No. 86

Tripping in Kanona in 1896

Stewart King c/o

John C. Davant, Attorney

501 Cleveland St.

Clearwater Florida

Dear Stewart,

January 19, 1938

Your mother often said, “we are a kind of stock.”

I imagined the way my father dreamed of farming in Iowa, of having boys and innovative tractors, but he kept having daughters.

“Do you see his bad luck, Minnie?” Your mother said, referring back to Charles.

Dumbfounded, I asked. I finally asked. For once I did more than imagine, “But how, Ma'am, how on earth did Charles actually get along through this?”

Your mother looked at me as if I was off, as if I was confused and offending her, which of course I was and would eternally do eternally after Kanona in my short way, “How strange that you would care to ask, of course he had me to help him, and he had his work, as it should be. He got through as we all do, because you must.”

In 1896 your mother and your uncle Charles were planning that trip to Kanona. I wanted to go. It was going to be Boy Henry, who was now married and moving to South Dakota, where the other farms were, the ones on his mother's side. The boy wanted to see his sisters at the orphanages in Bath and then slide over to Kanona to pick up some horses.

As I served your mother and her brother Charles tea and delicious things, I listed to their plans, which were more delicious.

Charles said to me, as he noticed I wanted in on the plan, “In May – my girl is graduating.”

Your mother added, “It is a reunion, Minnie, just for family.”

Charles turned to his sister, “You mean you won’t take Minnie? Why, the girl rarely gets out in the sun you have her locked away in drudgery all the live long day,”

“Yes,” your mother said, “But who will take care of Phin?”

“He’ll eat at the lodge.”

“Well, I could use the help carrying things. Stewart is just about useless.”

For weeks I levitated with excitement. I asked Charles to find me a map of all the routes and the places… How entertained he was in my hope.

So this trip was coming about a year after my great rescue and I felt that I had earned their trust and that this was my reward. We all traveled, do you remember going with us? Staying at a fine hotels along the way? How you enjoyed the company of Boy Henry as you were a handsome pair. How I enjoyed the graduation ceremony and reunion.

The girls could not leave the orphanage as they were serving the dignitaries, patrons, and deacons… but it came the time for Henry, Charles, your mother, you and I to travel to Kanona to pick up the horses for Henry, or at least that was what I picked up, because I didn't understand the transportation business for the horses.

We arrived in Kanona at a terrible time. Your mother warned Charles the storm was bad.

Charles said a horse was getting ready to have its fowl. He didn’t want his boy to miss it.

When we arrived the wind was gruesome. We had planned to stay a few days… Your mother needed help unload her dresses as she said they were planning a dance in her honor … and I would finally meet Miss Carrie Dawson…

There was thunder and lightening as we got off the train….

So we rushed into the hotel, where we were greeted warmly …

When we asked about the whereabouts of Carrie, they said she was in the barn. You told your mother you were going to the room to get settled and there you must have stayed.

Henry and Charles went straight to – running through the rain.

Your mother had me holding her umbrella and lifting up her skirt... and there we met Carrie, who was standing under the frame of the door, enjoying the weather and grinning, yet still guarding to the potential behind her.

She was a thin woman, athletically toned. Her hair was not in a bun, properly, but in a tail, off to the side. It held a curl, still damp. She was very dirty below her waist and her apron thick with both stray and dry muck, but smiling as we approached, turning all her focus on Henry.

As your mother called out her joy for seeing Carrie, my eyes fell on Boy Henry. Wait. Just wait one moment. They were embracing. Rocking as if siblings. Then they broke apart. By the time we caught up and got out of the rain, Boy Henry was all grin and she leaped into his arms again, do I dare confess, again, and they hugged again.

I couldn't hear what they were saying because your mother was announcing how the day might have at least cooperated with our interests for once…

I kept at your mother’s side. I believed something was going to be wrong about the hugging part and that I was going to feel it, now or later, and it had nothing to do with my wetness.

I did not pay attention to know how your uncle moved about, but assumed, quite rightly, he was with the horses.

He walked right in, without consulting Carrie.

As your mother was throwing off wet items, I was transfixed on Carrie and Boy Henry. Oh Stewart, I wish you could have been there. Such a fondness I have rarely seen, even to this day.

From what I picked apart, I learned that their affection, sister to brother, of course, was long-time in the grooming, and came from an informal correspondence course. All this time that your uncle Charles was telling your mother how serious he was about getting his son access to the Morgans, he was in fact up straight and pointy, with utmost seriousness and rigor. He found a way for Carrie to teach his boy all this time from all this way with her formula, yes, that technique, but more so her drawings, her checklists, her encouragement and gentle pressure for equine hygiene and excellence in business. I thought that I was the only one in the dark about this, for what was I but a servant. Not so. It was kept from your mother.

I helped your mother find a bench inside and wiped off the seat with my own skirt. From there I found the remnant of a hay bale and re-tied my wet boot laces. Charles notice my other boot and while talking to Carrie and Henry about gear and feed, he reached over and re-tied the other without looking at me.

My heart stopped! Even though I was terribly wet and did not understand what was going on, I was forced to stop, look around the barn, recall the wild ride I’ve encountered in one full year to this point – how happy the occasion! How wonderful the smell of the sweet clover and hay. I had found a family to love. I had been on a scenic ride across America. I was loved by Charles. I had seen the wonderful Carrie Dawson, who up close was even more angelic. So I had seen a true angel. And now this victory for Boy Henry to, only by Divine Intervention, could arrive just in time to see his horse and the next line of the future being born, oh what he might learn from these Morgans. God Bless Kanona! God Bless the Rain.

While your mother was talking about something, Carrie turned and led us deeper into the darkened barn. When we got near the horse in agony, she stepped back and let Boy Henry lead. Some of us felt quiet come over us, smiling from ear to ear. Your uncle Charles backed up, reached for my hand, touched my cheek, then kissed me, and I kissed him back, acting as short as I could be, not wanting to miss a moment in this light. Carrie pressed upon Charles, holding back his lifting arm, which was taking on his mounted sleeve rolling up, and she shook her head and lifted her chin so that he would step back and watch. She said to Charles, "Do whatever he tells you."

—Miss Minnie

2025 Copyright Christine Friesel