A Time to Bloom (Leah's Garden #2)(31)

“Reverend Pritchard, if you will please give our opening prayer?”

He nodded and stepped forward. When everything was quiet, he bowed his head. “Heavenly Father, thank you for this day that begins a new year of school. We ask you to bless each pupil here. Help these your children to learn to read, to write, to do arithmetic, and best of all, to learn of your Word. Help us all to grow daily in grace and to be grateful. Bless Miss Nielsen as she teaches and helps these children grow. In the name of your precious son, Jesus, Amen.”

“Thank you, Reverend. Would you like to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance also?”

He turned to look at the flag in the corner of the room and laid his hand over his heart. All the children copied his actions, Elsie guiding the little ones. “I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. . . .”

Afterward, Del made her way through a fumbling rendition of “Home, Sweet Home” on the piano, but the children’s enthusiastic singing covered her mistakes. Give her a guitar or a fiddle any day.

“You may all be seated.” Del rose to stand before them. “For those of you who are new, my name is Miss Nielsen, and I will be your teacher this year. My three sisters and I moved here a little over a year ago. I began teaching in the Salton school last fall, and I’m glad to be back here again. Now, I would like you each to stand at your desk and tell us your name and how old you are. Let’s start with Elsie.”

“I am Elsie Weber. I am in the seventh grade, and my family moved here two years ago.”

The boy next to her stood. “My name is Curtis Jeffers, and I’m eleven years old and in the sixth grade.”

Next to him, a boy sat staring at the floor.

Curtis prodded him. “Your turn.”

The boy with one shoulder strap holding his overalls in place shook his head.

Del waited. He was new, so she had no idea what his name was. “You are next. Stand and tell us your name.” She spoke firmly but still in a friendly tone. Why hadn’t his parents brought him in to be registered?

“Come on,” Curtis whispered.

The boy shook his head and stared at the floor.

Del debated, then smiled at the girl at the end of the row. “Betsy, you go ahead, please.”

Wearing her blond hair in two braids with red ribbons, the girl announced, “I am Betsy Jorgensen. I am in the fifth grade, and I like to read. My grandpa owns the general store.”

“Thank you.”

They continued back and forth on the rows. Another unknown child, a girl this time, took her turn.

“My name is Bethany Kinsley, and he is my brother, John.” She pointed to the boy who would not stand. “I am nine years old, and he is ten.”

“Thank you, Bethany. How long have you lived here?”

“Four months. My ma said we was to come to school here.”

“Have you ever been to school before?”

“No, but Ma taught us to read and do sums. I can write some and so can John, but he don’t talk much.”

“Thank you, Bethany.”

They continued around the room, with an older child sometimes introducing a younger one, until all eighteen students had taken their turns. Who were they missing? She trailed down the list with her pencil. Two registered children were absent. Should she call on them after school?

Del nodded and smiled at her charges. “Well done. Those of you who were in school last year know what grades you are in, but for our new students, I have questions and special exercises. So those of you third grade and up will spend the next hour writing about something special you saw or did since school finished last spring. Second graders will read a story aloud from the textbook Elsie will give you. If you have any questions, raise your hand.”

She called the youngest children to the front. “Abel, Josie, and Clarabelle.” She motioned for them to join her in the front corner, where she sat on a stool and seated them on the floor. While none of them had been to school before, Clarabelle knew her alphabet and her numbers, but the other two needed to start from the very beginning.

“Miss Nielsen.” Josie fidgeted and raised her hand.

At the look of distress on her face, Del leaned forward. “What is it?”

“I have to go bad.”

“Do you know where the outhouse is?”

“No.”

“Elsie, can you help?”

Elsie took the little girl’s hand and took her out through the side door.

Del sent the other two back to their seats in the front row and then called John and Bethany to join her. As they sat down, she looked up to see Elsie beckoning her.

“She didn’t make it in time, and she’s wet into her socks,” Elsie whispered.

“Poor little one. She’s still in the outhouse?”

Elsie nodded.

“Take her over to Dr. Brownsville’s house and ask my sister Mrs. Brownsville to help you. Tell her I sent you.”

“Okay.”

Del returned to the two students waiting on the floor for her. “I’m glad you are here for school. John, what is your full name?”

He stared down at his hands and shook his head.

“His name is John Jacob Kinsley, and I am Bethany Ann Kinsley.” She leaned forward and whispered, “John don’t like to talk to anybody, ’specially strangers.”