Editor’s Note: This is an ongoing series which runs each Thursday morning titled the Richland Chronicles Volume 2, by author Paul Lintern. It is set in the summer of 1831 and tells the story of Richland County through the eyes of young people. This is the second in a three-book trilogy. Volume 1 was Amelia Changes Her Tune.
It had only been a week, but to Isaac it seemed forever, getting back to the Inn.
Isaac and Wolf Paw were warmly received, as always, but once the stories starting circulating of Black Hoof and Simon Kenton and the bear, it turned into a hero’s welcome.
“Oh my, you did what?” Aunt Peggy would say.
“You rode all the way to where?” Aunt Elizabeth would say.
“Who did you say you met?” Isaac’s mother would say.
“Did I ever tell you about the first bear I killed?” Uncle Jacob would say.
“You never killed a bear,” Aunt Peggy would say.
“You’re right, that was Daniel Boone that did that,” Jacob would reply.
Then the comments would be repeated. All evening the stories were shared and recirculated and offered to the next guest that happened in.
Isaac was told to show off the bear claw – still bloody and rather smelly by this point – and repeat the story, including the lesson Simon Kenton – THE Simon Kenton – had taught him just the day before.
Autumn and Amelia’s eyes were huge as he described the bear and Isaac could see that Amelia thought it was a bigger deal than even a rattlesnake.
He tried not to embellish the story too much, and was glad that the truth was already so exciting that he didn’t have to.
Emily came bounding into the Inn when she heard and wanted the whole story, start to finish, punctuating each sentence with “Are you joshin’ me? Tell me you’re not joshin’ me. Wolf Paw, tell me he’s not joshin’ me.”
His stepfather was there, too, just listening, occasionally shaking his head, and finally saying, “You should have been more careful, should have stayed with Wolf Paw. Don’t just think about yourself. Your mother has lost a lot already.”
Isaac stopped.
She’s lost a lot? What about me?
Some would say John Zeiters was just being protective, and that he was truly relieved that Isaac was all right.
Isaac could only think, That’s no excuse for not telling me he’s glad I’m still alive.
By the end of the evening, after Wolf Paw left to return to Grandmother’s camp, Isaac realized how tired he was, and wanted only to go home to a big soft bed, one he did not use often in the summertime, but which he would use this night. He drifted off to sleep with thoughts of friends and fur hats and musket balls and campfires. And money.
The next few days kept Isaac busy with chores around his house and looking after guests at the Inn. Wolf Paw came and went, and the two of them talked very little about the money. They had seen enough adventure for now. That one would have to wait.
As Wolf Paw returned to the reserve, Isaac promised he wouldn’t go back to Millsborough without him, or at least would not go back on his own.
The next day was Sunday, and Isaac’s stepfather was planning church at their house. A preacher, Rev. Shuh, was coming by, which he did about once a month, to lead worship and offer communion.
Isaac knew he had to be there, but still did not like that his father, who was supposed to be a leader in starting this church, was trying to be his father without actually being his father.
I’d ask Squire Grey-Eyes to be my father first, before I’d let John take my father’s place.
On Sunday morning, Isaac helped bring in the benches from outside and to clear the living room for guests. Rev. Shuh arrived about 9 a.m. with others coming soon after — everyone from the Inn, the Pittengers from up the road, the Osbuns and Robinsons, even the Arnolds came up from Mansfield, and Mr. Charles, who came because “Amelia had been spared.”
Isaac sat with Emily and her sisters, Sylvia and Madeline, and with Autumn and Amelia. He helped watch after his little cousin, Josh, who wondered why he had to sit still with all these big people here. At least that was Isaac’s interpretation, since all Josh ever said was “Uh.”
The singing was started with Uncle Jacob leading in his booming voice. Aunt Elizabeth and Aunt Peggy led the women’s parts and Mrs. Osbun added her own special harmony, which sounded to Isaac like the chickens were being attacked.
“The Lord hears it as beautiful,” Aunt Elizabeth quietly explained to the children.
John Zeiters stood up to read from the Bible, from Exodus about the Egyptian slaves being set free, and from the Gospel of John, about knowing the Truth, “and the Truth shall set ye free.”
Rev. Shuh then began to preach, which usually took most of two hours. He did not get around to any one place very often, so Isaac figured he has to dump a month’s worth of religion on us while he can.
As he preached, the same word kept coming up – freedom – and each time Isaac heard it, he thought of Wolf Paw and all the Wyandots, and how freedom was not being given to them, and although Rev. Shuh was not really talking about the Indians, all of a sudden, Isaac heard himself blurt out, “It’s not fair!”
Rev. Shuh stopped, and everyone who was still awake gasped and looked at Isaac, then at Rev. Shuh, then back at Isaac. Those who had been nodding off suddenly woke up, some thinking it was time to sing. Rev. Shuh seemed used to preaching over the commotion of children fussing and old men snoring, but this outburst caught him off guard. He looked at Isaac and said, “What was that, son?”
Isaac was instantly sorry he said anything – he knew he was being very impolite – but he figured he might as well just move forward, even though he sensed his mother sliding under her chair and his stepfather about ready to boil.
“I just wanted to know where the freedom is for the Indians, for the Delawares who were so friendly to us, but had to leave, and the Wyandots who have their own Christian church on their reserve but now may have to move away, and the Shawnee and Huron and Seneca and the Cherokee down south and all those who we kicked out of their lands to make room for our states, especially the ones who want to be civilized and Christian and American and friendly and farm the land and raise their children and be peaceful and…”
He stopped. Everyone was just staring.
“I’ll just sit down now,” he said, and wished he could undo the last two minutes. The whole assembly was silent. Even Josh stopped his fussing and stared at Isaac.
After what seemed like 40 years in the wilderness, Rev. Shuh spoke.
“The history of man is a history of unfairness, Isaac. Even your namesake in the Old Testament had a half brother who was treated unfairly, and Isaac’s two sons did not have anything like equal standing with their parents.
“Every generation has accounts of bad treatment, slavery, warfare, stealing, murder, capture and conquer. We will never escape that, even where people are trying to do the right thing.
“And we should always try to do the right thing. But more so, we must always be thankful that our Heavenly Father always does the right thing, and sent his Son to us, to make things right.”
Isaac didn’t know if that answered things for him, but it sounded like good preaching, and he figured he better just let it go and sit down, and hope he wasn’t in too much trouble. He wouldn’t know until after church.
