Ten
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| Lithograph Bible Forget Me Nots 1898 DeWolfe Fiske & Co. Boston |
Jennie’s brother John met his auntie’s train which arrived almost at the appointed hour.
“Greetings, Aunt Ella! I hope you had no problem changing trains in Moberly.”
“No, Nephew, I did not. But the train was overcrowded. Could there be that many people coming to Columbia for the graduation celebrations?”
“Well, Aunt Ella, they aren’t coming here to see me!”
The pair found they had to walk to the house, two miles away, because all of the cabs and wagons and other vehicles were otherwise engaged. John carried his aunt’s satchel and kept doubling back to walk aside her.
“Johnny, I am of a certain age, please remember. And I, unlike you, have these skirts to manage. Such a bother at times!”
Aunt Ella eyed her nephew sideways as they lumbered along. She wondered if she should inquire about something, thought better about it, then changed her mind again.
“Johnny, is your father home?”
“Of course, Aunt Ella! How could he not be? He is preparing for my ceremony next week, of course.” John flashed a mischievous grin.
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| John Stark, Far Right Second Row, Junior |
“Oh, I see past you, Johnny. You are as proud of your sister as we all are. I am glad to hear Orval is home. I hope there is room for me, too…”
The two arrived at the modest white bungalow, set amidst many blocks of modest white bungalows built in the previous decade. Ella noticed the house was freshly painted, and that it had a pot of white geraniums on the front stoop.
“The place is charming!”
Orval came around the side of the house to greet the pair.
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| Orval Stark Upper Right c. 1890 |
“Hello, Sister. Welcome! And I am glad you noticed our attempts at sprucing up the place.”
“By ‘our,’ he means himself. He has been repairing the roof, painting the exterior, digging up weeds. Jennie received the flowerpot from someone at the church who dropped by the other day.” John bounded on in the house after his explanation, leaving the other two to discuss what he suspected would follow.
“Orval, I am pleased to learn you have been here a while. I have been concerned since finding out about your absences.”
A cloud passed over her brother’s countenance, but only briefly.
“I have been working, Ella. Wherever I can. The children manage very well on their own as you will see. They are adults, now.”
Orval straightened up.
“Ella, you must be exhausted. I’m guessing you walked from the train station, and you have probably been up since long before dawn. Please, let us go inside.” He motioned toward the door which he then held open.
Jennie paced in the front room. Not really a proper parlor. It was a four-room house, larger than some in the neighborhood, but far smaller than the farmhouse they all grew up in. Ella glanced at the rolled-up bedding in the corner. Two sets of blankets fastened by belts, looking like army-issue. John saw the glance and was about to explain the bundles were for Jay and himself while Ella was there, but Jennie interrupted.
“Oh, Aunt Ella!”
Jennie halted her pacing to cross the room and kiss her aunt on the cheek.
“I am incredibly delighted you are here. Unbelievably so! No, not unbelievably, since of course it is predictable I would be pleased. I meant…”
“Niece! Has college made you into a person who quibbles with proper word usage? I hope not! Now, allow me to sit a moment.”
The other three occupants of the room let out variations of dismay that their aunt had not already been invited to rest.
Orval continued.
“Ella, the church ladies have been very generous this week. They, too, are so proud of our Jennie and have been a steady stream of good intentions. Today, Mrs. Sotheby brought by some lemons and Jennie squeezed them into a drink you will likely find refreshing.”
Jennie nodded at her aunt and then her father before exiting to the kitchen. Shortly thereafter, she returned with a glass of water swirling with tiny yellow flecks.
“Aunt Ella, Father bought a block of ice we can chip. Shall I get you some for the lemonade?” But in the time Jennie was inquiring, Ella had already gulped down most of the glass.
“Perhaps for my third or fourth glass, Jennie! But first, please sit and tell me all about the plans for the weekend. You have written me about them, but I know things can change.”
Jennie again outlined the expectations for the following three days but added a new detail.
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| Jay Stark, Junior Chillicothe High School 1909 |
Ella’s eyes brimmed with tears.
“Oh, Jennie, you will be surrounded by family who love you so. Your mother is looking down right now, beaming.”
The two women sighed in concert and dabbed their eyes in turn with the handkerchief Jennie had in her hand.
“Mother made this. Look at the “S” she embroidered! I have had this squirreled away amongst my dainties but this week I cannot seem to let it out of my grasp. Except,” she looked up at her aunt’s face, “to give to my darling auntie who came from so far just to see me.”
“And me,” added John.
“Perhaps me, too,” chuckled Orval.
Jennie arose and strode over to hug her father.
“Oh, Father. It brings such joy to have you home, and to see you in such good spirits.” Jennie grasped her father’s hand and reached out for Aunt Ella’s.
“Having you both here means the world to me!”
More tears were shed by the two ladies, and if one were to look closely, they would have noticed moist eyes on the parts of Orval and John as well.
“Oh, I forgot! I have engaged a photographer. It was an excellent suggestion, Auntie, to arrange for mementos for everyone unable to come. Jay will be paying for the photographer’s services as his graduation gift to me.”
The tears again flowed freely before all began laughing.
“What a muddle we are!” Ella dabbed her eyes one more time before handing the handkerchief back to Jennie.
“Auntie, let me show you something.”
Jennie went into one of the two bedrooms and retrieved a few items.
“These photographs were made earlier this spring so we could have them in our possession before graduation.”
Ella looked at the photographs, examining each one. Orval walked around the back of her chair to observe, as well. John took Ella’s glass, returning with a refill along with a second glass for his sister.
“This is the Livingston County Club at the university. They are well-represented here, mostly graduates of Chillicothe High school. Although, you probably would not know this boy I knew from high
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| Livingston County Club Jennie, top right facing sideways |
school, Victor Hornback.”
Ella paused to glance at her niece.
“Oh, we have a sweetheart, do we?”
Jennie blinked twice.
“Auntie, no. We may have spent many hours in each other’s presence, but it is always with many others around. And he would not notice me with so many beauties in our midst.”
“Honey, I am sorry. My mouth ran away with itself without consideration.”
“Aunt Ella, you will never cause me pain! And, truly, I am certain my time for romance will come, but first, I have the world—or at least some children in Linneus—to educate.”
Orval grasped his daughter’s shoulder.
“Jennie, is this news? Did they offer you the position?”
Jennie twisted around in her chair to face her father and nodded.
“Yet another reason to celebrate, Sis! I did not know this, either!” John poured a third glass of lemonade from the pitcher he held and clinked his glass against his sister’s.
“I wanted to keep it a surprise until later, but it just slipped out. I will be teaching mathematics and science to the high schoolers, just as I had dreamed about. Oh, Auntie! I shall soon be home again. In my old room! And each day, I shall find my way to the school and embark on my career!”
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