~~ CHAPTER 1 ~~
Harrison walked into the
room, saw Ella Mae lying on the bed, and immediately grabbed her and threw her
on the floor. There’s a lot you can get away with when you are a 2-year-old
and Mom’s nowhere in sight. Unfortunately, Mom was in sight, and Harrison knew
he was in trouble the minute he saw his mom, Emma, walk into the room.
* *
* *
Emma Caswall was a
soft-spoken, gentle lady, born in Kentucky on December 22, 1852, to Frederick,
who was born in England, and Catherine Caswall, who was born in Mississippi. It
was quite the mixture of accents in her household growing up, but she never
developed a strong accent from either parent, other than a slight Southern
drawl. She was the eldest of four sisters and one brother. Perhaps her gentleness came from having to
help take care of five siblings. Some
might have felt that to be a surprise, since her brother, Edward, was not born
until she was 8 years old, and then four sisters came after that, one to two
years apart at most, Olivia, Kate, Henrietta, and Amelia. But Emma knew from the time she was a small child
that she loved taking care of people and also animals. It was well known that Emma had a pet rat
that she fed everyday rather than give it poison to keep it out of the house.
She would chase a fly or spider outside rather than kill it. She felt every life was precious, human or
not.
During the time before her
little brother Edward came along, Emma spent her days playing with her dolls,
drawing pictures, or helping her mother with chores when she was old enough to
pick up a broom and dustpan. She loved
pretending she was taking care of the household when she would do her
chores. Her mother often said Emma was
born with a smile on her face and even
felt her first cries were really tears of joy at being born and ready to love
her world. She loved sewing clothes for her dolls, using the scraps of material
her mother would give her from her sewing basket. She held tea parties all the time, and once
in a while would talk her father into enjoying a cup of tea with the cookies
she helped bake with her mom.
Emma was around 8 years
old when the Civil War broke out.
Growing up on a small plantation, she never forgot having to bury their
good silver and china and any other items that were valuable to the family so
that the Yankee soldiers would not get their hands on family belongings. But even during those times when soldiers
would camp out at their home, she was always polite and kind, even though they
were the enemy. Theirs was a small farm
with no slaves, but the soldiers would show up anyway and take over the house.
They never harmed anyone in her family, but Emma swore to herself she would
never marry a “damn Yankee.” Little did
she know that is exactly what she would one day do.
During the 1860s, much was
going on in little Emma’s life. In
addition to the war, her mother was finally
again pregnant and had Edward in 1861.
Emma was thrilled to have a little one around the house that she could
help her mother with her brother’s care.
Over the next seven years, Emma would become sister to four more
siblings, all girls. She eventually
outgrew having her own tea parties, but she never tired of helping her sisters
put on their teas, continuing to bake cookies and pies to pass out to the party
“guests.” One day, long after Emma was
gone, her great-granddaughter Jackie would also love giving tea parties and
looking forward to getting a new tea set every Christmas from her Aunt
Olivia.
In 1880, Emma saw an ad in
the paper for a position to take care of a wife and mother who was very
ill. She would need to relocate to the north
in Ohio, but as she was in her late 20s and still living at home, she thought
this would be a good chance to get out on her own. Moving away from the family
farm could also afford her the opportunity to find a husband. She had spent those many years helping on the
farm and with her brother and sisters, but she felt if she did not get this
job, she might never leave her home. She
loved her family very much, and even loved all that she did for them, never
complaining or feeling she was being held back.
But it was finally time to find her own life.
The ad, placed through an
employment agency, said there were five small children to care for as well as
the mother. Emma felt her experiences with her own family would definitely be
in her favor, so she sent a letter off right away, anxious to hear back as
quickly as possible. She did, in fact,
get a response that the job was hers, and the note even included train fare for
transportation to Ohio. Emma was
thrilled.
“Mama, Papa!” she
exclaimed as she ran into the house. “I
got the job in Ohio!”
Her mother had tears in
her eyes as she hugged her daughter.
Even though she did not want to see her little girl leave the only home
she had known all her life, she knew it was something she had to do. She had to let her go.
“Oh dahlin’, I’m so happy
for you,” Catherine said through her tears.
“This is going to be such a big change in your life. You’re sure you want to do this; you are
absolutely certain?” She knew the
answer, but she had to ask anyway.
“Mama, I’m terrified,”
Emma laughed. “But I want this so
badly. I have loved every minute of my
life here, and I would not change a thing even if I could. You know how much I
love the family and taking care of the children, but I need to see what’s out there
for me. Is that terribly selfish of
me?” She needed to know both of her
parents would give their blessing on this new adventure Emma was about to
embark on.
“My sweet, Emma. I’m the
one being selfish for not wanting you to go.
Frankly, I’m surprised you have stayed with us as long as you have. You have been such a wonderful daughter and
helper to this family. How could I ever
tell you this is a bad idea, when I know in my heart I would probably do the
same were I in your shoes. Father, you
agree with me, don’t you?” she asked Frederick as he was looking on.
He walked over to his
eldest daughter and gave her a long hug.
“We are going to miss you around here, young lady, but this is going to
be a wonderful adventure for you. And if
things don’t work out, you know you always have a home here. Besides, all of the children are old enough
now that they don’t need your care, although I suspect they are going to miss
you, too.” He looked over at Catherine
and said, “Mother, I think a special dinner is in order tonight, yes?”
“This is definitely going
to be a celebration!” Catherine said, still with tears in her eyes. “I’m going to get started right away. I don’t suppose you’d like to help me, Emma?”
she said with a wink.
“Oh, Mama, how could I not
help?” Emma replied back. “How about I
bake a couple of apple pies for dessert?”
“Yes, we want apple pie,”
Henrietta said as she came down the stairs, with all of the other children
following behind her. They were all at
the top of the stairs listening to the conversation. They were going to be so sad that Emma was
leaving, but every single one of them was happy and excited for her.
It was a wonderfully
perfect evening with a hearty meal of roasted chicken, potatoes, and green
beans, and of course, the apple pie for dessert without a crumb left after
dinner. Everyone stayed up a little
later than normal that night talking about everything under the sun and even a
little singing in between.
Two weeks later, Emma left
her home, waving good-bye to her family from the train until she could no
longer see them from around the corner and headed off to her new life in Ohio, never imagining what
was to come.
~~ CHAPTER 2 ~~
Emma looked out the window
enjoying the scenery as the train traveled through the countryside. She was so excited, the time seemed to be
going by quickly. A little while into
the trip, she did come to realize that she was not told who would meet her at
the station. There had been no exchange of pictures during the correspondence
about the job, so it appeared that it simply did not occur to either party to
determine who would be there upon her arrival.
She was not concerned, but rather just curious and even chuckled to
herself that perhaps she would have to stand on the train platform until no one
else was left but her and the person picking her up. Now that just might be a humorous way to
start her new life in Ohio.
She was wide awake and
filled with anticipation when the train pulled into the Akron train
station. She looked around at the
waiting crowd trying to see if she could figure out who her new employer might
be. She wasn’t even sure she should be looking for a woman,
a man, or perhaps someone from the employment agency.
As she stepped off the
train with all of her worldly possessions in two small bags, a gentleman walked
up to her. “Emma Caswall?” he said with
a somewhat gruff voice.
“Yes, how did you know?”
she answered, a little startled by his demeanor. At that moment, she did remember that she was
coming here to help take care of a sick wife and five children, so it would be no wonder to her
that he would be on edge and probably not particularly happy that he had to
have a stranger move into their home. As
usual, Emma was thinking of the family’s situation, not her own uneasiness.
“You looked a little lost
and uncertain of yourself as you were looking around, so I just assumed. Glad I was right,” he said with a slight
smile on his face. That instantly made
Emma feel a little better. She certainly didn’t want Mr. Limric to regret his
choice of caretakers before they even got off the platform.
“Mr. Limric, it is so nice
to meet you. I assumed someone from the agency would be meeting me. I am sorry it is under such difficult
circumstances, but I so appreciate your taking the chance on an unknown to care
for your family,” she said with obvious nervousness in her voice. She went on, not realizing she was chattering
away without giving him a chance to speak.
“The agency told me you read my letter, so you will recall, I have cared
for my siblings since I was 8 years old and loved every minute of it. I can
cook and bake, and I’m a pretty good seamstress as well. I…”
“Hold on there, Ms.
Caswall,” William said, now with an even broader smile. “I wouldn’t have had
you come all this way if I didn’t think you would be right for my family. You don’t have to repeat what you wrote in
the letter. It was quite
satisfactory. Let’s get you home so you
can meet the family and get settled in.”
“Yes, of course, Mr.
Limric. I’m so sorry I was talking away like that. I guess I am a little nervous,” Emma said
with a little giggle. Stop acting like a
foolish school girl! Emma said to herself.
She had no doubts that she could handle this job after spending almost
her entire life taking care of family, but for some reason she felt nervous
around Mr. Limric. One minute he seemed
quite pleasant, but then the next he would act irritated. She assumed it was just the stress of having a
wife who was ill and small children whose mother was not able to care for
them. She had the feeling Mrs. Limric’s
illness was serious, or they would not be seeking a live-in helper. It would obviously mean the end of her job
more than likely, but despite that, Emma said a little prayer to herself that
the children’s mother would be well soon and able to once again take care of
her family on her own. Maybe they would
let her stay on as the nanny.
Emma was getting way ahead
of herself as she kept her thoughts to herself and tried to enjoy the ride to
her new home. She had never been to Ohio before, and in fact, never thought she
would wind up living in the North, especially after her experiences with the
Union army. They were the enemy, after
all, although no harm ever came to anyone in her family, and they always acted
every bit the gentlemen other than taking over the household as if they owned
the place. There was that, of course,
but she was still grateful they did not hurt anyone or destroy their home,
because she knew that was not always how it played out.
In any case, Emma liked
what she saw so far of Ohio and felt that this was going to be her home for a
long time to come, even if the job did not last long. It was just a feeling, but it was strong and
filled Emma with anticipation, excitement, and joy. She had some questions and was not sure if it
would be appropriate to ask them, but she decided to anyway.
“Mr. Limric, I don’t mean
to pry, but may I ask the nature of your wife’s illness?” It felt so awkward to ask such a personal
question, but Emma did think she had the right to know what the extent of her
caretaking would be. She had helped her
mother many times whenever the children were ill, so that did not bother her in
the least. She just wanted to know what to expect.
William looked straight
ahead, and Emma thought she detected a sadness in his eyes as he spoke. “My wife has bore me five beautiful children,
two daughters and three sons,” William began.
“The first four came into this world with no problems at all. Lucinda did fine and was back on her feet in
no time at all. This last time was very
difficult for her. She wasn’t well for most of the pregnancy. The baby was born a month early and is not
doing well either. Lucinda is not
getting her strength back, and Willie does not seem to be growing or getting
any better either.”
“I’m a carpenter by
trade,” William went on. “I can do some
of my work from the home, but often I have to work away. Even when I am able to work at home, I can’t
do that and take care of the children and my wife. Some of our neighbors have been kind enough
to help out, but since things are not getting any better, I decided it was time
to bring in hired help.”
“Of course, I completely
understand,” Emma replied, fighting back tears, as she felt so bad for this
family. She was so fortunate that her
family was well and happy. “I’m so sorry
for your difficulties, Mr. Limric, and will do everything I can to make it
easier for you, the children, and Mrs. Limric.”
They rode the rest of the way to the house in silence. Emma felt it best to not ask any other
questions and figured she would find her answers once she got settled. She was
looking forward to this new life and job, but she wished it was under happier
circumstances. She would do her best to
make everyone as comfortable as possible.
She loved the house the
minute she saw it. It was not all that
different from her own home, which also made her feel a little less
homesick. She was already missing her
family and would make sure to write home often, making that her last task of
the day as often as she could.
It was a charming two-story
home, with a garden at the side of the house that looked a little unkempt, but
not too badly overgrown with weeds. Emma
knew she could spruce up that part of the yard in no time and make good use of
the vegetables and the apple tree growing right behind the garden. The inside of the house looked very cozy to
Emma. It was very well kept, too,
considering the housecleaning had to be left up to the children. The girls were 11 and 4 years old, and the
boys were 9 and 7, and then Willie the baby, was just a few months old.
Carrie was the oldest and
was very friendly to Emma at their first meeting. Emma learned that Carrie was the main
caretaker of the household, much like Emma was with her siblings. She knew she
would enjoy sharing stories with her about her life growing up, taking care of
her brother and sisters, just as Carrie was doing. Charles and Edward were 9 and 7,
respectively, and Emma could tell they were definitely all boy. They both had smudges on their faces and clothes
on that first day, which made Emma happy to see that they were able to have
some fun, despite the difficulties from Lucinda’s illness. Dora was the 4‑year‑old, doing a little
curtsy upon meeting Emma, which endeared her to Emma at such a sweet gesture.
Emma had the feeling she had been practicing probably all morning to make it
just perfect.
“I was having a tea party
just now,” Dora said with excitement in her voice. “Would you like some tea and
cookies?” she asked, looking hopeful.
“Oh that sounds
wonderful,” Emma declared with a grin.
“I used to have many tea parties when I was a child and also with my
sisters. It’s been a long time, so I will look forward to sharing some tea and
cookies with you,” she said as she knelt down to Dora’s level. “Since I did just arrive, though, would it be
okay if I unpack and get a little settled in first?”
“I’m sorry. I should have
thought of that,” Dora replied, looking very sad and almost about to cry.
“It’s okay, dear. You did nothing wrong at all. I have a
feeling we will have lots of teas before too long. I tell you what? Would you
like to help me unpack? I probably should get that done before dinner, don’t
you think?” Emma was already falling in
love with this sweet child and was thrilled that the other children were so
welcoming. She wondered if they knew the
seriousness of their mother’s illness.
“Okay, I’ll help you,”
Dora said, looking a little less sad.
William was impressed with how well Emma was handling the children in
just the first few minutes of being in the house. He had the feeling she was
going to do very well here.
As he showed her the rest
of the house, she saw there was a makeshift bedroom area in the corner of the
large living room for Lucinda and the baby, as she was too weak to walk up and
down the stairs. There were days when
she felt well enough to use the outhouse out back, but she was not able to use
the bathroom upstairs, which had full plumbing.
Other times, Emma would have to help her with the bedpan and giving her
sponge baths. Emma was very gentle and had a way of making Lucinda feel
comfortable and not at all embarrassed, for which she was so grateful. It
didn’t take Emma long at all to get settled in with her duties and getting to
know the family.
“You are a natural
caretaker, Emma,” Lucinda said to her one day when she was sitting up in bed
and feeling a bit stronger. “And you are
so good with the children. I think they
like you very much,” as she turned away with tears in her eyes. “I feel so frustrated that I can’t take care
of my own family.”
Emma and Lucinda had
become close. They were only about a year apart in age, and it wasn’t long before Lucinda told Emma to call her by
her first name, even though she still called William, Mr. Limric. She felt it would be too forward to call him
by his first time. She would never do
that unless he gave his permission to do so, and he had not.
When the children were
playing or at school, Emma would sit with Lucinda, and they would have long
talks. Emma would talk about her life
back home, the things she enjoyed to do during her spare time, what it was like
being an only child for eight years. She
explained that she never felt particularly lonely, but she was so excited when
the news came that there would be a brother or sister joining the family, never
dreaming that would turn into a brother and four sisters.
“I feel I was blessed in
two ways,” Emma said one day when Lucinda was feeling well enough for one of
their chats. “First, I experienced life
as an only child for eight wonderful years.
I had all the attention of both of my parents and really didn’t miss not
having any brothers or sisters. I felt
perfectly content with my singular childhood,” she laughed. “I think my mama
was afraid to tell me when she became with child not long after my eighth
birthday. When she told me, I burst into tears.
The poor dear thought I was crying because I was so sad that I would no
longer be her baby. But they were truly tears of joy. The minute she told me, I was so excited to
know I would have a baby brother or sister to take care of. I didn’t even think about the fact that Mama
would be caring for the baby. I thought that would be my job. How wonderful to have a live doll all my
own,” Emma said, continuing to laugh about how that unfolded.
“Mama gave me a big old
hug when I started to cry, telling me it was all going to be okay, and that
this was a true blessing. Of course, I
agreed and told her why I was crying.
She started to laugh so hard that she cried, too. We would often talk about that day many times
over the years, having a good chuckle about it. She explained to me that she
would be caring for the baby, but she was looking forward to having me as her
little helper. Oh, how happy that made
me,” Emma went on.
“And so what was the
second reason you felt blessed?” Lucinda asked, enjoying Emma’s stories about
her life in Kentucky.
“Well, I had the good
fortune of experiencing life as an only child, and then I had the blessing of
life with a large family. It was the best of both worlds. How could I not feel
so lucky to have had both?” Emma smiled.
Lucinda thought this was
truly a remarkable woman. Emma did not
seem to have a selfish bone in her body. She was blessed that Emma had come
into their lives and felt at peace that
Emma would be around to take care of her babies and William. Even though she did have her good days,
Lucinda realized she was not really getting any better and that it was just a
matter of time, but she kept that to herself. She felt no need to upset her
family. Emma seemed to have a calming effect
on William when he would come home in an irritated mood. He was a hard worker and would often come
home very tired, but Lucinda could physically see a change in his demeanor
after he ate a good supper and had the chance to sit and relax or play a little
with the children, all the while Emma staying out of the way. Oh yes, she knew she would be leaving her
husband and her family in good hands.
When Emma had been with
the family for several months, Lucinda explained to her about how William had
been married before her, but his first wife up and ran away not long after they
were married. She never gave any explanation, and she was never heard from
again. William got a divorce, but Lucinda knew it broke his heart. She understood that was often why he would be
gruff or act angry. He never really got
over that incident. Had he known why she
left, it might have been better for him, but that deep hurt would stay with him
for the rest of his life.
Emma was so pleased that
Lucinda trusted her with this information.
It greatly helped her better understand her employer and made her more
determined than ever to make sure he had a comfortable home life, or as best as
she could make it under the circumstances.
She was also very aware that both Lucinda and the baby were not getting
any better. She prayed every night there
would be a miracle for their recovery, but it never came.
