Read Online Circle of Love by Joan Lowery Nixon - Free Book Online
Authors: Joan Lowery Nixon
Tags: Orphans, Orphan trains
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"What happened to you, miss?" he asked, pointing toward the red marks on her skin. "How'd you hurt yourself?"
"It was an accident," Frances said, and pulled her cuff into place. "No harm was done."
Eddie ran to join the rest of the line, but Frances paused, placing the fingers of her left hand over the marks. Once again she wondered what had frightened Reverend Diller so.
There was no time to think more about it, Frances had to shepherd the children back onto the train, count them, and make sure no one had strayed into the small depot or the grove of trees beyond.
Finally each child was seated and the train made its jerking, swaying start. As it picked up speed, Frances opened her journal and began to write:
How greatly I am reminded of my own journey west Riding an orphan train again, even though in a different capacity, makes mefeel that I have come fuM circle. I think of the happy years I had with the Cummingses — a highly successful journey — and I hope that I can guide these little ones in my care into journeys that will be as happy as mine.
Eddie slid into the seat beside Frances, and she closed the journal.
"Sam and Marcus said I was in big trouble with you because of my goin' off to explore the train," he told her.
Frances smiled at him. "You're not in trouble with me, Eddie."
"You sure?"
"Of course Fm sure."
Eddie glanced up at Frances and grinned sheepishly. ^Trouble and me—well, we sort of stick together, I guess."
"Maybe if you thought first—" Frances began.
Eddie interrupted. "1 know, but I don't think first. Never have." He sighed again. "YouVe never been in trouble, or you'd know what I mean."
The train swayed around a curve, throwing Eddie and Frances off balance. As soon as they had righted themselves, Frances smiled and asked, "Where did you live in New York City?"
"Nowhere," Eddie said. "I mean, just anywhere I could sell a few newspapers, shine a few shoes, and earn enough to buy some food and stay alive."
"When 1 was your age 1 lived near Sixteenth Street and Ninth Avenue," Frances said. "Do you know that place?"
"Do I ever!" Eddie looked up at Frances in surprise.
"After my father died, I scrubbed office floors at night with my mother and sewed piecework during the day. My brothers Mike and Danny shined shoes."
"Like me," Eddie said.
"Like you. Only Mike turned to copper stealing and got caught. He wasn't a bad boy. He was a hungry boy and forgot the difference between right and wrong. He used the money to buy meat for our fam-Uy's table."
Eddie's eyes were wide. "Did he go to prison?"
"No. He would have, but the judge let Reverend Brace send Mike west to a new home. He gave Mike a second chance to make a good life for himself."
Eddie leaned into the crook of Frances's arm. In a quiet voice he asked, "Did anybody want Mike? After what he done, I mean?"
Frances decided not to mention the terrible time Mike had with the Friedrichs. Eddie didn't need that. He needed reassurance. "An army captain and his wife eventually became Mike's foster parents," she said. "They're good to him, and he loves them very much."
Eddie thought a moment. "They didn't know Mike had been in trouble with the law?"
"They knew, but they still wanted Mike. In fact, it was Captain Taylor who told Mike that the West was a place for new beginnings and what counted most was what Mike would make of his future."
"His future? I never gave any thought to a future," Eddie said. "It seems to be enough trouble just tryin' to stay alive."
Frances hugged him. "You'll soon have a family who'll see to it that you have a good future."
Eddie turned to look up at Frances. 'They won't hold what I did s^ainst me?"
'They won't even know about it"
She thought that would satisfy Eddie, but he said, "Sam told us that ^me lads aren't chosen, that they have to go back.**
*That happens to only a very few. You'll be chosen," Frances promised. Please, she thought. Please let my promises com£ true!
Eddie grinned,
"What happened to you, miss?" he asked, pointing toward the red marks on her skin. "How'd you hurt yourself?"
"It was an accident," Frances said, and pulled her cuff into place. "No harm was done."
Eddie ran to join the rest of the line, but Frances paused, placing the fingers of her left hand over the marks. Once again she wondered what had frightened Reverend Diller so.
There was no time to think more about it, Frances had to shepherd the children back onto the train, count them, and make sure no one had strayed into the small depot or the grove of trees beyond.
Finally each child was seated and the train made its jerking, swaying start. As it picked up speed, Frances opened her journal and began to write:
How greatly I am reminded of my own journey west Riding an orphan train again, even though in a different capacity, makes mefeel that I have come fuM circle. I think of the happy years I had with the Cummingses — a highly successful journey — and I hope that I can guide these little ones in my care into journeys that will be as happy as mine.
Eddie slid into the seat beside Frances, and she closed the journal.
"Sam and Marcus said I was in big trouble with you because of my goin' off to explore the train," he told her.
Frances smiled at him. "You're not in trouble with me, Eddie."
"You sure?"
"Of course Fm sure."
Eddie glanced up at Frances and grinned sheepishly. ^Trouble and me—well, we sort of stick together, I guess."
"Maybe if you thought first—" Frances began.
Eddie interrupted. "1 know, but I don't think first. Never have." He sighed again. "YouVe never been in trouble, or you'd know what I mean."
The train swayed around a curve, throwing Eddie and Frances off balance. As soon as they had righted themselves, Frances smiled and asked, "Where did you live in New York City?"
"Nowhere," Eddie said. "I mean, just anywhere I could sell a few newspapers, shine a few shoes, and earn enough to buy some food and stay alive."
"When 1 was your age 1 lived near Sixteenth Street and Ninth Avenue," Frances said. "Do you know that place?"
"Do I ever!" Eddie looked up at Frances in surprise.
"After my father died, I scrubbed office floors at night with my mother and sewed piecework during the day. My brothers Mike and Danny shined shoes."
"Like me," Eddie said.
"Like you. Only Mike turned to copper stealing and got caught. He wasn't a bad boy. He was a hungry boy and forgot the difference between right and wrong. He used the money to buy meat for our fam-Uy's table."
Eddie's eyes were wide. "Did he go to prison?"
"No. He would have, but the judge let Reverend Brace send Mike west to a new home. He gave Mike a second chance to make a good life for himself."
Eddie leaned into the crook of Frances's arm. In a quiet voice he asked, "Did anybody want Mike? After what he done, I mean?"
Frances decided not to mention the terrible time Mike had with the Friedrichs. Eddie didn't need that. He needed reassurance. "An army captain and his wife eventually became Mike's foster parents," she said. "They're good to him, and he loves them very much."
Eddie thought a moment. "They didn't know Mike had been in trouble with the law?"
"They knew, but they still wanted Mike. In fact, it was Captain Taylor who told Mike that the West was a place for new beginnings and what counted most was what Mike would make of his future."
"His future? I never gave any thought to a future," Eddie said. "It seems to be enough trouble just tryin' to stay alive."
Frances hugged him. "You'll soon have a family who'll see to it that you have a good future."
Eddie turned to look up at Frances. 'They won't hold what I did s^ainst me?"
'They won't even know about it"
She thought that would satisfy Eddie, but he said, "Sam told us that ^me lads aren't chosen, that they have to go back.**
*That happens to only a very few. You'll be chosen," Frances promised. Please, she thought. Please let my promises com£ true!
Eddie grinned,
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