Have a wonderful Thanksgiving tomorrow, everyone! God Bless!
xoxo, the author ;-)
xoxo, the author ;-)
Sunday, October 8, 2017
Wednesday, October 4, 2017
A Winter Story, part fifteen
by: Olivia Dale
With Eliza having consumed her special Raven's Water Tea, she came back to her senses and even stopped shivering, all within fifteen minutes!
Janet stood next to her, rubbing her old aunt's stiff shoulders. She sat down into a chair next to her and took hold of Eliza's wrinkled hands. "Great Aunt Eliza," she said hesitantly, "Can you ever forgive me?"
Eliza looked into her beloved niece's eyes and squeezed Janet's hand tightly. "Of course I do. Forgiveness is something we mustn't do without." she looked down, and said with a flush, "I, I'm sorry, for the way I have treated you- and everybody around here. I'm an old, old lonely woman, never having received attention from, goodness knows who, but you Janet," she looked up at Janet again, "you gave me more love than I deserved, even with all my complaints and bickering."
Janet blinked, clearly at a loss for words.
"But, oh! My feet are as blocks of ice, Janet. I'm frozen stiff.." Eliza finished.
Just as Janet was about to ask something, Felix and Sara came bursting through the door, bright eyed and rosy, smiling from ear to ear in her barn clothes.
"Mother, Father said for you both to bundle up and go into the barn."
Janet's eyes widened. "The barn?" she asked, unbelieving. "Whatever is this about?"
"You'll see." Sara said as she hurried and retrieved their winter coats and mittens from the rack.
"You'll be in for a surprise."she said and plunked the coats onto a nearby chair.
~*~
Everyone was in the lambing pen as Sara and Felix explained about their "little heater".
"The motion of the bicycle sends an electric current to this box-"
Felix was saying, "which then sends it back through this cable. "
Sara, holding the strand of wire up so that everybody could see, continued their speech. "The cables are all hooked onto the light bulbs which are screwed onto this plank, and because of the electric currents flowing through because of the bicycle, they light up, and produce heat."
"Which is energy." Felix finished. "Now, Mr. Pettibone, will you please peddle that bicycle?" he asked his school master who was standing next to it.
Mr. Pettibone got on and peddled. Nothing happened.
"You're going to have to peddle a lot faster, Mr. Pettibone." Sara chuckled.
As he did so, they heard that familiar faint buzz and a warm glow appear from the light bulbs.
"Why it's as warm as a summer's day!" Alec said as he stood amazed at the lovely lit light bulbs.
Hetty laughed with delight and sat in the hay, next to light bulbs, holding a lamb and bottle feeding it.
"Well, the sheep are making use of it as well." she said as the rest of the flock shyly sniffed at the warm, bright contraption.
Janet and Felicity seated Eliza next to the lights into a sweet smelling pile of hay, and snugly tucked a blanket around her. Eliza laughed. "I don't think I'm going to be cold anymore after this."
Mr. Pettibone, from his perch on the bicycle, smiled at his pupils.
"Because of Sara and Felix's excellent demonstration and presentation, I give them a passing grade and the prize for the Best Project Of The Year." he said, beaming. "This is ingenious."
Sara and Felix looked at each other in amazement. Did he just say Best Project Of The Year?? They squealed with delight. Janet smiled, and looked at her dear aunt. "Now Eliza, you are more than welcome to stay with us." she said.
"For as long as you wish." Alec put in while holding one of the lambs in his arms.
Eliza smiled. "Are you sure?" she asked them.
"They are certain, Eliza. Don't make them change their minds." Hetty chuckled as she fed her lamb. "Do stay, we don't want you to go." Sara said, and Felicity, sitting next to her, nodded her head vigorously. Felix laughed. "I won't turn the heat off to your room anymore either, Great Aunt Eliza." he laughed as Eliza winked to him. However, his parents, Aunt Hetty and older sister Felicity glared at him for such a heinous act. Hetty pinched him and he flinched, yet still smiling at Eliza.
"Alright then. It's settled. Of course I'll stay." Eliza smiled and looked up at Janet. "Thank-you."
"No, thank-you." Janet told her, "for forgiving me and still loving me." she smiled as they embraced each other.
Outside, the sun was beginning to set and shone golden over the snowy hills, and into the King Barn, giving a bright, warm glow, just like the light bulbs.
THE END
With Eliza having consumed her special Raven's Water Tea, she came back to her senses and even stopped shivering, all within fifteen minutes!
Janet stood next to her, rubbing her old aunt's stiff shoulders. She sat down into a chair next to her and took hold of Eliza's wrinkled hands. "Great Aunt Eliza," she said hesitantly, "Can you ever forgive me?"
Eliza looked into her beloved niece's eyes and squeezed Janet's hand tightly. "Of course I do. Forgiveness is something we mustn't do without." she looked down, and said with a flush, "I, I'm sorry, for the way I have treated you- and everybody around here. I'm an old, old lonely woman, never having received attention from, goodness knows who, but you Janet," she looked up at Janet again, "you gave me more love than I deserved, even with all my complaints and bickering."Janet blinked, clearly at a loss for words.
"But, oh! My feet are as blocks of ice, Janet. I'm frozen stiff.." Eliza finished.
Just as Janet was about to ask something, Felix and Sara came bursting through the door, bright eyed and rosy, smiling from ear to ear in her barn clothes.
"Mother, Father said for you both to bundle up and go into the barn."
Janet's eyes widened. "The barn?" she asked, unbelieving. "Whatever is this about?"
"You'll see." Sara said as she hurried and retrieved their winter coats and mittens from the rack.
"You'll be in for a surprise."she said and plunked the coats onto a nearby chair.
~*~
Everyone was in the lambing pen as Sara and Felix explained about their "little heater"."The motion of the bicycle sends an electric current to this box-"
Felix was saying, "which then sends it back through this cable. "
Sara, holding the strand of wire up so that everybody could see, continued their speech. "The cables are all hooked onto the light bulbs which are screwed onto this plank, and because of the electric currents flowing through because of the bicycle, they light up, and produce heat."
"Which is energy." Felix finished. "Now, Mr. Pettibone, will you please peddle that bicycle?" he asked his school master who was standing next to it.
Mr. Pettibone got on and peddled. Nothing happened.
"You're going to have to peddle a lot faster, Mr. Pettibone." Sara chuckled.
As he did so, they heard that familiar faint buzz and a warm glow appear from the light bulbs.
"Why it's as warm as a summer's day!" Alec said as he stood amazed at the lovely lit light bulbs.
Hetty laughed with delight and sat in the hay, next to light bulbs, holding a lamb and bottle feeding it.
"Well, the sheep are making use of it as well." she said as the rest of the flock shyly sniffed at the warm, bright contraption.
Janet and Felicity seated Eliza next to the lights into a sweet smelling pile of hay, and snugly tucked a blanket around her. Eliza laughed. "I don't think I'm going to be cold anymore after this."
Mr. Pettibone, from his perch on the bicycle, smiled at his pupils.
"Because of Sara and Felix's excellent demonstration and presentation, I give them a passing grade and the prize for the Best Project Of The Year." he said, beaming. "This is ingenious."
Sara and Felix looked at each other in amazement. Did he just say Best Project Of The Year?? They squealed with delight. Janet smiled, and looked at her dear aunt. "Now Eliza, you are more than welcome to stay with us." she said.
"For as long as you wish." Alec put in while holding one of the lambs in his arms.
Eliza smiled. "Are you sure?" she asked them.
"They are certain, Eliza. Don't make them change their minds." Hetty chuckled as she fed her lamb. "Do stay, we don't want you to go." Sara said, and Felicity, sitting next to her, nodded her head vigorously. Felix laughed. "I won't turn the heat off to your room anymore either, Great Aunt Eliza." he laughed as Eliza winked to him. However, his parents, Aunt Hetty and older sister Felicity glared at him for such a heinous act. Hetty pinched him and he flinched, yet still smiling at Eliza.
"Alright then. It's settled. Of course I'll stay." Eliza smiled and looked up at Janet. "Thank-you."
"No, thank-you." Janet told her, "for forgiving me and still loving me." she smiled as they embraced each other.
Outside, the sun was beginning to set and shone golden over the snowy hills, and into the King Barn, giving a bright, warm glow, just like the light bulbs.
THE END
Friday, September 8, 2017
A Winter Story, part fourteen
by: Olivia Dale
"Alec, I think you had better run for the doctor." Janet said, who was sitting next to her aunt, wrapping Eliza in yet another blanket.
 |
| the King Farm House |
"Alec, I think you had better run for the doctor." Janet said, who was sitting next to her aunt, wrapping Eliza in yet another blanket.
They both looked at a blue lipped Eliza. She was shivering although the fire in the furnace was blazing and the kitchen was actually warm for a change. The old woman was muttering something, something about a little black case.
"Her case! The little black case, oh Alec it's in the sleigh. Get it quick." Janet said.
Alec went out to get it, Hetty of course, following him.
Back in the kitchen, Janet was soothing her aunt. "There, there, Eliza. Alec is going out to get it for you, just calm down, dear, you'll warm up soon." she said.
"My- my little c-case. W-with water ravens tea. I need it! It w-w-will warm me up. It tastes like chocolate, d-don't you know. Reci-p-p-pe from my m-m-mother. My case. I n-n-need my little case, Janet...the black one, you know. Filled with my remedies." Eliza stuttered, looking pleadingly at Janet.
Janet looked at her helpless, not at all knowing what to do. If she could just get that tea down inside her maybe that should calm her down a bit. I hope, she thought, squeezing her aunt close to her.
~*~
Alec and Hetty hastily walked down the pathway leading towards the barnyard. He coughed and reached for the black case, then blew his nose.
"Oh," he groaned as he stuffed the handkerchief back into his coat pocket. "This influenza, whatever it is, came right in the wrong time of year. I have so much work to do, and now with Eliza going downhill..." he coughed again, "and to leave the lambing to Felix, of all people.." he complained.
Hetty stiffened.
"Now what's wrong with leaving the lambing to Felix? Or any of the children for that matter?" she accused her brother. "It's not wrong to step down and let your children grow up and be responsible around the farm. And Eliza will perk up the moment she has some of that- that- water ravens tea remedy of hers. It would do you and Janet both some good to listen to what she has to say for a change." Hetty softened her tone of voice and stopped walking in order to let her next words sink in with her brother. "Eliza is an old, old woman and she has lots of wise things too share with you. Your family the only family she has. And Abigail, too, but Eliza is here now and we don't know how much longer she will be with you all, so take the time now to learn from her. And to give her the love that she so desperately needs." she finished, emotion penetrating her voice.
Alec looked down, knowing all too well that Hetty was right, as older sisters always are. Most of the time, that is. He looked at his sister and smiled.
"You know Hetty, you're right." he told her.
"I always am." she said, winking, and turned around and went back to the house, with the small, black case in hand.
Then, just as Alec was about to follow Hetty, two youngsters caught his eye.
"Father, Father!" Felix shouted as he ran towards his father.
"Uncle Alec!" Sara echoed in, "You've got to see what's in the barn."
A winter story, part thirteen
by: Olivia Dale
The screeching of sled runners sliced through the quietness of the King family barnyard. Janet tugged mightily on the reins and pulled the horse to a jarring halt. She picked up a woolen checkered blanket, which she had found in the back of the sleigh, and wrapped it around a shivering Great Aunt Eliza. "Alec! Hetty!" she cried, "Come here quick! I've found Eliza!"
Just then, Clive Pettibone showed up, who had made his way from town to check on the lambs,
"What's all the commotion? Is something wrong?" he asked, but then he quickly realized that there was something serious going on. He rushed over to the sleigh and over to Eliza's side.
"Oh Clive, thank goodness you're here. She's fallen through the ice and she keeps on mumbling things and I can't understand a word, it's so unclear...I don't know if she's in shock..." Janet sobbed and sniffed with fright.
Clive didn't hesitate a moment. "Alec! Hetty! Come here!" he called in a loud, booming voice as he scooped the feeble woman into his arms. Alec, followed by Felicity, toddler Daniel, and Hetty, came running towards them.
Alec helped lift Aunt Eliza and together he and Clive carefully carried her into the house. Everybody followed, Felicity closing the farmhouse door behind them, and prayed with all her heart that Aunt Eliza wouldn't die in the midst of them.
~*~
In the meantime, Felix and Sara arrived in the barnyard, clumsily carrying a wooden board with light bulbs screwed onto it, all attached with wire strings mingled onto a bicycle and a big, black box.
"Ouch." Sara groaned as a loose string whipped into her face, "Felix, don't go so fast, I can't keep up." she exclaimed.
Felix sighed but kept his steady pace. "We've got to save the lambs, Sara. We're almost there. Just two more steps." He told her as they made their way into the lambing pen. Carefully, Sara placed the board with light bulbs onto the soft straw as Felix set up the bicycle and the box. Together they fumbled around with the strings.
Felix picked up the charred black string from the latter finger burning incident, and twisted it onto the black box. Phew, no invisible hand chucked him across the floor this time, he mused.
Well, the contraption looked ready to roll.
Fingers crossed, Sara hopped onto the bicycle and started to peddle. She heard a little buzz and saw a faint glow glimmer from all of the light bulbs.
Felix stared in awe. "Peddle faster." he instructed.
So she did, and the faint glow gleamed beautifully bright, and oh! the warmth that came from it! Immediately all of the lambs wobbled towards the light, bleating happily.
Sara and Felix laughed with delight.
"C'mon Sara! We've got to tell the rest of them!" Felix shouted with glee. Sara stopped peddling and slid off of the bike, then she and Felix ran back into the cold, with happy news to share with the family. Yet little did they know about their Great Aunt Eliza...
The screeching of sled runners sliced through the quietness of the King family barnyard. Janet tugged mightily on the reins and pulled the horse to a jarring halt. She picked up a woolen checkered blanket, which she had found in the back of the sleigh, and wrapped it around a shivering Great Aunt Eliza. "Alec! Hetty!" she cried, "Come here quick! I've found Eliza!"
Just then, Clive Pettibone showed up, who had made his way from town to check on the lambs,
"What's all the commotion? Is something wrong?" he asked, but then he quickly realized that there was something serious going on. He rushed over to the sleigh and over to Eliza's side.
"Oh Clive, thank goodness you're here. She's fallen through the ice and she keeps on mumbling things and I can't understand a word, it's so unclear...I don't know if she's in shock..." Janet sobbed and sniffed with fright.
Clive didn't hesitate a moment. "Alec! Hetty! Come here!" he called in a loud, booming voice as he scooped the feeble woman into his arms. Alec, followed by Felicity, toddler Daniel, and Hetty, came running towards them.
Alec helped lift Aunt Eliza and together he and Clive carefully carried her into the house. Everybody followed, Felicity closing the farmhouse door behind them, and prayed with all her heart that Aunt Eliza wouldn't die in the midst of them.
~*~
In the meantime, Felix and Sara arrived in the barnyard, clumsily carrying a wooden board with light bulbs screwed onto it, all attached with wire strings mingled onto a bicycle and a big, black box.
"Ouch." Sara groaned as a loose string whipped into her face, "Felix, don't go so fast, I can't keep up." she exclaimed.
Felix sighed but kept his steady pace. "We've got to save the lambs, Sara. We're almost there. Just two more steps." He told her as they made their way into the lambing pen. Carefully, Sara placed the board with light bulbs onto the soft straw as Felix set up the bicycle and the box. Together they fumbled around with the strings.
Felix picked up the charred black string from the latter finger burning incident, and twisted it onto the black box. Phew, no invisible hand chucked him across the floor this time, he mused.
Well, the contraption looked ready to roll.
Fingers crossed, Sara hopped onto the bicycle and started to peddle. She heard a little buzz and saw a faint glow glimmer from all of the light bulbs.
Felix stared in awe. "Peddle faster." he instructed.
So she did, and the faint glow gleamed beautifully bright, and oh! the warmth that came from it! Immediately all of the lambs wobbled towards the light, bleating happily.
Sara and Felix laughed with delight.
"C'mon Sara! We've got to tell the rest of them!" Felix shouted with glee. Sara stopped peddling and slid off of the bike, then she and Felix ran back into the cold, with happy news to share with the family. Yet little did they know about their Great Aunt Eliza...
Monday, August 21, 2017
The Avonlea Chronicle ~June 1910
____________________________________
DALE CANNERY BURNT TO THE GROUND
By: Miss Muriel Stacey
It was lightning that struck into the Dale Cannery last night, June 19th, at around ten pm. There is nothing left of the lobster cannery, all except for the sooty remains of the buildings’ frame. There was an heroic attempt to save the cannery, but with the northwesterly winds blowing fiercely, it became a wasted effort, and when the roof came crashing down, the Dale cannery turned into a great, big bonfire, never to be there again. The Dales are hoping to rebuild again, if the bank allows. Until then, there will be no more canned lobster for the markets, such as the Avonlea General Store, Carmody Hill Merchandise, and Darrie’s Eatery.
Thursday, July 6, 2017
a winter story, part twelve
by: Olivia Dale
Alec sighed.
The lambs were bleating pitifully, yet there was nothing he could do to keep his flock warm.
There was one thing, though, he came up with. "Sara, Felix," he turned to the children, "I want you to fetch the vet, Aurthor Pettibone, he'll probably have something in mind for the sheep."
The children obeyed and sprinted towards the village. Sara knocked on the door, impatiently.
"Please, please, please be home..." she muttered silently to herself. Felix payed no heed to how rude he might seem, their lambs were at stake! so he banged on the door with his two fists. ""Aurthor Pettibone? Are you home?" he asked, loudly, while cracking the door open to yell it out once again.
Sara shrugged. "You can cut it out now, Felix, he's not home." she sighed, "Let's go around town to see if we can find him,"
Felix closed the door.
Then all of a sudden, an upstairs window in the Pettibone house cracked open. Mr Pettibone, their school teacher, popped his head out.
"You children need something?" he asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as the children just awoke him from his nap.
"Yes," Sara replied, sweet relief filling her soul, "we have an emergency at the King barn. Where's Aurthor?"
"He's away in Halifax for the week." Clive Pettibone snapped to attention, a former soldier he was, and a good horse expert he was too. He knew just what to do for farmers, he thought.
"But I think I can help you. Just give me a moment to put on my winter belongings." he said, shutting the window with a loud smack.
Felix turned to his cousin. "Sara, Mr. Pettibone doesn't know a thing about sheep!"
"I know, Felix, but he's the only help we've got. And Pat Frewen isn't any help either because he only raises pigs. I wish Aurthor was home!" She told him.
Felix eyes were large circles, as an idea just came to mind and then sprinted down the road, leaving Sara behind.
"C'mon, Sara!" He hollered over his shoulder. Sara ran to catch up with him, but Mr. Pettibone stopped them dead in their tracks.
"I thought you needed some help at the barn?" he asked them.
"We do." Felix answered, "But Sara and I have some things we need to do. You go on ahead to our barn, Mr. Pettibone, we'll be there later." he finished taking Sara's arm and leading, or rather almost dragging, her down the road.
"See you later, Mr. Pettibone." Sara replied and trudged after Felix.
"Where are we going, Felix?" she wanted to know, after she was out of their school master's hearing.
"I'll show you." was all Felix said as they both made their way to the Dale house and into Jasper's workshop, heading straight towards the bicycle hooked up on light bulbs.
"We need to get this thing to the barn, Sara, and you've got to help me with it."
~*~
On the other side of the small village of Avonlea, Janet King was bellowing over the sound of the sleigh bells.
"Elizaaaa!" she yelled at the top of her lungs, breathing in heavily the cold, wintery air. How in the world can her old, spinstered aunt have run away into hiding? she thought, panic rising into her usually sedate state of mind. It was getting colder by the minute and a stiff gust of wind blew into her face.
"Eliza if you don't freeze to death out here I will!" she cried out into the wind, hoping that the wind would take her words and hurl them into her aunts' ears. "Oh, Great Aunt Eliza, where are you?" she whispered, her voice trembling.
Janet sat back down into the sleigh and urged the noble horse into a steady lope. She kept that pace until she arrived at a frozen pond, with a little ice hut sticking out of the ponds edge. She climbed out of the sleigh, wrapped her thick shawl around her and headed towards the ice hut. If she didn't warm up soon she was sure to swoon from the cold. Just as she was reaching for the door latch she spotted something bulky sticking out of a fishing hole. She darted straight towards it and discovered that it was a suitcase- Eliza's suitcase!!
"Oh, Eliza!" she cried, tears gushing down her cheeks, "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry!! This is all my fault! If I just would've been patient instead of complaining and being so mean, I..I..I..oh I'm s-s-so sorry, Eliza, I'm so sorry!!" she stroked the suitcase and let her tears fall upon its stiffly frozen leather. She didn't dare look into the black, gaping hole as she was sure to discover the pale, limp body of her dear aunt. She sniffed and cried and apologized until there were no more tears left to be shed.
"Can you ever forgive me?" she said, swallowing hard, her voice tense and throat aching from crying so hard. All of a sudden, the ice hut door flung open, with a dripping wet Great Aunt Eliza straggling towards the grief stricken woman. Of course she forgave her niece!
"Janet!" she cried. "I'm over here!"
Janet didn't notice. Her grief was too overwhelming to hear anything but her own sobbing.
"Janet! I'm here!" Eliza repeated.
Janet flung around to see her petite, white haired aunt with icicles dangling from her loose strands of hair, limping, straggling towards her with arms open wide.
"Eliza!!!" Janet hollered, gathering her old aunt into her arms as Eliza crumpled to the ground.
Together they wept for joy, having found each other, forgiven and in each others embrace. Janet then quickly wrapped her own shawl around Eliza's damp shoulders and helped her into the sleigh.
She whipped the horse into a breakneck gallop, yet keeping an arm around her aunt, and raced home. If she didn't, Eliza might die of shock and cold.
Alec sighed.
The lambs were bleating pitifully, yet there was nothing he could do to keep his flock warm.
There was one thing, though, he came up with. "Sara, Felix," he turned to the children, "I want you to fetch the vet, Aurthor Pettibone, he'll probably have something in mind for the sheep."
The children obeyed and sprinted towards the village. Sara knocked on the door, impatiently.
"Please, please, please be home..." she muttered silently to herself. Felix payed no heed to how rude he might seem, their lambs were at stake! so he banged on the door with his two fists. ""Aurthor Pettibone? Are you home?" he asked, loudly, while cracking the door open to yell it out once again.
Sara shrugged. "You can cut it out now, Felix, he's not home." she sighed, "Let's go around town to see if we can find him,"
Felix closed the door.
Then all of a sudden, an upstairs window in the Pettibone house cracked open. Mr Pettibone, their school teacher, popped his head out.
"You children need something?" he asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as the children just awoke him from his nap.
"Yes," Sara replied, sweet relief filling her soul, "we have an emergency at the King barn. Where's Aurthor?"
"He's away in Halifax for the week." Clive Pettibone snapped to attention, a former soldier he was, and a good horse expert he was too. He knew just what to do for farmers, he thought.
"But I think I can help you. Just give me a moment to put on my winter belongings." he said, shutting the window with a loud smack.
Felix turned to his cousin. "Sara, Mr. Pettibone doesn't know a thing about sheep!"
"I know, Felix, but he's the only help we've got. And Pat Frewen isn't any help either because he only raises pigs. I wish Aurthor was home!" She told him.
Felix eyes were large circles, as an idea just came to mind and then sprinted down the road, leaving Sara behind.
"C'mon, Sara!" He hollered over his shoulder. Sara ran to catch up with him, but Mr. Pettibone stopped them dead in their tracks.
"I thought you needed some help at the barn?" he asked them.
"We do." Felix answered, "But Sara and I have some things we need to do. You go on ahead to our barn, Mr. Pettibone, we'll be there later." he finished taking Sara's arm and leading, or rather almost dragging, her down the road.
"See you later, Mr. Pettibone." Sara replied and trudged after Felix.
"Where are we going, Felix?" she wanted to know, after she was out of their school master's hearing.
"I'll show you." was all Felix said as they both made their way to the Dale house and into Jasper's workshop, heading straight towards the bicycle hooked up on light bulbs.
"We need to get this thing to the barn, Sara, and you've got to help me with it."
~*~
On the other side of the small village of Avonlea, Janet King was bellowing over the sound of the sleigh bells."Elizaaaa!" she yelled at the top of her lungs, breathing in heavily the cold, wintery air. How in the world can her old, spinstered aunt have run away into hiding? she thought, panic rising into her usually sedate state of mind. It was getting colder by the minute and a stiff gust of wind blew into her face.
"Eliza if you don't freeze to death out here I will!" she cried out into the wind, hoping that the wind would take her words and hurl them into her aunts' ears. "Oh, Great Aunt Eliza, where are you?" she whispered, her voice trembling.
Janet sat back down into the sleigh and urged the noble horse into a steady lope. She kept that pace until she arrived at a frozen pond, with a little ice hut sticking out of the ponds edge. She climbed out of the sleigh, wrapped her thick shawl around her and headed towards the ice hut. If she didn't warm up soon she was sure to swoon from the cold. Just as she was reaching for the door latch she spotted something bulky sticking out of a fishing hole. She darted straight towards it and discovered that it was a suitcase- Eliza's suitcase!!
"Oh, Eliza!" she cried, tears gushing down her cheeks, "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry!! This is all my fault! If I just would've been patient instead of complaining and being so mean, I..I..I..oh I'm s-s-so sorry, Eliza, I'm so sorry!!" she stroked the suitcase and let her tears fall upon its stiffly frozen leather. She didn't dare look into the black, gaping hole as she was sure to discover the pale, limp body of her dear aunt. She sniffed and cried and apologized until there were no more tears left to be shed.
"Can you ever forgive me?" she said, swallowing hard, her voice tense and throat aching from crying so hard. All of a sudden, the ice hut door flung open, with a dripping wet Great Aunt Eliza straggling towards the grief stricken woman. Of course she forgave her niece!
"Janet!" she cried. "I'm over here!"
Janet didn't notice. Her grief was too overwhelming to hear anything but her own sobbing.
"Janet! I'm here!" Eliza repeated.
Janet flung around to see her petite, white haired aunt with icicles dangling from her loose strands of hair, limping, straggling towards her with arms open wide.
"Eliza!!!" Janet hollered, gathering her old aunt into her arms as Eliza crumpled to the ground.
Together they wept for joy, having found each other, forgiven and in each others embrace. Janet then quickly wrapped her own shawl around Eliza's damp shoulders and helped her into the sleigh.
She whipped the horse into a breakneck gallop, yet keeping an arm around her aunt, and raced home. If she didn't, Eliza might die of shock and cold.
Friday, May 26, 2017
a winter story, part eleven
by: Olivia Dale
Janet quietly walked into Great Aunt Eliza's room, or to the boy's room, actually, with a tray of steaming breakfast. She softly laid the tray down and gently nudged her Great Aunt.
Surprisingly, she saw some tangled, brown hair instead of woolly, grey hair.
She ripped off the covers.
"Felix King. What on earth are you doing in Eliza's bed?" she demanded of her son.
Felix yawned and pulled the covers back over his ears.
"It was too cold in here for her last night. so we traded places." he mumbled and drifted back to sleep.
Janet paled, her conscience suddenly pricking her.
"Oh no, oh no, oh no!" she mumbled to herself and rushed down the kitchen stairs. She flew over to the cot and ravaged around.
Eliza's belongings were gone and Janet's heart skipped a beat.
She burst into tears.
Hetty, who was standing by the stove warming up the lambs bottles, rushed over to Janet's side, perplexed indeed to see her sister-in-law in such a tizzy.
"Janet, what is the matter?" she asked patting Janet's shoulder.
Janet looked at her with glassy eyes. "Felix and Eliza traded places last night. She heard Alec and I talking about her and now she's packed up and gone!"
Hetty gasped, her eyes wide with surprise and worry.
"Oh Hetty, we said some awful things about her." she said, her face full of tears and guilt.
Hetty gulped, clearly at a loss of words.
Janet spilled into fresh tears. "I don't know what overcame me." she sniffed, wiping her eyes.
Hetty frowned. "I don't know what in heaven's name came over you, either. Did you know that she was the one who was bold enough out of all the Ward's to stand up to your father and let you marry Alec?" she asked her sister-in-law, her dark, round eyes flashing with anger.
Janet reddened. "I didn't know that. She did that for me?" she asked, embarrassed. "She came to Alec and I for comfort in her old age...and now Iv'e thrust her into the cold!" she cried, tears spilling over her flaming cheeks once again. Janet turned around and faced Hetty. She grabbed her sister-in-law's hand and looked into her eyes.
"Hetty," she stated firmly, though her voice was shaking, "Hetty, can you look after Daniel for me?"
Hetty nodded yes, and gazed back into Janet's eyes.
"I'm going to look for Great Aunt Eliza." Janet said as she forcefully shoved her arms into her coat sleeves, jammed on a hat and shawl, and rushed through the door.
Hetty shivered as a gust of wind sailed through the doorway, and fear settled into her heart for Eliza who was out in the cold.
"Dear God, protect them." she prayed silently as she watched through the lacy kitchen window and saw Janet climb into her sleigh and urged the noble horse to a canter.
 |
| ...urged the noble horse into a canter in desperate search of Great Aunt Eliza. |
Surprisingly, she saw some tangled, brown hair instead of woolly, grey hair.
She ripped off the covers.
"Felix King. What on earth are you doing in Eliza's bed?" she demanded of her son.
Felix yawned and pulled the covers back over his ears.
"It was too cold in here for her last night. so we traded places." he mumbled and drifted back to sleep.
Janet paled, her conscience suddenly pricking her.
"Oh no, oh no, oh no!" she mumbled to herself and rushed down the kitchen stairs. She flew over to the cot and ravaged around.
Eliza's belongings were gone and Janet's heart skipped a beat.
She burst into tears.
Hetty, who was standing by the stove warming up the lambs bottles, rushed over to Janet's side, perplexed indeed to see her sister-in-law in such a tizzy.
"Janet, what is the matter?" she asked patting Janet's shoulder.
Janet looked at her with glassy eyes. "Felix and Eliza traded places last night. She heard Alec and I talking about her and now she's packed up and gone!"
Hetty gasped, her eyes wide with surprise and worry.
"Oh Hetty, we said some awful things about her." she said, her face full of tears and guilt.
Hetty gulped, clearly at a loss of words.
Janet spilled into fresh tears. "I don't know what overcame me." she sniffed, wiping her eyes.
Hetty frowned. "I don't know what in heaven's name came over you, either. Did you know that she was the one who was bold enough out of all the Ward's to stand up to your father and let you marry Alec?" she asked her sister-in-law, her dark, round eyes flashing with anger.
Janet reddened. "I didn't know that. She did that for me?" she asked, embarrassed. "She came to Alec and I for comfort in her old age...and now Iv'e thrust her into the cold!" she cried, tears spilling over her flaming cheeks once again. Janet turned around and faced Hetty. She grabbed her sister-in-law's hand and looked into her eyes.
"Hetty," she stated firmly, though her voice was shaking, "Hetty, can you look after Daniel for me?"
Hetty nodded yes, and gazed back into Janet's eyes.
"I'm going to look for Great Aunt Eliza." Janet said as she forcefully shoved her arms into her coat sleeves, jammed on a hat and shawl, and rushed through the door.
Hetty shivered as a gust of wind sailed through the doorway, and fear settled into her heart for Eliza who was out in the cold.
"Dear God, protect them." she prayed silently as she watched through the lacy kitchen window and saw Janet climb into her sleigh and urged the noble horse to a canter.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)