American Challenge

by Susan Martins Miller

  “Oh, Grace, you’re such a good, sweet girl. But I’ve forgotten how to pray. It’s been so long.”

  The way Sadie Rose talked to Grace made her feel much older than her ten, almost eleven, years. “Well, I haven’t forgotten. Papa reads the Bible every evening, and we pray before going to bed. I can pray for you.”

  Sadie Rose’s face lit up with a bright smile. “Oh, would you truly? I’d like that very much.”

  “Bow your head,” Grace directed. Then she very simply asked God to show Sadie Rose where and how to find her brother, Patrick. Then she added, “And please, Lord, let it happen quickly so Sadie Rose can stop wandering from place to place. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

  Sadie Rose put her arm around Grace’s shoulder and gave her a squeeze. “Oh, Grace, you’re a good friend. I’m so glad you came to the landing the day I arrived. And I’m pleased to be able to help you learn to play the piano.”

  They continued working on the melody together until Grace knew it perfectly.

  “Next time, I’ll show you how to add chords with the left hand,” said Sadie Rose.

  “I’d better go now. Mama’s expecting me.” Grace made her way to the back door and gave Sadie Rose a little wave. “Bye now. And thank you very much!”

  “Thank you, Grace.”

  With that, Grace slipped out and hurried up the hill. She hugged herself with happiness. She’d actually played a hymn on the piano. And almost as wonderful was the fact that the lovely Sadie Rose had confided in her. She promised herself that she would remember to pray for Sadie Rose every night.

  If I were an orphan searching for my younger brother, she thought, perhaps I would sing in a tavern, as well. Sadie Rose is only doing what she has to do.

  Grace was scolded for arriving home late, but she didn’t mind. Being with Sadie Rose was worth all the scoldings in the world.

  September’s days were no cooler than August’s days had been. Sitting in the steamy, crowded classroom at school was sheer torture. Mr. Inman’s collar and tie were rumpled my midmorning each day. Periodically he ran his finger around inside the stiff collar as though he wished he could fling it off.

  So many things had changed since last spring. Amy was quieter, and she had no new dress to wear. Although Grace’s dress wasn’t actually new, it was still prettier than almost any other dress in the classroom. How thankful she was that she had a resourceful mama.

  Drew now attended school upstairs. Grace missed having him nearby, but she knew he’d be fine. He wasn’t a dapper Boston dandy anymore. In fact, at first glance, he looked no different than any other boy at school. His face had lost its pasty color and fairly glowed from a summer of traipsing through the woods.

  And, of course, Jason Coppock was in the classroom upstairs, too. He’d keep an eye out for Drew.

  Raggy had also graduated to the upstairs classroom, but he seldom attended. Grace thought Raggy looked thinner. If the depression had been hard on her family, she could only imagine what it was like for youngsters like Raggy. And Grace had heard that Wesley and Karl had both left town.

  As often as possible, Grace stopped by the boardinghouse in hopes of seeing Sadie Rose. In the afternoons, she might be sitting on the porch catching a late afternoon breeze. Grace would stop and talk with her. Little by little, she was coming to know her friend better. And it was a true friendship. Grace had never had a grown-up for a friend before.

  Drew never liked the idea of Grace spending time at the tavern, yet he offered to stay with her each Saturday morning when she went for her lesson. Each time, they took a different route so that, hopefully, no nosy person would see and report them to her papa.

  “Mind you,” Drew would say, “the more times you go to the tavern, the greater the chance of your being caught.”

  Grace knew he was concerned for her, but she knew that Drew also liked to be around Sadie Rose. And who could blame him? How could anyone not like such a gracious and lovely lady?

  September was drawing to a close when one cool Saturday morning she and Drew were sent to the market. While crops were much smaller than usual, still farmers were bringing in a smattering of fall produce—corn, pumpkins, and squash. Some of the farmers would trade for goat’s milk and cheese. Others wouldn’t. After selecting three nice squash and several ears of corn, Grace and Drew carried their basket down the hill and stopped at the tavern for a few moments.

  By now Grace could play all of “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” without making a single mistake. Sadie Rose seemed as thrilled as Grace. “I believe you’re a natural, Grace. Soon we’ll start on another song. Perhaps you’d like to learn a boatman song next.”

  “I’d like that, Sadie Rose,” Grace replied. “Lively boatmen songs make my feet want to dance a jig.”

  Sadie Rose laughed. “I feel the same way.”

  “Grace,” Drew said to her, “we’d better get home.” He was standing by the door with the basket sitting by his feet. “Your mama will have a conniption.”

  “He’s right, you know,” Sadie Rose said. “You don’t want to worry your ma.”

  Grace was always reluctant to leave. When she was sitting at the piano with Sadie Rose, she forgot everything else.

  Up the street they went with the basket between them. “Step lively,” Drew said. “Your mama’s expecting us.”

  Suddenly, from behind them came a loud whoop! Grace dropped her hold on the basket and whirled around. There came Raggy, bearing down as fast and hard as he could run. He slammed into Drew, knocking him to the ground and making the basket fly. With one swipe, he grabbed two of the squash and kept on running.

  “Come back here with that, you thief!” Grace yelled. “Come on, Drew. I bet we can catch him.”

  “Let him go.” Drew gathered ears of corn and put them back into the basket.

  “Let him go?”

  “He’s hungry, Grace. Let him have the squash.” He walked to the side of the street where the third squash had rolled. He brushed it off and placed it in the basket, as well. “Come on. Let’s go home.”

  “What’ll we tell Mama?”

  “That doesn’t seem to be my concern,” Drew said almost curtly.

  “Are you upset with me?” she asked. She couldn’t bear to have Drew angry with her.

  “We shouldn’t have been in this neighborhood with our purchases.”

  “But don’t forget, Raggy Langler stole from us one time when we were in our own neighborhood.”

  Drew was quiet for a moment. Then he said, “He never stole anything, Grace. Remember? He grabbed the cloth, but he didn’t keep it.”

  She knew Drew was right about Raggy and about the area of town they were walking in, but she didn’t care. She wanted to be with Sadie Rose, and that was that. “If you don’t want to come with me to the tavern anymore, then don’t. I don’t care.”

  “But your mama trusts me to be with you, so I don’t have much choice, do I?”

  Now that the basket was lighter, Grace let Drew carry it alone. She walked on ahead, not wanting to talk.

  At the Morgans’ front gate, they divided the ears of corn, then she made him take the last squash. Drew did as she asked and went on his way.

  When Grace stepped into the kitchen, Mama stood in front of her, an accusing look in her eyes.

  Grace wondered how Mama could possibly know about their mishap with Raggy so quickly.

  But Mama wasn’t concerned about the produce from the market. “Grace Morgan,” she said sternly, “I’ve had a visit from Widow Robbins and two other ladies from the church. They came to tell me you’ve been spending time at the boardinghouse with a painted lady!” Mama’s face looked tired. “Tell me, Grace. Tell me it isn’t true.”

  CHAPTER 16

  Helping with the Rent

  It’s true that I’ve been visiting with a lady by the name of Sadie Rose,” Grace said. “But she’s not a bad person.” Why can’t old Widow Robbins mind her own business? Grace wondered as she put the ears of corn on the t
able.

  “How on earth did you meet such a woman?” Mama wanted to know.

  Grace didn’t want to lie. “The day the keelboats came up from St. Louis after the big rain, I asked Drew to go with me to the landing.”

  Mama sighed deeply and sat down on one of the kitchen chairs.

  “The lady needed help, so we carried her bags. She was beholden to us, Mama. We showed her the way to Mrs. Kingsley’s boardinghouse. And you know Mrs. Kingsley’s is a respectable place.”

  But Mama was shaking her head. “The landing can be a dangerous place for a little girl.”

  “I’m not a little girl, Mama. And Drew was with me.”

  “Then Drew should have reminded you of the dangers.”

  Grace thought of all the times Drew had followed her into situations that were not of his choosing. He’d been a good friend, and she didn’t want to get him into trouble, as well.

  “I take all the blame,” Grace said. “I shouldn’t have been at the landing. But please believe me, Sadie Rose is not a bad lady.”

  “You keep telling me that you’re not a little girl, and yet I find you’ve been disobedient and that you’ve been keeping undesirable company behind my back.”

  Mama smoothed back wisps of her hair, which Grace noticed was growing much grayer. “When I must learn of my daughter’s wrong behavior from others in the church …” Mama didn’t finish the sentence. She stood up and walked over to the corn and began to pull off the shucks.

  “I’ll talk this over with your papa this evening. I know he will agree with me that you are forbidden to spend time with this woman—this, this Sadie Rose.”

  When Mama said the name, it sounded like something awful and made Grace feel hurt and angry. But she kept her anger to herself. Somehow she had to make Mama understand about Sadie Rose.

  Grace talked to Sadie Rose one more time to tell her what had happened. Sadie Rose gave a kind smile. “I understand, Grace. Your mama’s looking out for you in the best way she knows how. You obey her and be thankful to have such a good mama.”

  Sadie Rose’s words made Grace want to cry. How could things be so mixed up?

  In late November, the farmers brought their pigs into town to the packinghouses. The air was filled with the frenzied sounds of hundreds of squealing pigs. At least the packinghouses would be busy, which meant the tanners and the chandlers and soap makers would soon have work. Papa said that little rebounds in business were better than no rebounds at all.

  After the first snow, Drew bagged his first deer. Grace went to see the carcass, which was hanging in a tree. It was a big buck, and Drew told her he was going to hang the antlers over his bed in the loft right beside the portraits of his mother and father. Grace never remembered seeing Drew so proud or so happy.

  Several of his delicately carved boats now lined the mantle over the Ramsey fireplace. Grace heard Deanna repeatedly praise Drew for his skills in woodworking. Drew didn’t seem so sad anymore.

  Just as Grace’s family had shared their provisions with Carter and Deanna, the Ramseys now shared cuts of venison with the Morgans. Thanksgiving dinner consisted mainly of game that had been killed by Carter and Drew.

  Although it was difficult, Grace remained obedient and didn’t stop to visit with Sadie Rose. However, she often saw her friend about town. When she did, Grace always stopped to say hello. Or she purposely walked by the boardinghouse in hopes of “accidentally” running into Sadie Rose. In her mind, one little greeting broke no rules. By keeping a close watch and timing her walks by Mrs. Kingsley’s, Grace continued to see Sadie Rose regularly.

  While the citizens of Cincinnati knew that deep snow meant a full river in the spring, still the hard winter only increased the suffering of those who were in need.

  Grace celebrated her eleventh birthday during a January snowstorm. Even though there was no party, Mama and Papa tried to make the day as special as they could. Grace thought being eleven would be so much different, but everyone still called her Gracie.

  It was mid-February when Grace realized she’d not seen Sadie Rose for about two weeks. The heavy snows of January were melting some, and even though it was still cold, at least a person could walk down the streets without wading knee-deep in snowdrifts.

  Every day for a week, Grace made Drew walk home from school by the way of the boardinghouse. Still there was no sign of Sadie Rose. Finally Grace could stand it no more.

  “I must ask about her,” Grace insisted one afternoon after school. “There’s no harm in asking, is there?”

  “I don’t see that there is,” Drew answered.

  Her cousin now stood nearly half a head taller than Grace. Deanna often said she was going to load bricks on Drew’s head to stop him from growing so fast. But he just kept growing. More and more, Grace appreciated Drew’s opinions and his quiet wisdom.

  “Would you come with me?” she asked.

  To her relief, he agreed. Grace tightened her woolen muffler about her neck to better fight the cold wind as they went the few blocks out of their way to the boardinghouse.

  Grace went right up and rapped on the door, and Drew stood by her side.

  When Mrs. Kingsley opened the door, she said, “I suppose you’re looking for Miss Sadie Rose.”

  “Why yes, we are,” Grace answered. “Is she here?”

  The matron of the boardinghouse nodded. “She’s here, but she’s doing poorly. Been down with the fever and chills.”

  Grace gave a gasp. “I knew something was wrong. May we see her?”

  “I can’t stop her from having visitors.”

  Grace waited for Drew to protest, but he was quiet. Together they followed Mrs. Kingsley inside and through a neat parlor area to the curved staircase. Waving to the stairs, she said, “Second door on the right.”

  As they started up the steps, Grace heard Mrs. Kingsley mutter something about “getting better soon” and “late with the rent.” Grace glanced back at Drew and could see he was as concerned as she.

  Grace tapped on the door and heard a weak answer.

  “Sadie Rose,” she said, “It’s me, Grace. And Drew’s with me.”

  The weak voice sounded a bit stronger. “Oh, Grace, Drew. Please come in.”

  Grace opened the door and saw a small chamber that was mostly taken up with a wide chifforobe stuffed full of Sadie Rose’s fancy gowns. Lying in the bed with her undone hair flayed across the pillow, Sadie Rose looked small, weak, and vulnerable. There was no paint now, and her cheeks were nearly as pale as the white sheets.

  “Grace,” she said, “how I was hoping you’d come. How did you learn I was ill?”

  Grace rushed to her friend’s bedside and knelt down to take her hand. “I just now learned. I hadn’t seen you and became alarmed, so Drew and I stopped to see. I’m so glad we did.”

  “Young Drew,” Sadie Rose said softly, looking up at him. “So faithful to your cousin.” To Grace, she said, “I know you’re not supposed to be here.”

  Grace ignored the remark. “Sadie Rose, I heard Mrs. Kingsley say something about the rent.”

  “I wish you hadn’t heard.” Tears clouded Sadie Rose’s eyes. “Perhaps I chose the wrong time to come to Cincinnati. I didn’t know times were as hard as they were.” She took a deep breath and coughed. Grace handed her a handkerchief from the nearby table.

  “Do you not have enough money for the rent?” Grace asked.

  “I kept up, but just barely, until I fell sick. But now I can’t work, and I’ve fallen behind. Mrs. Kingsley tells me she’s not running a charity house or a hospital.”

  “We can bring food,” Drew said.

  Grace looked up at Drew and felt like hugging him.

  “Of course we can bring food,” Grace agreed. “And we will.” She patted Sadie Rose’s fever-hot hand. “You rest now and don’t worry about a thing. We’ll be back!”

  When they came back down the stairs, Mrs. Kingsley was there to meet them. “If her rent’s not paid soon,” she said, “I’m n
otifying the officials at the poorhouse.”

  Grace’s hand flew to her mouth to stifle the gasp. Sadie Rose taken to the poorhouse! She felt weak at the knees.

  But to her surprise, Drew stepped forward. “No need for that just yet,” he said, his voice steady. “Give us a couple of days to see what can be done on Miss Sadie Rose’s behalf.”

  The hefty lady hesitated. “It’s not like I want to be cruel,” she said, “but I have to eat, too. And I can’t afford to keep a room occupied with someone who cannot pay rent.”

  “Of course,” Drew said. “We understand.” He guided Grace toward the door. “We’ll be back shortly.”

  “What’re we going to do, Drew? Do you have a plan?”

  “Part of a plan,” he said. “Remember the coins Sadie Rose paid us for carrying her bags the day we met her?”

  “Of course,” Grace said. “Are you going to pay her rent with her own coins?”

  Drew nodded. “It’s probably not enough, but it may suffice to calm Mrs. Kingsley and show her we’re serious about helping.”

  “What a wonderful idea.”

  “You go on home now, Grace. I’ll go back to the boardinghouse as soon as I get the food and money. I can take a jar of goat’s milk and maybe some cornbread.”

  “But, Drew, I want to go with you. I want to help Sadie Rose.” They’d arrived at Grace’s front gate, and she was chilled to the bone. Still, she wanted to go back with Drew to the boardinghouse.

  “You can be more help by not worrying your mama.” Drew opened the gate. “I promise I’ll stop by on my way home and let you know what happened.”

  There was nothing else she could do, and Grace knew it. If Mama found out, then Grace might spoil her chances of doing anything for Sadie Rose.

  Later that evening, Drew stopped by the house under the pretense of delivering a cleaned rabbit for Grace’s mama. Before leaving, he slipped Grace a note. When Grace went to her room after evening prayers, she drew out the note. Drew had written these words:

  Sadie Rose was thankful for the food. The coins paid a fraction of the rent due. Mrs. K. may take milk for partial trade. We’ll talk tomorrow of further plans.