Editor’s Note: This is an ongoing series which runs each Thursday morning titled the Richland Chronicles by author Paul Lintern. It is set in 1831 and tells the story of Richland County through the eyes of a young girl.
Amelia was not in her bedroom in Boston. Not in the bedroom at Oakland either. She was in someone’s house, but who’s was it?
She looked around. It was a simple house, but not log. It was plastered inside, which made it seem newer. It was nice and comfortable, and somehow familiar.
“She’s awake,” said Katherine. “Thank God.”
It was Aunt Katherine and Uncle John’s house. Now she remembered. She looked up at the faces that were her Ohio family — Peggy, Jacob, Elizabeth, Autumn, even Joshua, in John’s arms. Into the door came Isaac, and Wolf Paw. It seemed they had been running.
She tried to speak; nothing came out.
“Easy does it, precious child,” said Elizabeth. “Let’s sit you up and get some food in you. Everybody say hi, and tell her you’re glad to see her, then get outside and give her a little room.”
Everyone followed Elizabeth’s orders and left her with Amelia; Elizabeth motioned to Autumn to stay behind.
Amelia tried to speak again. “How long…” she whispered hoarsely.
“Three days, dear. Three long days of sweating and sobbing and moaning and crying. And that was just us. You weren’t doing, too well, either.”
“The snake,” Amelia whispered. “A rattler bite shouldn’t have been that bad, but he grabbed you on your wrist, and held on a long time, and you are not big like all those men shooting their guns.”
Amelia looked at her wrist. It was covered with white gauze that had a dark stain in the middle of it. It hurt to bend at her elbow, or turn her wrist. Her tongue tasted like a charred stick, her head felt like it was stuck in a small barrel. Her stomach felt like it had fallen out her back and her clothes were soaked.
“The fever has broken. Once you get something inside you, you’ll feel better, but right now, let’s clean you up.”
Autumn and Elizabeth helped Amelia take a bath and get dressed, while they filled in the details of the days and nights of keeping her cool when she was sweating, and wrapping her up when she was shivering, of praying over her and reading Bible stories to her, of singing to her and talking to her, and of bathing her in a special herbal mixture that Appleseed John had brought.
“Appleseed John was here?” Amelia whispered. “For the last two days, once he found out. He read to you from the Bible all night before last,” Autumn said.
“Pour her some of that tea, Autumn, and some porridge. Let’s see how well that goes down,” Elizabeth said.
Amelia followed Elizabeth’s instructions throughout the morning, her thoughts at a distance, as though she were watching it all happen. Finally, she was invited to stand up and walk to the door and greet the rest of the world.
On the arms of her adoptive aunt and sister, she stepped slowly to the door. The sunshine splashed all over her, warm and bright, welcoming her back.
As she stepped through the door, she was expecting to see the great outdoors, which she did, but she also saw a great crowd, breaking into song:
“Come, Thou Fount of ev’ry blessing,
“Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
“Streams of mercy never ceasing,
“Call for songs of loudest praise.
“While the hope of endless glory Fill my heart with joy and love,
“Teach me ever to adore Thee;
“May I still Thy goodness prove.”
People were still arriving at the front of John and Katherine’s house, having rushed there from their homes as soon as the word had arrived, thanks to the swift feet of Isaac and Wolf Paw.
Elizabeth had deliberately stalled the cleaning up process to give people time to arrive for Amelia’s “coming out” party.
Amelia did not know a lot of them, but it seemed that everyone she did know was there, even the Osbuns and Pittingers, who had been there when she was hurt.
There were smiles, and singing, and praising God, with individual dances for joy, and a solemn prayer of thanks. Then everybody headed to the Inn to eat. Except for Amelia, who had to stay behind, because Elizabeth did not want her worn out.
“Just relax, child. I told Jacob to come back in about an hour with the buggy to take you there. You can be up only a little while at a time.
“I am here to make sure you get your rest,” Elizabeth said, but before Amelia could complain, she added, “I am your friend, and the only way to have a friend is to be a friend.”
Amelia smiled as she was helped to her seat.
“More Emerson; you’ve been reading.”
The party continued throughout the day. Amelia was ushered to the Inn about noon, to a pillow-covered armchair under a cool shade tree.
There she received people who showed off cookies and pies, puddings and breads that they had brought, and listened to well-wishers tell her how grateful they were that she was better.
At one point, Amelia told Peggy she was sorry for all the extra cooking that Peggy had to do that day.
“Oh my, Amelia. Usually we only get to do this whenever someone dies, and there is sadness in the air. It is such a joy to do this today because someone lives,” was her reply.
The only one Amelia hadn’t talked to was Wolf Paw, who had spread the news when Amelia woke up, but did not return to the Inn until late in the afternoon. He arrived quietly, but did not walk right up to her. Finally, she caught his attention and motioned him up.
“I’ll always remember you as the one who attacked me with a knife,” Amelia said, “and who saved my life by doing it.”
Wolf Paw handed her a belt.
“Your friend won’t hurt you any more, but he will hold your skirt in place.”
Amelia was thinking that was Wolf Paw’s first attempt at humor with her.
“Thank you, Wolf Paw, but how did you know what to do?”
“Every morning I ask the Great Spirit to guide me when I don’t have time to guide myself. I didn’t have time, so He took my place.”
“Then I am thankful for you both,” Amelia said.
