The Little Sparrows

by Al Lacy

  Barry Chandler was in the line close to where Josie was standing and had observed the scene when she and Wanda parted. Since the last couple moving along the line had already passed him, Barry moved to where Josie stood. “Hi. We haven’t met, but my name is Barry Chandler. I saw how it affected you when that couple took Wanda. Is there anything I can do to help you?”

  Josie managed a smile. “Thank you, Barry, but there is really nothing you can do. Wanda and I have become friends on the trip, and I’m just having a hard time letting her go. Oh. My name is—”

  “Josie Holden,” cut in Barry, a wide smile spreading over his face. “I asked Miss Wolford what your name was way back in New York, and she told me.”

  A bit off balance, Josie kept her smile and nodded. “Oh.”

  There was obvious admiration in Barry’s eyes. “Josie is such a pretty name. Is it a nickname?”

  “Mm-hmm. My real name is Josephine.”

  “Well, that’s a pretty name too.”

  Barry ran his gaze around them. “It looks like there are no more people coming along to talk to us.”

  “Looks like it,” Josie said sadly. “If no one adopts me by the time we get to San Francisco, I’ll have to go back to New York and start over again.”

  “Well, Miss Josie, we’ve got a lot of stops before we get to San Francisco. I’m sure both of us will be chosen by then.”

  “I sure hope so.”

  “Where did you live in New York?”

  “Manhattan. Where did you live?”

  “Queens.”

  “Are you actually an orphan, Miss Josie, or were you put on the streets because your parents couldn’t afford to keep you?”

  “I’m an orphan. My parents are both dead.”

  “I’m sorry. Would you mind telling me about it?”

  Pleased that the handsome boy was interested, Josie told him her story in brief. When she finished, Barry said, “I’m sorry you’ve had so much heartache, Miss Josie.”

  She thanked him for his concern, then asked about him, and he quickly told her his story.

  Josie looked up at him with her soft, tender eyes. “I’m sorry you’ve had so much heartache too, Barry.”

  “We both know what that’s all about. You needn’t worry about finding a home. As sweet and pretty as you are, I’m sure some fine family will take you home with them.”

  A tiny smile appeared at the corners of Josie’s mouth. Barry’s heart did a flip-flop in his chest, and he said suddenly, “Miss Josie, if I was older and looking for a girl to adopt, I would take you in an instant.” Suddenly, he clamped a palm over his mouth. “Oh! I let my tongue get ahead of my brain. Please forgive me for speaking so boldly.”

  Josie patted his arm. “You don’t need to apologize. That was a very nice thing to say.”

  Suddenly Gifford Stanfield’s voice cut the air. “All right, boys and girls, it’s time to reboard the train! Five boys and three girls were taken by foster parents. That leaves fifty-three to move on down the line. Don’t any of you be discouraged. This was only the first stop. We’ve got plenty more. All aboard!”

  Lance Adams moved up quickly to Jimmy Kirkland. “Hey, little pal, don’t be discouraged. Everything is going to be all right.”

  Jimmy’s big blue eyes fastened on him. “You p-promithe, M-Mr. Adamth?”

  Lance forced a wide smile. “Sure, Jimmy. I promise.” In his heart, he said, Lord, that promise is based on my faith. Is anything too hard for You?

  Jimmy nodded. “Okay, M-Mr. Adamth. Thee you l-later.”

  “See you later.”

  Lance watched until Jimmy had boarded the boys’ coach, then headed for his own.

  Barry Chandler boarded the boys’ coach, feeling a strange sensation in his heart. Without a doubt, he had an attraction for pretty Josie Holden.

  When Josie Holden sat down on her regular seat in the girls’ coach, her heart lurched at the absence of Wanda Stevens. At the same time, she felt warm feelings as Barry Chandler came to mind. She told herself he was the nicest and most handsome boy she had ever met.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Outside the railroad station, Will and Leah Banton led their new foster children into the parking lot and drew up to the family buggy, which was parked between two buckboards.

  Johnny sized up the husky draft horse that was hitched to the buggy.

  “Wow! What a big horse, Mr. Banton! I’ve never seen one as big as him. It is a him, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, Johnny, it’s a him … otherwise known as a gelding.”

  Johnny frowned. “I thought a he horse was a st—stal—uh …”

  “A stallion?”

  “Yeah. That’s it. A stallion.”

  “Well, a male horse is a stallion unless he’s fixed so he can’t be a daddy.”

  “Huh?”

  “I’ll explain it to you when you get a little older, okay?”

  Johnny shrugged. “Okay.”

  “Johnny, would you like to ride on the driver’s seat with Papa Will?” Leah said.

  Johnny’s eyes lit up. “I sure would!”

  Will extended his arms toward the boy. “Here, I’ll help you.”

  “I can do it, Mr. Banton,” said Johnny, and quickly climbed up onto the seat.

  “Well, I guess you can!”

  Leah snickered. “It’s the male ego at work.”

  Lizzie’s ears perked up. “A eagle? I love birds, but I never seen a eagle. Where’s the eagle?”

  Mary looked at Leah and shook her head, grinning. “Lizzie, Mrs. Banton didn’t say eagle. She said ego. It has to do with what you think of yourself. I remember my teacher, Mrs. Childress, saying in class that boys and men have a problem with their ego.”

  Lizzie’s face twisted. “Huh?”

  “Forget it, honey. Mr. and Mrs. Banton want to get going.”

  Will helped Leah and the girls into the rear seat of the buggy. Lizzie was positioned between her sister and Leah.

  While Will was releasing the reins from the hitching post, Leah said, “Children, we will now go to the general store to buy groceries. We waited on this to see if we would find the child or children we wanted, then we would buy groceries and supplies as needed for the new addition or additions to our family.”

  Will climbed into the driver’s seat and put the buggy in motion. As the big horse pulled the vehicle down the street toward Kearney’s business district, Leah said, “And tomorrow, we will bring you back into town and buy all three of you new clothes and shoes.”

  Johnny twisted around in the seat. “Wow! Really?”

  Leah smiled at him. “Really. We’re going to see that our foster children have everything they need to make them happy and comfortable. And come fall, we’ll outfit you for winter with coats, mittens, stocking caps, and overshoes.”

  Lizzie’s eyes were sparkling. “Will I get a new dress, Mrs. Banton?”

  “You’ll get more than one, honey.”

  “Oh, boy! Will Mary get new dresses too?”

  “She sure will. And like you and Johnny, she’ll get new shoes.”

  Sitting next to Will, Johnny let his eyes drift to the clapboard buildings on both sides of the dusty street. Some had small balconies on the second level. Others were single stories with flat roofs. Signs above the doors revealed what type of business was inside. People milled about the town on foot, while others were in horse-drawn wagons, buggies, and carriages.

  Soon they pulled up in front of Hanson’s General Store and the children were led inside. Their eyes widened instantly. They had never been in a store like this one. The long rows of shelves were loaded with everything imaginable, and what items wouldn’t fit on the shelves were piled in neat stacks on the floor.

  Leah said, “Now, children, if you see something on the shelves that you would like to have for meals, just point them out. I’ll cook anything you like.”

  The children stared in amazement as they followed Will and Leah through the store. Lizzie moved close to Mary and
grasped her hand tightly. Her eyes took in everything.

  The Bantons came upon people they knew and introduced Mary, Johnny, and Lizzie as their new foster children whom they had just chosen from the orphan train at the railroad station. Every man and woman showed warmth toward them.

  Soon everyone in the Banton family except Lizzie was carrying grocery items, and as they headed toward the counter, Johnny said, “I sure like it, here! I really do. I like it here!”

  Will chuckled as they drew up to the counter. “Well, I’m sure glad, Johnny. We want you to be happy here.”

  “I like it here too, Johnny,” said Mary.

  The Bantons both smiled at Mary.

  Will greeted Clyde and Geraldine Hanson, who stood behind the counter. As he placed his armful of goods on the counter, he told the Hansons that he and Leah had chosen the three children off the orphan train, and introduced Mary, Johnny, and Lizzie to them. Again, the children found a friendly welcome.

  While the items were being tabulated and the adults were talking, Lizzie’s eyes went to the two big jars of candy that sat on the end of the counter. She tugged at Mary’s arm and pointed at the jars. “Look, Mary!”

  Leah turned to see what Lizzie was pointing at. “Aha! Candy, eh?”

  “Mm-hmm. Could I have some please, Mrs. Banton?”

  “Of course, sweetheart. We’ll buy a good supply, but you must understand that you can only have a couple of pieces in a day. We don’t want your teeth to decay.”

  Lizzie nodded. “Okay.”

  Moments later, when they were walking out the door with everyone carrying grocery sacks except the little one with a piece of hard candy in her mouth, Lizzie spoke around it. “Yeah, Johnny! I really do like it here too!”

  At that moment, they all heard the shrill sound of a train whistle.

  Their attention was drawn to the orphan train as it was pulling out of town.

  A pang of sadness penetrated Mary’s tender heart. “Johnny, Lizzie, the Lord has been so good to us. Most of those boys and girls are still on the train, I’m sure. They didn’t get chosen today. I just hope all of them are chosen by the time the train gets to California.”

  Johnny grinned at his big sister. “You’re right, Mary. We sure have been blessed. I know we’re gonna be happy with Mr. and Mrs. Banton.”

  Mary lifted her eyes skyward. “Dear Lord Jesus, thank You for giving us Mr. and Mrs. Banton to be our foster parents.”

  Will looked down at her and smiled. “Mary, you can call us Mama and Papa now.”

  Mary giggled and looked heavenward again. “Excuse me, Lord Jesus. Thank You for giving us Mama and Papa Banton to be our foster parents.”

  Will laughed. “Now that’s more like it, honey!”

  “Yes,” said Leah.

  The groceries were piled in the rear of the buggy, and they all climbed in and headed north on Main Street. They were almost out of town when Will pointed to a white frame building. “Hey, kids, see that church?”

  All three set their eyes on it.

  “Yeah,” said Johnny.

  “That’s where we’ll take you to Sunday school and church services.”

  “Have you gone there before?” asked Mary.

  “Yes. A couple of times.”

  Soon they were out of town, moving along a dusty country road. There were several farms that came into view, with cattle and horses dotting the pastures.

  Lizzie jumped up from her place between Leah and Mary. “Look! Cows and horses! Lots of ’em!”

  “Sure enough,” said Mary. “We’ve never seen anything like this before, have we?”

  “Huh-uh. It’s neat!”

  Johnny was studying the livestock in the pastures on both sides of the road. “Mr. Ban—I mean, Papa, what kind of horses and cattle are those?”

  Will smiled at him. “Well, let’s take the horses first. You see that some of them are big and thick-bodied like our horse?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Well, those are draft horses. They pull plows, hay mowing, raking, and stacking equipment, and hay wagons, as well as regular wagons and buggies like this one.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “And then you see the horses that are much slimmer.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Those are saddle horses. They couldn’t pull the kind of weight the draft horses do, but they are much faster.”

  Johnny nodded.

  “Let me direct your attention to the cattle. You see those cattle with dark red hides and white faces?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “And those solid black ones in that pasture over there on the other side of the road?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Well, the red ones with the white faces are called Herefords. They are beef cattle. As are those black ones over there. They’re called Black Angus. So both the Hereford and the Angus are raised strictly to provide meat for our tables.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Now notice the cattle that are white with black markings.”

  “Okay.”

  “And those that are a light reddish brown with white markings.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Well, both of those are milk producers. The white ones with black markings are called Holsteins. The others are called Guernseys. The Holsteins give the most milk, but the Guernseys give the richest milk. So most of us own both kinds. That way we mix the milk and have a whole lot of rich milk!”

  Johnny laughed. “That’s pretty neat, Papa.”

  Mary pointed to a nearby farm. “Papa, what’s that tall round building next to the barn over there?”

  “That’s called a silo.”

  “What’s it for?”

  “We store fodder in there. Fodder is hay or cornstalks. The silo keeps the fodder dry and fresh all winter long, which helps us to feed our livestock sufficiently when there is no grass for them to eat in pastures.”

  “Wow!” said Johnny. “This is really interesting! We’re gonna learn a lot here, Mary.”

  “We sure will,” agreed his sister.

  Johnny ran his gaze across the Nebraska plains. “I’ve never been able to see so far before.”

  “Me, either,” said Mary. “It seems like there’s no end to all the land.”

  Moments later, Leah said, “Look up there on the right, children. See that farmhouse with the cottonwood trees in the front yard and the big red barn out back with the white silo beside it?”

  All three nodded.

  “Well, that’s our place.”

  The Marston three focused harder on it.

  “Wow!” said Johnny. “That’s really a neat farm!”

  As they drew closer, they saw the beef cattle and milk cows, and Johnny said, “You’ve got Herefords, don’t you?”

  Will grinned. “Sure do.”

  “And you’ve got both kinds of milk cows. And I see another draft horse. Do you have saddle horses, Papa?”

  “Mm-hmm. Two of them. They’re probably in the corral over by the barn, standing where we can’t see them right now.”

  “Can I ride one of them?”

  “Of course, but you’ll have to let me teach you how, first.”

  “Okay!”

  “Me too!” chimed in Lizzie.

  Leah laughed. “You’ll have to get bigger first, sweetheart.”

  Lizzie rubbed her nose. “Okay.”

  They pulled up to the gate, drove over the cattle guard between the posts, and headed toward the buildings.

  The large two-story white frame house, which stood partially in the shade of the cottonwoods, was situated in the midst of the prettiest flower garden the Marston three had ever seen. The windows—upstairs and down—sparkled in the afternoon sunshine, and the breeze moved the swing on the wide front porch.

  Mary studied the house. It looks like a happy house.

  Suddenly there was movement on the porch, and a large dog with a deep red coat bounded down the steps, wagging his tail and barking his welcome.

&n
bsp; Lizzie’s eyes widened. “Oh! A doggie!”

  “What’s the doggie’s name?” asked Mary.

  “His name is Red, honey,” replied Leah.

  Johnny laughed. “What kind is he, Papa?”

  “Irish setter.”

  “Oh yeah. I should’ve known that. I saw one at Central Park one time.”

  Red jumped up and down as Will stepped from the buggy and petted him. He quickly spotted the children as they left the buggy and responded quickly to their attention. After Red had met Mary, Johnny, and Lizzie, licked their hands, and had been petted by all three, Leah said, “All right, children, let’s go in the house.”

  When they went inside—with Red following—Mary told herself the house looked as happy inside as it did outside. The spacious house had four bedrooms upstairs. The master bedroom belonged to Will and Leah, and Leah explained that the girls would have one bedroom together, and Johnny would have his own bedroom. This would allow the Bantons to still have one spare bedroom when company came to stay all night.

  Mary put her arm around her little sister and looked at the Bantons. “I’m glad Lizzie and I will be in the same room so I can take care of her.”

  Lizzie’s eyes were dancing. “Me too!”

  They were taken to the girls’ room first, which was simple but quite cozy. The twin beds were covered with blue and white quilts. A dresser and washstand took up the greater part of one wall. A rolltop desk sat in a corner of the room. Mary was fascinated with the wide, cushioned window seat. She pictured herself whiling the hours away while sitting in that comfortable spot and enjoying the scenery in view through the large window.

  The girls followed as Johnny was led down the hall to his room.

  When Johnny stepped into his room, it reminded him somewhat of his bedroom at home in Manhattan, though it was much larger. A colorful patchwork quilt covered his bed, and the afternoon sun made a pattern on the glossy wood floor. A rag rug of many hues lay in the middle of the room, and a white dresser and washstand stood against one wall. He had a large window, like the one in his sisters’ room.

  Will ran his gaze over the three bright faces. “Well, kids, what do you think?”

  “We love it, Papa,” said Mary.