SSN 076

The Shopkeeper's Son

II.7.076


Chapter 7
A few weeks later Carl encountered Sister Helen on the road between the barracks and the village near the cut-off for the Bluemud house. A bright May sun was shining through the trees and the Sister shaded her eyes, hoping the foreman would ignore her as she passed him by. 'Where are you going, Sister?' Carl hailed her cheerfully. 'Carl, is that you?' The Sister peered at him. She looked thin and worn. 'I didn't recognize you. Have they made you a foreman?' 'I did O'Grady a good turn and he was grateful.' 'Last time I saw you, you were in the stockade. Now you're looking very well.' 'I'm feeling very well, Sister, thank you,' said Carl, helping her as they sat down beside the road to talk. 'They say all the men are looking well. We thought they would suffer terribly when the food was cut off but it looks as if we were worse off in the village. My poor Veronique died, you know. Muriel's very upset. Everyone's blaming her and she's taking it very badly. She's not a well liked woman at the best of times poor thing.' 'She doesn't know how to do a Shopkeeper's job!' said Carl a trifle irritably but he quickly changed the subject, not wanting the Sister to know too much of what was going on. He said charmingly, "I see you've got some new robes yourself, Helen. They're just like what you used to have in Dentonsville. Much better that those the Pastor made you wear to go to the War.' 'Do you like them, Carl?' The Sister smiled prettily. For all that she was a religious woman she was still susceptible to a little flattery and she liked Carl, she always had. 'I made them myself. It's all I've had to do all winter. I need them for the Church you know. You might not have heard, Carl, but we're holding services once a week now in the Assembly Hall. They have been a great comfort to us all during the hardships. I was surprised how few of the ladies had ever been to church before. That's why I'm going down to the barracks now, Carl. I want to tell everyone about our Church and to invite them to our services.' 'You're wasting your time, Sister,' said Carl quickly. 'O'Grady isn't going to allow that.' 'I don't see why not!' the Sister huffed. 'It would be good for them. After Church they can visit the library we have. And next year we're going to have a school, with a building and everything.' 'I know. O'Grady has made me the foreman of the building gang.' 'There you are, then, Carl! You can bring your men to the services.' 'I'm afraid not. Bluemud has ordered that the men be kept always under guard whenever the work in the village and they won't be allowed to even speak to a woman.' 'But that's silly, Carl!' said the Sister becoming angry, jumping to her feet. 'Many of those men, at least the ones I know from Dentonsville and I'm sure the people from Lettuce must as well, have wives in the village. Their wives miss them. Many have been very concerned for their husbands fate.' 'I understand, Sister. And the same is true with the men. But Mr. Bluemud has his way of doing things, to which we must conform. I am prepared to accept he has good reasons.' 'Reasons!' The Sister stamped her feet with anguish. 'You know it, I know it and they know it! You can't keep them apart forever.' 'We can try. Only foremen can have wives, Sister. The rest of the men are assigned mates from time to time as Mr. Bluemud sees fit. They are allowed to visit their mates only on the Special Days that Mr. Bluemud sets aside. Since there hasn't been a Special Day in months I can't see any man who has been finally assigned a wife wasting his time coming to church when that day arrives.' Carl rested his head against a tree. He spoke easily, with eyes closed, half listening to the sounds of spring. He had forgotten that the fact that now he was a foreman meant that he was entitled to take a permanent wife. Not that he was much interested. Meanwhile the Sister was pacing up and down in from of Carl. 'That's nonsense. Of course they'll come!' she snapped at him. 'No they won't. Anyway, most of the men haven't got mates yet. O'Grady says it'll be another year before they're assigned. He told me that Mr. Bluemud has to decide who gets who and he's had no time at all since they began building the foundry down the valley. And he certainly won't risk any unplanned children.' 'It's evil,' shouted Helen, 'it shouldn't be allowed!' 'It's Mr. Bluemud's way.' Carl finally got up and took Helen's hand. He patted it consolingly. 'O'Grady says he's got a reason and I believe it's true. It's something we all just have to put up with. We don't understand Mr. Bluemud and he doesn't understand us. But he saved us from the War. I believe that what he wants for us is good, only he can't do everything himself. He should let us help him more.' 'It's that red arm-band!' Helen withdrew her hand sharply and pointed an accusing finger at Carl. 'Now you're in the Devil's service you've become his creature. All the men have. That's why they need the Church.' 'Well, I'm sorry, Sister,' said Carl abruptly turning away from her. 'You're wasting your time. There are too many things not organized properly in this valley yet. The men can't go to your church. The foremen could perhaps go together with their wives but that's all. And don't waste your time trying to get to the barracks. There's a locked gate at the next bridge and the marshals there have orders to let no unauthorized person through.' 'I'll speak to Miss Elizabeth' shouted Sister Helen, even as Carl began to walk away. 'SHE says my services are a great comfort to her.' Carl stopped at once and turned around. 'What, Sister? The Devil's daughter comes to your services? How's that?' Though Carl laughed and tried he had overlooked the possibility that Elizabeth might be encountered at the village. Helen laughed triumphantly. She knew nothing of Carl's thoughts but she was happy he had acknowledged the significance of her remark. 'She needs comfort more than most, I expect. She's been to three of the five services we've had so far. Of course, I see her most days, anyway. And we are organizing the library together. We have interesting conversations.' 'It seems them as though you may be changing sides as well.' 'I'm not. She's the one who is, if any.' 'What do you talk about?' Carl was suddenly consumed with curiosity. He took Helen by the arm again and began to walk her back up the road towards the village. 'About Dentonsville... And other things.' 'What is she like?' 'Why are you asking me all these questions, Carl?' 'What is she like?' said Carl insistently. They approached the bridge over the river. Beyond the bridge they could see the cut-off which was Bluemud's driveway going up the hill. 'She's a nice girl, said Helen primly. 'I like her.' 'I can't say that I do, when I've see her.' Carl stopped on the bridge. As related Elizabeth's speech to the men to Helen occasionally he kicked disgustedly at the low balustrade. 'Those were different circumstances,' said Helen insistently. 'Miss Elizabeth is a lovely girl.' 'No, you were right the first time, Sister,' said Carl as they reached a parting. 'I'll speak to O'Grady about your church but don't expect miracles. Things will change but only slowly. And I might try to come myself,' he shouted as the Sister walked off along the road beside the river.

Chapter 7

A few weeks later Carl encountered Sister Helen on the road between the barracks and the village near the cut-off for the Bluemud house. A bright May sun was shining through the trees and the Sister shaded her eyes, hoping the foreman would ignore her as she passed him by.

'Where are you going, Sister?' Carl hailed her cheerfully.

'Carl, is that you?' The Sister peered at him. She looked thin and worn. 'I didn't recognize you. Have they made you a foreman?'

'I did O'Grady a good turn and he was grateful.'

'Last time I saw you, you were in the stockade. Now you're looking very well.'

'I'm feeling very well, Sister, thank you,' said Carl, helping her as they sat down beside the road to talk.

'They say all the men are looking well. We thought they would suffer terribly when the food was cut off but it looks as if we were worse off in the village. My poor Veronique died, you know. Muriel's very upset. Everyone's blaming her and she's taking it very badly. She's not a well liked woman at the best of times poor thing.'

'She doesn't know how to do a Shopkeeper's job!' said Carl a trifle irritably but he quickly changed the subject, not wanting the Sister to know too much of what was going on. He said charmingly, "I see you've got some new robes yourself, Helen. They're just like what you used to have in Dentonsville. Much better that those the Pastor made you wear to go to the War.'

'Do you like them, Carl?' The Sister smiled prettily. For all that she was a religious woman she was still susceptible to a little flattery and she liked Carl, she always had. 'I made them myself. It's all I've had to do all winter. I need them for the Church you know. You might not have heard, Carl, but we're holding services once a week now in the Assembly Hall. They have been a great comfort to us all during the hardships. I was surprised how few of the ladies had ever been to church before. That's why I'm going down to the barracks now, Carl. I want to tell everyone about our Church and to invite them to our services.'

'You're wasting your time, Sister,' said Carl quickly. 'O'Grady isn't going to allow that.'

'I don't see why not!' the Sister huffed. 'It would be good for them. After Church they can visit the library we have. And next year we're going to have a school, with a building and everything.'

'I know. O'Grady has made me the foreman of the building gang.'

'There you are, then, Carl! You can bring your men to the services.'

'I'm afraid not. Bluemud has ordered that the men be kept always under guard whenever the work in the village and they won't be allowed to even speak to a woman.'

'But that's silly, Carl!' said the Sister becoming angry, jumping to her feet. 'Many of those men, at least the ones I know from Dentonsville and I'm sure the people from Lettuce must as well, have wives in the village. Their wives miss them. Many have been very concerned for their husbands fate.'

'I understand, Sister. And the same is true with the men. But Mr. Bluemud has his way of doing things, to which we must conform. I am prepared to accept he has good reasons.'

'Reasons!' The Sister stamped her feet with anguish. 'You know it, I know it and they know it! You can't keep them apart forever.'

'We can try. Only foremen can have wives, Sister. The rest of the men are assigned mates from time to time as Mr. Bluemud sees fit. They are allowed to visit their mates only on the Special Days that Mr. Bluemud sets aside. Since there hasn't been a Special Day in months I can't see any man who has been finally assigned a wife wasting his time coming to church when that day arrives.' Carl rested his head against a tree. He spoke easily, with eyes closed, half listening to the sounds of spring. He had forgotten that the fact that now he was a foreman meant that he was entitled to take a permanent wife. Not that he was much interested.

Meanwhile the Sister was pacing up and down in from of Carl. 'That's nonsense. Of course they'll come!' she snapped at him.

'No they won't. Anyway, most of the men haven't got mates yet. O'Grady says it'll be another year before they're assigned. He told me that Mr. Bluemud has to decide who gets who and he's had no time at all since they began building the foundry down the valley. And he certainly won't risk any unplanned children.'

'It's evil,' shouted Helen, 'it shouldn't be allowed!'

'It's Mr. Bluemud's way.' Carl finally got up and took Helen's hand. He patted it consolingly. 'O'Grady says he's got a reason and I believe it's true. It's something we all just have to put up with. We don't understand Mr. Bluemud and he doesn't understand us. But he saved us from the War. I believe that what he wants for us is good, only he can't do everything himself. He should let us help him more.'

'It's that red arm-band!' Helen withdrew her hand sharply and pointed an accusing finger at Carl. 'Now you're in the Devil's service you've become his creature. All the men have. That's why they need the Church.'

'Well, I'm sorry, Sister,' said Carl abruptly turning away from her. 'You're wasting your time. There are too many things not organized properly in this valley yet. The men can't go to your church. The foremen could perhaps go together with their wives but that's all. And don't waste your time trying to get to the barracks. There's a locked gate at the next bridge and the marshals there have orders to let no unauthorized person through.'

'I'll speak to Miss Elizabeth' shouted Sister Helen, even as Carl began to walk away. 'SHE says my services are a great comfort to her.'

Carl stopped at once and turned around. 'What, Sister? The Devil's daughter comes to your services? How's that?' Though Carl laughed and tried he had overlooked the possibility that Elizabeth might be encountered at the village.

Helen laughed triumphantly. She knew nothing of Carl's thoughts but she was happy he had acknowledged the significance of her remark. 'She needs comfort more than most, I expect. She's been to three of the five services we've had so far. Of course, I see her most days, anyway. And we are organizing the library together. We have interesting conversations.'

'It seems them as though you may be changing sides as well.'

'I'm not. She's the one who is, if any.'

'What do you talk about?' Carl was suddenly consumed with curiosity. He took Helen by the arm again and began to walk her back up the road towards the village.

'About Dentonsville... And other things.'

'What is she like?'

'Why are you asking me all these questions, Carl?'

'What is she like?' said Carl insistently. They approached the bridge over the river. Beyond the bridge they could see the cut-off which was Bluemud's driveway going up the hill.

'She's a nice girl, said Helen primly. 'I like her.'

'I can't say that I do, when I've see her.' Carl stopped on the bridge. As related Elizabeth's speech to the men to Helen occasionally he kicked disgustedly at the low balustrade.

'Those were different circumstances,' said Helen insistently. 'Miss Elizabeth is a lovely girl.'

'No, you were right the first time, Sister,' said Carl as they reached a parting. 'I'll speak to O'Grady about your church but don't expect miracles. Things will change but only slowly. And I might try to come myself,' he shouted as the Sister walked off along the road beside the river.

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