Mail Order Bride

Chapter 13 - The Neighbors

       

The Holt farm was much different than Emily remembered. From the road, Emily could see that the barn door was indeed broken again, and was hanging on an odd angle by a few hinges. The barn was also in serious need of another paint job. The house, which stood off to one side, looked crooked, and as Emily neared, she could tell that the roof had missing shingles and the porch leaned severely to the right. She dismounted the horse, and tied it to one of the unstable-looking posts that supported the porch. There was a sizable garden to the right of the house, but looked as though a dog or some other animal had raced through parts of it. Two dirty children were working diligently, however, and Emily smiled and waved as she headed towards the house. The field was a ways off, and Emily could barely see the distant figures plowing and sowing the field. She walked gingerly up the shaky steps and knocked on the door.

"Katie? Are you home? It's Emily Grinshaw." She opened the door a crack, and almost gagged when she inhaled the odors of the house. The house was dimly lit, and smelled like a mixture of burned food, urine, and unwashed bodies. Emily pressed her hand to her stomach and took a deep breath. She stepped inside. "Katie?" She called again. "It's Emily Grinshaw." Several children turned around to see who was entering.

"Miss Grinshaw!" one of the children exclaimed, who Emily recognized to be the one they called Milly. "Ma is in the back tending to one of the babies. I can bring you to her." The girl offered her hand, and Emily took it, smiling down on the child. Milly looked to be about eight years of age, and had mousy-brown hair that hung limply around her thin, pale face. Like her siblings, her face was dirty, and she was barefoot. Emily and Milly walked to the back of the house where the living area was. There were mats on the floor, which Emily assumed were sleeping mats for some of the children. A dingy crib was pushed off to one side, and the only light was emitted from a couple of windows and the fireplace, which was beginning to smolder. Katie Holt was bending over a large tub, bathing a small child who appeared to be about two years old. The child was clearly not enjoying himself, and kept pulling away from his mother as she scrubbed his pale skin.

"Why Miss Emily Grinshaw! What a pleasant surprise! I didn't know you were comin' by today!" Katie Holt looked up and smiled with delight. Her thin face was streaked with sweat, and her clothes were faded and old. She had a wide, crooked smile, but seemed to be genuinely happy with her guest.

Emily smiled back. "Of course, Katie! I told you I'd be by one of these days to help you with the spring cleaning." She smiled at the little boy in the tub. He frowned back.

"Oh this here is Tommy, one of the younger ones. He got all messy out in the barn and I've about had to scrub him raw. Stubborn boy, won't stay away from the cow pen." She shook her head, as the baby in the dingy crib began to cry.

"Well, what can I do? Let me finish bathing him while you tend to the baby." Katie willingly gave the washcloth to Emily and hurried over to the now-wailing baby.

"Scoot, you young'ins! Katie exclaimed to the small crowd of children watching their interaction. You've got work you can be doing! Don't want your Pa to see you shirking on your duties!" The children scattered immediately, like dandelions in the wind. Emily chuckled to herself as Katie sat down in an old rocking chair and began to feed the baby. She sighed, and leaned back in the chair.

"Long day?" Emily asked, as Katie wiped the sweat from her face.

"Too long, Emily, too long," Katie replied, shaking her head. "I've never been as sick as I am with this one." She motioned to the slight swell of her belly. "This youngster has a mind of its own." She sighed again, and absently rubbed her hand over her belly. Emily smiled sadly at the sight. Compassion filled her, although she was unable to relate to the plights of the woman before her. She finished bathing the toddler, and dried him off with an old blanket that was sitting on the floor beside the tub. She helped the boy dress and watched him toddle off to find his siblings. Katie smiled at Emily. "You're good with children," She commented. "Ever want any of your own?"

Emily shrugged, and took a glass of water that was offered to her by one of the children. She took several sips before she spoke. "I suppose I've never really thought about it," she said, as she rung out the towel she had used to bathe little Tommy. "I would like to have a few children, I suppose," she said, hiding a smile.

Katie nodded knowingly. "Well," she said, laying the now-quiet baby in the crib. "While you're here, maybe you could help me scrub the floors? It's getting hard for me to do it all myself, and my older girls Sarah, Elizabeth, and Ella are out in the garden or fields. They're such good girls. Take care of all the gardens and make sure we have food for winter." Emily smiled. "They do sound like good girls," she said, as she followed Katie back through the house.

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Emily spent several hours with Katie Holt, helping her clean and wash the children's clothes. By the time Emily left, the Holt house was much cleaner and most of the children had fresh clothes to wear when school started back up. Katie thanked Emily over and over for the food she had brought, and sent one of her older sons along with Emily to ensure she arrived at her home safe and sound.