Morning Star by Judith Plaxton

eyes,
Flower placed them side by side in the cradle and rocked them to sleep.
    Mr. Jenson started to speak again. “What’s it like
outside?”
    Flower followed his glance to the window. “It’s
cooler.”
    â€œNo sign of rain?”
    â€œNo. I can’t see any clouds.”
    â€œSometimes I can smell the rain coming.”
    â€œYou can?”
    â€œYes. And I love the smell of the earth after a
rain, everything nourished.”
    Flower ran her finger along the edge of the cradle.
It was dusty.
    Mr. Jenson continued. “Oh, how I’d love to be
outside, seeing the earth, smelling it, working with it.”
    â€œWould you like some tea?”
    â€œThank you. That might perk me up.”
    Flower was pumping water into the kettle when
Wilfred burst through the door, his siblings close behind him. He managed to
make his voice heard above the sudden din of adult voices and the cries of
wakened babies. “Look! It’s Dr. Simon in his carriage, coming fast up the
road!”

CHAPTER 26
    Felicia
    â€œCOMING to lunch?” Sophie asked.
    â€œI have a chore to do,” answered Felicia. “I’ll meet you in the cafeteria in a few minutes.”
    Felicia walked purposefully down the hall. She stopped in front of Mr. Butler’s classroom and took a deep breath, then poked her head around the doorframe. He stopped reading when he noticed her. They both said hello.
    â€œMr. Butler, I want to talk to you for a minute about the play.”
    â€œOf course. What is it?”
    â€œDidn’t you like my singing?”
    â€œYes. It was very good.”
    â€œThen why did you give that part to Cynthia?”
    â€œI thought the other part would be perfect for you.”
    â€œWhy did you think that?”
    â€œWell, I just thought it would suit you better. I thought you might be more comfortable in that role. What if I made you a Native princess? Would you like that?”
    â€œMr. Butler, I auditioned. You gave me the part of the pioneer because I was good. I want to be a singing pioneer with my friends. It’s not fair what you’re doing.”
    â€œAll right, Felicia, I didn’t know you felt so strongly about it. You can be one of the pioneers.”
    Felicia’s “thank you” was a little breathless. She was glad to leave Mr. Butler’s presence before he could see that she was nervous, not calm and logical as she had wanted to appear. Resentment at having to make such an effort was followed by relief. She had stood up for herself, and she’d made him change his mind.
    Felicia decided she had time to go to the library before meeting her friends for lunch. Mr. Allenby sat behind the broad desk just inside the entrance. “What can I do for you today, young lady?”
    â€œI want to do some research,” said Felicia.
    â€œOh yes, in what field?”
    â€œHistory.”
    â€œFollowing up on some local lore, are you, stimulated by Mr. Butler’s extravaganza?”
    â€œSort of.”
    Mr. Allenby got to his feet and walked to the bookshelves. “Lots of interesting stuff here; there’s the Great Lakes fishing industry, boat building, early agriculture—”
    â€œMaybe more about people.”
    â€œGovernment? Church? Now, here’s a good one about the United Empire Loyalists, how they came to this part of the country.”
    Felicia remembered Ashley’s claim and shook her head. “I mean like ordinary people, like me. Didn’t people like me come to this country a long time ago, too?”
    â€œAh, yes.” Mr. Allenby crouched down and ran his hand along the row of books. “Let me see.” Then triumphantly he withdrew a book and handed it to her. “Here you go. And here are two more…and I think there was another one I wanted to show you here, too…”
    â€œI think three’s enough.”
    Mr. Allenby got to his feet. “I think you’ll find