well until Geneva reached the part that said, “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”
Lutie cried, “I don’t want to hear about vapours. I want to hear about life everlasting!”
“Mother, that’s what it says. It’s today’s lesson.”
“I don’t think much of today’s lesson, and I fully intend to take up this disturbing matter with Father Manlius.”
Sin-Sin, who had been dozing in the rear of the room, awoke and said, “Amen.”
Lutie took this to mean her own logic was so moving that even Sin-Sin vociferously agreed. She turned around and bestowed radiance upon Sin-Sin who bestowed it right back.
After the lesson, Lutie and Sin-Sin strolled down the hall together. Sin-Sin wore a dime on a string around her ankle to keep cramps out of her leg. These fluctuations in the weather and the cold dampness drove her wild.
“How’s your leg, Sin-Sin?”
“Fine,” Sin-Sin lied. She’d never admit one of her cures failed.
“Ernie June fretted herself sick today with her rheumatism.”
“Too bad the rheumy don’t leave her legs alone and go infect her mouth.”
Lutie giggled. “Sin-Sin, we’ve come out of our Bible reading,and you display no charity for Ernie June. What kind of Christian does that make you?”
“A smart one.” Sin-Sin tapped her head. “I don’t never hear the name Ernie June in the Good Book. When I does, I’ll consider it.”
Steam moistened Geneva’s nostrils as she gulped her hot chocolate. Expensive and delicious, Geneva preferred this luxury to jewelry, but Lutie assured her that as she grew older, she’d develop a taste for stones. Nash sat across from her in his worn university chair. She slumped down in the rolling arms and cushy seat of a fat chair stuffed with horsehair.
“The Maupin boys joined the infantry. Turners, too. The five Huff brothers signed for the artillery.” A slight tone of excitement snuck into his deep voice.
“Jennifer Fitzgerald informed Mother that everyone she knows is sewing uniforms.”
“What color, I’d like to know.”
“Homespun, I suppose.” Geneva savored another rich swallow.
“That makes sense.” He exhaled. “Little else does. I’d feel better about going if I knew you were with child.”
Geneva’s eyes got bigger. “Nash, don’t say such a thing. You’ll come home, and we’ll have lots of babies. I’ll throw them like litters. It might take me a while, you know.”
He appeared puzzled. No, he didn’t know. Was the advent of children yet another female mystery? “I’ll attend to that each and every day.”
She smiled. “I have little doubt on that score, but I’m not always on time. In fact, I can go months without my friend. There’s no rhyme or reason with me about that, but Mother says it’s just because I’m young. My insides will settle down later, I suppose.”
“You look lovely in your dress and shawl tonight.” His eyes glittered.
“You knocked back a whiskey. Anyone looks good then.” She teased him.
True, he indulged, but he was working up his courage to tell her about the day after tomorrow. Somehow the prospect of war seemed easier than this.
“Stone sober, I would find you equally alluring.” He crossed over to her chair, bent low, and brushed his lips across herhand. Then he turned her hand over and ran his tongue along her palm. “You have a long lifeline.” He licked her palm again.
Geneva felt a rush of blood to her temples. Nash held her hand in his left hand, put his right behind her head, and kissed her. “I like seeing you in long dresses. I like imagining what’s underneath.” He bit her neck. “Let’s go upstairs.”
In the firelight he slowly undressed her. First he removed the shawl and twirled it around her shoulders. Then he unfastened her dress from behind. When the dress was open, he put his hands on her shoulders and moved the dress
Lutie cried, “I don’t want to hear about vapours. I want to hear about life everlasting!”
“Mother, that’s what it says. It’s today’s lesson.”
“I don’t think much of today’s lesson, and I fully intend to take up this disturbing matter with Father Manlius.”
Sin-Sin, who had been dozing in the rear of the room, awoke and said, “Amen.”
Lutie took this to mean her own logic was so moving that even Sin-Sin vociferously agreed. She turned around and bestowed radiance upon Sin-Sin who bestowed it right back.
After the lesson, Lutie and Sin-Sin strolled down the hall together. Sin-Sin wore a dime on a string around her ankle to keep cramps out of her leg. These fluctuations in the weather and the cold dampness drove her wild.
“How’s your leg, Sin-Sin?”
“Fine,” Sin-Sin lied. She’d never admit one of her cures failed.
“Ernie June fretted herself sick today with her rheumatism.”
“Too bad the rheumy don’t leave her legs alone and go infect her mouth.”
Lutie giggled. “Sin-Sin, we’ve come out of our Bible reading,and you display no charity for Ernie June. What kind of Christian does that make you?”
“A smart one.” Sin-Sin tapped her head. “I don’t never hear the name Ernie June in the Good Book. When I does, I’ll consider it.”
Steam moistened Geneva’s nostrils as she gulped her hot chocolate. Expensive and delicious, Geneva preferred this luxury to jewelry, but Lutie assured her that as she grew older, she’d develop a taste for stones. Nash sat across from her in his worn university chair. She slumped down in the rolling arms and cushy seat of a fat chair stuffed with horsehair.
“The Maupin boys joined the infantry. Turners, too. The five Huff brothers signed for the artillery.” A slight tone of excitement snuck into his deep voice.
“Jennifer Fitzgerald informed Mother that everyone she knows is sewing uniforms.”
“What color, I’d like to know.”
“Homespun, I suppose.” Geneva savored another rich swallow.
“That makes sense.” He exhaled. “Little else does. I’d feel better about going if I knew you were with child.”
Geneva’s eyes got bigger. “Nash, don’t say such a thing. You’ll come home, and we’ll have lots of babies. I’ll throw them like litters. It might take me a while, you know.”
He appeared puzzled. No, he didn’t know. Was the advent of children yet another female mystery? “I’ll attend to that each and every day.”
She smiled. “I have little doubt on that score, but I’m not always on time. In fact, I can go months without my friend. There’s no rhyme or reason with me about that, but Mother says it’s just because I’m young. My insides will settle down later, I suppose.”
“You look lovely in your dress and shawl tonight.” His eyes glittered.
“You knocked back a whiskey. Anyone looks good then.” She teased him.
True, he indulged, but he was working up his courage to tell her about the day after tomorrow. Somehow the prospect of war seemed easier than this.
“Stone sober, I would find you equally alluring.” He crossed over to her chair, bent low, and brushed his lips across herhand. Then he turned her hand over and ran his tongue along her palm. “You have a long lifeline.” He licked her palm again.
Geneva felt a rush of blood to her temples. Nash held her hand in his left hand, put his right behind her head, and kissed her. “I like seeing you in long dresses. I like imagining what’s underneath.” He bit her neck. “Let’s go upstairs.”
In the firelight he slowly undressed her. First he removed the shawl and twirled it around her shoulders. Then he unfastened her dress from behind. When the dress was open, he put his hands on her shoulders and moved the dress
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