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Authors: Julie Flanders
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request from my nurse, but I'm afraid I have to. I'd rather just watch you all. And to tell you the truth, I don’t think I have the strength to do it yet. Like Mrs. Mayhew said, I’ve only just managed to get out of bed.”
“ Suit yourself, sir,” Chesham said, rubbing his hands together and once again leading the way outside the house.
Christopher pulled the coat Mr. Mayhew had given him from the rack in the hallway and draped it over his shoulders as he followed behind the group.
When they got outside, Stella noticed one of the rescue boats sitting in front of the lighthouse.
“ I’d like for you all to stand in front of the boat,” Chesham said.
Mr. Mayhew took a spot at the fore of the boat, while Josiah led Stella to the aft.
Christopher leaned against the doorway of the Mayhew house and watched as Mr. Chesham prepared to take the photo. The Winslows and Mr. Mayhew stood stoically in the wind as Chesham disappeared behind the cape covering his wooden view camera. Stella stole a glance back at Christopher, the hint of a smile on her face. She turned her head and looked directly at the camera just as a bright flash exploded from the box.
****
Stella picked up the container of boiling water from her cast iron stove and poured the water into her wash tub. Droplets of sweat dotted her forehead in spite of the cold temperatures outside. As far as she was concerned, her kitchen always felt like a furnace on laundry day.
She pulled her hair back into a bun and wiped her brow with her apron as she grabbed the washboard from the table and placed it into the tub. After pouring a small amount of the new soap powder Josiah had purchased on his last trip into Cottage City into the tub, she leaned over it and tossed his trousers into the steaming water.
It had been 10 days since Josiah had insisted she leave Gay Head and return to their home. She had expected to have more time with the Mayhews and to visit with the reporter and Christopher. But Josiah wanted to leave as soon as Mr. Chesham was done taking their picture. She had barely had a chance to say goodbye.
That morning she had been startled to see that same picture in the Boston Globe Josiah had brought home from one of his visits to town. It was surreal to see her own image in the newspaper she so loved to read. Stella loved nothing more than turning the pages of the paper and reading about the goings-on in the thriving metropolis of Boston. She imagined what it would be like to be in such a place, and wondered if she’d ever have the chance to visit the city herself.
Each time she opened a paper, Stella was grateful to her father for teaching her to read and to love the written word. She devoured every word of every paper Josiah brought to their home, in spite of the fact that he forbade it. As far as Josiah was concerned, women had no business reading the news of the world, and he scolded Stella for wanting to waste her time on affairs which were far beyond the capabilities of her sex. Stella pretended to go along with his order, but she stole moments to read the papers whenever Josiah left their home to visit patients or head into town.
Unsurprisingly, the latest paper was still filled with news of The City of Columbus . Stella read about the commendation Mr. Mayhew would be receiving for his rescue work and the fund the Gazette had set up for islanders to contribute to and show their appreciation for those who had risked their lives to help the ship’s victims. She also read about the controversy swirling around the ship’s captain and wondered if Christopher would agree with the accusations of negligence and incompetence that had been leveled against him. She wished she could bring the paper to Gay Head and discuss it with him.
And she wished he had agreed to pose for the photograph that now stared at her from the pages of the Globe. If he had, Stella would clip the photo and hide it in the pages of her father’s Bible. It was the only
“ Suit yourself, sir,” Chesham said, rubbing his hands together and once again leading the way outside the house.
Christopher pulled the coat Mr. Mayhew had given him from the rack in the hallway and draped it over his shoulders as he followed behind the group.
When they got outside, Stella noticed one of the rescue boats sitting in front of the lighthouse.
“ I’d like for you all to stand in front of the boat,” Chesham said.
Mr. Mayhew took a spot at the fore of the boat, while Josiah led Stella to the aft.
Christopher leaned against the doorway of the Mayhew house and watched as Mr. Chesham prepared to take the photo. The Winslows and Mr. Mayhew stood stoically in the wind as Chesham disappeared behind the cape covering his wooden view camera. Stella stole a glance back at Christopher, the hint of a smile on her face. She turned her head and looked directly at the camera just as a bright flash exploded from the box.
****
Stella picked up the container of boiling water from her cast iron stove and poured the water into her wash tub. Droplets of sweat dotted her forehead in spite of the cold temperatures outside. As far as she was concerned, her kitchen always felt like a furnace on laundry day.
She pulled her hair back into a bun and wiped her brow with her apron as she grabbed the washboard from the table and placed it into the tub. After pouring a small amount of the new soap powder Josiah had purchased on his last trip into Cottage City into the tub, she leaned over it and tossed his trousers into the steaming water.
It had been 10 days since Josiah had insisted she leave Gay Head and return to their home. She had expected to have more time with the Mayhews and to visit with the reporter and Christopher. But Josiah wanted to leave as soon as Mr. Chesham was done taking their picture. She had barely had a chance to say goodbye.
That morning she had been startled to see that same picture in the Boston Globe Josiah had brought home from one of his visits to town. It was surreal to see her own image in the newspaper she so loved to read. Stella loved nothing more than turning the pages of the paper and reading about the goings-on in the thriving metropolis of Boston. She imagined what it would be like to be in such a place, and wondered if she’d ever have the chance to visit the city herself.
Each time she opened a paper, Stella was grateful to her father for teaching her to read and to love the written word. She devoured every word of every paper Josiah brought to their home, in spite of the fact that he forbade it. As far as Josiah was concerned, women had no business reading the news of the world, and he scolded Stella for wanting to waste her time on affairs which were far beyond the capabilities of her sex. Stella pretended to go along with his order, but she stole moments to read the papers whenever Josiah left their home to visit patients or head into town.
Unsurprisingly, the latest paper was still filled with news of The City of Columbus . Stella read about the commendation Mr. Mayhew would be receiving for his rescue work and the fund the Gazette had set up for islanders to contribute to and show their appreciation for those who had risked their lives to help the ship’s victims. She also read about the controversy swirling around the ship’s captain and wondered if Christopher would agree with the accusations of negligence and incompetence that had been leveled against him. She wished she could bring the paper to Gay Head and discuss it with him.
And she wished he had agreed to pose for the photograph that now stared at her from the pages of the Globe. If he had, Stella would clip the photo and hide it in the pages of her father’s Bible. It was the only
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