Higdon's Corner


a novel by
Lois Higdon Rice


Chapter Seven


"I, Petranella Mary Schaefer, take you, Lawrence Edmond Higdon, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do us part."

Lawrence listened solemnly to those words as his twenty year old Nellie stood beside him at the alter of Holy Trinity Church on January 22, 1924. She wore a dark blue silk dress and that ridiculous hat that covered her pretty brown curls and half her face to boot.

As old Father Steiber said, "By the power vested in me by the Hold Catholic Church, I now pronounce you man and wife," Lawrence stood proudly before the few family members and close friends that had assembled on that cold January day. His good friend, Truby stood beside him, and Nellie's sister Marie was at her side. It no longer mattered that in order to go ahead with the wedding just 4 months after his father's death, they would forego the wedding dance he would have liked.

His family was there, and maybe the festive occasion was good for them, since Christmas had been rather dismal, despite everyone's efforts to make it happy. Lawrence had cut the tree from the pasture and Mary had decorated it with cookies and popcorn. Everything had been the same, yet sad and different without Robert. Johnnie and Mildred Hufnagel had gone to great lengths to make the annual Christmas night at their home especially nice, but Margaret couldn't be there because she was still recuperating from Rita's birth on December 19, and despite their efforts, the rest of the family couldn't shake that terrible feeling of loss. No, Christmas, 1923 was not the best for the Higdon family, but they got through it.

And now it was time to get on with their lives. Always the optimist, Lawrence was sure his life with Nellie would be richer, not poorer, healthy, not sick, and certainly better, not worse. He proudly placed the fox fur piece he had given Nellie for Christmas around her neck before they went from the church into the cold morning to John and Loretta Heinen's for their wedding breakfast

Pete and Mary Schaefer had let their younger children go to the wedding mass, but had sent Aggie, Joe, and Josephine back to school instead of letting them go to the breakfast. Lawrence thought that strange, but maybe Mary thought that too many people for Loretta to feed. Mary Schaefer would think like that, so sweet and thoughtful she always was of others. Lawrence liked her at their first meeting, and his respect for her grew the longer he knew her.

"Oh, Loretta, how lovely the table is," Nellie said to her new sister-in-law, as she took the place of honor at the breakfast. As the delicious meal was served, Nellie was repeatedly filled with awe at her sister-in-law's graciousness.

"Oh, I didn't do it all. Mildred and Margaret helped," Loretta humbly replied to the glowing praises she continued to receive.

On leaving, Nellie said, "You must come to our home for a meal when we get a little settled, though I could never measure up to this."

"Of course you can, and we'd love to come see all you new, pretty wedding presents put to use." Loretta said kindly.

Bidding fond farewells, Lawrence cranked the old Ford and he and Nellie were off to start their life together.

*************

Mary Higdon uttered a prayer as the engine of the little Ford announced Lawrence and Nellie's return from their brief wedding trip. "Please, God, let this work out for all of us." She had busied herself while they were away getting the upstairs bedrooms cleared out for their use and as they came joyfully into the house she ushered them up to the sparkling clean south bedroom to put their things away. She had carefully displayed their wedding gifts in the living room, but it was closed off because of the difficulty in heating it when it was so cold.

"I've moved all my things downstairs, so you will have both rooms upstairs for your quarters. The north room is not much to look at, but it will give you a little extra space for some of your things. It will take a little while, but I think there is enough room that we will all be comfortable."

"Thank you, Mrs. Higdon," Nellie said shyly. "I'm sure we will have plenty of room. Everything looks so clean and nice. You must have worked very hard."

"I needed something to do. This place was very quiet with Lawrence gone. And please, Nellie, call me Mother."

February seemed like a very long month as the small group learned to adjust to living together. Nellie eagerly volunteered to help Lawrence with the milking and separating just for some time to be alone together and outside, even when it was cold. She, being the oldest in her family, and her only brother too young to be much help, was no stranger to outside chores, since it usually fell her lot to help her papa. That was a blessing for Lawrence too, since the farm work had been shared by two men, and he was becoming ever more aware of the awesome task of working it alone.

"Look, Mother Higdon, at how many nice eggs we got today," Nellie said as she removed the eggs from her gathered up apron and lay them gently on the table.

"My goodness, over a dozen. That is very good for this time of year. How would you like to make an angel food cake today?"

"Well, I could try," Nellie replied hesitantly. "I've never made one before and I really don't know if I could."

"Of course you can. I'll show you how. You've never done much baking, have you? I'm a little surprised, with you being the oldest."

"I can fry meats and cook potatoes and things like that, but I never had much time for the fancy things. Papa always needed me to help him, and Marie would help Mama in the house. I did learn some when I went to boarding school in Okarche."

Mary enjoyed teaching the willing student, and when Lawrence came in with an arm load of wood and a big bucket of chips from the wood he had chopped all afternoon, Nellie proudly served them a piece of the light fluffy angel food cake with seven minute frosting and a steamy cup of coffee.

Lawrence beamed at his wife's accomplishment saying, "You're going to be the best cook in Calumet. Could I have another piece?"

As Mary heard her son heaping the praises that once were hers on his new wife she appreciated Nellie saying, "I had a lot of help from your mother."

*********



One day in early March, Lawrence came to the door and called, "Nellie, come here, see what I've got."

Nellie put down the embroidery she was working on, grabbed her coat, tied a bambuska around her head and went out. She felt like a child with new toys when Lawrence took her to the brooder house and ceremoniously removed a very protective, clucking hen from her nest to reveal a nest of little newly hatched chicks. The little yellow baby chicks were cheeping noisily and she gently lifted one and held the soft fuzz next to her face. "Oh Lawrence, they are so cute."

"I hope you'll still think so when we spend the next few weeks trying to keep them warm enough to survive. It's so cold out here one has already died. In fact, I brought this box to put them in and take in to the kitchen until this cold snap is over."

It was obvious this was not Mary's favorite thing, to have the cheeping little chicks in her kitchen, but she did not complain, knowing they would need the fryers in the summer and also the income from the eggs. Nellie, on the other had, found it fun to have the little cheepers around. She enjoyed just sitting by the box watching them sometimes.

Mary found her new daughter-in-law a bit curious in that regard. Though she picked up quickly on the cooking and domestic chores, she was always happier with the animals and outside work. 'Maybe that's a blessing, that way I usually have my kitchen to myself,' Mary thought so loudly she feared Lawrence and Nell would hear her thoughts.

Nell and Lawrence also found time to go dancing and looked forward eagerly to being with Marie and Truby for an evening. On one such occasion, the first dance after the Lenten season, in April, Nellie became quite concerned about her lack of energy. She now confided in Lawrence that she suspected she might be expecting a baby. She had missed her last menstrual period and felt so tired she could hardly keep up with him dancing. That had never been the case before. "Lawrence, all I want to do is sleep, and I've heard that is a sign of being pregnant."

"A baby, Nell, that would be nice," Lawrence replied, adding two words he wished he hadn't said, "I guess."

"Don't you like babies?" Nellie picked up quickly, with a sound of fear in her voice

"I never thought much about it, to be honest." Sensing Nellies concern and then hearing her begin to sniffle, he was quick to recover. He pulled the car to the side of the dirt road and drew her close to her. "Of course I like babies. It might be nice to have a pretty little miniature of you. Don't cry Nellie. It'll be fine. I was just being a little selfish, wanting you all to myself. Please, don't cry," Lawrence pleaded, taking his clean white linen handkerchief from his pocket to dry her tears.

"Are you sure you won't mind?"

"Don't you even think that for another minute. You just caught me by surprise, that's all. Everyone has children, and of course I want them. You and I will be just fine, Nellie. We'll have the prettiest baby in Oklahoma." Lawrence said as he pulled back on the road. Nellie sat very still and pushed in close to him as they continued the drive home in the bright moonlight.

*********



On December 2, 1924, Lawrence sat nervously beside the old pot belly stove in the dining room listening to his wife's screams until at last her heard the squalling that announced Mildred Marie Higdon had made her long awaited appearance.

'The prettiest baby in Oklahoma might have been an overstatement', Lawrence thought when he was allowed to go upstairs He had seen his sisters' babies after they were a week or so old and this brand new skinny, wrinkled little person with her eyes closed wasn't exactly what he had imagined, but he wasn't about to let Nell see what he thought.

"It's a girl, Nellie, and she's perfect," Lawrence said softly as he knelt beside the bed, looking at his beloved wife, with her hair falling in wet ringlets around the soft skin of her round face.

"Does she have all her fingers and toes?" Nell asked weakly.

"Every one of them," he assumed, though he hadn't even checked to see. "Are you all right?"

"Other than being more tired than I've ever been in my life, I'm fine," Nellie responded as she put her hand in his.

"You just rest, Nellie. We've got to get you strong again, so we can take care of that little girl."

Lawrence knelt patiently beside the bed until Nellie fell asleep, sometimes laying his head on the bed and nodding off too. When he was sure she was asleep he arose quietly and tiptoed downstairs for another look at his little girl.

Mary Higdon had the little bundle cradled in her arms and just sat drinking in the new life, as if the child's birth was to be her rebirth, as she rocked back and forth in the rocker beside the stove.

"Oh, Lawrence, isn't she the most beautiful thing you've ever seen in your life?" Mary asked as her son joined her.

"She's a dandy," he replied, thankful to see his mother excited about something for the first time since his father had been killed. The little girl did look pretty good now that Mary had dressed her in a little gown and wrapped her in one of the pretty blankets she and Nellie had so painstakingly worked on since they first found out Nell was expecting. Trying not to be obvious, he pulled the blanket from the child's legs to see if she did have ten toes. Relieved that he had told his wife the truth, he quickly put the blanket back in place.

*****

Two weeks passed before Nellie was allowed to leave her bed. Mary Higdon served her delicious meals to help her get her strength back, and brought the tiny little one up to be fed from the bassinet she had placed beside her own bed. Nellie rejoiced in her little girl and then cried with pain as she tried to get the child to suckle the swollen breasts.

Nell anxiously left her confinement, but found it necessary to look to Lawrence for support as she attempted to maneuver the stairs on legs so wobbly she feared falling. She had always been so strong and healthy, she wept at her lack of strength.

"This is not unusual to feel so weak after being on you back for two weeks, " Mary consoled her daughter-in-law. "This weakness is just temporary. You'll feel strong again in a short time. And look at little Mildred, she's filling out so quickly. She must have gained a pound already."

"At least it feels good to be downstairs again. You've been so good to me, Mother Higdon. You must be tired yourself, with all the getting up at night and coming up and down the stairs. I do appreciate it." Then turning to her husband Nellie continued, "Did you say Mama and Papa are coming down Sunday, Lawrence?"

"Yes, Nellie, if the roads stay clear, they will be here." Then looking again to his new daughter he asked, "Isn't she beautiful, Nellie? I think she is going to have blue eyes like you, but she does look a little like me too, don't you think?"

Nell could just feel the strength running through her veins, as she saw the joy this tiny little girl had restored in this household that had been held hostage by the shock of Robert's untimely death fifteen months before.

*******

"I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost," the priest said as he poured the cleansing waters over the head of the tiny girl, who's blue eyes looked up at the priest trustingly until she felt the chill of the water, and then began to wail. Pete, Mary, Marie, Ag, Joe and Josephine looked on with great joy at seeing their first grandchild and niece received into the Catholic faith. Though not the first grandchild for Mary Higdon, it was evident that this little girl was to be very special to widowed grandmother, who had labored long to sew the baptismal dress with tatting trim and the little crocheted hat which she quickly replaced to keep the little wet head warm.

As the joyful party continued at Higdon's Corner, the little Schaefer girls took turns holding their new niece and then all sat down to the feast Mary Higdon had prepared for the occasion. Mary Schaefer was happy her hostess was using the iridescent sugar and creamer with the colorful peacocks which she had given her as a gift when Nell and Lawrence had announced their engagement.

All too soon Mary Schaefer was gathering her little brood up, saying it was time to leave. Marie, so full grown and beautiful had taken Nellie to the bedroom to share the exciting news job at the bank and her latest beau wasn't nearly ready to end the cherished visit with her sister. Joe, who, at 15, was already taller than his mother, didn't want to leave the cellar door and the forbidding lid that covered the fatal gas plant he had heard so much about. He, Ag and Josephine had spent the unseasonable warm January afternoon playing outside. It was all Mary could do to get them to leave the excitement of their married sister's home.

Before the tall German with the bushy hair loaded his little family up for the return to their Okarche farm home, he removed a $5.00 bill from the little brown two sided pocketbook which he had taken from his pocket and placed it securely in his daughter's hand saying, "Buy yourself something you need, Nellie."

Nellie clutched the money tightly, knowing it meant much more than just what it would buy, but was her father's way of saying how much he loved his oldest daughter, and tears welled up in her eyes as she watched him and the rest of her family drive away, waving until they were out of sight.

Lawrence put his arm around his wife as they returned to the house, sensing what she did not say aloud, "I love you, but it is so hard to be away from Mama and Papa and the kids."

********

The winter months rolled by quickly and the skinny little Mildred flourished on her mother's rich milk. Nellie grew strong again and was again excited when the hens began to hatch the little chicks, which she cared for tenderly. Mary encouraged Nell to help Lawrence, ever eager to take care of the little girl, who had once again given her reason to live. Though still given to moments of sadness and self blame over wanting the lighting system that had taken her husband's life, she was becoming more and more her giving, loving self.

Nell and Lawrencre were pretty free to go visiting with friends, and returning from an evening of playing cards with Maurice and Blanche, Nell couldn't wait to tell Lawrence that Blanche was expecting in April. Somehow Lawrence felt happy knowing his friend would soon be a father, too.

"Life's good, isn't it Nellie? I'm able to manage the farm pretty well now by myself and prices are good. We're not getting rich, but we're sure doing all right. I've got that pretty little girl, and you, my sweet and pretty Nellie. Oh Nellie, how did I ever live without you?"

*******



"Oh, Lawrence, I'm just not ready for another baby yet," Nell lamented as she returned to the three legged stool under the milk cow after vomiting the yellow vile that was a sure sign she was pregnant, a fact she had been trying to ignore since she missed her last menstrual cycle.

"Are you sure you are pregnant, Nellie? You might just be getting sick."

"Of course I'm sure," Nellie snapped, as the old cow she was milking swished her tail in her face.

Lawrence knew when she snapped back at him she was right. That touchiness was the part he hated most about a woman being pregnant. They had been so happy through the past summer, Mildred nearly three and starting to talk, and handsome little Robert toddling around. Lawrence sometimes felt jealous of them both, with his mother totally immersed in the little girl and Nell lighting up every time her little boy came near her. Nell had staked an early claim on Robert, making sure Mary didn't steal away his affection as she felt she had Mildred's. But Lawrence had been too busy tending the farm to worry about any of it much. But all in all the summer had been great, with the frequent Sunday dinners with Nell's folks or his sisters and their families, and cranking up the old ice cream freezer and going to ice cream socials at the church, or making sure he got Nellie's box at a box supper at the country school.

He could not deny he was less than excited to hear another baby was on the way so soon, but one look at Nellie's distress brought out the optimism in him and as they carried the heavy buckets of milk past the windmill to the separator house he said cheerfully, "Maybe it will be another little girl as pretty as you." And when they set the buckets down he took her in his arms. "I know it's tough on you Nellie, but we will be fine."

Nellie was feeling fine by the time Lawrence brought in the cedar to be decorated the Sunday before Christmas and she filled Mildred's little head with the magic of Santa Clause. Christmas was so special this year as she watched the anxious little ones gleefully rummaging through the little red wagon filled with candy, nuts and oranges.

*******

She complained no more as her stomach once again swelled and she felt the new life within her. "I'm sorry, God, if I wasn't too quick to accept the idea of another little soul for heaven so soon," the 24 year old said as she knelt to say her night prayers. Her teeth chattered as she quickly pulled the heavy comforts down and crawled in on the clean sheets that covered the soft down mattress that she knew would soon warm her against the chill of the unheated south upstairs bedroom on this cold February night.

Somehow tonight Nell couldn't seem to get warm as she usually did, and when Lawrence came up to bed she was shivering uncontrollably. "I'm freezing, Lawrence," she complained and he drew her close to him.

"It is bitter out tonight, but I'll warm you up. Funny, Nell, you don't feel cold. In fact I believe you might have a little fever."

"Oh, that's all I need," she said, pulling the covers ever tighter around her.

No amount of comforts, nor the heavy wool topcoat Lawrence took from the closet to add to the covers helped, and before dawn he had called his mother to see if she had any suggestions.

"We've got a very sick woman on our hands, if you ask me. You'd better call a doctor right away," the concerned older woman said as she placed her hand on Nell's forehead and knew immediately this was more than just a little case of flu.

Lawrence hurried down the stairs and rang the operator who sounded irritated to be awakened so early, asking her to ring up the doctor. After many rings Lawrence gave up trying to call. He poured chips he had picked up the day before from the bucket beside the pot belly stove, added some kerosene and threw a match in to restart the fire that had gone out during the night . He then went to the kitchen and started the cook stove in the same manner. He shivered as he did, then nervously rolled a cigarette and lit it, then returned again to the telephone to try the doctor again, saying aloud, "Oh, please be there."

A now more alert operator picked up on his distress and after a few rings came back on the line to ask, "You got a problem out there Lawrence?"

"Yes, it's Nell. She is really sick, been chilling all night and has a very high fever. I really need to get ahold of the doctor."

She tried a few people she knew were sick and had called the doctor the day before to see if he might be with one of them, but after awakening a few people to the cold day gave up saying, "If he calls in I'll tell him you need him."

"Much obliged, anyway," Lawrence acknowledged her kindness. "I guess I better go looking for him. Something awful bad's the matter with Nell."

He stoked the fire and added some logs, then went back upstairs where his mother was still at here post beside Nell. "I'm going to saddle my horse and go look for the doctor."

"Lawrence, why don't you drive the car? It's so cold," Mary shifted her worry to her son.

"That's just it. I'd be all day cranking it because of the cold. I'll wrap up good and ride the Rhone. I'll be right back."

"You'd better do one thing before you go. Carry the baby bed down into my room. Nell might have something contagious and we had better get little Robert out of here."

Mary picked the sleeping baby up and Lawrence took the crib down the stairs and then put on his warmest clothes and hurried out to saddle his horse. Moving unusually fast he was soon approaching the river a mile down the road from his house. He slowed for a few brief seconds, looking at the still river, reflecting that his heart was as frozen with fear as her waters, then continued hurriedly on his mission. He had traveled only about another mile of the 3 and 1/2 miles to town, when he saw Dr. Miller coming toward him.

"I'm on my way to your house, the operator told me about Nell," the doctor spoke as Lawrence drew his horse up beside the car.

Without other words they both headed back to Higdon's Corner.

When Lawrence got into the house, Mary handed her son a cup of coffee she had made and said, "I sent him on up. Drink a little coffee before you go up. She'll be all right when he gets some medicine down her."

Consoled by his mother's reassurance, Lawrence took time to down the hot caffeine and rolled and smoked another cigarette before going upstairs. His hopes were dashed when he walked into the south bedroom, where the windows were steamed over, as the doctor, who was just finishing his exam, turned to Lawrence, put his finger to his lips and shook his head. To Nell, the doctor said, "That should bring your fever down and help you rest a little better. Be sure you stay right in the bed." He then motioned Lawrence to follow him out of the room.

When the two men came downstairs Mary set a cup of coffee out for them, but the doctor did not touch his. "I'd better not," he began, "you've got a very serious problem on your hands. Nell is only beginning to break out, but I'm pretty sure she has small pox."

"Small pox?" Lawrence gasped. " Where would she get small pox? You said pretty sure? Couldn't it be something else?"

"Of course I could be wrong, Lawrence, but I don't think so. In fact, I'm sure enough that I am going to have to quarantine all of you. We can't take a chance of this spreading through the community. Are you sure she hasn't been around someone who was getting sick?"

"Why no, I don't think so. It must be something else," Lawrence continued in disbelief.

"We can't take chances. You must keep those babies away from her. One of you will have to attend her of course, but you must put something over your face when you go near her and be sure you scrub your hands every time you leave that room. I've got to get on now, but I will put the quarantine sign on your front and back doors as I leave. Give her some of this when she gets too uncomfortable. She will probably not feel quite so sick once she gets broke out good, but if she gets worse call me."

Lawrence automatically thanked the doctor as he saw him out and got a hammer to post the signs the doctor got from his car before he left.

QUARANTINED--- 'What a hideous word that is,' Lawrence thought as he headed for the barn to do the morning milking after looking in on Nell and seeing she had finally fallen off to sleep. 'Yesterday we were just like everyone else and today we are contaminated, off limits, shut off from the world.'

Fearful thoughts controlled him as he went about his milking in a daze. As he was carrying the last bucket of creamy white to the separator house the reality began to set in. Once inside, he leaned against the door and wept like a baby, "Oh God, please don't let it be small pox."

By milking time that same evening it was apparent the praying was too late or to be answered in another way. Every time he put the towel around his face and went in to see his wife she had more pus filled sores and by the next morning you could find no place on her body unaffected by the hideous pox. Nellie rejected even the tea and potato soup her good mother-in-law had prepared for her which Lawrence tried to encourage her to eat, and just turned her big stomach over and fell back to sleep.

Lawrence had never felt so helpless or hopeless as he came down the stairs. Robert was crying for his mother and Mary Higdon could not get him quiet. Lawrence didn't want to pick him up for fear of contaminating his little son.

Lawrence thought there could never be a worse day in his life than these last two had been, but the next day he was to learn different, when he heard Nellie screaming for him to come quickly. He took the steep stairs two at a time and ran to her side, completely forgetting his mask.

"My baby, Lawrence, my baby. I think it is coming now," Nellie said as she turned her head from one side to another, the perspiration running between the sores on her face. "I'm having terrible cramps. Oh, Lawrence, it's too soon for the baby." she cried as she grabbed the iron bedstead to brace herself against another strong pain.

Mary Higdon appeared in the door with her face well covered. "What is it, Lawrence?"

"The baby's trying to come. Quick, go call Dr. Mil-----." Before Lawrence could finish the sentence Nell gave a blood curdling scream and blood, water and the tiny baby were on the bed.

Mary ran for towels and water and a knife to cut the cord. As she got downstairs little four year old Mildred still sat where Mary had put her, in the big chair with her arm around her little brother and both were sound asleep.

"Thank God," Mary muttered as she continued hurriedly on to care for Nell.

"There is no life in him," Lawrence said as she entered the room, holding the bloody little dead body of his son, perfectly formed, but so small he barely covered the length of Lawrence's strong hand.

Nell was quiet now, almost as lifeless as her baby, as Mary and Lawrence cleaned her and her bed, moving her sore covered body as carefully as possible. No one knew what to say, so no one said anything.

Mary Higdon finished with Nell, then took the lifeless little body , washed it in a basin of warm water she had taken from the reservoir of her big cook stove. Mary then took a cup of fresh water, poured it over the babies head and said solemnly, "I BAPTIZE THEE IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, AND OF THE SON, AND OF THE HOLY SPIRIT."

She went to the linen cabinet, took the whitest, prettiest linen napkin she could find and wrapped the tiny figure in it. She then went to her closet, got a shoe box and put the baby in it.

When Lawrence came down they looked together at the beautiful little miniature and then closed and secured the box. Lawrence tucked the box under his arm, went to the shed, got a shovel and proceeded to the black jack pasture. He carefully laid the box on the ground and forced the shovel into the frozen earth, digging deeper and deeper until he was sure the precious little body would not be found by wild animals. He then lay his little son to rest. With the shovel on his shoulder and his head hung low, Lawrence slowly walked back to the house, with the words of his wedding ceremony running over and over through his head,' IN SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH.'

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© Copyright 1995 Lois Rice, All Rights Reserved..
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