Windy Ridge (eBook)

Ethel Thomas Russell (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2024 | 1. Auflage
272 Seiten
Bookbaby (Verlag)
979-8-3509-5753-2 (ISBN)

Infos

A vivid portrait of a young woman growing up in a rural Kentucky community in the early 1900s. Drawing from personal experience as the daughter of an evangelist farmer, Ethel Thomas Russell captures in keen detail the daily routines, social customs, and conversational styles of a bygone era, all woven into a captivating story with timeless themes of love, loss, faith, and family. Written over 75 years ago, the illustrated manuscript was recently rediscovered, and is being published now to share and preserve this important work of cultural and historical significance.

Ethel Thomas Russell was the youngest of eight children, born to pioneer parents John Evan and Melissa Thomas in Casey County Kentucky in 1911. Her great-great-grandfather settled in that area, south of the Green River near what became the town of Liberty, after serving under George Washington in the Revolutionary War. Ethel was tremendously curious and creative over her entire life, a true Renaissance woman. She was constantly reading, writing, drawing, playing all manner of musical instruments, singing, and quilting. Her first published work was in Grit magazine at age 9. She wrote a news column in the local paper for much of her life, and composed personal poetry. As a child of a farmer-evangelist, she was a hard worker, a fast learner, and a keen observer of life around her. She kept precise records of daily experiences until her death at age 87 in 1998. Ethel was married to Herbert Russell, a lifelong love match until his death in 1989. She had two children (a girl and boy) and 4 grandchildren. This is her only novel, written in the early 1950s. It is set in a small area near her hometown, based on 30 years of her early life there, and written with honesty and love.

Textauszug

Chapter 2

Night had fallen and Lee would soon arrive. Chris took a kerosene lamp from the living room mantle, carried it into the parlor and placed it on the center table. A pink vase graced the table, a premium from Lee Manufacturing Company, for making up a dish order some months back. It contained a fresh bouquet of flowers, marigolds, zinnias and cosmos, tastifully arranged, for Chris had a way with flowers.

As her hands moved busily, her mind kept worrying with thoughts of the play. Then she told herself philosophically, “No use wearin’ myself to a frazzle about somethin’ I can’t help. At least, I’ll be seein’ him tonight, and that’s worth a lot. She carefully dusted the top of the organ, straightened the song books in the book rack, then cast a critical eye over the room. The door that opened on the front porch boasted a glass in the upper section, and Chris had crocheted the lace curtains with her own hands. It was starched as stiff as flour could make it. The room’s furniture was, like the rest of the house, spare: the old Adler organ, the center table, a rocking chair, and a black leather couch which her father had obtained at a sale for a small sum. Chris was satisfied with the room, but not her appearance. Her dress was a gingham plaid, and every time Sarah returned from the country store with dress material, it was likely to be the same old plaid again. She peeped anxiously into the mirror above the book rack on the organ, and straightened the bow at her throat, and pushed some stray curls back into place. Just then a thin whistle pierced the air a mile away, and her heart began to race.

It was Lee, heralding his approach in the model T Ford. She cast another hasty look into the mirror, then sat down on the organ seat and let her hands wander over the keys. If Lee happened to first glance through the glass door, he would find a very poised girl waiting his arrival. Other girls might wear their hearts on their sleeves – but not Chris Turner! She played the organ softly and tenderly, and she could still hear the model T coming nearer and nearer, creating an awful noise in the quiet countryside. Then abruptly all was silent. Presently, there came a light tap at the door, and Chris left the organ to open it, her calm manner in no way betraying the fluttering heart beneath. Lee stepped quickly into the room, and looked at her with that special look that never failed to flood her heart with a secret happiness.

“Howdy, Lee, “ she said shyly, “Come in and have a seat.”

“Howdy, Chris – I guess we hadn’t better tarry. I’m already late, had a flat tire. You and Joel ready to go?”

“I’m not goin’.” She tried to keep all emotion out of her voice, but did not entirely succeed. His face clouded with instant disappointment. “Your Dad?”

She nodded silently. Immediately he started for the living room.

“No! She laid a hand on his arm to stop him, then withdrew it hastily in some embarrassment. “I mean – it won’t do any good to talk to ‘em. He’s set in his ways, and you couldn’t change him with dynamite. Time and time agin I’ve wanted to go some place with ye, and he wouldn’t let me go – and I was too proud to tell ye the real reason. But now it’s out and I don’t keer! But talkin’ to him won’t do a mite o’ good – and it could make matters worse.”

“I didn’t mean to rile him,” Lee smiled slightly, then bent upon her a look that made her heart race, “I only meant to tell him I’d take good care of you. I never took advantage of any girl. You believe that, don’t you, Chris?”

“Of course I believe you, Lee,” she said, and her heart sang in spite of her bitter disappointment, “but that wouldn’t daunt Pa. He’s made this rulin’ and bragged about it to the neighbors – and he’d break before he’d bend!”

“I could tell him I’ve been tryin’ to steal a kiss now for somethin’ like a year and never succeeded yet. Would that help?” Lee suggested, with a smile.

“No! He’d run ye off – or else park hisself in the parlor door from now on! I actually believe you’d walk in there and tell him that, if I’d let ye!”

“Since we’re on the subject again,” he placed one hand on the wall above her head and looked down deep into her eyes, “It does look like you’d relent and give me just one kiss – to comfort me for havin’ to go to the play alone.”

“Comfort YOU?” There was heartbreak in her voice, “What about me, Lee Turner? You couldn’t be as disappointed as I am! I’ve planned this fer weeks and weeks...”

“It might comfort both ways,” he said softly, and reached for her hands.

Hestiatingly she put them behind her, and he made no effort to rush her. That was the first thing that had attracted her to Lee – his gentleness.

“Why do boys want to kiss girls, anyway!” She exclaimed childishly.

“Chris, you’re nothin’ but a kid!” he said helplessly. How sweet she was, and how she tempted him! “We’ve gone together a year now- and if you don’t know the answer to that, I’m afraid there’s no words I could use to make you understand.”

Had he but realized it, Chris was not as indifferent as she seemed. Actually, she was sore put to resist him, because her traitor heart deserted and went over to his side, and then she had to battle them both with whatever she had left. Her first kiss! She longed for it, but something always held her back. Watching her with his heart in his eyes, Lee was reminded of a skittish colt he’d once attempted to gentle. The colt had approached near enough to eat sugar from his hand, but every time he attempted to slip the halter in place, he had invariably whirled and made good his escape. Lee was convinced that she loved him, but as yet had not fully awakened to the full realization of that love. He had tried to be patient, to give her time to grow up, but it was hard, waiting.

“I don’t think it’s wise, or right fer young folks to – to kiss,” she said diffidently, embarrassed and flushing, “Ma said so. And I’ve heard Joel’s friends say a thing or two. When I git married, I want my husband to know that no man can say slighty things about me and tell the truth. I’d like to know that I had all of him and he had all of me.” There! She was blushing furiously, but she was relieved that she had at last made her position unmistakably clear.

“There’s only one bit of information lackin’ in what you’ve said.” Lee was holding her hands now, and the dark fire of his eyes thrilled her, “When you git married, you’re goin’ to marry me. Didn’t you know that?”

“No!” She barely whispered it from the depths of her amaze and wonder.

“Well, you know it now, he said tenderly, “and you can see all this talk about it bein’ wrong for us to kiss is all nonsense. What did you think – that I was just foolin’ around, triflin’ with your heart?”

“No – Oh no!”

“Then what did you think?” he pressed her for a reply.

“I guess – I didn’t think,” she confessed. Married to Lee! She had never, in her wildest imagination, gone that far in her day-dreaming, and the thought fairly took her breath away. Lee’s glance took in her glowing face and stopped at her softly parted lips – and then it happened. It was as much of a surprise to him as it was to her when he suddenly pulled her up against him and kissed her on the mouth, expressing all the pent-up longing of the past months. Taken utterly by surprise, she lay soft and warm and yielding in his arms a brief moment, then the next moment she stiffened and tried to push him away. He released her instantly, to stammer apologetically, “Chris honey, I’m sorry – I didn’t mean to – honest...”

She backed away from him, her face white, her hand fumbling behind her for the door knob – and the next moment she was gone in a whirl of skirts, slamming the door behind her. She passed through the sitting room like a whirl-wind, before Sarah could look up from her bean hulling or Samuel his book, and she never stopped until she gained the privacy of the little bedroom beyond. The Model T came to life and roared out of the drive. Sarah sat, troubled in heart, and when subdued sobs came from the rear of the house, that settled it. She emptied her apron and headed for the bedroom. Chris was huddled on the bed, crying as if her heart would break.

“Now, now, child,” she scolded kindly, “Don’t take it to heart so. There’ll be other days and other plays. It pains me to see ye so miserable.”

Chris sat up, her hand going softly to her mouth. Sarah could not see in the moonlight, but her eyes were star-filled and glowing with a wonderful light.

“But Ma,” she exclaimed, “I’m not cryin’ about that – I’m cryin’ because I’m so happy!” Before this amazing disclosure, Sarah gave it up and left the room. She had never understood Chris very well, and there was no use trying to figure her out at this late day.

§

Saturday was a busy day on the Clark farm. Extra cooking must be done to help out over Sunday dinner, groceries must be fetched from the store and a turn of corn taken to mill. Chris enjoyed the latter chore, and looked forward to it, as it gave her an opportunity to visit Ivy Walters who lived near the mill.

Joel was busily at work when she arrived at the corn crib, his long, lean fingers ripping the husks from the ears, and tossing the corn into the box with monotonous regularity. It was her task to shell it. She threw an old collar pad down on the...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 27.6.2024
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Historische Romane
• ISBN-13: 979-8-3509-5753-2 / 9798350957532