Chapter 4

"Howdy Doc!" Miz Maisy called from the porch, "git down and sit a spell, I was just sweeping the porch, those old dogs won't stay off it in the afternoon. Reckon they might just be havin' their dog days now, instead of August," she said with a grin.

I slowly dismounted from my horse and tied him to the hitching post out front. Rummaged around in my saddle bags and found my journals. "How have you been?" I asked as I stepped up on the porch. "Well," she said, "I reckon I'm gettin' along all right, my back's been botherin' me down low and my knees ache at night when I lay down, but I'm luckier than most folks, fixed me up some dandelion tea for my joints and rub a little bear grease ointment on my back and it seemed to help." "How's your missus doin'?" she asked. "Spoiled rotten," I replied, "But it's my own fault. She is excited about the baby. We got a nursery area set up in our bedroom, a nice little cradle we picked up in town, a small dresser for some clothes and blankets. She has been stitchinh up a storm. Of course we wished we could know if it's a boy or girl, but I guess that's the Lord's way of teaching us patience with the little ones." "She carryin' it high or low?" Maisy asked. "Well, she was carrying it high, right under her breasts when she started showing, but now that she is due, of course it has dropped," I answered. "Gonna be a girl," she replied. I didn't ask how she knew, just filed it away for future reference.

About that time a olive skinned girl peeked around the edge of the doorway and asked if we wanted something to drink. Maisy said, "Come on out here Mary, and meet the doc." A slender girl of about 16 stepped out of the doorway and looked down at her bare feet. Her belly was round and low. She slowly raised her eyes to look at me and I saw the greenest eyes I had ever seen. They seemed to almost glow. I stepped back suddenly and Maisy laughed. "Shocker, ain't they?" "This here is Mary Alice Morgan, her pa and brothers live about 5 miles above Mountain Top and stick to themselves." "Mary's 13 years old and seems that a neighbor boy came courtin' and since her daddy said she weren't old enough, he would have to wait. But you know young'ns, cain't tell 'em nothin'." "Her daddy dropped her off here 'bout 3 days ago and told me to birth her baby and he would be back in about 3 weeks to get her, said he didn't want no bastard to feed and just do whatever." "That young feller's 'bout 16 and we ain't seen hide nor hair of him since. Her pa won't go lookin' for him says he ain't worth the trouble and besides if they got hitched, he wouldn't have nobody to look after their place." "Mary Alice, why don't you walk down by the creek and gather me some moss. I'm a runnin' a little low and I never know when I'm gonna need it." "Yes'm," she said and slowly stepped off the porch. You could tell from the way she walked that she was about ready to deliver, because the baby was really low. "I can't believe she's 13 years old, she looks 16!" I exclaimed. Maisy just shook her head. "If she had run off with that boy, she would've been better off," "Her ma died when she was young, a Cherokee Indian woman, Mary was her 4th young'n, had 3 boys afore that. That's where she gets that dark skin from, them green eyes come from her daddy's side of the family. Buck Morgan, meanest man I ever heard of. Course that don't bother me none, he's been to me too many times for healin' to aggravate me." " Said his grandpappy got them green eyes from spyin' on the devil, I just believe they's pure Irish. That poor girl has been cookin' and cleanin' ever since she got big enough to haul water. Them shiftless brothers of hers just stay out all the time a huntin', wild game and trouble. Sometimes she's by herself 2 weeks at a time while her pa and the boys do whatever it is that they do. No wonder she got with child, she was probably lonely for company." " Her ma died when she was 2, reckon that man of hers just plum wore her out. She just got tireder and tireder 'til she laid down one afternoon and didn't git up. It was 3 days before her pa got back and that poor girl sat right by her momma the whole time. They ain't got no neighbors and all their friends is just trashy." "Well, 'nuff said 'bout that, let's get on with our writin'."

After about 2 hours of keeping up with who got married, who had a baby, who died and who was sick, we finished up. It probably wouldn't have taken so long but Maisy felt obliged to give me information on each patient's family along with their family history. I stood up and stretched, Maisy said, "Come on in for a bite doc," and I couldn't resist. We had a dinner of sliced sweet potatoes lightly fried and drizzled with homemade syrup, fresh, raw greens for a salad and some fresh baked bread. It was spring meal that filled you up but was comfortable. "Mary's a good cook, ain't she doc?" said Maisy "She sure is," I replied. I then asked Maisy would she be offended if I checked over Mary's condition a little before I left and she said it was up to Mary. She got Mary off into the corner and after a little head shaking up and down, back and forth they finally approached me. "Mary's ok with it, if I stay with her," Maisy said. "I would prefer it that way," I replied. I looked around her little cabin and focused on the little bed by the fireplace. "How about over there," I pointed. Mary cut her eyes at me and them looked at Maisy. Maisy nodded her head and they walked over to the bed. I first had Mary sit on the side of the bed and I pulled over a chair from the table. I checked her teeth and throat, looked real good at her eyes and felt her neck. I them had her lay down and I felt her belly and checked her ankles. I then had her stand up and measured around her belly. "Well," I replied, "She looks healthy to me, her ankles are a little swollen but that's to be expected. However, she measured around her belly a bit larger than normal, but it could be because she is so small, anyway you send someone after me if you need any help." Of course, I didn't look at Maisy as I said this knowing, that her eyebrows were raised and her lips were drawn together. She was thinking that she didn't need any help baby catchin', but never said a word.

"I guess I had better get back, Abigail will be expecting me for supper and I don't want to get her upset." Maisy walked me out to the porch and called back over her shoulder, "Mary, you just lay there and rest awhile. Lord knows when that baby gets here you won't get any. I'm gonna walk the doc out." When we were out on the porch she asked if she should be looking for anything in particular and I told her to watch for a lot of bleeding, you never know with young women what could happen. I packed my books back in the saddlebags, untied the horse and mounted up for the ride back. "I reckon I will see you next Wednesday," I said to Maisy. "Take care Doc," she replied. When I got to the bottom of the hill I turned to wave but she and had already gone back in to the cabin and I began my slow trot home.