“Thank you, Mrs. Lawson. I will.”
Mrs. Lawson watched Lavinia leave by the back door. “I don’t know what these folks would do without me.” Satisfied, she put on her apron and tended to the bread.
Lavinia caught up with Timothy and the General on the garden path. Timothy was feeling Martha’s enormous belly.
“I do believe that our Martha’s wee bairns will be born soon,” he said. “You’ll need to find a quiet place for her,” he told the General.
“Don’t know why she can’t use the coat closet. It worked the last time.”
“Mrs. Constance was no’ happy about that place. Why not lay some blankets about the stable,” he suggested.
“George and Martha’s pups will not be born in a barn,” said the General stubbornly.
“Why no’ ask Mrs. Constance.”
“I’ll tell her! That’s what!” shouted the General, who turned around and marched into the house.
“Well, lassie. What do you think the chances are?”
“He’ll be out with the blankets for the stable.”
“So he will,” agreed Timothy.
“Timothy, you loved Mama didn’t you?” Lavinia blurted out and then she started to cry.
“Where did that come from, lassie?” said Timothy as he held the sobbing Lavinia.
“The General told me.”
“Did he now? Come along, let’s sit down and talk about it.”
He dried Lavinia’s tears with his handkerchief. “Your mama was a wonderful girl. She was kind and beautiful. I loved her, ‘tis true, but we were friends. Anythin’ more was no’ meant to be.”
“Because of Grandmama and Grandpapa?”
“They loved Julia, and only wanted what was best for their daughter. We were young, and she didna’ understand that I couldna’ give her what she needed. I was a poor lad, and lucky that the General’s family took me in.”
“How can you say that, Timothy? You saved the General’s life; you brought him home.”
“So I did but the General was very good to me. I wouldna’ survived the war if he hadna’ saved me from the front lines.”
“I just feel so sad and ashamed.”
“Why?”
“Because I feel that they thought you weren’t good enough.”
“Tis no’ true,” said Timothy firmly. “Master John was as fine a man as I have ever known. Julia was a young girl and very sheltered, much like yourself. She hadna’ seen much o’ the world and had some growin’ up to do.”
“But she married someone anyway.”
“Aye, she did. She loved your papa in her own fashion, and she loved her wee bairn more than anything. She was happy. ‘Twas a sad day when the angels came to take her from us,” he said. “You must no’ think poorly of your Grandmama. She has regrets, but we are no’ among them.”
“I want to believe you, Timothy, but it doesn’t seem right.”
Timothy took Lavinia’s hands and held them in his own. “You must accept it, Lavinia. We can no’ change the past, but we can choose how we want to live each day.”
“Thank you, Timothy.”
“Hello!” shouted the General. He was coming down the path with blankets. “We must hurry if we are to make the stable up for Martha! I think she is getting ready as we speak!”
Martha followed Timothy and the General into the stable, where Timothy made a soft bed. Martha lay down and began to pant. George moved some distance away and stood guard.
“Soldier! Give Martha a little privacy,” ordered the General.
Lavinia rushed back to the house.
“Martha is having her babies,” she cried.
“Thank goodness I persuaded the General to take the blankets out to the stable,” said Constance. “I’m surprised that hound didn’t choose the kitchen,” said Mrs. Lawson.
“Heaven forbid!” replied Constance.
Lavinia ran into the den. “Martha is having her babies,” she told Annie and Ellinor May.
“How wonderful!” said Ellinor May. “Edward has promised to give me a puppy.”
It was obvious that the girls were too excited for any more serious study that day, so Ellinor May dismissed class early and went home.
Lavinia and Annie helped Mrs. Lawson bake cookies in the kitchen.
Kevin wandered in after about an hour. “Four so far!”
Annie and Lavinia clapped their hands. “You’ll be able to play with as many puppies as you like, Annie!” said Lavinia.
“I’d like to have one,” she said.
“Absolutely not! Two Irish Wolfhounds in one household is quite enough,” said Constance.
Kevin came in later, requesting that the General’s supper be sent to the stable. Mrs. Lawson packed a basket for Kevin, Timothy, and the General. She sent some scraps along for George.
By the end of the day, Martha had eight puppies to show for her efforts. Lavinia and Annie were permitted to peek into the stable after Timothy got Martha settled. Sure enough, they counted eight hairless little babies lined up against Martha’s belly.
“These are the finest hounds in the county!” The General beamed with pride, and patted George’s head. “None finer!”
“They are so sweet,” whispered Annie.
“They’ll grow fast, you’ll see,” said Lavinia.
And they did. Within days, soft fur covered their bodies and a few weeks later, they opened their eyes and started to wander about. Timothy blocked off a section of the stable with bales of hay to keep them confined. Annie played with the puppies nearly every day. Ellinor May came by to pick out her puppy, and various neighbors also stopped at the stable to take a look and put in their request. After six weeks, the new owners came to pick up their puppies and the household was back to George, Martha, and Bubbles, much to Annie’s disappointment.
A few mornings later, Annie came down to breakfast and joined the General, Constance, and Lavinia at the table.
“Good morning, Annie,” said Constance.
“Good morning everyone,” sulked Annie.
“Such a long face,” said the General. “I think it’s about time our little girl cheered up.”
“I do try to cheer up, but I miss the puppies.”
“I don’t suppose that you might consider taking care of this,” said the General, pulling a small orange striped kitten from his pocket.
Annie gasped in surprise and held out her hands. The General gently turned over the mewing little kitty to Annie who held it close to her chest. “Thank you ever so much!”
Constance looked at her brother. “You might have mentioned that you were getting a kitten, Edward. We have three dogs here already.”
“So we do,” said the General good naturedly as he watched Annie play with her little kitty.
Lavinia put Bubbles on the floor. He trotted over to Annie and sniffed the kitten who batted him softly on the nose. He licked the kitten a few times with his little pink tongue, and ambled back to Lavinia, who put him back on his cushion. George and Martha also sniffed the kitten and returned to their usual places.
“I shall call him Sweet Pea,” Annie said.
Sweet Pea adjusted fairly well in a household of dogs. There were a few times when George cornered the little tabby, but Annie was always around to defend Sweet Pea, and the General made it his business to train George and Martha to keep their distance. Bubbles and Sweet Pea got along famously, and they both slept on the bed with the girls. Annie respected Mrs. Lawson’s kitchen, and made sure that Sweet Pea abided by the House Rules. Sweet Pea followed Annie around faithfully wherever she went and, in no time, grew into a fat and sassy cat.
As Lavinia considered the events of the past few weeks, she noted in her journal that tolerance was something that she understood better now:
I didn’t know very much about tolerance before. My teacher taught me that learning about other people helps me understand how they see things. Mrs. Lawson explained how certain things separate some people from others. Timothy
said that those differences didn’t have anything to do with why Grandmama and Grandpapa sent Mama away. I don’t know if I believe that. I don’t think they wanted Mama to marry Timothy because he was different from us. People don’t want to take time to understand those that are different. We want everyone to be the same. The Reverend says God created everyone equally, but too many people think they are better than others. Annie said people were mean to her because she was Irish, and I’m sure that also happened to Timothy and Kevin. Even in our home, Annie’s kitty Sweet Pea had to find his way around in a family of dogs, and our dogs had to learn how to behave around a little kitty.
If animals can learn tolerance, people should be able to. I think the reason tolerance is the most difficult virtue to practice is because we must overcome our inner feelings of distrust. It requires a great deal of work upon one’s character to truly appreciate the differences in others, and accept those differences. If everyone would take time to understand one another, the world would be a much better place. I know I am going to try hard to do my part. LSR
Oak -“Freedom”
Chapter 12
It was early December and Annie and Lavinia were sitting in front of the fireplace playing checkers in the den while the General read. George and Martha were asleep on either side of the General’s chair while Bubbles and Sweet Pea occupied the rug nearest the girls. Constance entered the room with a letter in her hand.
“You will never guess, Edward, what wonderful news I have. Marjorie is coming to Philadelphia for Christmas!”
“You don’t say!”
“Yes. Marjorie wasn’t sure if they were going to travel to America or not, but apparently they have. They are at the Astor House in New York.”
“Now?”
“Yes.”
“Let’s go to New York.”
“Us? Travel to New York?”
“Why not,” said the General. “I’d like to see Marjorie before Christmas.”
“We can’t just pick up and go to New York. I have so much to do what with packing and getting everything settled.”
“Nonsense!” said the General, “Don’t you girls want to go to New York?”
“Yes,” said Lavinia.
“No,” said Annie.
“Sorry, Soldier! Forgot about your circumstances. However, you would change your mind if you went with us.”
“We’re not going, Edward. We’ll meet Marjorie in Philadelphia at Claire’s in a few weeks,” said Constance firmly.
“Well, I’m going,” said the General. “George! Martha!”
“Edward, where will you stay?”
“With Marjorie.”
“Oh no, Edward. You cannot take George and Martha into a New York luxury hotel, and expect to be accommodated.”
“Of course I do. Marjorie will fix it for me. I’ll send her a telegram.”
“Edward, I think you should reconsider.” Constance followed the General out of the room.
“Lavinia, what is your Aunt Marjorie like?” said Annie.
“Well, she is very nice and very rich. Her husband is a Count. They live in London.”
“Royalty?” asked Annie in surprise, her eyes as big as saucers.
“I guess so,” said Lavinia.
“You know, if we went with the General, you could see your father.”
“Grandmama would never permit it.”
“I know where his office is, and I bet we could find out where his house is,” persisted Annie.
Lavinia looked at Annie. “I don’t know, Annie. I don’t think Grandmama is going to let the General go to New York by himself.”
“Maybe Timothy will go.”
“I have to think about this,” said Lavinia. “How would we get around?”
“They have hansom cabs. You have money, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“We should count it and see how much you have,” replied Annie.
The girls put their board game away. They passed Constance in the hallway.
“Is the General going to New York, Grandmama?” asked Lavinia.
“Actually, no. We’re going to telegraph Marjorie and see if she can come to Philadelphia earlier, perhaps next week.”
“When will you know?”
“I expect in a day or two, but you might want to start putting your things together for a trip to Philadelphia.”
The girls ran up to their room, and Lavinia took out a large box which contained her savings. The girls began to total the contents.
“Lavinia, how did you get so much money?” asked Annie.
“Well, I receive a weekly allowance although I rarely spend it. I might buy a book here or there, but mostly I save what I receive.”
“We could take the train from Philadelphia to New York, and take a cab to your father’s office. You have more than enough,” said Annie.
“We couldn’t do that Annie. Grandmama would be very angry.”
“I thought you wanted to see your father,” said Annie.
“I do, but....”
“You can think about it Lavinia. We won’t be leaving until next week, anyway.”
“I’m not going to think about it, Annie, because I am not going to do it. You said it yourself, we don’t know where he lives.”
“I’m sure your grandmama has his address in her desk.”
“Annie!”
“What?”
“We cannot go into Grandmama’s things without her permission.”
“Ask her for the address, then.”
“I cannot,” said Lavinia, putting her face in her hands.
“You have to decide Lavinia, but I think this is your chance.”
At dinner the General was unusually quiet. Constance, Lavinia, and Annie conversed as usual, but Lavinia noted that Grandmama’s attention was focused on the General.
Later, Lavinia saw Constance pull Timothy aside. “Please keep an eye on Edward. He is not himself today.”
“Aye, he’s wantin’ to go to New York.”
“I know, but it will be much better if we all travel together to Philadelphia.”
“He’s missin’ Miss Marjorie.”
“Edward must be patient. It’s only a few weeks, Timothy.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Meanwhile, Annie had followed the General back to the den. She stood in front of the General and stared at him.
“What do you want, Soldier!”
“I know you are going to New York,” she said.
“Nonsense!”
“Lavinia and I want to come too.”
“I thought you didn’t want to come.”
“Well, I do now, and anyways, it would be better if we went instead of Timothy.”
“Why?”
“Because Timothy will tell Mrs. Constance, and then you won’t be able to go.”
“Timothy wouldn’t rat me out!”
“True, but he won’t lie to Mrs. Constance, and you know it.”
“How do I know that you two won’t tell Constance?”
"Cause we’re coming with you, and we’re not allowed neither.”
The General thought it over.
“Oliver Piper is picking me up in the wagon at first light. If you’re packed and ready, I’ll take you. If not, you stay and say nothing.”
“Done!”
They shook hands.
When Lavinia went up to her room, she found Annie packing satchels for both of them.
“What are you doing, Annie?”
“We’re going to New York with the General tomorrow morning.”
“What!”
“That’s right, and I thought you might want this,” said Annie handing Lavinia a piece of paper.
“What is this? Oh my goodness, this is my father’s address! Annie, what did you do?”
“Nothing. I was looking for Mrs. Constance, and I noticed that her desk was open, and this fell out on the floor.”
“This is terrible!” Lavinia paced back and forth. “I must tell G
randmama.”
Annie sat back on her heels and waited.
“I really must,” said Lavinia.
Annie said nothing.
“What time is he leaving?”
“First light. If we are packed and ready, we can go.”
Lavinia sat on the edge of the bed. “If I go with Uncle Edward, it isn’t as if I am going by myself.”
“True,” agreed Annie.
“Also, we are going to see Aunt Marjorie.”
“Well then, are you going to help me pack?”
“No, I mean yes. I can’t believe this.”
“What about Bubbles and Sweet Pea?”
“Annie, we must leave them behind. They will be safer at home.”
“The General is bringing George and Martha,” Annie pointed out.
“Annie, we are in enough trouble already. Leave it be.”
Lavinia supervised the packing. She reorganized the cases, and carefully folded their best outfits. “I have never been to the Astor, but I understand that it is quite elegant.”
“I only saw it from the outside. Very posh!” agreed Annie.
The door suddenly opened. Stricken, the girls looked up.
“At ease, Soldiers! Meet me by the front door at first light. Oliver will pick us up at the end of the drive. Oh, and you might want to be less conspicuous with those satchels,” the General advised before shutting the door.
“Whew! That was close!” said Annie.
Lavinia and Annie slept fitfully, and rose while it was still dark. They carried their cases to the front door, and Lavinia opened the coat closet and helped Annie put on her best coat, gloves, and bonnet before putting on her own things. A moment later the General came down and let them out the front door. George and Martha ran up and down the drive with them as they walked silently along. Oliver Piper was waiting for them with the wagon.
“Take us to the train station, young man,” the General ordered.
“Yes, Sir.”
“Go home,” the General ordered George and Martha, who turned and ran down the drive.
“I thought they were coming,” said Annie.
“Oliver said they’re not allowed on the train.”
“Sorry, Sir,” said Oliver. “That’s the rules.”
“Did you send the telegram to my sister?”
“I did, Sir.”
“Good work.”
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