really tore at his heart. When he kissed her little forehead the tears flowed down both of their faces.
“John, why can't I come with you?” She asked tremblingly through her sobs. “You can't just leave me!”
“The life I'm about to lead isn't one for you, my Princess. It's going to be hard to find my way and to make ends meet. I can't take care of you, sweetie. Not the way a Princess should be cared for.” John turned from her, hugged his mother and took off walking away from them.
Sarah's cries could be heard echoing behind him as he walked on with tears flooding down his face. He knew this was the only thing to be done. Perhaps things would be better for all of them without him there. He was no good at the kind of work that he was expected to do. If he found a good job he could send money home and help out. This was the only way he knew to surely keep his promise to Agnes. These thoughts kept him walking toward his new life as an independent man. He would make something of himself. He would make life better for everyone. He was sure that without him there Nathan wouldn't be so angry and this would make life easier. There were times he just wanted to turn and run back home. Sarah's cries echoed in his head. But he forced himself onward. For you Aggie, he whispered through the tears.
Nathan taunted Sarah freely now that John wasn't around to take up for her and soon even Cora joined in the “fun". “Look at the little savage read.” Nathan punched at Cora as he laughed.
“Yeah, she's a little Injun John always hanging onto a book.”
“Have you ever heard of an Injun book worm?”
“No, but it's the strangest thing I've ever seen!”
Sarah closed her book and walked out of the cabin.
“Oh, look. The little savage is upset!” Cora snickered.
Sarah's greatest joy came when Mr. Hamilton, sticking to his word to educate poor children, built a free school in town. Now she could be with other ‘book worms’ just like herself. She loved her tall and stately teacher, Mrs. Lykes, whose speech was like poetry, always perfectly enunciated as it rolled over her full, cherry red lips. The girls wanted to be like her and the boys wanted to bring her flowers.
Cora and Nathan wanted nothing to do with the new school. Neither of them had any use for learning, or being stuck in a little building for hours on end. Sarah was glad.
On her way home from school, Sarah would pick up the mail in town. She was always thrilled when there was a letter from John; she'd grasp it like a priceless treasure and run home as fast as her legs would go. After the letter had been read Sarah tucked it away in her tanned leather bag where she kept all of his letters. She would read and re-read it until the next one came.
John was in New York now and had a job delivering ice. Sometimes there would be money in the letters. One of them had as much as three dollars in it. He seemed to be doing well, making three dollars and fifty cents a week. He was staying in a boarding house that provided him one meal a day.
No one knew that John had decided that the provided meal would be the only time he'd eat because he wanted to save as much money as he could. He wanted to make his folks proud. To be the “good son.”
The days became long and lonely. The nights were even more gloomy with no one around. His room was ragged, worn and bleak. Rats scampered through the rafters. He could hear them nibbling and scratching in the walls as he tried to sleep. He missed telling Sarah her bedtime stories. He wondered who was doing it, or if anyone was. She can't fall asleep without a story. He worried. Tears stung his eyes as he thought about her and home while he lay in his lonely dark room. He found it hard to fall asleep... the rats’ constant gnawing didn't help. “For the love of God, shut up!” He picked up his boot and threw it hard against the wall. The noise stopped and he lay back on his bed, but soon the gnawing started up again. He wanted to
“John, why can't I come with you?” She asked tremblingly through her sobs. “You can't just leave me!”
“The life I'm about to lead isn't one for you, my Princess. It's going to be hard to find my way and to make ends meet. I can't take care of you, sweetie. Not the way a Princess should be cared for.” John turned from her, hugged his mother and took off walking away from them.
Sarah's cries could be heard echoing behind him as he walked on with tears flooding down his face. He knew this was the only thing to be done. Perhaps things would be better for all of them without him there. He was no good at the kind of work that he was expected to do. If he found a good job he could send money home and help out. This was the only way he knew to surely keep his promise to Agnes. These thoughts kept him walking toward his new life as an independent man. He would make something of himself. He would make life better for everyone. He was sure that without him there Nathan wouldn't be so angry and this would make life easier. There were times he just wanted to turn and run back home. Sarah's cries echoed in his head. But he forced himself onward. For you Aggie, he whispered through the tears.
Nathan taunted Sarah freely now that John wasn't around to take up for her and soon even Cora joined in the “fun". “Look at the little savage read.” Nathan punched at Cora as he laughed.
“Yeah, she's a little Injun John always hanging onto a book.”
“Have you ever heard of an Injun book worm?”
“No, but it's the strangest thing I've ever seen!”
Sarah closed her book and walked out of the cabin.
“Oh, look. The little savage is upset!” Cora snickered.
Sarah's greatest joy came when Mr. Hamilton, sticking to his word to educate poor children, built a free school in town. Now she could be with other ‘book worms’ just like herself. She loved her tall and stately teacher, Mrs. Lykes, whose speech was like poetry, always perfectly enunciated as it rolled over her full, cherry red lips. The girls wanted to be like her and the boys wanted to bring her flowers.
Cora and Nathan wanted nothing to do with the new school. Neither of them had any use for learning, or being stuck in a little building for hours on end. Sarah was glad.
On her way home from school, Sarah would pick up the mail in town. She was always thrilled when there was a letter from John; she'd grasp it like a priceless treasure and run home as fast as her legs would go. After the letter had been read Sarah tucked it away in her tanned leather bag where she kept all of his letters. She would read and re-read it until the next one came.
John was in New York now and had a job delivering ice. Sometimes there would be money in the letters. One of them had as much as three dollars in it. He seemed to be doing well, making three dollars and fifty cents a week. He was staying in a boarding house that provided him one meal a day.
No one knew that John had decided that the provided meal would be the only time he'd eat because he wanted to save as much money as he could. He wanted to make his folks proud. To be the “good son.”
The days became long and lonely. The nights were even more gloomy with no one around. His room was ragged, worn and bleak. Rats scampered through the rafters. He could hear them nibbling and scratching in the walls as he tried to sleep. He missed telling Sarah her bedtime stories. He wondered who was doing it, or if anyone was. She can't fall asleep without a story. He worried. Tears stung his eyes as he thought about her and home while he lay in his lonely dark room. He found it hard to fall asleep... the rats’ constant gnawing didn't help. “For the love of God, shut up!” He picked up his boot and threw it hard against the wall. The noise stopped and he lay back on his bed, but soon the gnawing started up again. He wanted to
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