Measure of Grace (13 page)

Stu did not slow a bit.

As they passed the wagons, Martha called a greeting to their neighbors, as did the children, then she called out a thank-you to the pastor for giving them room to get by. Both the pastor and his wife smiled and waved.

Stu kept his eyes straight ahead, refusing to acknowledge any of them.

As the Morrow wagon continued on toward Richmond, Pastor Sherman Bradford pulled his wagon up beside the O’Hearn vehicle once more and said, “My heart is so heavy for that family.”

“We know what you mean, Pastor,” said Shamus. “I do believe
there would be a chance to reach Martha and the children if it weren’t for Stu. He really has a high wall built up between himself and the Lord.”

“I know,” said the pastor. “I’ve been to their house on four occasions, wanting to give them the gospel and invite them to church. The first three, it was Martha or the oldest boy, Derick, who answered my knock. I could tell they were frightened just at my presence on the place. Each time, I was told that they didn’t go to church and weren’t interested in going—before I could get a word out.

“On the fourth occasion, which was about six months ago, Diana opened the door, but Stu came thundering up behind her immediately, and swore at me, telling me to get off his property and to stay off. He repeated angrily that I was never to step foot on the place again. So … of course, I haven’t.”

“It really grieves me,” said Maggie. “I’ve known Martha a long time. She and I started first grade together at the old country school on Creighton Road. We were close friends until about two years after she married Stu. Something happened not long after Diana was born, and suddenly Stu got hard to live with. He wouldn’t let Martha have anything to do with other people. It’s still that way. The only time we get to see each other is if we happen to meet on the street in town or in a store.”

“I know you’ve had opportunities to talk to Martha about the Lord in the five years that you and Shamus have been saved,” said Lois Bradford. “You’ve mentioned a couple of them to me.”

“Yes,” said Maggie, her eyes misting.

“What kind of response have you gotten?”

“Most of the time, she just gets this frightened look in her eyes and politely changes the subject. I know it’s because Stu is so mean and cantankerous. She’s scared to death of what he would do if she became a Christian.”

“And didn’t she say something to you about if God loved her like you were saying He did, why did He let her life be so miserable?” asked Shamus.

“Yes. It was about a year ago, when she and I met on the street, and no one we knew was near. I was able to give her my complete
testimony and explain to her what brought about my salvation and yours, too, dear. I quoted several Scripture verses on the subject of salvation and told her that God loved her so much he sent His only begotten Son to die on the cross for her, and that He wanted to save her.

“That was when she said, ‘Well, Maggie, if God loves me like you say He does, why did He let my life turn out so miserable?’ She went on to say that she couldn’t provide for her children by herself if she left Stu, so she had to stay with him and live in misery.”

“Bless her heart,” said Lois. “It must be terrible living with a man like Stuart Morrow.”

“You’re right about that,” said Maggie. “When Martha said that about having to stay with him and live in misery, she added that even if she tried leaving Stu, taking the children, and going elsewhere, he would come after them and when he found them, he would give her a good beating.”

“We need to pray harder about this,” said the preacher. “God can handle Stu.”

“Right,” said Shamus.

“I’ve had other brief opportunities since then,” said Maggie. “With each one, I’ve quoted more Scripture and told her lovingly how much I want to see her come to the Lord. She has even thanked me for caring, but that same fear is always present in her eyes.”

Shamus laid a hand on Maggie’s shoulder. “We’ll just have to do as Pastor says, honey, and pray more earnestly about the whole Morrow family.”

“Yes,” said Bradford. “I ran into Diana and Deborah on the street in town about a month ago. They were talking to the Meyer sisters, whom they knew from school. As you know, Betty and Barbara Meyer come to our church.”

Shamus and Maggie nodded.

“At that time,” the pastor proceeded, “I invited Diana and Deborah to come to church and Sunday school. They thanked me politely, but said nothing more. I met them on the street again a few days later, when they were alone. They told me then that they
would like to come to church, but couldn’t because their father would not allow it. Which, of course, did not surprise me. They also commented on how angry their father became each time I had visited the Morrow home. I could see the fear in their eyes. It’s obvious. They live in constant fear of the man. It grieves my heart. They are such sweet girls.”

“That they are,” said Maggie.

“Well,” said Bradford, “Lois and I need to make some calls on some of your other neighbors. See you Sunday.”

“You sure will, Pastor,” said Shamus, snapping the reins. “All right, Maggie, let’s head for town.”

Stu Morrow pulled the wagon up in front of the general store. He said to Martha, “The boys and I will be back in an hour or so.”

Derick and Daniel hopped out of the wagon bed, and while Daniel helped his sisters out, Derick hurried up to the side of the wagon, took his mother’s hand, and helped her down. Both boys jumped back in the bed, and Stu put the wagon in motion.

As mother and daughters stood on the boardwalk and watched the wagon blend into the traffic, Diana said dolefully, “It isn’t going to take Papa and the boys an hour to get the grain, Mama. I know what else Papa’s going to do.”

Deborah sighed. “Me too. He’s going to stop at one of the taverns.”

Martha nodded solemnly. “I’m sure he is.”

“Oh, Mama,” said Diana, “I wish Papa wouldn’t drink. It always makes him even meaner.”

“I know, honey,” said Martha, “but there’s nothing we can do about it. I’m at least thankful that he never gets staggering drunk. He knows when to quit before that happens.”

Deborah pointed down the street. “Look, Diana! It’s Laura and Becky.”

Their friends spotted them at the same time, and called to them, waving.

“You girls talk to your friends for a while,” said Martha. “I’ll go on in the store and get started.”

“All right, Mama,” said Diana.

The Morrow girls were chatting with their friends from school when they noticed the O’Hearn wagon pull up. Shamus and Maggie both smiled at them, and Diana and Deborah smiled back.

Shamus hopped out of the wagon, and as he helped Maggie down from the seat, she said, “Girls, is your mother in the store?”

“Yes,” said Diana.

Picking up a pair of well-worn shoes from the wagon bed, Shamus told Maggie he would see her in a few minutes, and headed down the street toward the shoe repair shop.

Laura and Becky excused themselves and crossed the street to join their mother.

As Maggie O’Hearn moved closer to the Morrow girls, she noted Diana’s black-and-blue mouth and the cut on her upper lip. “Honey, what happened? How did you cut your lip?”

Diana flicked a glance at her sister, then looked back at Maggie. “I … ah … fell down, Mrs. O’Hearn.”

Deborah’s mouth bent downward. “Diana, tell her the truth,” she said flatly.

Diana cleared her throat, looked away, then faced Maggie again. “Well, I … ah … Papa hit me. He was severely beating Daniel, and I tried to stop him. It made him mad, so he hit me and knocked me down.”

Maggie’s eyes took on extra moisture and she lay a tender hand on Diana’s arm. “Honey, I’m sorry you had to suffer because you were trying to protect your brother.”

Diana shrugged. “That’s just the way it is at our house.”

At that instant three teenage girls came out of the general store and rushed up to Diana and Deborah, saying they had just talked to their mother in the store. Maggie saw that the Morrow girls were going to be talking to their friends, so she excused herself and entered the store.

It took only a moment for Maggie to spot Martha near the rear of the store at the fruit and vegetable tables. She waved, heading that way, and Martha waved back. When they came together, Martha greeted Maggie with a loving embrace. “I’m sorry we hurried past you and the Bradfords so fast. But as you know, Stu
doesn’t want anything to do with the preacher.”

“Yes,” Maggie said in a sad tone. “I wish it wasn’t so. Shamus and I were just saying on our way into town, how much we would love to see your whole family come to church, and—”

“And be saved,” Martha finished for her.

“Yes. Of course you don’t have to come to church to be saved, honey. You could ask Jesus into your heart right here and now if you wanted to.”

Martha nodded. “I understand that.” She remembered all the times Stu had struck her in anger, and thought,
If I should ever become a Christian—as Maggie has so lovingly urged me to—Stu would beat me to death. No matter how wonderful salvation sounds, I could never do it. What would happen to my children if I weren’t here to give them whatever protection I can?

Sighing deeply within herself, Martha said, “Did you see my girls out front?”

Knowing her friend was avoiding the subject of salvation as she had done many times before, Maggie vowed in her heart to pray more earnestly for her. “Yes, and I saw that cut on Diana’s lip. She tried to cover for her father when I asked her how it happened, but Deborah spoke up and told her to tell me the truth.”

A crimson tide of embarrassment flooded Martha’s lovely face.

Smiling, Maggie said, “Don’t worry, honey. I won’t let the cat out of the bag to anyone else. Except Shamus, of course.”

Even as she spoke those last words, Maggie looked at Martha’s left cheek and squinted at the fading purple mark there. “Did Stu hit you, too? Like the other times your face has had bruises?”

Martha’s fingers went to the spot. Her face flushed again. “Well, ah—”

“Come on, honey,” she said, laying a gentle hand on her arm, “this is your old friend, Maggie. You can tell me.”

Martha’s eyes filmed up. “Yes,” she reluctantly admitted. “It was about ten days ago. Stu lost his temper and hit me.”

Anger pulsed through Maggie like the steady beat of a clock. Eyebrows knitted together, she said stiffly, “He ought to have some big, strong man show him what it feels like.”

At the feed and grain store, Stu and the two older boys finished loading feed sacks while little Dennis stood on his knees on the wagon seat and observed.

Derick and Daniel climbed in the wagon bed with the sacks while their father mounted the seat. Stu put the team in motion, and headed down the street in the direction of the general store, which was six blocks away.

After covering two blocks, Stu guided the horses to a stop in front of the Golden Lantern Tavern. Derick and Daniel exchanged fearful glances, knowing their father always became meaner than usual when he got liquor in him.

With a slight quiver in his voice, Derick said, “Papa, don’t you think we ought to get on down to the general store? Mama will probably be ready soon.”

Scowling, Stu said, “I’ll only be a few minutes. You boys stay in the wagon. Don’t be climbing down to look in store windows or something. Understand?”

“Yes, Papa,” said Derick. “We’ll stay in the wagon.”

“Good,” said the man, lowering himself to the ground. “You know what’ll happen if you disobey me.”

“We won’t, Papa,” Daniel assured him.

Stu gave each one a hard look, then made his way across the boardwalk and entered the tavern.

Down the street at the general store, Diana and Deborah finished talking to their three friends, and as they headed for the door, a female voice called Diana’s name from across the street. She and Deborah turned to see two more of their friends from school threading through the heavy traffic to join them.

Inside the general store, Martha and Maggie had been joined by Shamus, and all three were enjoying their conversation when Martha’s eyes strayed to the big clock on the wall above the back door. A little trickle of fear ran down her spine. There would be
trouble if she hadn’t finished her shopping when Stu returned. “Oh, dear!” she said. “I’m sorry, but I’ve got to finish my grocery shopping before Stu gets back. Nice talking to you Maggie, Shamus. Hope we can run into each other again soon.”

“Real soon, I hope,” said Maggie.

“Me too,” chimed in Shamus. “And Martha …”

“Yes?”

“Maggie and I are here for you and the children if you ever need us.”

Smiling nervously, Martha dipped her head in an embarrassed nod. “Thank you.”

As they watched Martha hurry away in a fidgety gait, Shamus said in a low tone from the side of his mouth, “Such a pity, Maggie. Such a pity.”

At the Morrow wagon, Derick and Daniel were trying to keep their active little brother occupied while their father was in the tavern.

Almost half an hour had passed when Stu emerged from the Golden Lantern. Though his walk was steady, the effects of the alcohol were already showing in his watery eyes and his reddened cheeks. The boys looked at each other in fear, dreading whatever might come their way.