pages 157-159

Pages 157-159

                That evening after supper as Jim and I sat talking until it was somewhat past our bedtime telling me of the work he had done, also the sage wood hauled for fuel and taking something from his pocket said he had a surprise for me as he took the something from his pocket that was a letter-like object.  He said, “I would have showed it to you before but just wanted to keep it awhile and make it a bigger surprise.  I got it when I went to Rupert.“  Anxious to see what it was I could hardly wait for him to open it.  “See,” he said holding it up.  “Why” I said, “our marriage license.  Where did you get it?”  he told me he got it at the courthouse in Rupert for October nineteen hundred and thirteen.

                “Now set the date,” he said.  He asked about October the fourth  “Well,” I said, “give me time.  Let me consult the calendar.”  I held it for him to see and said that it wasn’t very far away.  “no,” Jim said and the fourth is on Saturday, maybe you know the rhyme for that  “They who on Saturday wed must always labor for their bread!” Well we’ll have to do that anyway.”  Then I said, “Do you know what the rhyme for the month is?”  “No”  he said, “and we’d better be getting to bed before we wake the others up going to bed.”  “Well O.K.,” I said, “but listen here it is,  they who in October be, many a change is sure to see.”  Ha, Ha, well there probably will be.”  Jim took my hand, gave me a good=night kiss and said that another day would soon dawn.  Then said, “Good-night, honey”

                The next morning we were all up early as usual for there was still lots to do.  When mother came back from feeding her poultry,  I was starting the breakfast.  When the meal was over, Jim and I announced our plans for our wedding.   They thought that would be alright since that was the way we wanted it.  They wished us all the luck and happiness in the world.  All of us seemed to be talkative that morning and sat for some little time discussing and making plans for the day.

                Sister was happy over the new music she had gotten by ordering it through the mail.  Mother was proud of her summer’s accomplishments as was father.  Things looked brighter all around for everyone.  Finally Jim said, “I must get to the ranch.  I still have post to set, a corral and other things to do.”  I fixed him a lunch so he wouldn’t have to waste time coming back at noon.

                Mother went to take care of her turkeys.  Father went to do a little more work on the cellar.  The inside of it looked as if some mighty industrious people live there.  I had helped all I could for I knew I would be given some of it too.

                Sister and I had made short work of cleaning up the dishes and house.  She was anxious to get at her new music.  The piano was her pride and joy and while she practiced I walked down where mother was.  Toby thought he would tag along.  When we got down by the cherry orchard, there sat the geese sunning themselves.  The old gander immediately began hissing and walking toward Toby.  This was more than Toby could take.  Toby made a lunge for him and before I would intercede I had a tangle , dog and gander on my hands with neither one winning, for old grudges run deep and neither wanted to give up.  Feathers were flying everywhere and I thought of the pillows mother planned to make from those feathers.  When Toby would give an awful yip I knew the gander had sawed on his tail again with that built-in saw bill of his.  For he dearly loved to get a hold of that white tip of Toby’s tail.  I think they both were about ready to give it up when I finally got them separated but the gander went off with his mate and five young ones strutting in the proudest manner with his head held high telling the world he was the victor.  Toby’s white tip had lost its proud air and he was carrying it at a rather low mast.

                Soon we came up to where mother was and here he got another scolding for the turkeys had little use for him.  Mother had to make him stay back so he wouldn’t frighten the turkeys.  But Toby was just wonderful when mother wanted to round them up and start them for home.  When he was on the outside and not in the middle.  So he went off to feel sorry for himself.

                Mother and I sat down to talk while the turkeys grazed and gobbled up grasshoppers.  “I was happy about yours and Jim’s decision,” said mother,  I said we thought it best.  Even though after twenty-one years of living with parents, it would be hard leaving those you have loved so long.  But that’s the way of life for the bible says to “Forsake father and mother and cleave to husband or wife.”  Mother said that was true and that she did the same thing, she was an only child.  “Yes, I know Mother.  We are supposed to marry, start new homes, raise children, and keep the race going is God’s plan.”  Mother asked if I imagined it would always be as it was now, because there is bound to be troubles and trials with frayed nerves when the work and worries of the day left one tired and irritable.  Tempers are liable to clash and someone’s feelings are bound to be hurt deeply.  She told me how her father and mother did.  When one or the other’s temper flared the other kept quiet until the irate one had time to cool off and most generally the provoked one was sorry when it was all over with.  Mother said it was hard to do at times, because she was an only child and raised somewhat selfishly and spoiled.

                I said I heard Jim tell of an elderly lady in Iowa who heard her son planned to marry.  So she held up an old fashioned flour sifter.  Then said,  “Davy, do you see the holes in this sieve? Well there’s just as many places for money to go after you are married as there are holes in this sieve.  “Davy only shrugged his shoulder and scratched his head in deep thought, but said nothing.  Mother said that was very true.  So when starting the turkeys home.  Toby thought now was his chance.  Getting up from his sulking position, whined a bit , waiting to be told what to do.  Mother would gesture to him just where to start.  It was gobbling and cheeping, making a straight line for home. 

                Father had finished his work for the time so he opened the gate to let the turkeys in their pen.  The geese were still grazing peacefully along Shirley Creek but Toby had no idea of meddling in their affair so long as they were not in the garden or insulting him with their boastful hissing which always made him miserable until it was settled at no matter what cost.

                The following Sunday Jim saddled the horses and he and I slipped away in the afternoon for a ride over the ranch.  We cantered along slowly out of the lane, stopping twice to open gates and up over and down the hill into our valley and home.

                The fruit trees, trying desperately to live, leafed out but were dropping their leaves from the effects of the frosty nights.  Jim and I dismounted to look them over.  We found most of them alive, except a few the rabbits had badly eaten the bark off of before Jim had put the wire around them.

                Throwing the bridle reins over our shoulders we walked on down the lane between the green wheat on each side.  It was a nice stand and looked as if it would grow into a good crop here.  We came to the hitch rack Jim had built and a pole corral for the stock.  Everything was looking real good and then, the place where Jim was going to build a barn.  He had already set some post and had lined out where the manger would be and here was the pile of sage wood.  We took a look in the cistern.  It was still empty but that was a job he planned for next week.

                 We unlocked the door and went through the house.  We found everything O.K. so we mounted our horses and rode down the sloping hill from the house and across Shirley Creek.  It was just a small stream by the time it got to our place that time of year but still it trickled on its way.

                We had no more than crossed when we scared up some little cottontails that ran like mad for their holes.  I thought of how Toby would like to have been on the scene.  Little chipmunks stood on their hind feet chattering and scampering away.  Such was life for these wild creatures.  The saucy magpies called maggie to us until we were out of hearing.

                Once on the bench I could see the work Jim had been doing.  It was hard work and there would be more hared work before it was ready for a crop.  Even when it was plowed there would be sage still left that would have to be pulled out of the furrows.  Piled and burned, but once it was done you had a rich piece of ground.

                We rode all around it and across it.  Then we rode on over by the spring where Jim would haul water from.  Getting off we found an old rusty tin cup, rinsed it thoroughly, dipped down into its bubbling depths bringing up a cool tempting drink of water.

                Down by Sublett on a ranch was another spring just like it and one of the springs on this place was cold and one the water was tepid.  Geologists said the fault from these springs was the same fault under the earth that flowed north causing the spring on the north of our place.