on Jannette's bodice, glances at the other fat Matron who shrugs and gives a nod of approval. The decision made the Matron yells, "Bring in the cart," and hands the sheet-wrapped wet and still crying child to Jannette.
A smiling Jannette cradles the small black-haired baby in her left arm, reaches up to untie the top flaps of her cheap muslin dress, unties the middle, sits down against the bars and stone wall in her corner, and pulls open her top. Almost glowing, a beaming Jannette offers her child a chance to suckle. Her hungry child eagerly does.
The cell's bars opened again. Two husky baldheaded portly bearded guards pull and push into the cell a flatbed two-wheeled cart with curved handles at each end. Both men stop for a long minute to stare at a new baby and Jannette's open top-half before lifting the corpse on the flatbed and lay the deceased's bloody blanket over the corpse. On the way out the guards stop another moment to look through the bars and openly gawk at Jannette's open top again.
A gray-headed woman debtor carries over to Jannette what remained of the cotton sheet given by the Matron to tear up into napkins for the child. Jannette nods her thanks. The old woman stands a while smiling and watches until Jannette moves the baby to the other side.
Bending over Jannette kisses the head of the child, now her child, and her face fills with a warm glow. A smiling Jannette opens the sheet, looks, and discovers that she has a son. Smiling a glowing and beaming motherly smile she whispers softly to her son his first secret.
"Abner Henry Laffin...Dock and Mama love you."
III
The next evening an hour past dusk on Thursday, January 28, 1619, a wide shouldered husky young King's Officer in a bright red uniform marched into the drab woman's cell two steps behind the matron. In proper military manner the officer pulls off his hat and jams it up under his left arm. As his fingers unroll a document he steps to the middle of the cell to read it:
The London Company has discharged the debts of several prisoners. These persons are now in Company service and it does hereby order the following women to their Jamestown Colony. The following debtors will be taken to a ship in the Bristol harbor: Yeaveley, Moreton, Ercall, Pickstock, Laffin, Orslow, and Cannock. Please line up and follow me outside to receive your leg-shackle and chain-left leg only.
When the reading task was completed his hat returns to his head, covers his start of a thinning spot in back, waits for the seven named women to stand before addressing them. "I am Captain Jefferis. A driver and I will accompany you to Newnham where a barge will be provided." Jefferies looked into each surprised face of seven women standing before him in an informal group.
"My information says that none of you are yet twenty-three. Is that correct?"
A short chunky redheaded woman blurts out, "Captain, I'm twenty-six two weeks ago."
"What's your name?"
"Moreton."
"Married?"
"Widow."
"Children."
"Two died in infancy."
Captain Jefferis needs, he believes all seven women, and without hesitation replies calmly in a gentle even tone. "Moreton, from this day forth you will answer twenty-three when anyone asks your age," and glares and hesitates until Moreton nods.
Addressing the group again Captain Jefferis speaks to them in his parade ground command voice. "Get in line, Moreton. All of you are all being released with your debts discharged." The Captain turns to glance at the matron who nods agreement. Jefferis turns to point at Jannette standing with a blanket over her shoulder holding a sheet-wrapped baby. Captain Jefferis speaks in a calm but puzzled tone.
"I was not aware one of you had a child."
"Laffin, Sir. I have a son, Abner. He's strong and able to travel."
For a moment Captain Jefferis hesitates but the need for all seven women remains, scratches his thin spot, puts his hat back on, shrugs, and motions for the women to follow him as he turns to march out. The gray-headed woman that has been helpful hands Jannette a roll of torn sheet-napkins from her own sheet and her blanket, her gifts to the new baby, Jannette smiles her thanks as she steps to the end of the line. A Matron leads the puzzled and frightened group out.
The other fat Matron frowns over seeing Jannette leaving with two blankets, reaches out, and yanks the extra blanket off her shoulder as she passes. Without stopping Jannette turns hoping to get the blanket back but the fat matron's backhanded wave sends her away without it. Outside of the cell now Jannette hears the cell door close, click, and lock behind her. It was not a time to question or complain as the other matron puts on leg-shackles, pounds lead rivets, and tread through a riveted chain. Seven debtors were all chained to a single long chain.
Outside in a cool northerly January breeze seven shivering women drag a rattling leg-chain. Shaking and shivering Jannette wishes for a warm shawl, thankful for her one blanket, and doubles it tighter around Abner, and steps awkwardly dragging a rattling chain. When Jefferis' boots in front stop, every woman stops too and looks up surprised to see a large horse-cart of straw. As they stare heads of three women lift up out of the straw to stare at them, a chain rattles under the straw, and they all know that these women were debtors too. Helping each other all seven manage to climb up in the cart, dig down into clean straw to keep warm, and enjoy the smell of the fresh outside air. Almost without fail each of the seven women under the warm straw smiles. For most of them it has been a long time since their faces had expressed anything but despair, sadness, hopelessness, or fear.
An unusually fat brown-bearded driver in a thick warm coat slaps a team of matched bays into motion. The walking team sends into the straw click-click sounds of iron shoes on cobblestones and a smaller tic-tic of rolling iron rims. Regular soft familiar sounds of town and countryside, a rocking cart, dim moonlight and warm straw make eyelids heavy. Passengers doze before the cart at the edge of town turns south toward the Severn River and leaves behind cobblestone. Darkness gathers in an overcast sky.
A half mile outside of Drybrook
the driver stops to light a candle in a glass lantern, wakes Abner and most others in the straw, but two continue to snore. Using its dim circle of light the driver continues on down the empty road. Jannette can hear several more snores start up and wiggled down deeper into the warm straw.
The team walks on through a growing darkness as the overcast deepens. Abner suckles and dozes and finally Jannette joins him. None in the cart wake as their cart travels slowly down Drybrook-Cinderford road through a barely visible rising quarter-moon. A half hour later all sleep through Cinderford's noisy cobblestone where three had lived. Yet, all wake, heads lift out of the straw to watch their cart slow, turn sharply southeast on Littledean's cobblestones, and head toward Newnham. For the first time, it seemed real.
Sometime just short of midnight their cart stops near the Newnham wharf. Captain Jefferis dismounts, waits for the driver to tie up his reins, walks to and shake the cart to wake his passengers, and orders, "Out!"
In a rattle of chains shivering women help each other climb down. Two lines of women, seven on one chain and three on the other, follow Jefferis heads down, shaking from the cold, arms wrapped around their bodies trying to pull tight blankets to keep warm, and chains rattling. Captain Jefferis walks slowly shoulders erect as if he was on the parade ground straight toward a barge tied along the wharf.
A bearded skinny seaman jumps to the wharf, motions the women up the gangplank, and another on board motions them along an empty bench. When the first one is at the end they are allowed sit. It surprised Jannette to see two other rows of seated women behind her row, a bench in front of her remained empty, a line of rowers on each side, and under a canvas cover a seated military officer and a mustached seaman at the tiller.
The seated Officer under the canvas glances at the baby Jannette carries, shrugs, and asks in a sharp command voice, "How many Captain Jefferis?"
"Ten, Sir Alport."
"Very good. You are dismissed Captain."
"Thank you, Sir."
"Mister Samuel Sydney, untie all lines and make ready to get underway."
The short, thin, wide-shouldered shadowy shape of Mister Samuel Sydney holding on to the tiller, lifts a little, knuckles his forehead, and bows. "Aye, Sir," Sydney replies and yells out his orders in a slow orderly manner.
"Retrieve gangplank."
"Untie all lines."
"Rowers lift oars."
"Set oarlocks."
Slowly the released barge floats out into the current, downstream Sydney's tiller points the bow. Oars dip and pull and dip again. Propelled by a dozen oars and the current shadowy countryside shapes race past. No one speaks. Exposed more fully to the cool night northerly wind all of the women in dresses without capes or cloaks, wrapped in blankets, are miserable. Shaking from the cold Jannette, without a blanket for herself, is thankful that Abner had been allowed to keep his blanket, and pulls it tight around him.
At Beachley, just outside the Bristol Channel, the barge stops to collect thirteen more women in three chains. After the bench in front of Jannette fills, Sir Alport dismisses a portly Captain Lane.
Down the Severn River and into the Bristol Channel as the dark sky turns more overcast, the cold wind freshens and the open water increases the rocking of the barge. A quarter-moon almost disappears except for light gray blurry spots in the dark cloud cover. Under the lower dark sky the barge seems to race even more swiftly across open choppy water through the last of the moonlight, and on through the darkness before dawn. The northwest wind increases and all forty-two women aboard shake and shiver in greater misery.
A warm looking gray starts along the eastern horizon behind them but scatters cold sprinkles. In a few minutes a light cold rain turns into a full blown rainstorm and quickly soaks everyone except Sir Alport and the helmsman Sydney under their private canvas. In the rain Jannette notices a shore to the south while leaning over to shield Abner with her body, but his blanket gradually turns damp and finally soaks through. The hard rain eases after ten minutes but continues as a steady light shower. It rains until the barge ties up along side a single-mast ship anchored just four hundred yards northwest of the Bristol wharf. Before the barge can be tied fast Abner starts to shiver and frightens Jannette.
"Chains off all rows," Sir Alport orders.
In an easing rain a short skinny baldheaded bearded seaman kneels and a sharp blow to a chisel against a flattened lead bolt, cuts the bolt, twisted the bolt free, and frees the end of the chain. Knee walking down the row the bearded seaman boldly lifts each skirt hem up on a knee baring a shaking wet limb, holds an ankle, and pulls the chain through a shackle. He lowers the last skirt hem downward drops the chain, knee-walks down the next row lifting skirt hems, grabbing ankles, and pulling the chain free of shackles. The seaman finishes with the first chain and starts on the second, lifts a hem up on a knee, cuts the end bolt, and then works his way down the line. The seaman continues until all four rows of still shackled women are unchained. When finished the seaman gathers all chains and piles them in a corner before standing and bowing.
Sir Alport stands, steps out into the sprinkles, braves the rain to lift his hand and a waiting seaman on the deck above lowers a rope ladder. Sir Alport nods his approval.
"First two rows stand." Sir Alport orders stepping back under his canvas.
The first two rows of wet shivering women stand. In the second row Jannette stands too.
From under his canvas Sir Alport motions toward the rope ladder. "This is a coastal vessel. It will transport you to your ship in the Portsmouth Harbor. Climb up on deck."
Unable to see their feet do to wet skirts the women in front struggle to climb in the rain lifting knees, hunt for a cross-step rope, and take another step upward. Seeing that she needed two hands to climb Jannette unties both of her front flaps, pulls one free and ties it tight around her body, yanks the other strings out of her dress front, pushes a shivering a sheet-wrapped Abner inside her dress flap and petticoat top, and ties her dress flap together. Abner's weight made the string cut brutally into her flesh and tries to ignore the pain. Jannette ties his wet blanket around her waist and the pain eases a little as some of Abner's weight rests on the blanket.
As the barge lifts and falls her hand finds wet rough hemp, feels with her foot, finds a cross rope, steps up worried it will break, and starts up searching with her other foot for the next cross rope hoping Abner's string does not break. If it does Abner will fall and Jannette prepares herself to let go, grab Abner, and cushion his fall on the barge below with her body. Tries not to think of anything but finding the next step for her foot, lifts up another step, and Janette lifts her other knee to search with her foot for another cross rope.
Searching for step-after-step Jannette works her way upward breathing hard, fighting not to cry from the pain Abner's weight causes on the string cutting into her, strangely sweating and shivering in fear as a cold sprinkling rain increases. Twice Jannette is forced to stop and wait for the woman in front of her to find a cross-rope with a foot. Seamen yell encouragement at her and others from above and below. Almost beyond her strength and ability to withstand pain, sweating and winded Jannette reaches the top.
Two strong hands lift her and Abner up and over. Weak knees and a moving deck cause Jannette to stumble and a rough calloused hand steadies her. Jannette nods her thanks to a tall bearded seaman, knows that today the sea was calm, and shudders thinking climbing that ladder in a storm. On wide placed feet Jannette carefully walks over to the other women standing in the rain hoping for warmth inside the group. Shaking from the cold soaking rain, fear of Abner's shivering moves her to their downwind side, notices that one woman is a head taller than the rest, and wraps Abner back inside his wet blanket. Fearful of his shivering Jannette is forced to wait too. Cold and wet women crowd together for warmth until all forty-two women are aboard.
They hear faint commands from the barge below as it moves away.
A portly captain of the ship shouts an order. "Prepare to get
underway. Mr. Cress, take the West Wind out."
A tall thin bearded man steps forward, touches a knuckle to his hat, and puts the order for action into a series of orders. "Aye Sir...Recover ladder. Hoist barge ropes. Prepare to raise anchor. Hoist mainsail. Mister Bibbo, see our passengers below and guard the door. If you please Mister Rung, two points into the wind to catch the current as the anchor frees."
A huge stocky unshaven reddish-brown bearded seaman steps toward the group of miserable wet women and points at a doorway. The women gladly follow the thick bodied seaman to get out of the cold rain and wind. All Jannette knew it was Mister Bibbo they followed toward an open doorway, hoped it was warmer inside, and down a fixed ladder. Out of the wind it feels warm and Jannette makes it down with only one hand free to grip a right side railing. At the bottom of the ladder a small open space with three doors. Bibbo leads them through the left door into an open empty hold except for a bucket of water with a tin dipper and an empty waste bucket. Drenched shivering women stand and watch Bibbo light a candle in a hanging lantern. Taking an extra long leering glance around at wet dresses plastered against bodies Bibbo steps outside and closes the door.
Inside it felt warm out of the cold rain and northerly breeze. Tired and wet women slump down around edge of the hold and lay down on the floor. Jannette pulls shivering Abner out of his wet blanket, stripped him, but the child still shivered. She rubs his small arms, legs, and small shivering body without any change.
Suddenly, Jannette is frightened her child might die. Looking around at the other tired and sleepy women; none seemed interested in her problem or in helping. Gritting her teeth Jannette walks to the door determined to help Abner, lifts the latch, stepped out into the dim hall, and closes the door. In dim light from a candle lantern she sees Mister Bibbo climbing down the ladder after closing the upper door, waits hoping the man is kind, and will let her have a dry blanket for Abner.
When Bibbo spots her, he stops. While gawking openly at her wet patched muslin dress clinging to her thin frame Bibbo speaks to her in a low whispered tone. "You're not allowed out here. Get back in the hold."
"My baby's wet and shivering from the cold. I need a dry blanket or he will die."
"I've no orders to help you."
"Please, a dry blanket ... you can have it back in the morning."
Bibbo scratches his thick unshaven for three days cheek. His devious darting beady brown eyes ogle up and down her wet dress clinging to her gaunt frame. His square face takes on a crafty look. "I'd be taking a big risk. You got coins?"
"No." Jannette answered with a shake of her head. From the look on his face and how he gawked at her, Jannette knew what the sailor Bibbo would demand even if she had two handfuls of coins, and knew that she had to agree to let him touch her to save Abner. It never crossed her mind to scream and raise a fuss to bring attention to her child's problem. Poor women do not think that way.
Eyes moving up and down her body Bibbo muses. "How will you pay me ... then?"
In a faint shy voice looking downward, felt her body tremble, cheeks paled, and she answered in a soft faint voice, "You know ? how."
Grinning he replies, "Indeed," staring at how her west skirt clings to her lean thighs. Bibbo looks upward at her chest, reaches out, and touches her arm. His insistent fingers slowly slide up and down her thin forearm. When the woman does not flinch, jump away, or scream his grin changes into a lecherous leer.
Quickly, he steps past trembling Jannette into another area and returned in a minute with a dry blanket. Bibbo lets her feel of it, lays it across the bottom of her hold's closed door, and hurries back to grab both of her thin arms. His flushed leering face grins at his good fortune as he pushes her slowly backward against the ladder and forcefully kisses her cold stiff lips.
Trembling more violently Jannette closes her eyes, smells his sweat and sea odor, grabs both rails, endures his rough hands on her touching, feeling, exploring, squeezing, and suffers her shame in silence. Tears drip down her cheeks as she tolerates what no good woman would, trading her shame for a safe and warm Abner in a dry blanket. Tolerates the seaman's hands on her, feeling and touching, feels a seam rip, thinks of Dock as he lowered her to the deck for a repulsive eternity. Finally, she pushes him away and rises.
With an almost angry look on his face Bibbo motions her to him, but she shakes her head. Shame-filled Jannette straightens her wet clothing, hurriedly bends over to pick-up the dry blanket, and feels again his hands on her hips. In a sudden panic she whirled away from Bibbo and into the safety of the women's hold.
Inside trying to calm, breathing heavily, she wraps Abner in his dry blanket, and in a few minutes her baby warms and stops shivering. A relieved mother stretches out his wet blanket to dry on the deck, holds him until he fusses, lets him suckle, and soon Abner sleeps. Much later a silent wildly sobbing Jannette slows to sniffles and finally sleeps.
The next morning they are fed a bowl of porridge and a dry biscuit and again at night. None were allowed up on deck, and all save Abner feel uneasy with an increased rocking and tilting floor. During the day Mister Bibbo enters their hold with a block of wood, hammer, chisel, and roving eyes. With busy eyes he lifts each hem up on a left knee, lets them hold it high while he cut the shackle off each left leg.
Jannette can see that looking at so many women's bare limbs has excited him and knows what Bibbo wants even before he cuts her shackle free last. She promises herself never to be alone with him again. When finished and ready to leave Bibbo's beady brown eyes in his big square face stare openly at her. Finally, Bibbo's eyes stare into hers, glances twice toward the door, and motioned with his head toward the hallway. Pretending not to understand his intentions Jannette forces a thank you smile, stands, and hands back his folded blanket before returning her attentions to Abner.
IV
After midnight the second night all the women were awaken by a thump and bump. Overhead there were shouts. After a few minutes Mister Bibbo opens their hold door, lit the candle-lantern, and orders, "On deck." He stands leaning back partial in the doorway pretending to hold the door back so each woman has to press against him to push past. Desperately Jannette hurries not to be last. Even then with four behind her she feels Bibbo's possessive hands on her front and behind as she pushes past.
On deck a short bow-legged seaman motions toward another ship tied up along side. All the women walked in single file across the deck to a wide plank to the next ship's deck. On that new ship a short stout seaman leads them down to a hold filled with hammocks strung from hooks.
Answering an unasked question the seaman told them, "It holds forty-five."
It surprised them that four hammocks were already filled with women that stared at them. The seaman seemed surprised to see a baby. Smiling he demonstrated how to climb in and out of a hammock. Chuckled as they try and some fail. For these he demonstrated it again and this time all were successful. With one too many women the seaman steps out and returns with two blankets that he folds in half for a pad on the floor. Jannette and Abner take the pad and she nods her thanks. The seaman smiles at the women, blows out the candle-lantern, and closes the door.
In the morning the deck rolls more violently. It was either a storm or they were at sea. While Abner suckles the lock clicks and the door opens. Surprised eyes stare at a gray-headed thick waist wide-bodied older woman of average height in the doorway staring at a suckling child.
"I'm Mrs. Esther Fowble your Matron. I was not told one of you had a child. None of you will talk to any seamen on this vessel. You will talk to me. Right now we are at sea more than a hundred miles off Lands End. Today, after breakfast you will bathe, select two new dresses, two complete sets of underwear, a pair of shoes, two pairs of long stockings, two pairs socks, a cotton head cover, wool head cover, gloves, and cape. A canvas carry will be provided. All old clothing goes into storage."
Mrs. Fowble turns her head and orders, "Bring it in."
Two seamen carry in a huge kettle o
f steaming porridge, large serving dipper, and two more follow with a crate of bowls and spoons and a box of hard dry biscuits. After the men leave, Mrs. Fowble orders, "I'll be back in an hour. Eat up we only serve morning and evening on board," and left closing and locking the door behind her.
The room buzzed and women moved around filling bowls and the buzz slows as bowls empty. Some dip a second bowl. Others with a full belly whimpered fearfully over fear of being unable to keep it down and others force down a few more spoonfuls. Most pockets hold a dry biscuit or two for later.
A young skinny sandy-haired woman, barely past being a girl, looking no more than fourteen or fifteen, repeatedly whimpers.
"I wana ... go home."
Others with misty eyes scoot over beside her to share her misery. Suddenly, a tall, two-inches over six-foot, husky-framed brown-headed giant of a woman stood, walked through them, scattering wet-eyed sniffling women like a trotting horse scatters chickens. The big woman plopped her thick heavy body down beside the young one and strong arms easily pulls the whimpering girl's skinny body against her, and gentle hands press her small misty eyed face against her huge breasts. Holding the girl like she was a mere child the big woman spoke to her loud enough for the others to hear.
"A brave woman has brave sons. A cowardly woman has cowardly sons."
In the hushed room the big woman whispers again loudly to the young one she hugs and pats to quiet her fears.
"Be brave for your unborn sons."
In a few minutes the big woman lets the wet-faced young one finish her meal but stays by her side. "Don't fear ... Stella's here," the big woman tells her young frightened charge glancing up at her often for reassurance and sniffles cease. Misty eyes in the room dry.
The rest of the meal is quiet until Mrs. Fowble returned with the same four seamen to take the remains away and carry in two canvas tubs. Behind them came six seamen each carrying two buckets of cold seawater to pour in. The women quietly watch the six leave and return with more. On the last trip the water in the buckets steamed. Mrs. Fowble motioned the sailors outside and motioned others to enter. Two seamen carried in a bale of cloth went back for two more as men above slid them down the ladder. Then, the seamen carried in a line of crates and barrels, and hammered off the tops before they left handing the Matron a small sack.
Mrs. Fowble closed and barred the door. Smiling she took out of a pocket of her dress a small knife and cut the cords on the bales and out spilled dresses, underwear, and capes. Standing tall and straight she gave new orders.
"This tub is for washing and that one is for rinsing. Pile your old clothing there." Mrs. Fowble points at a corner and then to a spot next to the first washtub, opens the drawstring on the sack, and dumps out a half dozen bars of lye soap. Mrs. Fowble points at the first six women next to her ordering "Pull off those rags." Neither she nor the others were surprise to see more than one without a petticoat under lifted and dropped dresses.
While she waits for her and Abner's turn, Jannette remembers Dock.
A little more than two hours later each wet-head was under a dry cotton head-cover. Feeling like someone special, each woman sat flushed-faced and warmly dressed. Each wore underwear, a full length petticoat, a half petticoat, a wrinkled presentable dress, a new feeling wrinkled musky smelling leather belt, warm long socks that pulled up over their knees, stiff buckled shoes, and wrapped a thick warm cape around them. Beside them lay a folded blanket, a pair of woolen gloves, a hair brush, a small hand-sized mirror, a small roll of red or yellow ribbon, one tiny bottle of sweet smelling powder that Jannette had already used on Abner's red bottom, and a thick woolen bonnet
Around the room for the first time in a long time faces held looks of hope. Hands still not believing their good fortune clutched a small canvas-carry sack with handles made from two wooden pieces slid between loops and tied with a short cord held a second dress, a pair of long stocking, a pair of socks, a full set of underwear, a petticoat, and two half petticoats. Each woman sat proudly and hopeful as seamen entered to scoop out dirty and soapy water, carry away both tubs, and bundled up the damp towels.
Before leaving Mrs. Fowble handed Jannette two more blankets saying, "Use 'em as you see fit." The matron knew the mother had slept without a blanket and given hers to her child. Jannette thanked her with a smile; and Mrs. Fowble handed the smiling Jannette a spool of white thread with a needle stuck in it, a short stubby scissor, pointed at the pile of old clothes, and told her.
"Take whatever you think will help you make things for the child. The rest I'll tie up and the Company might be able to sell the bundle."
Smiling Mrs. Fowble turned to the rest. "From now on the Captain will allow us ten minutes a day to stand on deck in the sunlight and open air. That is if weather permits. I'll go up and see when he is ready for us." Still smiling Mrs. Fowble closed the door behind her.
More than two hours later a smiling Mrs. Fowble returned, opened the door, and motioned for them to follow her. They quickly tied on warm bonnets and pulled on woolen gloves. She led them up the ladder and outside on a bright sunny deck in a brisk northwest wind. Blinking women breathed crisp salt-spray air and stood with feet wide apart for balance on a rolling deck wrapping woolen capes tight around them. Hope on faces turned to excitement over a great adventure, stared at billowing sails, white topped waves and billowing clouds as far as the eye could see, and not one of the women was unhappy that every seaman stopped a moment to stare at their ship's ninety-one passengers. Each seaman took a longer look at Jannette and child with a look of pleasure on usual stern faces.
Long days settled into a routine only varied by weather too violent, too cold, or too snowy to stand on deck. Some became seasick and others helped them through it. Their hold smelled horrible, a gut retching smell, until seasickness passed. Slowly the odor lessened until it faded into the persistent smell of numerous bodies in a small space. Through it all Jannette made a long legged small brown coat and hat for Abner and a little warm outer gown out of a blanket for his trips up on deck. The three old pale faded linen dresses and seven cotton petticoats that Mrs. Fowble supplied made five outer gowns, five cotton inner gowns, nine sets of underwear gowns, and made a baker's dozen napkins.
Each day Mrs. Fowble ordered just for Jannette a bar of soap and an extra bucket of seawater to washout Abner's napkins in and a small rope to hang them over to dry.
The month of January rolled into February without the routine varying greatly. Yet, a change happened to all them now use to the rocking ship for they pass through small storms without any seasickness.
In the middle of the third week a woman in the other hold complained of belly pains. A concerned ship's doctor rushed up and down the ladder tending to his patient. Nothing eased the woman's pain and six days later the woman died. Jannette heard the doctor say in the wind some words she could not make out.
Quiet descended on the ship as a canvas wrapped body was carried upward, across the deck, and all ninety women gathered around a corpse. Behind them stood all the seamen, hats off, and then the Captain stepped forward to read a passage from a book about how on Judgment Day the sea shall give up its dead. With his nod two husky seamen lift the end of the board high and the corpse slid downward to splash in the sea. The Captain turned and yelled, "Dismissed."
For days the ship was unusually quiet. Then, a large dangerous storm hit and new fears chased away thoughts of the dead woman. For days the deck rose and fell violently pitching back and forth. Three new cases of seasickness made their room smell horrible again as sleet rattled against the ship and sails. Noises and voices that they heard told them of an injured seamen but no one spoke of it.
For three days Mrs. Fowble could not even get down to them and they missed two meals. Women shared saved biscuits. Seawater leaked down the stairway and trickled under their door. To keep her pad dry Jannette poked one of her rolled blankets under the door to stop it.
Three days later, seas calmed and Mrs. Fowble announced they
would be allowed their ten minutes again. On deck Jannette and Abner found a gentle breeze as scattered snow flakes floated a slanted course downward. After that the routine returned interrupted only by occasional rain showers on through March and into early April.
During the second and third week of April everyone cleaned, scrubbed every inch of the floor, walls, and ceiling of their room, washed clothes and dried them on over hammocks. During the fourth week every woman bathed extra carefully, washed, brushed, tied ribbons in each other's hair, used a little precious scented powder, and prepared for landfall.
On Tuesday April 16th Mrs. Fowble started in on her daily talks about their arrival.
"I was told by the Captain that we will land at Jamestown Colony on Sunday the twenty-eighth or Monday the twenty-ninth. Volunteers will have first chance to find a husband who will pay 120 pounds of tobacco before marrying. The 120 pounds of tobacco will repay the Company for your transportation costs. Those women that do not wish to marry will be sold by lot as indentured servants for 120 pounds of tobacco. An indentured servant must work for the buyer for seven years without pay to repay the buyer. After the volunteers are married and those choosing to be are indentured are taken, any remaining will be married off by lot for 120 pounds of tobacco. Any still refusing to marry will be sold off as an indentured servant to the first man offering 120 pounds tobacco. I will repeat this information every afternoon until we dock."
V
Mrs. Fowble's talks made Jannette worrying about a strange man, the next one in line, buying her. The idea that her new husband would buy her like he might buy a cow, horse or sack of turnips was troublesome. The thought of having no say in what man she married seemed cruel, but Abner needed a father. She knew she would have to agree no matter how repulsive he was, but had nightly shivers over it.
A sunny almost cloudless Monday, the 29th day of April, 1619, their ship docked at Jamestown and a group of men had gathered to see the women. A long gangplank was lowered to allow the women to walk down. On Mrs. Fowble's insistence all volunteer women stand for three minutes in a line two deep so the men could look at them. At a full minute and a half after turning over of a sandglass a sailor blew a whistle and the women changed places.
In front of them stood a quiet crowd of more than three hundred staring men and the women stared back. Beyond the crowd the women saw a strange new world of log buildings and fields with scattered stumps.
Most men in the crowd hoped for a wife and others at least wanted a look at the women. After the second whistle, the first group, the volunteers, at Mrs. Fowble's nod walked forward all shy, frightened, and smiling into the crowd of men. Each one stopped to talk to several and soon returned to a ship's official on a man's arm. The woman waited while her selected man carried forward his 120 pounds of tobacco, collected a receipt, hurried back, to stand in a line waiting for a black robed priest to marry them. Soon, all three priests had long lines of waiting couples. Not a single volunteer failed to stand in a marrying line.
While waiting for long marriage lines to shorten and indentured servants taken, Mrs. Fowble talked and pleaded with animated hands and in hushed tones with a small group of Company leaders. When it looked like the marriage lot drawings were about to start for her and the others, Jannette shivered and gritted her teeth on a warm clear morning with a few white puffy clouds off to the north. She had been too shy and nervous to volunteer.
Just when Jannette thought she was doomed to be married by lot for a Company official walked over to the man standing at the wooden box ready to draw a woman's name whenever a man with a receipt stepped forward. The official talked to him a moment. Mrs. Fowble returned to her charges, motioned for them to gather around, and whispered her news.
"Governor Yeardley, the new governor, has agreed to let you have an equal chance to walk through the crowd and find your own husband. If you cannot, the lot drawings will. You have less than a quarter hour, three turns of that sand glass."
Faces around the group smiled shyly with hopeful excitement. At Mrs. Fowble's smiling nod, the women scattered out in a second double line for three minutes. Men pressed closer even before the first whistle when a seaman announced that it was the last group. After the seaman's whistle Jannette holding Abner took her turn of standing in the front row. In a minute and a half at a second whistle the line of women moved forward into the crowd.
Gently Jannette squeezed Abner tight and stared at bearded, mustached, and clean shaven staring faces hoping one would smile and ask, hoped she did not have to pick one, and beg. Who would buy a wife with a baby and expecting another? It frightened her that she needed to confess to a strange man that for she was expecting another man's child. Jannette feared that information might send a possible husband quickly walking away. Hoped she would not have to get a man by lot, but she had to have one.
Her mother's often made scold suddenly returned. "An immoral woman thinks any man will do" filled her head. Her mother's oft harped words whenever catching Jannette returning glances of older boys and men.
In the buzz of talk and staring eyes of men a light-headed Jannette glances left at a tall skinny whiskered man that seems to be interested in her by the way he is looking at her, hopes he will speak, and bumps into a short wide-shouldered portly man with long hanging thick arms staring at Stella nearly a foot taller than him. Jannette's head turns and steps away, but stumbles into a stout man that looked unafraid of hard work. His rough hands grabbed her arms to keep her from falling. His strength steadied her.
"Sorry Ma'am," a pleasant gravely voice that reminds her of Dock apologizes to her as a knuckle touches his forehead like a military man saluting with a dip of his head and shoulders in a small bow.
"No, it was my fault." Jannette answers self-conscious over pretending to be a lady without a curtsey, but how could she lift her skirt for a curtsey holding Abner. Instead, she smiles and glances downward respectfully.
The bearded man points at the bundle she carries and pulls back a corner of the blanket to look at the baby. The man asks with a smile, "Ma'am, is that your baby?"
"Yes. I'm Mrs. Jannette Laffin, a widow. Abner is my son, and sir, I must inform you that I am expecting another."
"Ma'am, I'm Leet Aaron May. A boy can be a big help with chores and in the fields. I am not rich. I lease three acres of land from the Company and have a small log cabin."
A shy warm flush spreads over her nervous face, has hope he is asking, and looks down. The flush spreads down her long thin neck. Feeling warm suddenly Jannette looks down respectfully and quickly glances back up into friendly brown eyes.
"Mister May, did you just ask me to marry you?"
"Yes Ma'am," Leet May replies and his smile spread from his eyes to his lips and that pleased Jannette. "I'd be honored," Mister Leet Aaron May adds quickly.
"I agree ... Leet, I'm Jannette."
"Jannette," Leet Aaron quickly answers, warmly grins, and shyly puts his strong right arm around her. Smiling and glancing at each other they walk to the ship line. In the line Jannette waits holding their place while Aaron carries his 120 pounds of tobacco forward and collects a receipt.
After a short wait that seemed long to both of them, the overworked clergyman hurried through the ceremony.
"Do you take this woman as your lawfully wife?"
"I do," Leet replies in a crisp and clear voice.
"Do you take this man as your lawful husband?"
"I do," replies Jannette in a soft hoarse emotional tone.
"Empowered by Mother Church and King James, and before God, I pronounce you husband and wife."
Leet's lips briefly touch his new bride's pale cheek and glances into her misty eyes. He turns back to hand the minister's assistant clergyman the required six pence in copper. Next, he led his bride left to a Company Clerk table, showed his receipt, and identified himself, "Leet Aaron May age 23." The clerk wrote his name, looked up at her, and she told the clerk, "Jannette Anne May age 18." The clerk dipped his pen, wrote
her name after her husband's name. The clerk pointed at the baby. Jannette told him, "Abner Henry May," and the clerk wrote it down and asked, "Age." Quickly, Jannette added two months due to Abner's size and for social acceptance. She answered, "seven months."
As the clerk looked away at the next couple Jannette led her new husband toward the women's things piled on the dock. Together they found Jannette's canvas-carry tied with a scrap of maroon dress hem she saved. Offering to carry her canvas-carry Leet starts them walking northeast toward her new home.
After five quiet minutes of walking his new bride whispers, "My arms are tired."
A grinning Leet takes his son, hands Jannette the lighter carry-all and continues on.
Every ten or fifteen minutes they stop to rest and talk little at first. Glances, shy looks, and touching hands gradually help remove awkwardness. By the second rest stop Leet starts talking when Jannette asks about his land. Leet talks, she asks a question, and he explains. Their conversation continues this way for an hour and goes on even after they turn northwest for another half hour toward home.
Along the way Abner fusses, forces a stop, and is changed but still fusses. With a deep crimson face Jannette bares first one breast and then the other for Abner to suckle. A glancing away and back turns Leet's face crimson too. He holds the child and openly stares while she covers herself and ties up her dress flaps.
Over a small tree stump littered roll of land Jannette sees small log cabins along a two track cart road, and Leet points at the third one. Minutes later she takes back Abner and follows her husband up a path to a small log cabin with a door, one window with the shutters closed, and log chimney.
Pulling a leather thong Leet opens the door and throws open the window shutters. Surprised, light fills a single room, Jannette stares at a small open space and steps inside on a packed dirt floor. Out of a wooden-water bucket Leet dips a pewter cup of stale water and drinks it. She lays a sleeping Abner on the unmade bed in the corner and Leet hands her a cup.
Sipping stale water and sitting on a stool resting Jannette's eyes inspect a rough homemade table, another three-legged stool, a homemade bed frame fastened in the corner, and two wooden supply boxes. On the wooden fireplace a long swinging iron rod held an iron pot, an empty wooden washtub, and wooden water-bucket. Leet kneels to stir up a fire with wood shavings. Soon smoke changes into flames. Over the flames he lays larger wood pieces and pushes the pot over the flames.
"Supper," Leet tells her pointing at the pot. "I've chores," he tells her going outside.
Investigating she sees that one box has cooking supplies and the other is empty save for three iron pans, an iron lid, two tablespoons, three large wooden stirring spoons, two smaller spoons, and a small and large butcher knife. Quickly, she empties this second box, stacks the items on the table, folds Abner's blanket in the bottom, and lays the sleeping child down in his new cradle. A curious peak into the hanging pot finds a stew warming; and Jannette finds an empty wooden peg on the wall, hangs up her canvas-carry on it, smiles, sits down again to rest, and waits for her husband's return.
After supper as darkness settles around with a crimson face Jannette bares herself so Abner can suckle. A flush-face Leet keeps talking about his place, about his plans, but his eyes stare openly at his bride. Happy over a full belly Abner giggles at Leet and grabs at his offered finger until sleepy. With the child sleeping in his box, Leet closes the shutters, pulls in the leather thong, and bars the door. It is time Jannette knows and starts to disrobe. Leet turns his back as his wife works her dress down over her hips, hears cloth rustle to the tabletop, and moments later his bride slips under the blanket.
A soft shy, "Leet," announces he can turn around. With the blanket pulled up to her chin she watches her husband disrobe, pile his clothing on top of hers on the table, and hurry to join her. Lying side by side for a time quietly as the covers warms them, his hand finds hers. Minutes later her second husband rolls over on his side against her and kisses her gently. Just as gently Jannette returns his kiss. During half a dozen small gentle warm kisses she lifts her hands to touch his ribs, felt his work-rough fingers gently touch her, feel of her, and explore her soft warm unresisting flesh. His gradual much longer kisses turn into wanting ones; Jannette promises herself to never deny him his right. Soon, Leet's kisses turn more insistent, slowly he lifts, and she scoots under him.
VI
Days settle into routines of helping Leet with chores, cooking and washing, hoeing in the fields being prepared for planting, sweeping the dirt floor once every day, and tending Abner as days warm. Preparing the land took weeks and seemed endless, but the planting only took four exhausting from can-see to can't-see days.
For Jannette the best moments of her day were those times of warm caring kisses in Leet's strong arms, and her best day of the week was their required church attendance. It demanded a bath for everyone the evening before and a clean set of clothes, but the labor was small compared to the reward. In England the Laffin family had not attended church with great regularity but here Jannette made sure the May family never missed. It freed her from labor for a day and she enjoys talking to others before and after the service.
From these conversations she found out about things happening in the colony, its place in English law and attitude, and was surprised to learn that people called Indians lived deep in the western forest. After that she fearfully kept a wary eye on the edge of the trees when outdoors and made sure the shutter and door were barred at night.
On the first Monday in May Leet left early before sunrise for his trip to Jamestown for his allotment of supplies: twenty-five pounds of flour and a half-pound of salt. All morning she sat in the house, feeling terribly alone and frightened, with the door and shutters barred.
Long after the sun passed overhead a trotting breathless Leet returned with a pack on his back shouting, "Land" and waving. Breathless with joy on his face he told her, "We have a hundred acres." Not understanding or believing Jannette frowned, and when his pack was off his hands grabbed hers. He danced her around and around.
"Wife, we're rich ... a hundred acres."
"It's too much. It can't be," she told her laughing husband.
Leet stopped, dug a paper out of his pack, and waved in front of her face. When Jannette grabbed his hand so she could read the paper a shocked look crosses Leet's face.
"Read ... Woman, you can read?"
"Poorly ... here under your name I see written 100 acres."
Warmly Leet kissed his wife and proudly spoke in a bragging tone. "My smart wife that can read, it is true!"
"Only a Lord has so much. Is it a mistake? Will they punish us if we try to use it? Will they take it away?"
"No. Governor Yeardley ordered each man, each family, be given such. He called it a 'Head Right.'"
"Husband, a hundred is more than my mind understands. I see the paper. I know how big three acres be. It is hard for me to imagine ninety-seven more. I would believe it if I could see the land. How can you and I prepare and plant so much?"
"It's a half hour north and a little northwest. Our fortune lies within sight of the York."
"What's the York?"
"A northern inlet from the sea that is too wide to see across. Woman, grab Abner, and I'll wrap some bread in a towel for my backpack. Smart wife who can read and teach our children, we three shall have a picnic like a Lord and Lady on our land near the sea."
With a flushed face Jannette helps him unload his pack and pushed a folded blanket, towel, and wrapped loaf of bread he hands her into it, lifts Abner chewing on a wooden spoon up off the bed, washes his hands and squirming face, and followed her happy husband out the door.
An hour later under a tall pine a smiling Leet spread their blanket, lays his pack on it, and pointed northeast at hazy blue water. "See it. See the York. Some day, I believe that down at the end of this track of a road ships will load and unload. There may even be a town, church, and wharf."
Jannette kissed her husb
and's whiskered cheek flushed with happiness and his arm hugged her. After a long minute of looking out at the York and imagining he turns his eyes toward his land. They walked and looked at their land, a hundred green acres flecked by a multiple of spring colors from flowers, ferns, weeds, grasses, brush, and numerous tall pines. Out at their hundred Head Right acres, two pair of darting eyes stare, almost not daring to blink fearful that the wonder of it would vanish, looked on it in wonder and joy. They easily laugh about their rabbits, turtles, and an assortment of birds.
"My arms are tired," Jannette told her husband laying Abner on the blanket and sitting down beside him. Leet cut two thick slices of bread and she pulled Abner's wooden spoon out of the backpack. Both sit a while watching Abner, chew on their bread, hold hands, and trade warm caring smiles. Both look out again at the York and back at their land-it was still there. Finally, both of them believe it, believe the land was theirs. The heady joy of havingso much hits them again and Jannette lets a little happy giggle slip out. Looking at his wife Leet chuckles and hugs her. For more than an hour they sit, smiling, nibbling on bread, and staring at their great fortune.
After Abner was changed and fed they went for a walk of discovery on their land. In the southwest corner was a stand of Pitch Pine that Leet said he would not cut, but tap and collect sap. Jannette stared at him strangely until he whispered, "a money crop." An hour and a half later they returned to their blanket for a rest. Leet points at a small roll of land. "The cabin goes there where the trees are thick and the land has a small roll. I want to be able to look out at the York."
Jannette looks at where he pointed and nods, hugs her husband, and whispers, "My child's moving."
VII
In the days that followed Leet made an agreement with Earl Price, his new neighbor, to help build his house and Earl would help with theirs. Also, Leet promised to help build his barn and clear one field in return for this year's pair of oxen calves.
Every morning after full dawn for more than a month Leet walked north and left all acreage work to his wife. The Company officials allowed fee holders to stay on their fee land until their crops were harvested. Now showing Jannette was left to struggle with the work on their fee land. Long hours she hoed an acre of tobacco and gathered wood for cooking fires. Abner, a chubby happy child, learned to crawl down tobacco rows or through grass and brush.
On the third Sunday after church the next month Leet took her and Abner over to meet the Price family at their small fee acreage home. When Leet told her that Price's wife was a giant of a woman Jannette smiled knowing it could be no other than Stella.
When they arrived Jannette saw in front of the Price's small cabin the big woman she knew from the crossing, remembered how Stella had quieted the young frightened ones. A smiling Stella stood a good head taller than the thin wide shouldered man at her side. A grinning Earl Price introduced his wife. They shook hands and hugged. From their shared experience both women trusted each other but would never speak of the crossing.
Loudly a happy Stella whispered giggling and placed on Jannette's belly a single hand, "Third month ... I think."
Equally loud Jannette answered with both hands holding hers, "Started to kick yesterday."
While the men talk of building and planting Stella had to hold and play with Abner. Both women talked of cooking, working out in the fields, and joys of motherhood. Neither spoke of their life in England or the crossing, but numerous times both praised Governor Yeardley in the highest terms. All afternoon Stella pestered Jannette into letting her feel hers kick.
At day's end all four agreed to let their wives look at the new walls of two new cabins and newly dug wells next Sunday. It made the next week long for both.
Nearly three months later they moved to their new cabin on their own land and started clearing new fields. Their crops on the fee land neared harvesting time and at church they learned that due to the shortage of workers most of the large land owners had purchased a few black-skinned indentured servants from an August ship and more blocks of fee-lands had been given out by lot to stock holders.
On a warm pleasant January dawn Jannette's water broke and she had to remind a rattled Leet to run for Stella. On the morning of the next day just after midmorning as the sky started to overcast forecasting a storm an exhausted Jannette delivered a husky baby boy in the middle of a gusty rainstorm. The downpour forced a blushing Leet and happy Abner indoors early. Leet tried not to watch, but finally turned around on his tool. A smiling and sweaty Stella dried the child and carried her new son to her. Stella stood smiling down at the pair with both hands on her growing belly and made Jannette promise to help her when it was her time. A smiling and exhausted Jannette agreed, and Leet named his second son Primm.
Just before dawn on the snowy seventh day of March Stella woke Earl, felt her pain start, and whispered. "It's time."
An excited Earl dressed and ran to the Mays for Jannette. During Jannette and Leet's smiling good-morning kisses a puffing excited Earl banged urgently on their door. He yelled, "Its Stella's time ... can't wait."
They could hear him rush back home. Quickly, they dressed. Jannette left Leet to look after Abner, let baby Primm suckle, and then hurried over to the Price cabin with Primm. Two days later after a good snowfall Jannette struggled home through snow drifts carrying Primm to announce between happy kisses and hugs all around, "A healthy girl named Della."
VIII
Through continued talks about a growing Indian problem both the Price and May families cleared and planted another field in 1620 and another in 1621. May's oxen calves matured to full size and eased Leet's work load, but a second child to care had increased Jannette's. In the fall of 1620 Stella delivered a son Wesley and Jannette a daughter Lexie. Both wives were expecting again when they heard at church of the Colony Security Force killing several in a hostile group of Indians on the 22nd of March and were told to look out for raids. The next day both Earl and Leet ordered their wives and children to stay inside after they heard strange yells off in the woods to the south. A runner came and ordered all men to join the Defense Force Militia.
Sitting in her cabin with the window and door barred alone with only an axe and butcher knife to protect herself and her children frightened Jannette. All day her two sons and daughter fussed. Even her expected baby seemed to kick more than normal. By the middle of the morning of the second day the water bucket was empty and dry. Jannette knew she had to go outside to get a bucket of water. Carefully she studied the door. Leet had burned a hole into the bar and door and put a leather string through the door so one could open it from the outside by pulling on a leather thong. At night the bar was dropped and the knotted thong pulled inside through the hole bigger than her finger. After thinking for a time she slipped a butcher knife behind her belt and with a look of determination lifted the empty water-bucket. Quietly, she stood at the door and waited until Abner, the oldest, looked at her.
"Abner, I have to go and get water. You must look after Primm and Lexie."
Her oldest son stared at her, stuck his finger in his mouth, and stared back at his mother.
After a moment of hesitation, not wanting to go, unsure whether Abner understood or not, but hoped he did. Quickly, Jannette turned to hurry through the door, lifted the bar by pulling on the thong, and released the thong to lower the bar behind her. Pushed on the door to make sure it was closed. Hurried steps took her to the well, lowered the well-bucket on its rope so fast her hands pained, wiggling and jerked the rope to fill the bucket, and pulled it back up. Sweating more than the work required she poured the water into her house bucket, in haste splashed a little water on her skirt, and holding the bucket with both hands hurried back toward the house.
Halfway her face paled. Jannette heard strange yells in the woods behind her, knew Indians were raiding her house, and her steps changed to desperate trotting splashing half of her water on her skirt. Terrible yells closed on her. At ten steps from the door and safety an arrow sailed ove
r her right shoulder to thump into a log near the door, running as fast as she could now with only her left hand clutching the half-full water-bucket, and the other yanked free her butcher knife.
Less than two desperate steps from the door something brutally slammed into her back driving the air from her lungs, her bucket and knife fell, and terrible pain drove her forward arms flung outward to crash fully against the closed door. Devastated by pain, a strange sudden weakness, and surprised by a growing darkness Jannette slid downward to her knees. Desperately her left hand clutched at the leather drawstring, found it, grinding her teeth over the effort, and fighting for another breath through a graying dim light her finger pushed the knotted end of the leather thong back into its hole.
As the knot fell back inside the cabin she felt a second violent slamming into her back and surrendered to a new sudden burst of hellish pain. Jannette tried to say, "Leet" crumbled facedown against the bottom of her door, so near safety, unable to see, fighting for another breath, felt warm blood running down her ribs, and drowning in her ocean of pain. In her darkness Jannette heard the slap-slap of several pairs of running feet closing on her. Hopes her children would be safe, weak lips try once more to speak their names, and fails half-way through Abner. Blackness deeper than night closes around her, loses her fight for a breath, and felt a brutal yank on her hair.
X
The next afternoon Leet was released from the Defense Force Militia, to see his barn burned, and both his oxen dead. With the western sun low in the sky he stepped around the corner of his cabin and saw his dead wife Jannette lying face down in front of his cabin, two arrows in her back, and an upturned water-bucket beside her. Leet rushed to his dead wife hating himself for not having enough sense to untie the well-bucket and have two full water-buckets inside. Holding Jannette his bawling starts a wailing inside the house and that sound finally reaches his grieving mind. Tries to open the door, can not find the latch, and notices for the first time the chop marks on the door and window shutters. Leet knew they did not get inside. Not able to find the bar-latch thong he wonders how that could be so with his wife outside. At a spot between split logs, where war axes had chopped trying to get to his bar, his knife carved a grove, slipped the blade under the bar, and eased it upward.
Inside Leet comforts wailing children, carries them out to the well, and pulls up a bucket. After giving his children water, he starts cleaning and dressing his children. His sharp knife notches arrow shafts, shaking angry fingers break them off, and carries his dead wife inside to their bed. He straightens her hair and washes her face. Crying again he kisses Jannette goodbye and kisses her large belly saying goodbye to his unborn child. Bawling he pulls the patch quilt Jannette was so proud of making over her.
Sniffling he studies the old leather thong, notices the knot has dried blood on it, and realizes his dying wife had poked it back inside. Leet understood how it happened after seeing that his butcher knife was gone. He realized that Jannette carried it and the Indians carried it away. Bawling again Leet pushes the knotted end through the hole again. This small task accomplished he closes and bars the door. Misty eyed Leet starts off carrying Lexie and two boys hanging on to his trousers toward the Price farm. It was a slow trip but a trip he had to make for he had a painful thing to tell Mrs. Stella Price.
When he knocked and spoke his name Stella Price opened the door. The big neighbor woman only asked after seeing just him and the children, "Jannette ... Earl?"
Sad-faced red-eyed Leet nodded.
It was enough. Stella knew that her Earl and his wife Jannette were gone. Misty eyed and sniffling the new widow stepped forward to take Lexie out of his arms. Her strong arm pulled his shorter frame against her big soft body and leans over to bawl on his shoulder. When down to sniffles, Stella pulls him inside, bars the door, and points at the fire. Carefully feeding kindling to the coals it soon changes into flames and Leet swings her stew kettle over flames. As he sat lost in grief Stella changed and washed the children, and let Lexie and Wesley suckle what little they could for her milk was drying up.
After supper the stew pot was empty. It was a quiet room filled with two grieving people and the children soon drifted off to sleep. A sniffling Stella pulled Leet down to sit on her bed beside her and leaned over to cry on his shoulder. Grieving arms held each other and it comforted both. In the dark room slowly Stella's strong arms pulled him down fully on the bed beside her. Strangely holding her soft larger body, so different than Jannette, did comfort him. Holding each other they drift off to sleep.
Hours later in the blackness Leet woke with his arm tingling under her heavy head, and his movement woke Stella.
"Leet, call me Stella," she whispered, rolling over against him, scooted up to help feeling return to his arm, laid her head on his shoulder, and threw an arm over his chest and a heavy thigh over his.
"Stella," a puzzled Leet repeats to let her know he heard as the tingling eases as feeling returns to his arm, and he starts again to hold her large soft frame-to comfort her.
Suddenly, in the darkness Stella leans her head over and down to his and kissed him full on the lips with soft moist lips. It was more than a neighbor comforting a neighbor kiss.
The length and nature of her warm moist kiss shocks Leet. In a moment his stiff lips shock him again as his lips returns her kiss with all of his wanting for his dead wife. The change in his kiss transformed Stella's long warm kiss almost instantly into a wanting and demanding one. In the midst of this change his kiss turn into a wanting one too. During this first real long kiss her hand lifts his left hand to feel and touch her. On and on their extended and demanding kisses fan a surprising flame of passion in both of them. Chasing a mutual desperate frenzy both take a new direction in their lives before they drift off to sleep.
Lexie's crying wakes Leet and Stella casting shy glances at each other over last night before preparing themselves and their children for a sad day. One ox survived to pull a cart with Jannette's blanket-wrapped corpse and five children to the churchyard. The Security Force and militia had transported by carts Earl's body and the other dead there too. Keeping his eye on the children Leet helped dig graves while Stella bawled, washed Earl's face, straightened his hair, kissed his forehead goodbye, and spread the bloody militia blanket back over her husband. When finished, a red eyed Stella collects the children to free Leet to fully help.
After all the burials, both stood together with all five children at two new graves and grieved. Halfway back to the cart Leet nods, Stella nods, and he kissed her cheek before leaving. In a few minutes Leet returned with a black robed minister, three coppers changed hands, quick serious words, life long promises made, and the Minister tells them he will write their marriage document in the holy record for them.
At the cart again, the children are loaded and Leet May took the big misty eyed woman, his new wife Stella May, into his arms to comfort her before starting home. Leet held her until Lexie fussed and forced a separation to start their ox into walking back to the Price cabin-back home. The rocking of the cart quiets the children.
There was no thought of returning to the other cabin. After supper they hold hands and talk about how to survive with what is left until the children drop off to asleep. In a darkening house Mrs. Stella Whannel-Price-May turns her new husband around whispering, "We can't sleep in these clothes two nights." Behind him the rustle of cloth, the creaking bed ropes of a body scooting in, and turns to see Stella's faint white petticoat clad shoulders and bare arms outside of a homemade quilt. Her hand motions to him but when he starts to climb in she shakes her head. Nodding his understanding he stripped down to his underwear, lays his clothing on top of hers on the table, and joins her. In their marriage bed they hold each other quietly for a time and warmly kiss until their passion flames.
Afterward Stella cuddles up close, hugs sweaty Leet, and whispers. "Leet May, you're a rich man. You now own two hundred acres and have five children to help you work it."
"I'm a luc
ky man, Mrs. Stella May," Leet whispers giving his wife a quick warm kiss on the cheek and a gentle pat on a hip.
Her hand pulls his hand down to feel of her round expanding belly and whispers, "Soon, one more."
"It's good we married ... don't you think?"
Leet's answer to her expectancy set Stella off giggling loudly and when able she gave him a warm happy kiss. Its caring flames easily.
XII
A dozen years later, a week after Abner's fifteenth birthday on a cold but bright January day Abner heard noises, stepped around the corner of the barn, and caught Primm trying again to kiss and touch Della. This was not the first time that Primm May the bully tried to use force on pretty tall and slender fourteen-year-old Della Rebbeka Price.
It had started late last fall on warm day. Wesley, Primm, and Leet went to work on clearing an eighth field and left Abner to split wood. The girls were helping Stella on wash day and seeing Abner sitting on a log resting his step-mother sent Della out with a cup of water. Bashfully Della smiled, handed him the water, and sat down beside him. They talked about the little things, the big white clouds in the blue sky, and the pretty colors of the remaining turned leaves. Shyly while they talked Della's small warm hand moved over to rest near his hand and soon Abner held her hand. Shy faces looked into hazel and brown eyes. Talking stopped and for quiet minute something happened between them that did not end with Stella's yell.
"Della, I need you."
Quickly, a blushing Della scooped up his empty cup and hurried back to work. On the way Darla turned her head twice to look back and was happy both times that he still watched her.
After that day they often held hands when no one was around to see, talk soft and quietly about secret feeling, or enjoyed a quiet moment together. They spent as much time as they could together. Both young lovers had a wonderful fall until Primm caught them one afternoon holding hands and whispering.
One look and angry bully Primm walked over and pushed them apart. After that Primm wanted Della's attention as he had wanted everything that Abner had all his life. For a week an insistent Primm tried to kiss Della and got his face slapped repeatedly. Finally, he tried to force her to accept his kiss and put his hands roughly on her. Abner saw him and rushed forward to wrestle Primm to the ground. In the middle of the rolling and grunting Leet pulled them apart. Shaking his head Leet laid three swats across each bent over backside. Since then once or twice a week they were at it again for the same reason and each took from Leet their three swats.
Again Abner saw Primm bothering Della. Quickly an angry Abner rushed to protect Della by pushing Primm away. With one swing his younger bully brother, more than thirty pounds heavier and two inches taller, knocked Abner down. A sniffling Della ran away and when Abner tried to get up Primm kicked him in the ribs. Fighting for wind Abner rolled over, tried to get away from Primm's feet, but was kicked again. Not able to get away from Primm, Abner rolled toward him and grabbed Primm's feet. As Primm struggled he lost his balance and fell.
Abner managed to stand, and when Primm was halfway up Abner's work toughened fist punched into Primm's wide square face as hard as he could. His knuckles hit Primm in the nose, blood splattered, and his long time enemy fell backward with both hands over his bleeding nose. While Primm whimpered Abner limped away.
After Leet found out they stood and took a canning. Della took two swats for leading Primm on. Primm got two for bothering Della and three for fighting with his brother. Abner got just three. Leet took Primm off for a good long talking too while he held a wet wash rag on his swollen nose. Stella took Della into the house for a scolding.
This ended as other times had since late last fall the year before. Now the whispered conversations included Abner applying for his "Head Right." Whispered about how they both could get away, and these moments always led to shy hugs of comfort on snowy February days carrying in wood. On a foggy early March morning when no one could see them holding hands, Della stepped close, lifted her face, and Abner kissed her warm lips.
"I'm sorry," Abner apologized.
Della's hands lifted, pulled Abner's lips down to hers to end all that foolishness, and kissed him full of caring. In an instant his lips kissed her back and both set of arms hugged each other, and held them close during three more kisses full of wonder and a lifetime promise. Only a yell for Della from the fog separated them.
Before church the next Sunday Abner spoke to George Maddux whose brother Delmar was a farmer, miller, and hauled for the larger plantations to the west. George told him his brother Delmar lived in Jamestown and was looking for help. After church while others visited Abner talked to the minister, asked if a fifteen and fourteen-year-olds could marry, and got assurance they could. That afternoon Abner whispered in Della's ear his findings and they made plans.
Late that night Abner left a short note on his bed, gathered up his clothes, took nine copper coins from a wooden bowl where Stella put what she found in Leet's pockets, slipped outside in his heavy wool cloak carrying his bundle like he was going outside to the toilet, and waited for Della. Soon, a nervous and trembling Della slipped outside with her bundle wrapped in a blanket. A quick kiss, a hug of reassurance, and two smiling shadows trotted and walked and trotted again toward Jamestown.
Halfway there they sat on dry pine needles, leaned against the tall spruce, pulled the blanket around them, both faces flushed in the fading moonlight from excited kisses and his feeling hands took their breath away. Tired from hurrying and little sleep they both soon dozed, and bright sunlight at dawn woke them.
Kissing and hugs started their first day. Abner spread their clothing in a row, rolled them inside their blanket, tied the ends with a cord, and pulled the cord over his shoulders. Smiling happily they hurried toward Jamestown holding hands as Della pulled a badly smashed thick slice of bread from her cloak's inner pocket and tore it in half sharing it.
In Jamestown just after the good Reverend Jonathan Seawright had his breakfast he married them for seven pence and wrote in the church record:
Abner Henry May (15) married Della Rebbeka Price (14)
With the last two copper coins Abner bought a small loaf of bread at the Blue Moon Inn and asked about Mister Delmar Maddux. Following the given directions a half hour later with half a loaf left Abner knocked on their door. A heavy woman answered and Misses Nicole Maddux invited them in. Over a cup of tea and two molasses cookies Abner asked.
"Does Master Maddux need a helper?"
"He's been asking around without any success. His man went and took up land to the west. I'm expecting him back this afternoon. Now, don't either of you two go anywhere?"
In friendlier conversation Della let slip about their marriage this morning and Nicole had to hug her and shake his hand. Mrs. Maddux slipped into Abner's hand a half-crown as a wedding present after a slice of bread and bowl of stew dinner and made Della help her cook a cake for a wedding feast supper. In the middle of his house filled with wonderful cake smell Delmar returned.
Mrs. Nicole Maddux greeted her husband with a kiss and, "I've found you a man." Misses Miller motioned at young couple adding, "It's their wedding day."
A smiling Delmar nods at Della and shakes Abner's offered hand. "I've a small cabin out by my stock? You never will go hungry and when its time I'll start you out with an ox, cart, good sharp knife, axe, rifle, pound of powder and lead, and food for the trip west to your own land."
"In truth, Mister Maddux, I do wish to apply for my Head Right next spring."
"Hope you get it. The more farmers ... the more flour I sell and the more I haul. I have two teams of oxen and more land than one man can care for. I suggest you put some wheat, tobacco, or coppers aside. It takes time for wheat or tobacco to grow."
"It is good advice, Master Maddux. I will take it."
Part five
Youth fiction ages 9-14
Ten
Youth Fiction: "A new glove" is a story about a boy wanting a new glove that leads to disappointme
nt and new achievement.
Odd ends Page 12