Opal's Tears - Chapter 1

January 9, 1757 - Northampton County, Cherryville, Pennsylvania

    The fever had run rampant through the small settlement of Cherryville Pennsylvania last fall; effectively reducing the already small population by half.  Every family was affected to some degree.  It took every one of the Roarks and the Pattersons.  Other families only lost one or two members.  My family, the Myers, were all gone now.  Leaving only me to go on as best I could.  It took my baby brother Jonathan first, then Papa five days later.  My twin sister Pearl lingered nearly two weeks before it got her.  But Ma'am went the quickest.  She was so weak from nursing all of them she collapsed and died within three hours.  I think maybe she was sick for a while and just didn't let on.  I've wondered over the last months why it didn't get me too.  The Reverend says its Gods will and not to question it, he says God has a plan for us all and it will come to pass in His own time.  I wonder what God has planned for me since He didn't include me in His plans with the fever.  For that matter, I wonder what the Reverend has planned for me.  I know I can't keep staying here with him and his wife.  They are good kind people but times are hard for everyone right now and another mouth to feed through the winter must be a burden for them.  They haven't said, but I've also noticed the stew getting thinner so the vegetable supply must be getting low.  And there hasn't been a cake or a pie in the house since Christmas and everyone in Cherryville knows how the Reverend likes his sweet breads.
    If the Reverend could find a buyer for the farm then I could pay my own way.  But folks around here already have their own farms.  Maybe if the weather clears someone will come in answer to the Reverends postings.  The Reverend posted inquiries to all the townships in Northampton County as well as several in Monroe and Carbon Counties.  I know come spring I can find a way to Allen Township and maybe find work there. Everyone has always praised my talents with needle and thread.  Maybe I can apprentice to a seamstress there.  Be that as it may, that doesn't solve my current dilemma.  But then neither does lying in this bed lazing the morning away.  Not when I can hear Mrs Conner stoking the stove.  There are chores to be done and at least I can take some of the burden off Reverend and Mrs. Conner while I'm here.
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    Throwing back the heavy quilts Opal dressed as quickly as she could in the tiny room that served as her sleeping quarters.  It only took a minute to slip on her dark blue woolen dress and do up the row of buttons on the front.  Then, she slipped her stocking clad feet into sturdy shoes as she tied her apron strings behind her back.  Once properly clothed, she straightened her bed then ran a comb through her waist length auburn hair and made short work of plaiting it into a single thick braid down her back before turning to make her way into the kitchen.  With only  a small cot under the eaves and an old apple barrel in the corner that served as table for her wash bowl, there was still barely enough room to squeeze around the door to make
her exit into the next room.

  "Good morning Mrs. Conner" she greeted with a smile as she closed the door behind her.  "Would you like me to go to the spring for you?"

  "Good morning to you too child" Mrs. Conner returned, looking up briefly from the loaf of bread she was slicing.  "That won't be necessary dear, the Reverend brought in a fresh pail earlier.  Young Tom came to fetch the Reverend just as the sun was coming up.  He seems to think Granny Miles will be leaving us this day."

  "I'm sorry to hear that" Opal frowned.  "Is she bad off do you think?"

  Mrs. Conner gave a snort as she placed slices of bread on the stove top to toast. "I don't like to be one to speak ill of the dying, if indeed that be the case, but I'm of the opinion Granny's been into the cider barrel again."  Turning from the stove with tea kettle in hand, Mrs. Conner motioned Opal to a chair as she poured the steaming liquid into the cup already in place. "When he came for the Reverend, Tom said he came in from the milking and heard odd sounds coming from Granny's room.  He said he called her several times and when he didn't get an answer he poked his head in her room and saw her lying all askew on the bed.  Said her mouth was all twisted open and she was making the most pitiful moans he'd ever heard." 

  "That sounds awful" Opal said as she picked up the cup and blew lightly across the top of the amber brew before sipping gingerly.

  Mrs. Conner chuckled softly as she returned the kettle to it's position on the stove and deftly flipped the toasting bread.  "Not as awful as you might think.  Sounds to me just like this past summer when Tom found her out back of the house.  Seems she had taken a few 'wee nips' of the cider to ease her aching joints and then somehow managed to tip herself over backwards in her rocker.  When Young Tom found her she was in her overturned chair on her back, arms all flung out to the sides and slack jawed, snoring to high heaven."  Mrs. Conner placed slices of now toasted bread on plates and handed one across the table to Opal.

  "I never heard about that!" Opal exclaimed as she reached for the butter and jam.  "What on earth happened?"

  "Well, Young Tom was in a tither over finding her this way and promptly ran to the barn calling to Old Tom to come quick, that he thought Granny was dying.  Old Tom came running quick as a wink out of the barn and the first thing he saw was his mother's white bloomers shining across the yard at him.  Telling Young Tom to get the Reverend quick as he could, he rushed over to Granny as Young Tom flew off down the lane."  Mrs. Conner seated herself and began applying butter and jam to the bread on her plate as she continued. "Now mind you, this is the story as Young Tom told it when he came to fetch the Reverend.  It wasn't until some time later when the Reverend returned that I found out it was the cider.  When Old Tom got to her he knelt beside her and leaned over to lift her up.  About that same time she gave a belch that he told the Reverend nearly knocked him over. But it wasn't until he had picked her up to carry her into the house that he saw the cider jug and knew for sure what was going on.  It had been hidden by her skirts up to this point, but there it was he said, lying right beside the chair on its side.  Just as empty as the day he bought it."  Mrs. Conner's eyes twinkled with amusement as she bit into her toast. 

    A bit confused, Opal paused with her toast in hand and asked "But wouldn't Young Tom have known if that was the case today?"

    Mrs. Conner swallowed before answering "I doubt it.  After he was certain the Reverend would make haste to what he believed would be his Granny's death bed, Young Tom took it upon himself to inform his Aunt Purdy of her mothers condition.  By the time the two of them arrived back at the farm, Old Tom had Granny safely tucked up into bed to sleep it off and the 'evidence' put away.  I don't think he ever told either of them exactly what was ailing Granny.  And now, since the fever took Old Tom, may he rest in peace, there was no way for Young Tom to know."

  "Ah!  That makes sense then.  I just hope thats all it is this time as well."  Opal stated as she rose from the table.  Making her way to the wash bowl to deposit her breakfast dishes.  "Unless you have something you'd like for me to do today, I think I'll go over to the Church and go through the charity boxes."

  "Oh?  Are you in need of something my dear?"  Mrs. Conner asked with concern.

  "Oh no!  I've everything I need.  You and the Reverend are most kind to me."  Opal was quick to say.  "But I noticed last Sunday William Wilkes was wearing his fathers coat leaving Mr. Wilkes to suffer the cold.  I thought I would see if there was something I could make over that would do for one of them." 

  Smiling, Mrs. Conner patted Opal's cheek before adding her own dishes to the bowl.  "You're truly a kind soul Opal Myers.  Always thinking of others.  You go ahead, I can handle the bread making on my own.  But be sure and bundle up good now.  It's fierce cold out there."

    With that, Opal left the small kitchen.  Going through the hallway to the front closet where the wraps were kept.  After bundling up as instructed, she opened the front door to the parsonage just as the Reverend was stomping the snow from his feet on the porch.

  "Oh!  Goodness!"  Opal gasped with a start, then laughed softly.  "Hello Reverend.  I didn't expect to see you there."

  "Sorry for the fright I gave you child."  The reverend said as he made his way into the house and began divesting himself of his own scarf and coat.  "How are you this chilly morning?"

  "Fine thank you Reverend, how is Granny Miles?"  Opal asked with concern as she held the door against the cold.

  "Oh she'll be just fine.  Nothing a long rest won't cure I'm sure.  The reverend said casually.

  "I'm glad to hear it.  Hopefully when the weather clears she won't have so many achy joints"  Opal said with a twinkle in her eye.

    "What?  How did you...."  The reverend chuckled as he caught Opal's meaning.  "Well at least if her joints continue to ache Young Tom will not be so frightened next time.  Where are you off to in such chill weather?"

  "To the church.  I noticed one of the congregation without a coat last Sunday so I thought I would see what I can find in the charity boxes."

  "Ah, I assume your speaking of Wilkes family.  Yes, I noticed that as well.  Well dear girl, you'll be glad to know I just finished laying a fire in the church stove.  It should start to warm up in there shortly.  I've got some work to do there myself after I've had a bite to eat and some hot tea.  I'll join you there in a bit.  Now off you go before you let all the heat out!"

  With that, Opal pulled her scarf up over her nose and waived a mittened hand in farewell to the Reverend.