CHAPTER 4

Back at the farm, Sarah’s baby was about to be born. She woke about 4:00 a.m. with a severe pain and immediately called Emmaline. After building up the fire in the fireplace and putting on water to boil, Emmaline went and woke seventeen-year-old Jessie.

“Wake up, Jessie, Sarah’s baby is on the way and I need you to go get Doc Brown as soon as possible.” Dr. Brown was the only doctor for miles around, and Emma was silently praying that he’d be home, sober, and not out on another call. There had been a thunderstorm the day before, so she told Jessie, “Better not bother with the buckboard. Saddle up two horses…one for you and the other for the doctor to get across the swollen creek.”

While Jessie was out getting the horses ready, Emmaline came to her senses long enough to prepare some hot coffee and make a couple of jelly sandwiches for him to eat on the way. It was going to be a long day, so she decided to settle down and have a bite to eat after looking in on Sarah and making sure she was OK. But before sitting down, she thought she had better wake daughter Nell so she could be able to help. “Oh, how I wish James was here,” she thought.

When Jessie burst in the room ready for his journey, she saw that he was warmly dressed and she cautioned him to be very careful, reminding him that they would be depending on him to get to the village and back with the doctor.

Trying not to show how nervous she was, she went in to check on Sarah. She appeared to be sleeping but was just then hit by a sharp pain. “Oh dear God, please let the doctor get here on time,” Emma pleaded. She’d experienced childbirth herself many times, some successfully and some not so successfully, having lost four of her nine children at birth or shortly thereafter. “I can’t bear to think what it would be like if Sarah lost her first child. Please don’t let that happen, Lord.”

As she was beginning to wonder if she was going to have to deliver the baby herself, Emma heard the sounds of the horse’s hoofs. Minutes later Jessie appeared in the door with Dr. Brown. Oh, what a welcome sight they were!

The doctor went to work immediately, and in less than thirty minutes, Sarah gave birth to a healthy, eight-pound baby boy. Shortly thereafter, as she happily held him, she informed him that his name was to be Elisa Kane Sanders.

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All went well for the next few weeks. Elisha, or Lish as some wanted to call him, was a well-behaved baby, except when he was hungry. He had a healthy set of lungs and let everyone in the vicinity know when he was ready for nourishment. Luckily Sarah was blessed with an abundant supply of milk to keep him satisfied. Quickly recovering her health, she was able to do all the chores necessary for his care.

But gradually, as the days went by, Sarah became restless and discontented. She had expected to be so happy after the little one arrived; but even though she loved little Lish, she was still unhappy. She missed James terribly and felt it wasn’t right that he wasn’t there to see his baby and to be able to hold him. Many nights she cried herself to sleep thinking about him. She longed to have his arms around her, his kisses, their intimacy – just being there to admire and talk about Elisha and their future.

Before James went away, she had been happy living at the Sanders farm, but now it wasn’t the same. She had no quarrel with her in-laws. They treated her as a member of the family. But on the farm there was much to be done in the summer and everyone had their duties and responsibilities. So she was alone a lot with the baby.

Being the youngest of the Russell children and the apple of her father’s eye, she had been a bit spoiled growing up, and now in her frustration she began also to miss her father and mother. Things hadn’t turned out how she had expected. A year or so ago, she would never have dreamed that she and James would be apart and that he wouldn’t be around when their first child was born.

She constantly wrote letters in her spare time without knowing for sure if any of them were getting through to James. She had received just a few letters from him, making the situation worse.

Eventually members of the family started to notice how depressed she was becoming and were afraid there was something physically wrong. They began to discreetly question her and watched her daily routine more closely to make sure she was eating as she should, and they asked her how she felt.

Finally Sarah became annoyed and said, “You want to know why I’m unhappy? Well, I’ll tell you. You expected me to be content, but I’m not. I miss James every minute of the day. I think it’s terrible that he has to be away. I hate this war and the Yankees and Rebels both. Damn them all!”

“Now, hush, Sarah,” Emma said “You mustn’t curse. Of course you miss James. We all do. But there’s just nothing anyone can do about it. You’re just wastin’ your breath feelin’ this way. Think about your health and concentrate on takin’ care of Lish. That’s your duty now, just as it’s James’ duty to be away at war.”

Sarah replied, “But when will it be over and why can’t he at least come home for a visit?”

“God only knows when it will be over, Sarah. Probably not until one side or the other wins – and we do want to win – so we must keep on fightin’ til it’s over.”

Both went away from the discussion feeling that they had made no progress whatever. Emma was frustrated that she had no answers to Sarah’s questions so was no help to her, and Sarah remained unhappy.

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Word got around of Sarah’s depressed moods. Neighbors started dropping by to try cheering her up; some bringing gifts such as a small knitted cap for the baby, a freshly baked peach pie, or the offer of a favorite book to read.

This helped, but Sarah still missed James. Before long a plan began to form in her mind. She began to think to herself, “Well, if he can’t come to visit me, why don’t I take Elisha and go visit him?” She began to ask questions of visitors and others, such as, “How far is it to where James is?” “Are visitors allowed there?” “How long would the travel take?”

Emmaline soon became concerned enough that she sent a note to Sarah’s father and suggested that it would be a good idea if he and Sarah’s mother would come for a visit. Emma wanted to see what they thought about the situation.

A few days later, the Russells arrived. After a joyful reunion with their daughter, they soon understood Emma’s concerns. Sarah admitted to her father that she was thinking of making the trip to Rolla to show the new baby to James. She said, “I’m young and strong and can easily make the trip with a few provisions and a backpack to carry Elisha in. The weather is perfect right now and I could be home before cold weather sets in. I could pack enough food to last several days. I might even ask cousin Effie Smith to come along with me to help care for Lish. Now what could be wrong with that?”

Her father shook his head and said, “Sarah, you make it sound so simple. But have you thought about the hardships along the way – what you might run into? Thieves for instance, wild animals, rain storms. I can’t believe you’re really serious. Please Sarah, don’t do this! I wish you’d just forget about the war and concern yourself with things women are supposed to be thinking about while their husbands are away, such as raisin’ their children, doin’ chores, and other things to keep busy. I just don’t think it is healthy for you to be so concerned. The time will pass and James will be back again,” he said.

Sarah just shook her head. “Pappa, I appreciate your concern for me, but you’ll have to understand that I’m a grown, married woman, and now responsible for myself and my child. I won’t give up on this idea. I feel sure it is something I can do, especially if Effie will agree to come along. I just want to see him again, to touch him, and I think it only right that he gets to see his son. He may not even know about Elisha. I have no way of knowin’ if my letters have reached him.”

Eventually the Russells returned to their home, hoping they had convinced Sarah not to do this foolish thing. But they had not. She just wouldn’t give up on the idea. But first she must find a reliable companion. Even she realized that this was the only possible way she could do it. And the more she thought about it, the more she believed that Effie Smith was the perfect choice.

Effie was a likeable 40-year-old, competent, able person, easy to get along with (most of the time), even though she was outspoken and rarely hesitated to express her opinion on most subjects. Plus she was handy with a rifle. Sarah thought Effie would have made some man a good wife, but unfortunately she was tall, thin, wore her hair straight back and twisted in a knot on top of her head, and was considered unattractive by the eligible bachelors of her day. Now it was assumed she would never marry.

Effie lived with her parents and Sarah saw her often at church, so she began to make plans to talk to her. Making it a point to be in attendance at services the next Sunday, Sarah was able to get a seat next to Effie and took the opportunity to invite her home with them to Sunday dinner. “I have somethin’ I want to talk over with you,” she told her.

Later, back on the farm, the family sat down to a hearty dinner after it was all warmed and put on the table. The fare included smoked sliced wild turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, tomatoes, freshly baked bread, and mince pie.

As soon as everyone had finished, Emma turned to Sarah and said, “I know you have something to talk over with Effie, so you two go ahead. Nell and I’ll clean up. Go ahead, I insist.”

After Sarah and Effie were seated comfortably on the front porch, Sarah started at the beginning, telling how much she missed James since he joined the Army, and how disappointed she was that he wasn’t here when Lish was born. “Part of me left with him. Dear Emma can’t understand why I’m not happier now that I have my baby to love and care for. But I just can’t be content until I at least see James again and let him see Elisha. He should know that he has a fine healthy little boy. I don’t even know if any of my letters have gotten through to him. So far I’ve only received a short note written after he was in the camp. The mail service is terrible.

“So, Effie, I’ve made up my mind that I’m goin’ to take Elisha and walk to Rolla to visit James since he can’t get leave to come home. I’ve decided to see if you’d consider comin’ along with me, for I know it would be quite an undertakin’ for me to attempt to go alone.”

Sarah had been sitting looking down at her hands folded in her lap while talking. She now looked up and saw that Effie was sitting there with her mouth open. Effie said, “Lord ‘a Mercy! Are you out of your mind, Sarah?”

“No, Effie, I’m not.”

“Well, this is quite shocking. I never expected to hear somethin’ like that. It’ll take a little thinkin’ about. But before I make up my mind, I will say this. Just because I’ve never married, never had a husband or a child to love, doesn’t mean I wouldn’t have liked to. The fact is I envy you, Sarah. And believe it or not, I can understand how you must be feelin’. But to walk to Rolla with Elisha!

“And another thing. Why me instead of a closer family member?”

“Because I feel that you’d be the perfect person to have along on such a jaunt. You’re strong, smart, level-headed, reliable, handy with a gun, and someone I’d enjoy spending all that time with – next to James, of course! And I really do feel that you’d be the best person, man or woman, to handle any situation that might arise.”

“Well, my goodness. I don’t know what to say.”

“Just say you’ll do it….or at least think about it.”

“I need more details. For instance, what does your family think about this? And does James have any idea of this plan of yours?”

“My parents and Emmaline all have tried to talk me out of it, but I think they now realize I’ve made up my mind. And no, James doesn’t yet know about it.”

“And what about when you plan to leave?”

“As soon as possible. The weather is nice right now, and I feel we could be back before real cold weather sets in.”

“And would it be just you, me, and Elisha?”

“Yes, and Lizzy, my favorite mule here at the farm, to carry our provisions: bedrolls, water jug, etc. I’ll carry Elisha in a sling tied in back at my waist and neck. Knowin’ him, I’m sure he’ll be quite happy ridin’ along this way. This’s his favorite spot.”

“Do you know how far it is to Rolla? The best way to get there?”

“I know it’s a little over a hundred miles, but don’t know the route yet. James and I went there after we were married, but I don’t remember and wasn’t payin’ that much attention to such things at the time. I’m thinkin’ about goin’ to the sheriff and seein’ if he’d draw a map or give me some ideas of the best way to go, and what to watch out for. I thought I might even talk to the trapper, Mr. Abbott, who is a member of our church.

“As far as food, we can start out with enough to last us a spell: dried meats, fruit, beans, late-growing vegetables. And with your skill with a rifle, we might catch a rabbit or squirrel along the way and watch for wild berries and nuts.”

Sarah continued, “I thought about tryin’ to take a horse with a small cart or wagon to carry our provisions, but I decided it might not be practical. For one thing, they might be hard to maneuver in tight places around or over the hills. And it could be more difficult to hide if we wanted to run into the bushes or trees when we spotted someone comin’ down the trail up ahead. Also there could be a problem of it breakin’ down, or wheels comin’ off, which we might not be able to fix and it would end up holdin’ us up.”

“Well, you’re right about that, I think, Sarah.”

“Then what do you think, Effie, will you go? I don’t want to hurry you, but I’m so eager to start makin’ plans and get ready to start as soon as possible.”

Effie sat for a moment looking off into the distance, thinking about the matter, and then turned and looked at Sarah who was staring at her with wide eyes awaiting her answer.

Finally Effie said, “You know, I may regret this for the rest of my life, and I’m sure my Ma and Pa will think I’ve lost my mind, but, yes, I think I’ll do it. We can’t let you go alone and you seem to have your head set on it.

“I’ll tell you this. If I give you my word, I promise to do everything in my power to see that you and Elisha get there and back safely.”

Sarah said, “Oh, thank goodness. What a load off my mind. I’ll be forever grateful to you, Effie.

“Now, let’s go back and rejoin the family. I’ll want to tell them of our decision fairly soon so I can start makin’ preparations.”

They found Emmaline relaxing on the porch of the cabin. She said the children had gone for a horseback ride. Sarah, thinking this was a perfect time, decided to tell her of her decision regarding the trip.

Emma said, “Well, Sarah, I’ll have to admit I suspected your reason for invitin’ Effie home with us today. You seem so determined to go on this trip. And even though I wish you’d change your mind and not go, you know I’ll help you all I can. And I think you’ve made a wise choice in takin’ Effie along.”

“Thank you, Emma, somehow I knew I could count on you. Then if it’s all right with you, Effie and I’ll go and start makin’ a list of things we feel we’d need to take on the journey. We’ll want to travel as light as possible. You’re welcome to join if you like.

“But my first request, Emma, is that I be allowed to borrow Lizzy for the trip to carry our provisions. Effie and I c’n walk, me carryin’ Elisha in the pouch like I do when we go for a walk here. I want to get on the trail as quickly as possible while the weather is still nice.”

“I’m sure that would be fine, Sarah. Now, you two go ahead and I’ll discuss it with you later,” Emmaline said.

Sarah and Effie spent the next hour or more deciding what to put on the list – absolute necessities such as bedrolls, water jug, tin plates, cooking pot, eating utensils, salt and pepper, dish cloths, soap, medicine for insect bites and rashes, a good cutting knife, large pieces of oil skin to protect themselves in case of heavy rain, a sweater, and a blanket for each for the return trip.