by Irene Brand
“If you think you can manage to stay alone with her for a short time, I’m going to find Daniel. I’ll ask him to leave right away and inform Sallie’s grandparents what has happened. She won’t be a stranger to them because Sallie and her mother stayed with them for several months when the husband/father was in prison.”
“Of course, I’ll manage.” Smiling slightly, she added, “I know a lot more about dealing with children than I did when I first came to Cades Cove.”
It was a week before Sallie’s grandparents came eagerly to Canaan to get their granddaughter. During that time Marie learned more about dealing with children than she’d ever believed was possible. When they arrived, Sallie’s relatives made a good impression on Lena and Marie. They were obviously godly people, and from the clothes they wore and the horses and carriage they drove, they were affluent. It was obvious they weren’t strangers to Sallie either, for they accepted her warmly and she seemed comfortable with them. With a mixture of both joy and sadness, Lena and Marie watched as Sallie was taken away from them.
The two women were convinced that the child would be safe in her grandparents’ care, but they also knew that Sallie’s absence would be difficult for them to accept. They went inside the home, sat on the sofa and with their arms around one another, cried as they shared the pain of losing the company of the child they’d learned to love.
* * *
Since Marie had never known her grandparents, she felt almost as if Lena was her grandmother, and it was gratifying to find that God had led her to board in the home of a woman who was as devout as her own mother. Each night, before going to bed, she and Lena knelt to pray.
One night, Lena said, “I hope you’ll forgive me for mentioning this, but I sense that you and Daniel are romantically interested in each other.”
Marie felt her cheeks grow warm, and she covered her face in her hands.
Continuing as if she wasn’t aware of Marie’s discomfort, Lena said, “You obviously don’t approve of his current lifestyle. I’ve sensed that you are attracted to him, but are hesitant about letting him know it.”
“That’s true,” Marie mumbled, lowering her hands and looking at Lena. “For several reasons, I’d like to see more of him so that I could be a witness about becoming more active in the Lord’s work. I wonder why he doesn’t go to church. You’ve certainly set a good example for him.”
Sighing, Lena said, “In many ways, he’s a wonderful man, and I’d like to think that the two of you might become interested in one another. Sometimes I think that he blames God for the fact that he lost his parents at an early age. He was not fully grown when his father died. I wanted him to live with me, but he wouldn’t.”
“I’ll admit that I’m drawn to him,” Marie said, “but my parents are very strict in their beliefs, and I know they wouldn’t approve of me having a serious relationship with anyone who doesn’t share the same Christian values that have molded my life.”
“And I wouldn’t want you to. Daniel knows the way he should live, but he’s stubborn and he ignores all of my efforts to turn him toward the Lord. I love him so much and I want to see him become a believer before I die, but I don’t witness to him anymore because it just irritated and drove him farther from changing his lifestyle. I just keep praying, believing in His own time, God will draw Daniel to Him. I only hope that I’m still alive when that happens.”
“I’ve sensed your concern, and I want you to know that I, too, pray for his salvation. I’ve heard people say that prayer is the least we can do, but I believe that praying is the most we can do.”
Lena nodded her agreement. “I’ve tried to teach Daniel the right way to go. I took him to church until he refused to go anymore. His father, who married my daughter, inherited a fortune his father made in the California gold fields, and Daniel being the only child, inherited all of that money when his parents died. He bought more land adjoining the original farm and stayed in his father’s house on his own. He’s always been good to me, and I don’t have any control over what he does, but I pray that God will convict him of his wayward beliefs.”
“I certainly agree with you. I’m not encouraging his attention, but it does make it awkward when I sense that he has more than a casual interest in me,” Marie said. “Besides, I don’t want to make enemies here in the Cove, and I know that Viola is interested in Daniel. She’s your friend, so I probably shouldn’t say this, but I suspect she could be a difficult adversary. If she thinks Daniel is attracted to me, she could cause me a lot of trouble. My parents would be very disappointed if I get involved in some kind of a scandal and lose my teaching position. I don’t know her well, but I’ve heard some of the women who’ve helped at the schoolhouse discussing her attitude about living in the Cove and her proprietary attitude toward Daniel.”
“I don’t think you have anything to worry about,” Lena assured her. “In the first place, it’s my opinion that Daniel has no serious involvement with Viola. She’s the one who makes all the overtures. I know he isn’t perfect, and he keeps company with her because she pursues him, but he isn’t interested in a permanent relationship with anyone. Regardless of their feelings for each other, Viola will never marry a man who won’t take her away from Cades Cove, and I can’t see Daniel living elsewhere.” Laughing, Lena said, “Maybe we should pray, asking God to send a rich man into our midst—someone she will want more than she wants Daniel.”
Smiling, Marie said, “I’ll give it some consideration.”
* * *
Since she’d never been involved in a pie supper before, Marie persuaded Lena and Lizzie to take charge of organizing the affair. When they met to discuss the plans, Marie thanked them again for their support, and said, “I’m not only inexperienced as a teacher, I’m even more unaware of Cove customs. I don’t remember that we ever had a pie supper in Canaan. Please make the arrangements and tell me what I should do.”
“We’ll do that,” Lena said. “First of all, you’ll have to stand at the door and greet those who come.”
“That shouldn’t be difficult,” Marie said. “My parents taught me to be friendly to everyone.”
“And be sure you listen to the family names, as well as the first names, of those who come,” Lizzie cautioned. “One thing that makes it hard for newcomers is that there’s a lot of intermarriage in the Cove, and you have to be very careful of what you say about students. Anybody you mention would probably be a relative to several others. Learn your students’ names and their relationship to each other, as soon as possible.”
Marie threw up her hands in despair. “There’s no way I can know the names of people who’ll be here tomorrow night.”
“You won’t have to,” Lizzie assured her. “You already know Lena and Daniel. They’ll introduce you to people.”
But in spite of the advice from Lena and Lizzie, Marie’s nerves were on edge as time approached for the pie supper.
Although Marie had lost some sleep over it, with Lena standing beside her, giving instructions and watching every move she’d made, Marie had finally produced a pie that at least looked edible. Compared to the pies Lena made, Marie knew that it was far from perfect, but surely someone would want to buy it. By the time they left for the schoolhouse, Marie was so nervous that she didn’t know whether she was afoot or on horseback. Actually, it wasn’t either one, for she rode beside Lena in her buggy.
Lena suggested that Marie needed to arrive early, so they started to the schoolhouse more than an hour before seven o’clock, the time the function was scheduled to begin. As Lena’s team trotted along the road, Marie prayed silently for the strength to get through the night without making any tragic mistakes. How she wished for her mother’s presence to encourage her! Of course, Lena would be there, and although she had become almost like a grandmother, Marie needed encouragement from her parents. A large number of people were milling around in the sch
oolyard when they arrived, and Daniel stood on the steps.
“There’s my boy!” Lena said with evident pride. “Daniel said he would arrive early and keep everyone out until we got here. The other two trustees have keys, too, and he knew they might open the doors too early.”
“Yes, of course. That was thoughtful of Daniel.”
“Daniel has his faults, but he really is a wonderful man. The woman who marries him will be blessed. I pray that he will find the right person and get married soon.”
“You’d better hope then that he will find a woman who wants to provide the grandchildren you’re longing for,” Marie said with a smile.
“Which wouldn’t be Viola! I don’t doubt that she would agree to have children, but she wouldn’t really be a mother to them. They would have a nanny, and although I know most nannies are wonderful with children, I believe children thrive best on a mother’s love.”
“Mother would agree with you. She was very attentive to Earl and me. She left us with Aunt Fannie, of course, but only for short periods of time. If she went with Dad on an overnight trip, she always took us with them until we were past twelve years old.”
A couple of men met them in front of the school building and took charge of the horse and buggy by driving the buggy to the area where the vehicles were gathered.
Marie had intended to stand at the door and greet people as they arrived, but when several families crowded into the building at the same time, she started circulating among the parents and visiting with them. She was uneasy when she noticed that two of the guests were men she’d seen when Daniel had taken her on a tour of Chestnut Flats. They looked at her with speculative expressions on their faces that made her skin crawl. One man, in particular, Charlie Smith, made her uneasy. Although his attitude seemed all right, she mistrusted him, especially since he stood too close to her when he came to her side to talk about his son Josh who was in the third grade.
“Don’t be afraid to lay the strap on him if he gets unruly,” he said. “I’ve always told my kids if they get a whoopin’ at school, they’ll get another one when they get home. Ain’t there a sayin’, ‘spare the rod and spoil the child’?”
“Yes, but I believe if you keep children busy working on their lessons, they won’t have much time to misbehave. I don’t anticipate whipping any of the students.”
Erupting into a sound that Marie could only consider a horse laugh, he said, “I’ll give you another week before you have to whoop somebody.”
Fortunately, at that time, another family entered the building, so Marie turned to greet them, and Mr. Smith moved away. Unaware that Daniel had observed the encounter, she breathed easier when he stopped by her side and said quietly, “I’m keeping my eye on those two. Don’t let them worry you. The first sign of trouble and out they go.”
“Thank you. That makes me feel a lot better, for I’d really be upset if we have a brawl of some kind during the first entertainment I planned. Regardless, I won’t permit them to get too familiar with me. I intend to maintain a good learning and fellowship environment here. I want the children to feel safe and content when they come to school, so I’ll avoid any trouble with the parents if possible.”
Daniel’s fingers closed around her right hand, and he said quietly, “You go ahead and enjoy yourself and get acquainted with the visitors. If those two men become obnoxious, I’ll politely, and quietly, invite them to leave.”
Evidently Viola had seen that exchange, for she appeared suddenly beside them. “What are you two planning?” she said.
Startled, Marie took a few steps away from Daniel, and she tried to remove her hand from his, but his grip tightened.
“No plans,” Daniel said. “I’m surprised that you had time to notice what we were doing, since you were so busy entertaining our guest.”
Arching her eyebrows, Viola said, “Don’t tell me you’re jealous.”
“Hardly that, Viola. Don’t flatter yourself.”
Irritated that Viola’s insinuation had flustered her, Marie said, “I’ll check with Lena now and see what the next move is.”
“I can tell you that,” Viola said. “It’s time to start selling the pies. I counted, and there are thirty pies. Although that isn’t as many as we usually have, it will take some time to complete the sales. Daniel, Mother made my pie. It’s mincemeat, in a blue metal pan. What kind of pie did you make, Teacher?”
Fortunately, at that moment Lena motioned for Marie, and she gladly walked to where Lena sat at the teacher’s desk ready to keep count of the pies sold and collect the money and the names of the highest bidders.
Taking Daniel’s arm, Viola said, “Come and meet our guest. He’s swarming with money and will probably buy two or three pies. He’ll try to outbid you for my pie, Daniel.”
Although she was already standing beside Lena, she heard Daniel answer, “That’s all right with me. He’s a guest, so we’ll want him to feel at home. Introduce us, if you will.”
“This is John Simpkins,” Viola said. “He’s a friend of Papa’s from Richmond, Virginia.” Marie heard the introduction as she stood at the desk where Lena sat.
“Remember,” Lena announced, “the man who buys the girl’s pie has the privilege of taking her home.”
In an undertone, Marie said, “And that worries me. What if it’s somebody you don’t want to take you home? There are a couple of men here from Chestnut Flats. I don’t like the way they look at me. I wouldn’t want to be alone with them.”
“Don’t worry about it. The girl can choose a chaperone to ride along with them, if she wants to. If you have a questionable bidder, I’ll follow you in my buggy, and if it’s anyone that might cause trouble, I figure Daniel won’t be far away. In the meantime, stand here beside me, forget your problems, listen to the sales, and try to learn the names and faces of the parents.”
“Thanks,” Marie said, and patted Lena on the shoulder. “The Lord was sure good to me when He allowed me to move into your home.”
“That goes both ways, my dear.”
Marie’s throat tightened and she laid her hand on Lena’s shoulder.
The pie sales started right away, and Marie enjoyed the good-natured rivalry of the men who delighted in trying to outbid their friends and neighbors. In her weaker moments, Marie had hoped that Daniel would buy her pie, and she’d considered dropping a hint as to which pie she’d made. Lena had told her it was a common practice for a man to find out from his girl what pie she’d made, but Marie didn’t believe it would be a good example for the teacher to do so. Therefore, she said nothing, but she was ill at ease, wondering what the outcome of the evening would be. Although she wished Daniel would buy her pie, she didn’t want to antagonize Viola, who wasn’t above making a scene to humiliate anyone if she became offended.
As it turned out, however, there wasn’t a problem because Viola devoted her attention to the visiting businessman, John Simpkins, who was interested in buying land in the Cove to start a furniture factory. The man was a business acquaintance of Viola’s father, and he was spending the night at the Butler home. He must have persuaded Viola to tell him which pie she’d made, because he kept raising the bid.
Soon only the visitor and Daniel were bidding on her pie, and Viola was apparently delighted at the attention she was receiving. She sat on the edge of her chair, and her head turned back and forth from one bidder to the other as though her neck was on a pivot.
When the bid reached one hundred dollars, Daniel said, “That’s all the money I brought tonight,” and he bowed toward his competitor, “so I’ll concede that Mr. Simpkins is the winner.”
The crowd was disappointed when Daniel stopped. One man said, “Oh, come on, buddy, I’ll loan you some money. I’ve still got fifty dollars left.”
Daniel shook his head. “No, thank you. After all, Mr. Simpkins is a visitor in the Cove, a
nd I don’t want to spoil our reputation of fair treatment to visitors by taking all his money.”
Laughing heartily, Simpkins said, “Don’t let that stop you. There’s plenty more where this came from.”
Daniel shook his head, and the crowd must have known him well enough to realize he couldn’t be persuaded, for they didn’t argue further. Marie wondered if he would bid on her pie, but when one of the students started the bid on Marie’s pie at ten cents, only a few people raised the bid, and the boy bought her pie for a quarter. Marie was grateful that the parents had been so considerate of her and the boy. She wanted to be an impartial teacher, treating all her pupils, and their parents, the same.
When they sat down to eat the pie, Marie invited the boy’s parents and his two sisters to eat with them. “I’m sure your mother can bake a much better pie than I can,” she said, trying to make them feel at ease with her, “but Mrs. Turner did help me make this one.”
The two tiny girls sat on their mother’s lap, staring wide-eyed at Marie and sucking their thumbs. Jacob stood beside his father. Marie knew it was up to her to keep a conversation going, but she was as tongue-tied as the two girls. I wish Mother was here. She’d know how to handle this situation.
“I’ve made an effort to visit all the parents,” Marie finally said, “but I haven’t gotten to your home yet.”
Clearing his throat, the man said, “You’d be welcome, but we live up on the mountain a ways. You’d have to walk, and it ain’t a good idea to come by yourself. My name’s Otho Burns, and my woman’s name is Bertha.”
“I’m glad to meet you,” Marie said sincerely. She desperately wanted to reach the parents, as well as the children. “I like to walk, and I’m sure that Mrs. Turner will come with me. I’ll try to visit you before too long. In the meantime, do you have any questions you’d like to ask me?”
The man shook his head. “No’m.”
Marie had expected the evening to be endless, but time passed faster than she thought, and it didn’t seem long until she stood by the door with Lena beside her, telling the audience goodbye. Almost everyone thanked her for hosting the pie supper, but because Lena and Lizzie had done almost all of the planning, she simply nodded her thanks and let it go at that.