“Yep, he sure is. That’s why he hired me to cook, clean, and watch out for Grace,” Jeb declared. He stepped up beside Ernie and offered Judith a toothless grin.
“My kids don’t get the kind of learnin’ that some do,” Ernie said, “but I’ve taught’em a few Bible verses, and they can recite several by heart.”
“That’s right,” Grace chimed in.” ‘God has made everything beautiful in his time.’ Ecclesiastes 3:11.”
Judith touched the child on the shoulder. “Well done.”
“I know more. Want to hear ’em?”
Before the schoolteacher had a chance to reply, Ernie tapped Grace on the shoulder and said, “Not now, daughter. We need to pay for our things and get back to the boat.”
Judith leaned over so she was eye level with Grace. “I’d be happy to hear some other verses when you come to school.” She straightened again and looked directly at Ernie. “I’ll look forward to having your children in class … sometime next month?”
“Right. The weather’s gettin’ colder now, so most of the canal will probably be drained by then.” She’s tall. Really tall. Ernie chewed on that thought a few seconds. Never met a woman who could look me right in the eye.
He shook his head, hoping the action would get him thinking straight. Then, with a sudden need for some fresh air, he slapped some money on the counter in front of the storekeeper. “Give Jeb the change when he finishes his business.”
“Will do,” Lon said with a nod.
Ernie grabbed his daughter’s hand. “Me and Grace will be waitin’ on the boat, Jeb.”
“Okay, boss. Andy and me will be along just as soon as we gather up the supplies.”
Remembering what his mama used to say about good manners, Ernie called over his shoulder, “Nice meetin’ ya, Miss King!” Then he and Grace went out the door.
CHAPTER 3
As Judith stood on the front porch of the schoolhouse, ringing her bell, she was pleased to see the Snyder children tromping up the path with their father. School had been in session a little over a month, and now that freezing weather was upon them, many of the canalers’ children would be coming to the new schoolteacher for some book learning.
“Good morning, Mr. Snyder,” she said as Ernie and his children stepped onto the porch.
He gave his navy-blue stocking cap a quick tug and offered her a crooked grin. “Aw, just call me Ernie. ‘Mr. Snyder’ sounds too formal-like.”
Judith smiled in return. “Ernie it is, then.” She glanced at his daughter, noting several places where her jacket was torn. “Hello, Grace. I’ve been looking forward to having you in my class.”
Grace stared at her rubber boots. “’Mornin’, Miss King.”
Ernie gave his daughter’s arm a pat. “She’s feelin’ kind of nervous, what with this bein’ her first day of school and all.”
Judith’s heart went out to the child. When she was a girl, she had been shy and self-conscious, rarely speaking unless she was spoken to and always worried about her appearance.
“You’ll be fine once you get to know everyone,” Judith assured the child. She bent down, so she was eye level with Ernie’s son. “And what’s your name?”
“Andy,” the boy mumbled. “Papa said I have to come to school, but I’d rather be helpin’ him cut ice all winter.”
Judith glanced back at Ernie. “You’re an ice cutter?”
He nodded. “Just durin’ the winter months. Gotta make a livin’ somehow when I can’t run the boat.”
“Do you live on the boat all year?” she asked.
“Naw. We have a little house on the far side of town. Like to hunker down there durin’ the colder months.”
When Judith was about to comment, she heard a ruckus going on in the schoolhouse, and her attention was drawn inside. “Please come in and take off your coats,” she said, motioning to the door. “Apparently I’ve got some rowdy students who must be anxious for their day to begin.”
As they stepped inside the schoolhouse, a wadded-up piece of paper sailed across the room, just missing Judith’s head. She hadn’t seen who had thrown it, but from the guilty look on Roger’s face, she suspected it was him.
She bent to pick up the paper. “Everyone, please take your seats. We have two new students today—Andy and Grace Snyder.”
Ernie shuffled his feet a few times. “I reckon I should be headin’ back to work. I’ll be by after school to pick up my kids.” He looked first at Andy, then at Grace. “You two behave yourselves, ya hear?”
“Yes, Papa,” Grace said meekly.
Andy only gave a brief nod.
Judith motioned to an empty desk near the front of the room. “Why don’t the two of you sit there today?”
As the Snyder children took their seats, she escorted Ernie to the door. “I’m sure they’ll be fine, Mr. Snyder—I mean, Ernie.”
He grunted and reached up to rub his chin, which appeared to have recently been shaved. Judging from the spot of dried blood, Judith figured he’d probably nicked himself.
With a quick “See ya later,” Ernie tromped out the door.
That man needs a warmer coat, Judith thought when she noticed Ernie pull the collar of his threadbare jacket around his neck. And what a nice father for escorting his children to school.
As Ernie headed for the icehouse on the other side of town, all he could think about was Judith King, with her haunting multicolored eyes and dimpled smile. It was dumb, just plain stupid, to think a woman as beautiful and smart as she was would ever give anyone like him a second glance.
I only went through the fourth grade. If she knew that, she’d probably think I was a poor canaler who’s dumber than dirt. Ernie kicked a hefty stone with the toe of his boot, hoping the action would get him thinking about something else.
“Sure hope my boy don’t give the teacher no sass,” he mumbled, shoving his hands into his jacket pockets. Andy had been a handful since Anna died, often playing tricks on his sister and not always minding the mules the way he should. Ernie knew if he didn’t stay firm with the child, he might grow up to be lazy.
Ernie had begun walking the mules when he was eight years old. Later, when his pa was sure he could handle the boat, he’d become the spotter and sometimes got to steer. From the beginning Ernie had known he would own a canal boat someday. He loved being on the water, moving up and down the canal hauling anthracite coal, and he hoped Andy would want to follow in his footsteps—although with the growing competition from trains, the family business might come to an end before then.
Ernie picked up his pace. His primary goal in life was to see that his kids were properly cared for. He also knew it was important for them to memorize some Bible verses and learn to do an honest day’s work.
Guess they might need a bit more book learnin than I had, too.
Judith stood at the window overlooking the schoolyard, watching the children during their afternoon recess. Even though it was cold outside, it was good for them to run and play. When the students came back inside, they would be ready to settle down. She might have a spelling bee for the older ones and get the younger children involved in an art project. Soon Christmas would be here, and some colorful decorations for the schoolhouse would be a nice addition.
Judith turned to study the room. I’ll need to think about a Christmas program soon and who will get what parts. The children would probably enjoy singing some Christmas carols, too.
A commotion outside drew Judith’s attention back to the window. Several children stood in a circle, chanting, “Hit him! Hit him! Hit him!”
Judith rushed out the door, not bothering to fetch her shawl. “What’s going on?” she shouted above the noise.
The chanting stopped, but no one spoke. Then she spotted Grace crouched next to the teeter-totter.
When Judith pushed through the circle, she realized that Andy stood in the center, toe-to-toe with Garth. Both boys held up their fists as though ready to take a swing.
She ducked betw
een them. “What is the problem?”
Garth squinted his eyes, and Andy stared at the ground.
Judith rubbed her hands briskly over her arms as the stinging cold penetrated her skin. “If someone doesn’t tell me what happened, the whole class will be punished.”
Sarah stepped forward. “Garth was makin’ fun of Andy’s sister, calling her ‘sissy face’ and ‘runt.’ So Andy challenged him to a fight, but you got here before either could land the first punch.”
“Is it true that you were calling Grace names?” Judith asked, taking Garth by the shoulders and turning him to face her.
He shrugged. “Maybe.”
Judith’s patience was growing thin, and she prayed for wisdom. “Either you did or you didn’t. Which is it?”
Garth lifted his chin and glared at her. “Okay, I did, but the little baby deserved it.”
“No one deserves to be called names,” Judith said sternly. She remembered some of the names she had been called as a child. Giraffe with the long neck. Judith the freak. The girl with the spooky eyes.
“Garth, you will stay after school today, and we’ll talk about your punishment then.” She tapped him on the shoulder. “In the meantime, I want you to tell Andy and Grace you’re sorry for being rude.”
The boy folded his arms in an unyielding pose. “Why should I apologize? He’s the one who said he was gonna clean my clock for teasin’ his baby sister.”
Garth had a point. Andy shouldn’t have started the fight. However, Judith figured he was only defending his sister. “Andy, apologize to Garth, and Garth, you do the same. Then you must tell Grace you’re sorry.”
With an exaggerated huff, Andy wrinkled his nose and mumbled, “Sorry.”
Garth followed suit.
Judith shooed the others inside, then took Garth’s arm and led him across the schoolyard to the teeter-totters where Grace was still squatted.
“Sorry for callin’ ya sissy face and runt,” the boy said, his jaw tight.
“Let’s get back to class.” Judith reached for Grace’s hand, but the little girl stayed firmly in place. Garth had already sprinted toward the schoolhouse.
“Come on, sweetheart,” Judith pleaded. “You can’t stay out here—it’s too cold.”
“I want my papa.”
“He said he would return after school.”
“I wanna go home.”
“You can’t go home until school is over for the day.”
The child gave no response, and Judith, though shivering from the cold, knelt beside her. “I remember when I saw you at the general store last month,” she said. “You had licorice candy.”
Grace nodded.
“Would you come inside if I promise to give you a piece of licorice when school lets out?”
“You got some?”
“Yes, in my desk. I keep it there for children who’ve done well on their assignments or have been extra good.”
“I didn’t do nothin’ good,” Grace said, her chin quivering.
“Obeying the teacher is a good thing. So if you come with me now, your reward will be the licorice.”
The child clambered to her feet. “Okay.”
Judith breathed a sigh of relief. The role of a schoolteacher brought lots of challenges, and there were days like today when she wondered if she was up to them.
CHAPTER 4
The days sped by quickly as Judith settled in with her larger class. Five more children from the canal had started coming to school, so now there were seventeen. Grace wasn’t quite as shy as she had been at first, and Andy and Garth had calmed down, too.
Even though all the children behaved better in class and during recess, Judith felt some concern because of their lack of interaction. She had tried a question-and-answer time following their lessons, but most of the children just sat there, staring at their desk or out the window.
Today Judith decided to try something new—something she hoped everyone would take part in.
“Children,” she said, clapping her hands together. “I’ve come up with an idea I shall call the letter box.”
She reached under her desk and retrieved the small cardboard box she’d put there before class, placing it in the middle of her desk. “During our art lesson today, we’ll decorate this and put a hole in the lid. Then each of you may write down any questions, ideas, or concerns you have and put it in the box. If your letter is signed, you will receive a letter back. If it’s not, I will respond to it orally in front of the class.”
Ruby’s hand shot up.
“Yes?”
The freckle-faced little girl grinned. “I’d like to get a letter from you, Teacher.”
“Thank you, Ruby.”
“Me, too,” several of the girls chorused.
Noisy snickers from the back of the room drew Judith’s attention to the boys who sat in the last row of desks. “Would one of you care to tell me what you think is so funny?”
“Nothin’, Miss King.” Roger folded his hands in front of him and sat as straight as a ruler.
“What about you, Eric?” Judith questioned. “Why were you laughing?”
The boy slunk down in his seat, and Carl, who sat beside Eric, jabbed him in the ribs.
“Hey, cut that out! Want me to slug you?”
Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea, Judith thought with dismay. If the children don’t take this project seriously, nothing will be gained by doing it.
“I like the idea of a letter box,” Andy spoke up.
“Why is that?” Judith asked.
The boy pulled his fingers through the shaggy brown hair curling around his ears. “Seems like a fun way to learn about others, that’s all.”
Judith nodded, feeling more hopeful.
“Can we decorate the box now?” Karen asked.
“I suppose we could.”
“Yes!” the children shouted.
“After I hand out some glue, scissors, and paper, you can all get busy,” Judith said. “If you each make a small decoration, we’ll take turns gluing them to the box.”
The room became quiet, as every child began work on their decorations. A short time later, the plain cardboard box had been transformed into a collage of brightly colored squares, circles, and triangles. Judith printed the words LETTER BOX on a piece of white paper and glued it to the center of the box. She allowed Beth, the oldest girl, to cut a hole in the top, and the box was placed on Judith’s desk.
“For the next half hour, you may each write your questions or comments on a slip of paper. When I ring the bell for recess, you can deposit them in the box,” Judith announced. “A few minutes before it’s time to go home, I’ll read some of the letters that are unsigned and hand out my reply to those who have included their name.”
“I hope Teacher reads mine,” she overheard Ruby whisper to Grace.
Grace only nodded in reply, as she seemed to be concentrating on the paper before her.
Judith drew in a deep breath and returned to her desk. This project might be the very thing that will make my class successful.
Ernie shivered as he clomped through the fresh-fallen snow, on his way to the small building where the ice he’d been cutting would be stored. It was early December, and the weather had turned bitterly cold. He hated to think what the rest of winter might be like.
“Probably need to get me a heavier coat and a new pair of gloves,” he muttered, glancing at the gaping hole in the thumb of his left glove. “Sure hate to spend money on clothes for me, though. Not when there are so many other needs.”
Ernie’s children came first, and they always had. That was why he worked such long hours hauling coal during the warmer months, and it was why he also planned to work hard this winter, cutting ice. If anyone needed a new coat, it was Grace, and he hoped to get her one for Christmas. Andy needed a new pair of boots, too. The ones he wore now were pinching his toes.
Ernie thought about his helper and wondered if Jeb had been able to find work in Easton. Jeb had a d
aughter who lived there, and he would stay with her, even if he didn’t secure a job for the winter.
The thought had crossed Ernie’s mind to look for work in the city, but his home was in Parryville, and he hated to uproot Andy and Grace. They were happy here. Happy with their new schoolteacher, too.
A vision of Judith King flashed into Ernie’s mind. Several times he’d gone to pick up his kids after school, yet he’d never said more than “Howdy, how are you?” or “Hope my kids are doin’ okay” to the schoolmarm. He’d wanted to say more. Truth was Ernie would have liked to invite Judith to join him and the kids for supper at Baker’s Café, but he couldn’t work up the nerve.
Love Finds a Home (Anthologies) Page 9