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Post by Elizabeth Harlow on Jul 6, 2014 18:00:50 GMT
The slaves were singing in the fields nearby in the morning at Briar Oak in Charlestowne. They sang their melancholy tune, while the birds sang in the trees and built their nests in the oak trees. The horses grazed out in the fields nearby, swatting the flies from their legs with their tails, and the sun beaming on their backs. The day was just right to be out of doors, and not couped up inside doing needle work or playing the piano. Far out in the middle of the field on top of a hill. a lone figure laid amongst the wild flowers and tall grass. Over nearby, two children were giggling and chasing each other around. Stopping, the youngest turned as she brushed her little blonde curls aside, " Auntie 'Lisabeth! Where are you?" cried the little girl and looked around. Elizabeth's eyes slowly opened, taking a deep breath in, and slowly rose slightly above the grass line. She brushed her hair back into place, and looked over at the two young children playing, and she smiled. She got up and she brushed the hem of her dress off, and walked slowly over to them. She loved her beloved niece and nephew, Benjamin and Emily.
She reached out her hand, and Emily reached for it, and they made their way down the hall to the barn while Benjamin lead the way with his jar of insects. They walked into barn, Benjamin setting his jar down and running over to pet his pony. Elizabeth picked up Emily and helped her feed the horses. They walked out to the porch, sitting themselves down on the chairs, and the housemaid came out with iced tea and cookies for the kids. |
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Post by Gideon Warnes on Jul 7, 2014 2:05:20 GMT
It was fairly early morning. Gideon was supposed to give a sermon at one of the vacant pulpits on the northern end of town but decided against it at last moment. He didn't pass on word that he did not feel much like preaching that morning so the thought of an entire congregation sitting there, waiting for his arrival, filled him with amusement. They would likely be there for hours. He was fortunate that he took payment upfront. His coin purse felt heavy in his pocket. It was a good feeling.
He was going to have to skip town. Even if he hadn't had the misfortune to enlist in the Continental Army, he would still have had to leave. Word spreads quickly. Once that one congregation realized what he had done, he would not be able to find another job in Charles Town for some time. But before he went anywhere, there was one important visit that he must make.
Gideon walked up the lane leading to Briar Oak on foot. It was a beautiful plantation though he couldn't imagine being settled in one place – no matter how beautiful – for long. Miss Elizabeth Harlow was already sitting on the porch drinking tea. Early mornings suited her. She looked fresh and wide awake, her skin glowed with vivacity. Even the piece of grass clinging secretly to her dark hair was a complimentary accessory.
”Miss Elizabeth,” he took his hat off. ”I hope you do not mind me paying a visit so early in the morning.” He hesitated a moment. ”I'm afraid I've done something quite foolish and will be soon required to march to the northern colonies.” Away from the dusty, dark tavern and entirely sober in the morning light, regret was an understatement. What had he done? He often traveled from colony to colony and small town to small town. But he never left the Southern colonies. And he always traveled in comfort and stayed in the nicest inns and taverns. What must it be like to sleep on the ground? To travel long and uncomfortable distances? To eat too little to satisfy hunger? To daily face disease? And the enemy? How often would he be shot at? It was all a terrible idea.
He reached forward and removed the stray blade of grass. He held it out to her. ”Have you been rolling in the fields?”
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Post by Elizabeth Harlow on Jul 7, 2014 2:36:50 GMT
Elizabeth smiled as her little niece came forth with her doll in the crux of one arm, and a book in the other begging for her to read. How could Elizabeth refuse, so she picked her up, and held her in her lap. Little Emily leaned back against her aunt, and pressed the little book into her hand. This book again, sighed Elizabeth in her mind, and she opened the book with the slightly tattered pages. Eloquently, Elizabeth read the short stories to her niece, and brushed back her little blonde curls away from her face. As she turned the page, she heard a voice, and was slightly startled. However seeing that it was a familiar face, she took a deep breath. " Gideon, what a surprise. What brings you out here so early?" She slid Emily off of her lap, and slowly stood with her finger inside the book where she was currently reading.
Hearing that Gideon had also joined the countless young men to march off, she sighed and looked away. " You've joined as well I see. Then who should attend your flock of followers. I suppose you shall be the good shepherd and fight off the wolves at our door. How noble of you," she said almost taunting. Elizabeth watched Emily skip down the steps, and go follow Benjamin around to leave Elizabeth alone with Gideon. She took a deep breath, and walked around the side of the porch. " What is your reason for joining? I don't mean to pry, but it seems every young man marching off has his different reasons. I just never expected a man of the cloth to up and join his fellow man." Elizabeth brushed away a few wisps of hair and watched the slaves in the fields. She felt a light pull on her hair, and she noticed Gideon reach for her hair and take out a small browned blade of grass. Oh dear, she thought she had gotten all of it. She bit her lip, and gently took the grass from his hand. " I was just laying out over under one of the oaks watching Benjamin catch grasshoppers. Thought I had rid myself of the evidence, thank you," she said softly and dropped the grass on the ground. |
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Post by Gideon Warnes on Jul 8, 2014 2:36:19 GMT
"Well, I am here to see you." Gideon smiled.
Was it sarcasm or being genuine? He had never been called noble before. But looking into Elizabeth's bright face, he couldn't believe that she would have been capable of anything but the utmost kindness and sincerity. "Flock of followers? Oh, they will find some other minister to guide and comfort them. Besides, I don't have my own parish. They'll just find someone else to cover the vacant spots while I'm away." There were one or two widows and one rebellious teenage girl but other than that, he really had no followers. And those women had very little interest in matters of religion.
"I ... uh ..." He hesitated. Gideon couldn't very well say that he had gotten drunk and signed up over the promise of women and more drink. Elizabeth certainly would not have understood. But he couldn't give precise reasons that sounded suitable. Rather than come up with some bit of nonsense, he kept his answer rather vague. "I ... felt called to do this."
He had embarrassed her with the blade of grass. It was a becoming bit of grass if that makes you feel better. But you shouldn't worry about hiding evidence of lying on the ground. I do it quite often. It's a great place think and ... admire God's work." He added the last bit out of habit. Gideon reached down and picked up the piece of grass she had dropped. Taking the book out of her hands, he placed the blade of grass where her finger had been keeping her spot. He closed it gently and handed it back to her. "So you won't lose your place." He smiled pleasantly. "I hope you won't worry too much about me though, once I'm gone. I'm a rather fair shot with a musket despite my calling."
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Post by Elizabeth Harlow on Jul 8, 2014 3:21:29 GMT
Elizabeth was no saint when it came to church going, but she had a true and pure heart. She had attended church more regularly when her mother was alive since she was a devout Catholic, but once her mother died her attendance dwindled. Church just didn't seem the same without her mother there, but she didn't try to get her young siblings to go more often. " Alright, I'll admit I've been to a few of your sermons, so let God judge me in the end for my wanting to sit on a hard wooden seat and hear a lecture," she said and playfully smiled. " Now once you leave they'll find some old...balding man who speaks in monotone slur and tells you that you are indeed going to Hell if you don't immediately repent. That's what I will miss, Gideon," said Elizabeth and gave him a warm smile.
Elizabeth watched Gideon pick up the blade of grass, and place it gently into her book. Her eyes softened, and she smiled a bit as she accepted her book back. " I sometimes spend so much time out of doors, than I do inside attending to my family. It may be too forward for me to say, especially to a preacher, but...couldn't God have intended for us to be more out there, than inside the four walls of a church, hm," she asked. She was no expert on the ways of sermons and theology, but she was just speaking of what came to her in the moment. Seeing what Gideon would think. Her eyes lit up when he mentioned being a decent shot of the musket, and a twinge of envy showed in her lips. " A man of the cloth and a fair shot. I am impressed Gideon. Now I shouldn't worry all that much. Just be careful." She looked out at Emily and Benjamin running around and she walked past Gideon. " I would like to go walk about the gardens, do you care to join me," she asked and smiled. |
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Post by Gideon Warnes on Jul 8, 2014 3:46:32 GMT
"Oh God," Gideon laughed when she mentioned attending his sermons. "I'm sorry you had to sit through them." He had feigned surprise but he knew perfectly well that she had attended a few of his sermons as that was when he had first laid eyes upon her. And it was after seeing her once or twice that he purposely bumped into her in town just so he would have a chance to speak to her. "It shouldn't be as bad as all that. But none of us are Puritans here and I highly doubt hell is a place you will ever lay eyes on so I wouldn't worry about such a thing as that."
As he watched her eyes soften and the smile play across her lips, Gideon couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to settle down with a woman such as her. Someone of an upstanding moral character, kind and beautiful, with a free spirit that just slightly bucked tradition. Would her spirit grow tedious? There was no way of knowing. But, regardless, Gideon was not ready to settle down because just as soon as he would, he would grow old and tired and become a burden to everyone. And that was if he even lived to grow old. His mother hadn't. Adeline hadn't. The sudden, unexpected thought of her struck him like bullet wound. His smile faltered.
"God has not intended anyone to spend their lives in a stuffy room. He created the entire world, did he not?" He smiled. "You could never be too forward with me, Miss Elizabeth, never."
He spotted the look that crossed her face when he mentioned the musket. "A walk around the gardens would be wonderful with such excellent company." He waited until they were in among the vibrant flowers, their heavy perfume hovering in the air, before continuing. He stopped her and turned to face her. "Would you like to learn? To shoot a musket, I mean. It might be good to be able to ... protect yourself, if the worse should ... happen."
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Post by Elizabeth Harlow on Jul 9, 2014 1:34:56 GMT
Elizabeth lightly laughed as she looked away and a blush came to her cheeks. " No, do not apologize Gideon. I was not at all entirely dulled by the sermons. Some of them I found quiet informative and enlightening, so there is no need to be ashamed. Some men were called to be preachers to guide others to God, some to protect the innocent. In your situation, you've been called to do both," she said and lightly touched his arm as they turned and walked down the dirt path that led to the garden.
The garden was started by her grandmother, and then her mother tended to it. To her dismay, she did not acquire the green thumb like her predecessors, so she left that to the slaves, and she simply walked about and cut flowers for bouquets. "If God allowed us to hold a sanctuary any place of choosing, I would stay here. Here in this garden. What more beauty can there be in a church," she said and slowly turned and smiled. She looked at Gideon, and heard Emily and Benjamin chasing each other around the bushes. Elizabeth laughed lightly and they continued onward through.
Elizabeth looked at Gideon and her face went blank, " Do you really mean it? You'll teach me how to shoot? When and where?" she asked softly so the children would not hear. |
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Post by Gideon Warnes on Jul 10, 2014 17:11:20 GMT
"And some where called by others," he said quietly but he did not elaborate. Gideon did not believe that he was called by God or some higher power. He never had any interest in religion and if God truly cared, he would not have called him to it. The only voice he ever heard was that of his father. Not God's.
"But I agree. Most churches are rather dull. It's to not distract the faithful from their prayers. So they can be alone with God. Because many believe that most have the attention spans of small children and cannot be trusted to do their devotions." He looked around. "In a garden such as this, there are quite a few distractions, the brilliant flowers, the vibrant reds and oranges and blues and greens, the sound of the wind singing through them, the heavenly smell. But I find it hard to believe that any of these can be bad as they were created by God. And nothing he creates should be bad."
Judging by her quiet reaction, Gideon had guessed correctly. Elizabeth was beautiful and a proper lady but there was a slightly ... rebellious ... side to her. He was mildly surprised that she did not already know how to shoot a gun. But he was certain that with a little practice, she could possibly be a better shot than him.
"What about now? Do you have a musket? Or could you get one? We could go out onto one of the fields, away from the house, and we could set up a target. I'm sure you would be a natural at it."
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Post by Elizabeth Harlow on Jul 15, 2014 1:34:05 GMT
Elizabeth folded her hands in front of her as they walked, brushed some wisps of hair from her face, and looked over her shoulder at the children. Benjamin was chasing his young sister, frog in his hand, and tormented her. She smiled a little and looked at Gideon, and took a deep breath. " Do you think that...do you think God takes sides in a war Gideon? Men on both sides of an opposition praying to a greater power, their families praying to a God to bring them a victory. I pray at night, I pray that God will end this war, and bring our boys home," she said asked Gideon seriously and stopped to look at him. " Nothing that he creates should be bad, but here is one of his marvelous creations waging a war with one another. He must feel like a father pulling two feuding sons apart," she added and they continued to walk. Elizabeth did have a rebellious streak in her, she was educated, and had a good head about her to, but she was also a lady and respected tradition. She feared little, and what she did fear she told very few people.
Elizabeth smiled when Gideon suggested that they try right now. A light glowed in Elizabeth's heart, and she smiled. She had seen her father and brother's shoot a gun, but she had never handled one. "Come with me, I know where we can find one," she said and led him to the house. Inside, she walked to the her father's library. Inside were shelves and shelves of books, small statues, portraits, and her father's desk. On one wall, were various muskets from Mr. Harlow's collection. She ran her hand over the guns and grabbed one. They walked out past the house into the field, the children had stayed inside with the house maid who shucked peas for the dinner, and so it was just Gideon and Elizabeth. Elizabeth handed the gun to Gideon, " Begin your teaching," said Elizabeth and stood in front of him. |
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