Spake As a Dragon (44 page)

Luke and Malinda spent the next couple
of days as guests at the Holmes house. The time was totally
consumed by the swapping of stories between Matt and
Luke.

“
So,” said Matt, “Mother
lost the farm in Alabama? Scarlett is burned to the ground? Uncle
Jed and Jefferson were killed? Father never returned? Did you not
have any good news to bring?”

“
Oh yes, the most
important good news I saved for last – I am married! I met and
married a girl by the name of Catherine Babb. We met on her farm in
Kentucky while I was escaping the Yankees and trying to get back
home. She is living at Scarlett now.”

As always all good things must come to
an end, “Luke,” said Malinda, “I believe we must get started back
to South Carolina if we’re going to get there before Christmas.
Let’s head back Monday morning – if that’s all right with you?
There is nothing more we can find here.”

“
Matthew,” said Luke, “why
don’t you and Kim come with us and celebrate Christmas with the
rest of the family?”

“
Luke, there is nothing
more I would like, but these artificial legs Mark and I make for
the wounded soldiers are more important at the moment. Without
Mark’s artificial legs, these fellows will be invalids the rest of
their lives. Mark can give them at least some type of a normal
live. I hope you understand Mother?”

“
Oh, Matt, hush son...what
you two are doing is of greater importance. There will be more
Christmas’ to come, but these soldiers to whom you fit legs are
only going to get one chance for you to help them. Christmas is
just one day, your artificial legs will help them the rest of their
lives.”

“
I know Mother, but we
cannot furnish everyone with artificial legs, we do not have money
enough to buy supplies to make them. If it weren’t for donations,
we could not even make the ones we are able to produce. Mark’s
family and mine are barely surviving; every penny we get goes to
the soldiers. Mother, we just need money and a lot of
it!”

“
I’m sorry son, you know
if I had any money I would give it to you gladly, but I just do not
have any, I wish I did.”

A PLAN

Sitting around the campfire a few days
out of Gettysburg, Malinda asks, “Luke, I sure wish there was
something we could do to help Matthew and the Holmes families. I am
so proud of Matthew; the work he and Mark are doing is a gift from
God. We must find some way to help them.”

Luke had also been thinking about
Matthew’s situation and the good deeds they are doing for the
injured soldiers. Thinking of his, Catherine and Sam’s gold mine,
he said to her that he had an inkling of a plan to help get Matt
and Mark money for their work, but would let her know more when
they returned to South Carolina.

Chapter
Fifty-Six

THE GOLD MAP

The trip from Gettysburg back to
Scarlett consumed the better part of two weeks but was accomplished
without incident; however, they made one same detour to check on
the Anthony family. Mister and Missus Antony were fine, but Susan
had returned to work with Lucy Stone on the women’s suffrage
initiative.

After returning home, Malinda and Luke
told of finding Matthew, his marriage to Kimberly Holmes and the
good work he and his father-in-law Mark were doing making the
artificial legs for crippled and disfigured soldiers. She explained
that Matthew had lost one of his legs and was using one of their
artificial ones to walk around.

Sary said she had saved a few dollars
and if it would help Malinda could send it to Matthew. With tears
in her eyes, Malinda thanked her old friend for her generosity, but
explained to proceed with the work Matt is doing is going to need
quite a bit of money – more money than all of them have, and
besides they have to begin work on Scarlett.

Luke inquired as to the situation at
the Mill. Sam answered by saying at the current time the Mill
wasn’t making money, but he thought by summer they should have it
running at full capacity then maybe they should begin making a
profit.

“
Well,” said Malinda, “At
least we got back in time for Christmas. For a while there I
thought Luke and I were going to be on the road the day of our
Savior’s birthday, but we made it. I just wish Matthew and his wife
Kim and of course, Robert were here to celebrate this season with
us. I suppose I must accept the facts, the War has been over for
seven months now, Robert is not ever coming home!”

“
Don’t despair Mother, you
said the same about Matthew, remember?”

“
Malinda,” said Ora Lee
trying to change the subject and lighten the mood said, “Ever since
you and Luke left to go to Gettysburg, Sary has been fattening a
big old gobbler turkey. It is just a couple of days to Christmas
and I believe he is about ready for the roasting pan.”

“
Hmm,” said Luke, “I can
almost taste him already. It’s been a long time since we’ve had
turkey for Christmas. It fact, it’s been a long time since I’ve had
anything good to eat at Christmas.”

“
Now, you hold on there
Luke! You done forgot ‘bout last Christmas in that there cave up in
Kentuck, ain’t you? Wouldn’t that a fine Christmas with that mail
rider Kay Mann.” Interjects Nate.

Catherine jumps in, “What! Who the
blazes is Kay Mann? You all spent Christmas in a cave in Kentuck
with a woman? And this within spittin’ distance of my
house?”

“
Well, if you call thirty
miles spittin’ distance – yeah, but Kay wasn’t a woman, Kay was the
mail-rider, but I must admit Nate, that was some Christmas – wait
Nate, you have just given me an idea. Remember Old
Bill?”

“
Shore Luke, never would
not recomember him. Done got hisself kilt throwing that stick of
dynamite on them robber’s fire.”

“
Hold on Nate, back up, I
believe the whole family needs to hear about this Kay Mann, Old
Bill and the dynamite. We haven’t heard that story. Especially
Catherine, I believe she is interested in the Kay Mann part,”
Malinda said smiling as she looks at Catherine.

For the next hour or so the family
sits around the fireplace and lets Luke and Nate tell of their
exploits in the mountains of the Cumberland. Luke ends up with them
on the farm with Catherine’s father Samuel Babb. He doesn’t go into
all the details about the suicide, he kind of skips over that part,
but he does tell of the time he and Sam went into the mountains
deer hunting. He told about the cabin, the outlaws and THE BEAR.
All of the children, especially Mattie Ann and Lizzie were sitting
on the edge of their chairs as Luke described being trapped in the
cabin with nothing between the door and safety for him and Sam but
this monster of a bear. Of course, he told how brave Sam was, and
how he looked that beast right in the eye and said, “You’ll never
gonna take us Mr. Bear, and Sam blew a hole in the bear’s head
killing it stone cold dead at our feet.” Luke embellished the story
a little for effect!

Everyone was laughing and slapping Sam
on the back congratulating him on killing the bear when Luke said
to Sam, “Sam you remember why you went into the cabin in the first
place?”

“
Yeah Luke, you know I do
– that one man was beating that other man to death, you know the
one tied in the chair.”

“
Sam, I sure do, but what
was the outlaw after? You remember?”

“
Sure, the
map.”

“
Map?” Asked Malinda, “No
one has said anything about a map. What kind of map was it
Sam?”

“
It was a map to a GOLD
strike on our land behind the farm up in the mountains.”

“
Right you are Sam, the
Gold Map...Old Bill gave the map to me and I gave it to you. Here’s
my thought, after Christmas lets you, me and Nate head back up to
your farm in Kentucky and find that creek of gold. That should be
enough to help Matthew make those artificial legs and we might have
some left to begin working on Scarlett, what do you
say?”

“
Hold on there Luke
Scarburg, you’re not going anywhere without me,” said
Catherine.

“
Oh, all right! You can
come, but we must be back home before time for spring planting in
March or April.”

“
Luke,” said Sam. “I’ve
studied Old Bill’s map and I believe I know exactly where that
creek bottom is.” At this time, Sam reaches into his pocket and
pulls out a gold nugget and holds it up for all to see. The
firelight glints off it like the piece is on fire. The family
cannot believe its size. “If that creek has more like this one, we
should be able to pan up a sizeable amount of gold in a day or two
and get up to Pennsylvania and help out Matthew and Mr. Holmes. I’m
ready to go right now! The quicker we get that gold the fastest
they can outfit the soldiers with their new legs.”

“
Hold your horses Sam,
tomorrow is Christmas Eve, Thursday will be Christmas. I don’t see
why we couldn’t be on our way by Monday – is that fine with
everyone?”

ANOTHER TREE

William you know what today is, don’t
you?” Asked Malinda to her son, “I remember what you and Thomas
Henry did this time last year.”

“
Ah, Mother, Christmas
Eve, I thought you would have forgotten about us using Blaze to
drag in the Christmas tree,” William said shaking his
head.

“
Well, mothers seldom
forget what their errant sons do, young man, but it’s time once
again to get the tree; however, this year since you taught Thomas
Henry the wrong way to get the tree last year, I thought you and he
could take Blaze and go find us another one that we can put up
tonight. You think you and Thomas Henry can do that?”

“
Oh yes Mother, me and Tom
Henry...”

“
Thomas Henry and I...”
Corrected Malinda.

“
Right, Tom Henry and I
have already spied the most wonderful tree. We know exactly where
it is and we’ll have it back here in no time. Come on Tom Henry; go
get the axe, rope and Blaze, it’s Christmas Eve!

CHRISTMAS 1865

“
The tree is beautiful
boys, you were correct it
is
the perfect tree. Now everyone
join in and let’s get it decorated.”

Standing back to admire the finished
Christmas tree Malinda said almost as thought she were speaking a
thought out loud, “I was hoping last Christmas that this year we
would all be together as a family once again, but alas, it is not
going to happen. At least the War is finally over and thousands of
other families got their loved ones home.” Turning to all those
assembled she added, “Children, I am sorry since this is another
Christmas without presents. It makes me as sad as I know it does
you. You used to look forward to this season with all the
gifts.”

Mattie Ann, standing in the back says,
“Mother, play the Christmas carols once again – that is present
enough.”

Malinda begins to play:

“
Hark

the herald angels sing,


Glory to the newborn King!


Peace on earth and mercy
mild


God and sinners reconciled.


Joyful, all ye nations rise


Join the triumph of the
skies


With the angelic host
proclaim:


"Christ is born in
Bethlehem."


Hark! The herald angels
sing


"Glory to the newborn King!"

Turning around to face her family
Malinda says, “Children I hope and pray times will get
better.”

“
Mother,” says Mattie Ann,
“We know times are hard and we do not need Christmas presents, but
the whole family worked hard to get
you
a present,” saying
this she handed the present to her mother.

“
What! You children had no
money, what in the world have you all done!” Opening the wrappings
she sees a hand embroidered sampler that she reads
aloud:

She is a wise woman who
does not grieve for the things, which she has not, but rejoices for
those, which she has had:

THE SCARBURG FAMILY

Robert Steven, Little Paul, Cecelia and
Lester, Luke and Catherine, Matthew and Kim, Margaret, William,
Isaac, Stephen, Thomas Henry, Mattie Ann, Elizabeth,

Isaac and Linda Lou, Sary, Jed and
Jefferson

Christmas

In the year of our Lord One Thousand
Eighteen Sixty-Five

The tears were flowing from Malinda’s
eyes she did not even attempt to suppress them. They were tears of
joy. Joy that she had such a wonderful family. Finally, she says, “
How? How did you all do this – it is beautiful.”

“
Well,” said Mattie Ann,
“me and Lizzie did most of the needlework and the boys made the
frame. Of course, Ora Lee got the thread and Sary got the needles,
everyone worked on it when you were not around.”

“
I do believe this is the
best Christmas present I have ever received.”

“
Hey,” said Lizzie, “Look
outside, it is beginning to snow!”