When would Mama come home? When would she arrive? She had the dinner for that night-cornmeal, mashed potatoes, roast beef, and, Mama’s specialty, apple pie with cream. So why did Mama have to take so long to get home? She would come back to starving young ladies and a skinny-john old man, all starting to question lives of cannibalism. But Mama came home right when they wanted to take a bite of each other’s ankle, and put the thought out of their head.

Lizzie looked at the table, carefully polished, with doilies and beautifully embroidered table cloth. Suddenly, the 17 year old felt grateful and ashamed of herself, for she could never rush Mama. Mama wanted to feed her family the right way, the good way, and Lizzie had almost had the urge to go out to market and drag her mother back home. And how could she possibly question cannibalism as a lifestyle? It was an act of injustice, especially in the Hinder family.

Margret, the oldest daughter was as hungry as her sister, but did not pressure Mama to start cooking right away. The table looked lovely, but no food lay upon it, so the girls decided to get their mind of the subject of food by cross stitching a placemat together. It had the image of a big city, Chicago, where her mother longed to visit. The girls had heard wondrous tales about Chicago and decided they, too, wanted to visit the cosmopolitan place. But for now they were just imagining of the day where they would arrive in Chicago and dine at the fanciest restaurant in the world and gobble down a scrumptious meal.

“Elizabeth Jean Hinder! What are you making?” Margret demanded.

“It’s a placemat, I suppose, for Mama”, Lizzie said as innocently as possible.

“That is the worst placemat I have ever seen, Lizzie!”

Margret gave Lizzie a look that could have turned her to stone.

“Oh, Margret, is it that horrible? I should have known better than to put you through this, watching me stitch the worst placemat in the world!

“I don’t think you need to apologize. It’s just not your greatest skill, that’s all Lizzie! And I think it was a beautiful idea, just that you’re-

“Hopeless! I know, Maggie, I know! Oh, how woeful Mama will be when she sees this piece of, of, of cow dung!” Lizzie sighed sadly. Mama would be ashamed that her daughter could not sew a seam of her beloved city!

“Oh Lizzie! Don’t say that!” Margret said with a tint of laughter in her voice.

Suddenly, a voice mellow and soft sang, “Dinner time!”

To be eating at the table of Marjory Hinder was a great accomplishment. She was the finest cook in all of Idaho. When she made food, she never made it well. She made it astounding! Lizzie and Margret adored their mother and her cooking. Daddy did too.

“Daddy! Oh Daddy! Look at those mashed potatoes! Gravy from the crispy skins, and fresh butter to go with it! Oh Daddy! Those corn muffins! They’re so pretty I don’t even want to eat them! I bet Mama melted butter inside of them! Oh Daddy! And look at that roast beef! Doesn’t it look handsome! It tastes even better, I bet! Oh Daddy, oh Daddy!” Lizzie was so ecstatic about the food she almost forgot to eat! But when she took a bite, it was heaven. Mama’s cooking always was. She could even make brussell sprouts taste good! Lizzie loved her Mama with all her heart, and she loved her food even more sometimes.

After the roast beef, Lizzie was full, for she had had 4 servings of the stuff! Only when Mama brought out that apple pie with the cream towering on top did she swear she would rather eat to death than give up Mama’s food.

“So girls, how was your day?” Mama asked cheerfully as she always did.

“Fine”, both girls replied in unison.

“You girls have some spring cleaning to do”, Mama said in a knowing voice. She often said this even though it was autumn, and the girls understood what she meant.

Lizzie looked around. Was it really that bad? The floor was covered in kitten hair, from their young felines Francis and Selene; smeared bugs, bird droppings, and other numerous things flavored the window in a way no one could quite understand; and the shelves were masked with bits of tiny particles of dust.

“I suppose so”, Lizzie sighed.

Mama looked at her sympathetically.

“Lizzie, girl, it won’t kill you to dust those shelves”, were her words of comfort.

“It would if I had to clean those windows!” she said. Suddenly, she dropped to the floor from a mock death. Her family applauded.

“When will this rain stop? If I don’t milk the cows tomorrow, it’ll spoil in their stomachs!” Daddy said finally.

Lizzie and Margret giggled to themselves. Louis Thompson Robert Hinder was perhaps the greatest, and the funniest, farmer in Idaho, at least the girls thought so. Those sisters thought their family was pure happiness and purity. And they thought it all their lives.

Suddenly, Mama changed the subject and directed herself to Lizzie and Margret.

“Darlings, your father and I have made a very important decision. Margret, Elizabeth, we think you are old enough to be betrothed.”

There was a silence at the Hinder dinner table so deep and piercing you could hear the rain hitting the roof and making it cry, pierced also.

Lizzie broke it.

“No! Mama! No! No, no, no!” She stomped her foot down and shook the house to its core. “I won’t do it! I could never leave you and the kittens and the farm! You need me when you get older, don’t you? Mama, please, no!” Lizzie pleaded with all her might. How could she marry someone she did not love?

“Margret?” Lizzie looked to her sister for backup.

“I think it could be nice to meet a suitor, maybe.” Margret said meekly.

Lizzie looked at Margret with wide eyes of fear.

“No! No, no, no!”

Mama beamed at Margret and looked at Lizzie with shame.

“I am surprised at your behavior, Elizabeth Jean. Your father and I will discuss your punishment. You must now dust the shelves until we alert you of any point of stopping”, Mama said quietly but loud enough to let Lizzie know she would not accept any more complaints or excuses.

“Yes, Mama.” And with that, she fled to the parlor to clean the dusty shelves.

CHAPTER 2

“Lizzie! Lizzie! Come here! I have the most wonderful news! Lizzie! Lizzie!”

Delia, one of Lizzie’s friends and schoolmates, flew through the door and cried out about some glorious announcement.

“It’s Thompson Gorge! He’s going to enter the butcher’s contest about whoever owns the fattest hog that weighs over 143 pounds gets 50 dollars plus three turkeys in exchange for the pig, and you know how fat his pig is, and so he said that if he wins he would give us, by us I mean me and you, 25 dollars plus a turkey to share! Isn’t that grand!” Delia exclaimed, out of breath. She certainly could say a mouth full!

“Yes, very grand! But I can’t go anywhere this week except the stables to saddle the horses and milk the cows and feed the chickens and trim the goats and gather the sheep and their lambs and- oh, you understand, Delia. I’m punished for not being able to hold my tongue. And I have to finish scrubbing the windows and sweeping the porch and washing the door and trapping the lint and dandruff from the rug.” Lizzie huffed, out of breath as well

“How will you do all that in a week?” Delia questioned.

“I’m not quite sure. Do you think you could help me, if you’re not too busy?” she said in reply.

Delia’s face flushed.

“Um, let me check with my mother.” And she slowly crept out the door.

Lizzie knew she wouldn’t ask her mother, but run off with Gorge and his fat hog.

“I meant by telling me about the hog and the contest each day, not cleaning.” Lizzie said, patient and gloomy.

“Alright then! You have a deal!”

And they shook on it.

Delia Youngthorp adored Thompson Gorge with all her might and everyone knew it except for him. To Lizzie, he was just an acquaintance, a friend. She didn’t understand how Delia could love him like that when she had known him so well. Delia said as you grow feelings and people change, and you learn to love them. Lizzie knew she found it in one of her romantic novels she bought at Mr. Lobard’s corner store, two blocks down from the market and 6 buildings down from the butcher’s slaughter house/shop. Mr. Lobard was an old man whom everyone knew and loved, but not Delia’s love. She didn’t like to talk about it, love, because it just never made its place in her heart.

That evening when Mama came home, Lizzie didn’t look at what she bought from the market. She loved surprises, especially on days when she wasn’t feeling her best, such as that sunny Tuesday of 1867. It seemed to jeer in her face that it could shine and do whatever it wanted, while Lizzie was stuck inside cleaning. But when Mama got home with Margret after a meeting with some suitors, her expression turned grim. Margret had been crying!

Lizzie rushed to her sister, starting to cry herself.

“What was it? What did they do to you? They didn’t hurt you did they?” While Lizzie fired questions to her sister, just shaking her head as to say no, Mama was preparing tea.

“Sit down, Maggie. You’re looking pale”, Mama had told Margret in a soft voice that mothers use to be gentle. “Would you like some milk or sugar in yours, dear?”

Margret replied quiet as a mouse, “No thank you. It would be rather nice not to have any tea right now. I’m feeling too hot to think.”

Lizzie rushed to the place where her sister sat, rubbing her head and crying silently.

“What happened Maggie? Please tell me, your Lizzie girl”, Lizzie whispered into her sickly sister’s ear.

“A young doctor, he just had a patient with cholera who passed away at age 3 and just saying it makes me want to-”

And all of a sudden Margret vomited onto the newly hair-free rug. Lizzie was not the least bit corrupted by this act, but stroked her sister’s hair and sang to her. Mama rushed to clean up the mess, but Margret took one look at it and started vomiting again.

“I don’t have cholera. I don’t have cholera. I don’t have cholera”, she chanted to herself. Lizzie knew Margret didn’t have cholera, but was just acting up. Margret had lost her best friend to cholera, and ever since Margret couldn’t hear the word cholera without getting upset.

Soon after the accident, Margret fell asleep and Lizzie went back to her work. And for a few hours it was silent. But then Lizzie spoke up.

“I knew meeting suitors was a bad idea, I just knew it!”

Mama put her finger to her lips.

“Shh! You’ll wake her.”

Lizzie looked to where her sister lay sound asleep and decided she would stay that way for at least a few more hours.

But then Daddy rushed in, looking scared.

“Where is she? Where’s my girl?” he said in a worried tone. “Mr. Lombard told me you stopped by for some ice, and that Maggie looked sick. Where is she?”

“I’m right here, Daddy”, a faint voice said. Slowly, Margret arose from the chair.

He came at her with open arms and held her tightly.

“You’ll be just fine, honey. Just fine”, he tenderly assured.

And then Lizzie explained she wasn’t really sick, but just got worked up. That was all, really, just nerves.

“I’ll be fine, I promise. I’m so sorry for being so much trouble”, Margret told her parents. “I just get so worried sometimes after what happened to Kayla…” Her voice trailed off.

“Let’s eat, shall we?” Mama said in a happy tone.

“Hold on, Marjory. I’m going out, but don’t wait for us”, Papa said suddenly. “Come on Lizzie. We’re going to town.”

CHAPTER 3

It was always full of life, market. There were booths, crates, horses, exotic pets, performers, dust, dirt, yelling, baskets, and sometimes even circuses! Whatever odd happening was going on, the market was full of life and fun, and Lizzie was in love with every aspect of it, the only love she ever knew, unlike Delia’s love.

She knew every corner and loved every one. There was Hashanara’s physic stand, tarot cards, and zodiac sign shop, Sija’s mystic “immortal water” stand, Kirschmen’s alternation and dress store, Doris Jane’s snake oil (her Papa’s secret recipe), Fredrick’s bakery with hot cakes and other treats, Taylor’s blacksmith shop, Bleachmen’s wood goods store, Penny Davis’ family-run exotic home furnishings, and thousands more. And of course, there was the fire pit, where every night, a show was going on. A run-away circus sometimes took homage their and put on a delightful show that made Lizzie wonder why anyone would consider such eccentric, entertaining people bizarre and un-human. They would eat fire, ride unicycles, and do amazing acrobatic tricks. But today she had to run along for Daddy was rushing through the crowd. She almost lost him in the hustle and bustle, but she came to a halt when she saw him talking to the milkman, who handed him 2 bottles of milk in exchange for 2 silver coins Daddy pulled out of his aging overalls. Then he was on his feet again.

Lizzie wove through the crowd with a basket in her hand, trying to find where Daddy went next. It took her a while to find him once more, but before she knew it he was talking to Fredrick, then Kirschmen. They all smiled when he whispered something in their ear, as the milk man did also. They handed him a piece of paper and patted him on the back, and then he was off.

Suddenly, Lizzie stopped, maneuvered her way to a bench, and plopped down. Daddy was too quick for her, that was just it, and she couldn’t keep up with him. So she sat and put her hands on her eyes and rubbed hard. That dust could get to you. Lizzie was sure Daddy had not even remembered her and wouldn’t even notice her being missing, so she just sat there and started to wonder if she would join the circus when out-of nowhere, a young man bumped into her.

“Pardon me, miss! I’m so sorry! Did I injure you in any way? Are you hurt? Oh, miss, please forgive me!” the young man pleaded.

Lizzie looked up and saw a shy, friendly face looking back at her, blushing and offering his hand.

“No, please, don’t apologize. It’s fine, really. Did I injure you should be the question! I’m not the most careful girl around here”, she chuckled, taking his hand.

“I’m Franklin, Franklin Wail, son of Dr. Cornelius Wail, grandson of Dr. Cornelius Wail, and so on”, he said quickly.

“I’m Elizabeth, Elizabeth Hinder, daughter of Louis Hinder, farmer, granddaughter of Archibald Hinder, farmer, and so on. But please, call me Lizzie. I think it’s much better than boring old ‘Elizabeth’. Do you think so?” she said, shaking his hand warmly.

He laughed. “Yes, much better. Pleased to meet you, Lizzie Hinder”, he replied. “Now that we are acquaintances, may I ask you why you are sitting here, deep in thought?”

“Yes, of course, acquaintance Franklin. I’m sitting here deep in thought because my father has been rushing around town whispering into peoples’ ears and making them smile and then he’ll run off and forget all about me, so I’m deep in thought about joining the circus since I know I can’t catch up with him, even if he is my father”, she said in one big breath.

“You certainly can talk!” was all Franklin said.

“You should hear my best friend, Delia! She can talk faster than a wolf can pounce his prey!” she giggled.

“So will you really join the circus?” he continued.

Lizzie shrugged. “If I must, I suppose.”

Franklin nodded. “Hmm.”

Suddenly, he snapped his fingers.

“That’s it! Lizzie Hinder, may I escort you to the ‘Pit of Despair’, home to daredevils, magicians, acrobats, and many other oddities?” he asked, bowing and putting his hand out in a way an average gentleman would have envied.

Lizzie looked into Franklin’s sparkling eyes. She took his hand.

“Let us go, dear Mr. Wail!” she said, her spirit rising into the heavens that this kind, friendly young man would help her have a good time.

And what a good time it was! There were bearded ladies, corpulent couples, jugglers and jesters competing for laughs, clowns, and even a chimpanzee with fur as white as the milkman’s signature product. In the crowd, there was everyone you could imagine crowded together, hooting and roaring the sweltering heat away. Lizzie and Franklin talked for hours and enjoyed the fun while they were at it. They found an old spirit in each other that no one else possessed but them, and they liked it.

But soon, it grew colder and the night was upon them, and the market looked mesmerizing, the only source of light candles and the stars. It was staggering.

“I suppose I should go home now”, Lizzie said, her eyes shining from the moon’s light.

Franklin looked serious all of a sudden. “Yes, I suppose so.”

Lizzie turned to walk away reluctantly, when Franklin stopped her.

“Lizzie! May I walk you home tonight? It’s a lovely evening”, he said.

She smiled, as to say yes, and they hooked arms.

They walked for a long time, for their steps were slow and thoughtful. They had not spoken the whole time they had been walking. The quiet seemed fitting to the moment, and made everything seem all the better.

Then Lizzie broke the silence.

“I better go. My house is right over there. I hope Daddy doesn’t beat me!” she said half-glad, half-unhappy.

“Goodbye, Lizzie. It’s been lovely being your acquaintance this evening”, he said with a smile.

“No”, Lizzie said, “we are not acquaintances.”

“Oh?” Franklin asked in surprise.

“No. We are friends.”

And then she went inside.

CHAPTER 4

Mama was disappointed in Daddy for letting Lizzie go out of the house during her “punishment period”, and even more mad at Lizzie for straying away from Daddy and coming home very late, giving them all heart attacks.

Even so, her week of punishment was over, and it was time to meet some suitors. Though Lizzie had tried her best to prevent any further outbursts, she couldn’t help herself. It was the closest thing to hell that she had known.

“Lizzie, do try to comb your hair before we go! Is that a tear in your dress? Wipe that mud off your cheek! They’ll think we’re pigs before they even meet us if they see you!” Mama teased, but at the same time serious.

“All right, but I think I look fine. Whatever you say, I guess”, she said mock-innocently. She secretly smiled to herself. The suitors would be afraid of her so no one would want to marry her! It was a genius plan, she thought, and it would work.

Lizzie drifted to her mother’s wash room and looked through her makeup bag. There was a smaller bag inside the makeup bag, containing all of Mrs. Applegate’s secret recipes for face masks to cleanse the face and freshen the spirit. Mrs. Applegate was the town’s most trusted beautician, and everyone ran to her for beauty tips. Not only was she a beautician, but the best talker in town. She could spread rumors faster than cholera could kill a family. They both, unfortunately, were unstoppable and the Hinders avoided them however they could, and yet Mrs. Applegate always tapped her long, elegant fingers at the door of the Hinder abode giving unwanted beauty advice.

So Lizzie followed the directions to the face mask recipe and it came out just as horrific as she suspected. And she was glad.

Next, Lizzie decided to tear her stockings even more, and rip the hem of her dress right off! Her old, ragged shoes were falling apart, so she decided to rip the sole off of one of them. Afterwards, she decided to use her fine-tooth comb and frizz her hair, making it and knotted. It stuck out largely, and she looked at her self and was content with her monstrosity. She covered her face with a dark veil for funerals and a large bonnet filled with dead animals stuffed, sitting quietly on the rim of her straw hat. Then Lizzie left.

“Oh Lizzie! Your shoes, your dress, your stockings! They’re ruined! How on earth…”, her mother gasped with shock.

“Do I look dreadful Mama? Perhaps I should go and change”, Lizzie said, with her mock-innocence again.

“No, there is no time. Why are you wearing that veil?” Mrs. Hinder asked scornfully.

Lizzie sighed. “Why, my poor hair will just not brush through, no matter how hard I try!”

“Let us go now, Lizzie, please!” Mama cried out, holding her head in her palm as if she had a headache. After one look at Lizzie, it could give anyone a headache!

So out they went, into the boiling sun. They walked for a while, with Mama chattering about in-laws to herself, but Lizzie was just daydreaming about the look on the suitors’ faces. How she would laugh!

All of a sudden, Lizzie’s day dreams were gone, and she could only gasp for air under her dark veil, practically blinding her.

Lizzie was scared.

Lizzie wasn’t sure what went on the next few minutes. All she could hear was “marriage” and “nervous”. Lizzie just sat in a daze in the corner of the room in a small little chair that she could barely fit in, let alone anyone. Where was she?

Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

“Lizzie, dear, you can go in now”, her mother said softly.

Lizzie dizzily found her way into a small white room again seeming too small for anyone’s capacity. So she sat in another small chair and looked up. She saw nine petrified, sweating faces looking back at her.

“Hello”, she said, in her right mind for a moment.

One of the suitors burst out in tears and fled the room as quickly as he could.

There was an awkward silence.

“Am I that scary?” Lizzie said, half-jokingly.

The suitors said nothing.

“Well, alright. I, um, would like to introduce myself. I am Elizabeth Hinder, but please call me Lizzie. I have an older sister, Margret, who also is looking for suitors. And she’s much prettier than me”, Lizzie informed them, just as frightened as they were.

The suitors all managed uncomfortable smiles.

“So what about you?” Lizzie said finally, directed at all of them.

They looked around, gulped, wiped their brows and one stepped forward.

“I am Joseph Kilawage, nephew of the founder of Kilawage Ink. I am nineteen years of age, and I am p-p-p-pleased to meet you”, he said, shaking and shivering madly.

The next suitor walked up and tipped his hat at Lizzie.

“Howdy, Lizzie! ‘Name’s Oswald Orwitz, and I’m a rancher, at your service. Call me Oz. Even call me a cowboy, if you like”, he said with a crooked smile. He didn’t seem nervous at all.

“A cowboy, eh? Hm”, she said quietly to herself.

While she was deep in thought, another young man stepped forward.

“Good afternoon. I am Gregory Schmit, training to be a naval captain”, he said in a strong voice, trying to hide his nervousness.

He bowed and walked back to his place in line, bumping into a young boy, only looking fourteen years old. They pushed him towards her. She had not yet taken off the veil, but all of a sudden, she didn’t want to, for this poor thing might feel she was teasing him. It would be a long afternoon.

AND THE REST IS YET TO COME!