by C L Lassila
“Come inside with me while I make supper,” Adelaide said. “Tell me about the island.”
For the next few hours Jonas entertained Adelaide with tales from his adventure out on Isle Royale and stories of possible business opportunities. That night she slept in the arms of her husband, but her dreams were of Calix.
The evenings had turned cool. The reds, yellows, pinks and oranges that had colored the forest were finding their way to the forest floor. Although not completely gone, they were gradually being replaced by greys and browns. The decomposing leaves that now blanketed the ground had a spicy aroma that Adelaide found quite pleasurable. She would have spent all day in the woods, but she knew that preparations had to be made for winter.
It was just a few days after Jonas’ return. Adelaide was working in the garden when she heard her name being called. She stopped what she was doing and listened for what she hoped was Calix’s voice. When she heard her name called again she looked around and saw Jonas, who was not expected home for a few hours, walking briskly out on the road, carrying something. She left what she was doing, and hurried to meet him.
“Jonas,” she shouted. “What is it?”
When she reached him he told her to go and open the front door. She watched as he carried the bundle into the unused room and laid it on the bed that had been used by the Greenfield children. He gently pulled one corner of the blanket back to reveal a dog.
Speaking in almost a whisper, Jonas said, “They are using dogs at the mine to pull small carts. The cart was being unloaded near some stacked logs when the logs shifted and fell on the dog. He couldn’t run out of the way because of the cart. When the men dug him out, they saw that the bone was sticking out of his leg. They wanted to shoot the dog but the head man thought that it would be good practice for the mine doctor. I guess that he had not performed an amputation for a while.”
Jonas pulled back the rest of the blanket to reveal the bandaged stump of the rear leg.
“The dog is really bruised up. He hasn’t been moving much, but the doc says that he might survive. He wants to see how he heals up,” Jonas added. “We have to watch for infection.”
“What is the dog’s name?” Adelaide inquired.
“Darwin, I think,” Jonas replied.
“Well, Darwin,” Adelaide said, speaking in a soft voice, “We will see if we can help you feel better.”
Adelaide and Jonas went into the next room.
“Is he suffering?” Adelaide asked.
“The doc says that he’ll have some pain but he wants to see how the dog heals up. It’s a new procedure or something,” Jonas answered. “He said that he should heal quickly and then it shouldn’t cause the dog pain.”
“I don’t like the idea of that dog being experimented on,” Adelaide said.
Jonas kissed his wife on the forehead.
“If it seems like he is suffering, I will put him down,” Jonas said. “Let’s wait and see how he is tomorrow.”
Later that afternoon Adelaide brought the dog a plate of water. She was surprised when he lifted his head and drank. Darwin, she thought, has a desire to live. She went and got a book and sat next to the bed for much of the rest of the day, only leaving to feed the chickens and make dinner. The following morning Darwin was much more alert. Although still not moving much, his eyes were bright and observant. Adelaide made a little extra for breakfast and after she and Jonas ate she brought some food to the dog. He eagerly took the food from her fingers and after eating he ran his wet tongue over her nose.
“You’re sweet,” Adelaide said. “I am so sorry that you were hurt.”
Although it would take work to keep the dog from chewing on the bandage and to keep the wound clean, Adelaide vowed that she would do everything that she could to nurse Darwin back to health. She was glad that he was now free from what would have been a hard life pulling a heavy cart, although it had cost him his leg.
Darwin was a constant source of inspiration for her. She was amazed at how quickly he rebounded. Unlike humans there was no sign of self-pity. When he was able, he took to walking on three legs as if he had never had four. She was impressed at how quickly he adapted to moving about on three limbs. Adelaide’s homestead, which already had a four legged chicken, was now home to a three legged dog. He soon became her steadfast companion.
She was concerned at first, that he would chase the chickens and the wildlife that she so enjoyed watching. Instead he showed little interest. Perhaps he had been trained to not run after things when he was strapped in the cart.
With Darwin healing well and quickly, Adelaide could put that concern behind her and return to preparing for the winter. The Greenfields had left them well provisioned. The woodshed held a good amount of firewood and the cellar was quite well stocked with staples. This was a good start to getting ready for winter but certainly one could not be too prepared for a season known to be harsh. Adelaide began to collect wood that could be used as kindling when she went out in the woods. She would venture off, Darwin now at her side, with an empty burlap sack and return with it full. She knew that once the heavy snows came, no more merchandise would come into the area until the spring. They would have no choice but to live on what they already had.
Adelaide had gotten so busy, caught up in her own affairs, that she had not been into town to visit Nathan Pope. Only once, in the weeks since Mary’s visit to the farm, had Adelaide been able to see that she was able to spend some time alone with Nathan without fear of interruption. But keeping busy had given Adelaide little time to spend thinking about Calix, keeping busy and sheer strong will. The day that she planted the milkweed seeds had been difficult for her. She found herself overwhelmed by the desire to be with him again and allowed herself to fantasize about making love to him with the perfume of the milkweed blossoms heavy in the air.
A boat had arrived with new merchandise for the dry goods store. Jonas had asked her to go into town to purchase some essentials and Adelaide decided to take some time for a visit with Nathan. Perhaps she would see Mary while she was there. Their paths had crossed a few times. On those encounters Mary was still disguised as a man, and as far as Adelaide knew, the girl was still working at the mine.
Darwin would not allow Adelaide to go off by herself, and so he accompanied her into town. As they were walking down Main Street toward the hotel, she spotted Jonas coming from the direction of the harbor. He was carrying a satchel and with him was an attractive young woman, unfamiliar to Adelaide. Darwin, when he recognized Jonas, ran off ahead.
Adelaide waved to Jonas and walked past the hotel, continuing on down the street to meet them.
“Adi,” Jonas said in greeting, “I want you to meet someone. This is Amelia Munday. Amelia, this is my wife, Adelaide.”
Darwin pushed his way into the group, seemingly not wanting to be excluded.
Jonas scratched the dog’s head and said, “This is Darwin.”
Amelia smiled warmly at Adelaide. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she said.
Adelaide returned the smile as Jonas continued, “Amelia has come to take Nathan back to England.”
“You’ve come a long way,” Adelaide said.
It was then that the name Amelia registered with her. This was the young woman that Nathan had spoken of, the young woman who had turned down his proposal of marriage.
“I am sure that Nathan will be very pleased to have you here,” Adelaide said. “I was just on my way to visit him. Is he expecting you?”
“It will be a surprise,” Jonas commented. “Amelia thought it best not to mention it, fearing that some unfortunate occurrence could interfere with her arrival. She didn’t want Nathan to be disappointed.”
“It is good fortune that you arrived safely,” Adelaide replied. “Nathan will be very happy.”
The three walked on to the hotel where they found Nathan sitting in the lobby. Upon seeing Nathan, Amelia immediately ran to him, dropping to her knees in front of him. She affectionately took his hand
in hers. Adelaide and Jonas stood in the doorway and watched the reunion. The two embraced and tears could be seen in Nathan’s unseeing eyes. They decided to leave the couple alone.
Adelaide wondered what would become of Mary if Nathan returned to England without her. She and Jonas were quiet as they walked to the dry goods store. Both had been moved by the sight of Nathan reunited with a loved one from home. At the store, Jonas waited outside with Darwin while Adelaide made her purchases. When she came back out she asked Nathan how he happened to meet Amelia.
“I was the one who wrote to Nathan’s family. When their plans were final they wrote back to inform me that Amelia would be coming here to take Nathan back home. They requested that I not say anything regarding it to Nathan. Today, when her boat arrived, I suppose that she was suddenly nervous about seeing him with his injury, she asked for me. They sent word to me at the mine,” Jonas explained.
“Did you know that Nathan had asked her to marry him and that she had turned him down?” Adelaide asked. “That is why he left England.”
“No, she didn’t mention that,” Jonas said. “Perhaps she came because she feels responsible.”
“Perhaps,” Adelaide said. “But it would be nice for Nathan if she came here because she loves him.”
The following afternoon Adelaide decided that she would visit Nathan again, to say goodbye and to wish him good luck. Admittedly she was curious about how things would turn out. When she arrived at the hotel she found Amelia with Nathan in his room.
“Hello, Nathan. Hello, Amelia,” Adelaide greeted them.
“Adelaide, we’re getting married,” Nathan excitedly announced. “Come in and have a toast with us.”
She went in to join the happy couple, pulling a chair to the side of the bed opposite to where Amelia sat holding Nathan’s hand. Darwin lay down at her feet.
“Congratulation,” Adelaide said, “You finally got your girl. I’m very happy for the both of you.”
“Amelia came here to accept my proposal and take me home,” Nathan continued. “I had thought that my life was over but it is just beginning.”
Amelia poured them a small drink from the bottle on the table. As she handed a glass to Adelaide, Adelaide noticed Mary standing at the door. At that moment Nathan made a toast saying, “To my fiancée Amelia and our life together.”
Adelaide saw the sadness on Mary’s face as she heard Nathan’s words. She stood there for a moment longer and then she was gone.
“To your marriage,” Adelaide said, before taking a sip of the strong liquor.
She stayed and visited with the ecstatic pair for a bit and then said her goodbyes. She had grown quite fond of Nathan and she sincerely wished him well. But she could imagine Mary’s heartbreak.
Before she left, Amelia gave her a big hug.
“Thank you so much for all of your kindness to Nathan. He told me how much you helped him,” she said.
“It was a pleasure to get to know him,” Adelaide replied. “He will be missed by many people here. Good luck to you both.”
As Adelaide left the hotel she looked for Mary, but there was no sign of her. What would become of her now, she wondered.
****
Several days passed with Adelaide attempting to get back into the routine of preparing for the winter. She hoped that Mary would visit her at the farm, but so far she had not attempted to reach out to Adelaide. Adelaide also had to face another concern, the possibility that she might be with child. She refused to tell Jonas. It seemed quite possible to her that he would insist on sending her back to Sault St. Marie to stay with the Lessings rather than endure the hard winter there. Also, in the Sault, there would most likely be a midwife. And so she decided to keep her concern to herself.
Three days after Amelia’s arrival, she and Nathan departed Copper Harbor on a boat bound for the Sault. From there they would make the long trip back to Cornwall. They had gone to the Methodist Church to be wed the day before they left. They wanted to make the journey home as husband and wife.
The talk of the town had become the tale of the brave girl, Amelia, whose love had brought her across the ocean to accept the burden of caring for a blind man. No one but Adelaide seemed to know the other side of the story. Nathan had left behind a lover with a broken heart.
The weekend had arrived. Adelaide’s sketchbook had been left unopened on the table for over a week. She missed her time in the woods and thought fondly back to her time in the Sault, when she had minimal household responsibilities and had spent long afternoons outdoors observing nature. It was a sunny, brisk Saturday. Jonas was off attending to business. He had used his good nature and amiable personality to become friends with most of the powerful men in town. He was skilled at turning those connections into business opportunities. And he was skilled at using his personality to allow him to win at cards while still making friends. Most of the men in the area who had wealth had sat at the card table with Jonas.
Calix had not returned and she tried not to hope that she would see him again before winter.
Having the day to herself, she decided to indulge her desire to be outdoors. Most of the leaves were now off of the trees. It was the evergreens that wore the most color. Darwin followed closely behind her, sometimes venturing a bit away, tracking an intriguing scent. Occasionally he would stop and lift his head, listening to sounds that Adelaide could not hear. She often wondered what the world would be like if experienced through another species’ senses of perception. She walked down to the pond and sat on the hill. Most of the waterfowl had moved on further south, but a large hawk was perched near the top of a tall tree where he had a good view of the surrounding terrain. While walking through the woods Adelaide had picked up several large feathers. Two of them had bold stripes and one was reddish in color. She guessed that they were from a hawk.
As she settled into a comfortable position, Darwin did the same, lying next to her, his head resting on his paws. She was pleased that he did not have the inclination to run off, chasing a rabbit or a squirrel or following one of those interesting smells. Perhaps it was because he had been trained or perhaps it was just his nature. She was happy to have his company, and she was happy to be back surrounded by nature. This was where she felt most content and most relaxed. And it was where she was most present, not caught up in thoughts of other matters and concerns. When she was outdoors her senses seemed more engaged. She felt more awake. She was aware of the smell of the forest, the sounds of wildlife moving through the vegetation around her, the feeling of the warm sun on her face or the caress of the wind and, of course, the innumerable sights. She could lose herself in the sight of a hawk preening on a branch or a caterpillar crawling along a leaf or the forms of the trees, now naked without their leaves. It was a place of wonder and beauty, beauty that she found lacking in the structures and dealings of men. In nature was perfection. She found perfection in it all, from the decaying leaf once golden but now its curling edges turning brown, to the swaying of the reeds responding to the wind’s touch, to the pattern of the bark on the birch tree and the movement of the hawk’s wings as it took flight. It was all exactly as it should be.
She did some rough sketches with the intension of working them into watercolors during the winter months. The hawk had flown off from its perch in the tree. Adelaide sat looking over the pond watching for other wildlife. There was some movement on the far side, across the water. A red fox, its fur a rich sepia color, came out of the bushes to take a drink. It appeared for only a matter of minutes before disappearing back into the woods.
Finished with drawing, Adelaide set down her pad and lay back on the fallen leaves. Even though it was a cool day she was warm in the sunshine. Darwin moved and rested his head on her stomach. She lazily brushed her fingers through his soft fur.
“This is paradise, isn’t it Dar?” she said.
The sun moved across the sky and in time the warm sunshine was replaced by shadow. It was time to go home.
Jonas was in the b
ack chopping firewood when she walked out of the woods.
“You look happy,” Jonas said.
Adelaide gave him a kiss and showed him the feathers that she had found.
“We saw a red fox,” she said.
Setting down her satchel, she then helped Jonas move the cut wood into the woodshed before going in to make supper.
Jonas amused her with stories about the townspeople while they ate. In just the few months since their arrival the town had grown quite a bit. There were new buildings going up and new people moving in. With winter approaching things would slow down but Jonas predicted that there would be a lot of development in the spring.
Jonas was going back into town after dinner. As usual he was participating in the Saturday night poker game at the hotel. He had invited several business men who were in town to join in the game. Jonas liked when there were new faces at the table, men who had money and also didn’t know that he was a good card player. He enjoyed making new friends while at the same time he was taking their money. He left at dusk, kissing Adelaide goodbye and said that he might be late.
She was used to spending Saturday nights on her own. Since she had left England one of the things that she had come to learn about herself was that she did not mind being alone, in fact she rather liked it. But she really wasn’t alone. Darwin was there to keep her company. After cleaning up the table she and Darwin went and sat on the back porch until total darkness concealed the landscape. When they went back in she lit a single candle and picked a book from the shelf. She would pass her night caught up in the literary description of the life that someone fictional was living. She was distracted from her reading by an unusually bright, full moon illuminating the night. Setting aside the book, she went back outside onto the porch to admire it.
“The moon is showing off tonight, Dar,” Adelaide said.
The splendid, full faced moon was not only extraordinarily bright; it was also surrounded by a white ring. Adelaide marveled at the phenomenon. She had never seen a ring around the moon before. She wondered if Calix, wherever he was, was able to see the same thing. Rarely did she allow herself to succumb to desiring Calix, but tonight she fell asleep imagining his body next to hers and the pleasure of his touch.