school this spring to think about. An’ Joe’d need a break come summer, not a ton a’ hard work waitin’ for him when he got home.
I didn’t want to despise God nor his helpin’ angel by scornin’ the obvious. So I prayed for peace about it all. I prayed to be happy at home. But my feelings stayed as mixed up as before. I was glad Pa seemed to be doin’ all right. I just couldn’t figure out why I was such a mess.
10
Sarah
April 30, 1942
Dear Robert,
Mr. Thomas from the school board came to talk to Mom and Dad last evening. Katie and I were nervous when we saw him coming, but he didn’t have any complaint against us. I could hardly believe it, but he said they’re wanting to graduate Katie, Rorey, and me, along with Eugene Turrey and Joshua Mueller, this year instead of next. I didn’t know what to say.
They can’t afford to add on to the school, so it’ll still be one room, and they can’t afford to bus any of us into the Dearing school either. So with us graduated, Miss Aimsley won’t have the top graders to think about, and the school will be less crowded. That was the school board decision. Mr. Thomas said they figured we were ready anyway, and with the war on we’d probably be needed somewhere else.
I’d like to feel ready to be an adult at sixteen, but I don’t, Robby. And imagine how Katie feels! She’s five months younger and started school a year later than I did. We both thought we’d have another year. Katie thought she might have two.
Rorey didn’t go to school today. Neither did Eugene Turrey. Emmie says Rorey doesn’t want to bother with school now since we know they’re going to graduate us anyway. She’s going to start looking for work right away. But Mom and Dad want Katie and I to go as long as we can, and I’m glad. I don’t want to look for outside work yet. I want to be home to help get the rest of the crops planted, and you know there’s plenty of work right here for the summer too, plus harvest in the fall. I figure the more I can do, the less left on Dad, and he’ll have more time for the wood shop. They just finished a rocking chair, and I think it’s the nicest one yet. Frank made a couple of wall plaques that are so pretty I wish I had the money to buy them myself. Eagles, carved so nice the feathers look almost real. I wish you could see.
The cuckoo clock sung out all of a sudden, and I set the paper and pencil back in my stationery box. I was just writing Robert a quick note after getting the laundry in off the line, and could finish the letter later. Mom would appreciate it if I took a bowl and gathered in some greens for supper.
Harry had come over after school to help Dad and Frank seed the field north of our house. I could see them from where I got started picking lamb’s-quarter. I wondered about my brother and what he’d be eating tonight. I hoped they fed him good at his training camp.
Filling my bowl with lamb’s-quarter, dock, dandelion, and a little winter cress took longer than I expected. I rinsed my pickings at the well, glad there were things growing in our yard to forage while we were waiting for the garden vegetables.
Once the greens were ready to cook, I mixed up some muffins while Mom fried potatoes and opened a home-canned jar of pork tenderloin. Katie set the table and got some jam from the cellar. Pretty soon the muffins were in the oven, and Mom asked me to go out and get some winter onions to set on the table. They hadn’t seeded yet, so they were so good right now.
Dad and Frank and Harry came up from the field while I was still by the garden. Harry was kidding Frank about not being able to hear them call while he was working. Mom had said once that Frank thinks so deep sometimes, especially when he’s working, that he doesn’t hear anything outside his own head. She said it was a gift. But Harry didn’t seem to think so. He said they should have just left him in the field all night to see if he ever noticed that he
I didn’t want to despise God nor his helpin’ angel by scornin’ the obvious. So I prayed for peace about it all. I prayed to be happy at home. But my feelings stayed as mixed up as before. I was glad Pa seemed to be doin’ all right. I just couldn’t figure out why I was such a mess.
10
Sarah
April 30, 1942
Dear Robert,
Mr. Thomas from the school board came to talk to Mom and Dad last evening. Katie and I were nervous when we saw him coming, but he didn’t have any complaint against us. I could hardly believe it, but he said they’re wanting to graduate Katie, Rorey, and me, along with Eugene Turrey and Joshua Mueller, this year instead of next. I didn’t know what to say.
They can’t afford to add on to the school, so it’ll still be one room, and they can’t afford to bus any of us into the Dearing school either. So with us graduated, Miss Aimsley won’t have the top graders to think about, and the school will be less crowded. That was the school board decision. Mr. Thomas said they figured we were ready anyway, and with the war on we’d probably be needed somewhere else.
I’d like to feel ready to be an adult at sixteen, but I don’t, Robby. And imagine how Katie feels! She’s five months younger and started school a year later than I did. We both thought we’d have another year. Katie thought she might have two.
Rorey didn’t go to school today. Neither did Eugene Turrey. Emmie says Rorey doesn’t want to bother with school now since we know they’re going to graduate us anyway. She’s going to start looking for work right away. But Mom and Dad want Katie and I to go as long as we can, and I’m glad. I don’t want to look for outside work yet. I want to be home to help get the rest of the crops planted, and you know there’s plenty of work right here for the summer too, plus harvest in the fall. I figure the more I can do, the less left on Dad, and he’ll have more time for the wood shop. They just finished a rocking chair, and I think it’s the nicest one yet. Frank made a couple of wall plaques that are so pretty I wish I had the money to buy them myself. Eagles, carved so nice the feathers look almost real. I wish you could see.
The cuckoo clock sung out all of a sudden, and I set the paper and pencil back in my stationery box. I was just writing Robert a quick note after getting the laundry in off the line, and could finish the letter later. Mom would appreciate it if I took a bowl and gathered in some greens for supper.
Harry had come over after school to help Dad and Frank seed the field north of our house. I could see them from where I got started picking lamb’s-quarter. I wondered about my brother and what he’d be eating tonight. I hoped they fed him good at his training camp.
Filling my bowl with lamb’s-quarter, dock, dandelion, and a little winter cress took longer than I expected. I rinsed my pickings at the well, glad there were things growing in our yard to forage while we were waiting for the garden vegetables.
Once the greens were ready to cook, I mixed up some muffins while Mom fried potatoes and opened a home-canned jar of pork tenderloin. Katie set the table and got some jam from the cellar. Pretty soon the muffins were in the oven, and Mom asked me to go out and get some winter onions to set on the table. They hadn’t seeded yet, so they were so good right now.
Dad and Frank and Harry came up from the field while I was still by the garden. Harry was kidding Frank about not being able to hear them call while he was working. Mom had said once that Frank thinks so deep sometimes, especially when he’s working, that he doesn’t hear anything outside his own head. She said it was a gift. But Harry didn’t seem to think so. He said they should have just left him in the field all night to see if he ever noticed that he
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