No. 72

Chas. in 1884 & A Scourging

Stewart King c/o

John C. Davant, Attorney

501 Cleveland St.

Clearwater Florida

December 21, 1939

Dear Stewart,

The day I found this letter from your Uncle Charles marked a hard turn to my rosary for the scourging at the pillar, for purity, clarity, sobriety, stability, in holding my cross. This day I was asked to polish the silver, all of it. I left not one spot of tarnish. The inside of the side bureau drawers sparkled for My Lady, and I was never the same.

June 1884

Dear M—Received telegram from Val. News of Hank. Dear God! We accept Your Will. Father agrees to extend his visit here until July 5 or until I know if get the job. Val reports Carrie frantic after news of accident. After the news here, Esther brisk, somehow, she found out about Hank, but we tried to keep it from her. She played straight for a few days but has slipped again and lives on by rocking on the floor with no sleep or maybe just now we only notice her decline. Father slept for days until Esther, of all people here, it was Esther, who suggested “Call Rev. Butler.” Good response and even children now attend to father, know nothing of his loss. Boy Henry pure gold. Ready now for news from Dubuque. Any day now. --Yours, Chas.

Hank, the one who had just married Carrie, was cut in half. This while stepping over a circular saw blade at his mill in Kanona.

Val and the Kanona boys had to settle remains and matters and inform them all, as no one wanted to be the one to tell Carrie, but the screams sent everyone running.

Carrie had to be held back by people at the scene, who adopted the role of accidental vigilantes, which didn’t go well with her, of course, for they all knew about her history with mobs, generally. She was put down with tremendous drink to keep her from going to see for herself.

“Apparently it was that golden boy Henry that brought Father out of his slump,” your mother said.

From that moment, such a hard turn, and a straight outlook: it was as if Charles’ situation was all that mattered to me, and I broke inside when I heard your mother say, "That one, golden boy Henry compared to my three, all who were well behaved and who actually had a future.” Yes I saw your face then and I see it now. Could we be instruments for her? Could we be more shiny?

When in 1870 they tarred and feathered Miss Carrie Dawson, she had the sobriety to demand, "What are you using me for?"

And this saying, this was not a question at all, but a statement of clarity for Carrie: she was splitting off from their duplicity. They had to blacken their faces to use her. And your mother had to dip this young man--this Boy Henry--into a vat of gold for a similar application.

When Carrie vomited, they all realized for the first time that she was a stranger to spirits.

“This despite our gossip,” Mary said, hearing this from Mrs. Martin.

--Miss Minnie

2025 Copyright Christine Friesel