The
year was 1890, and Eric Olson was about to achieve the dream of his
young life. He was going to marry Becky.
They
had been in the same class all through school. She was pretty, sweet
and kind. Her blond hair, her dimples, her smile, and her wide-set blue
eyes all melted his heart. Her delicate hands and shapely calves were
perfection to his eye. He didn't see much more of her body, and he
didn't expect to, as it was a time favoring modest dress. Her arms were
visible only in the warmest weather. An occasional glimpse of her thigh
was breathtaking.
By the second grade, he was in love with her.
He
was a shy boy in general, and doubly shy around Becky. When puberty
stirred his loins, Eric found a new urgency and depth to his longing
for her.
The only way to be intimate with her was through
marriage, of course, and before a man could marry he had to demonstrate
that he was a provider. He knew that the young men of the town found
her very attractive as well. She would have her pick of many suitors.
Becky
and Eric had graduated from high school when they were 18 along with a
handful of others. As was the custom of the day for their social class,
she then spent her time at home, perfecting the skills a woman needed
to be a good wife.
As for Eric, he started learning how to be a
successful farmer. He had been working on his father's farm constantly
since he was a young lad, as most farm boys do. But after high school
graduation he began to look at it differently. He still had tedious
chores to perform, but he began to look at the farm as an entire
enterprise. He learned of fixed and variable expenses, prices and
market uncertainties, maintenance and capital investment. He learned to
evaluate whether a new method or device would pay for itself, and
whether a new crop would be a good gamble. He learned from his father's
example and from his instruction as well. He liked farming, and was
good at it.
He didn't make it to church all that often; it's
hard for farmers, and his family wasn't especially devout. But when he
did, it got him to thinking more carnal thoughts than spiritual ones,
for church was full of young women dressed in their finest. Many were
attractive, but Becky was the one who made is heart skip a beat.
The
only way he would be able to touch her or one of the others was to
demonstrate his ability to provide for a family so he could marry. It
was a common enough wish, but he felt it more strongly than most. The
Sabbath motivated him to work even harder for his material welfare
while doing nothing to inspire spiritual growth.
The father
spoke occasionally of a loan to set his son up on his own farm at some
point in the future, but they remained words and were not spoken often.
He was an only child, so some day he would inherit his father's farm,
but that could well be many decades away.
In the spring of 1890,
measles swept through the town and reached the farm as well. Many came
down with the dread disease. Most recovered, but his mother and father
both succumbed. Within days Eric's life was turned upside down. He
grieved the loss of his parents. They had been good to him and taught
him well. The loss was a tragedy, though one that was altogether too
common in that day and age.
Farm chores could not wait for grief, and it was good that Eric had the
stability of work to keep him on an even keel.
With
the death of his mother, there was no female to do the women's work
that any household depended on -- a farm household more than most.
Aunts and cousins helped out during his parents' illness and for a
brief while after, but he needed long-term solution. His unmarried
cousin Mildred came to live with him, but it was only a temporary
arrangement.
What Eric really needed was a wife. Fortunately, he
was now at age 21 the sober and responsible owner of a prosperous farm.
He was an eligible bachelor.
His thoughts turned immediately to
Becky, but he doubted such a goddess would have him. For some reason
she had not married in the three years since graduating from the high
school. He called on a couple other eligible young women, and was
received with such enthusiasm that his confidence rose. He gathered his
courage to pay court to Becky, and she received him with great
enthusiasm as well. After a mere two weeks he asked for her hand in
marriage. She accepted without hesitation, and her father quickly gave
his consent as well.
It was a great surprise for him to learn
that she really fancied him above all the other boys and young men. The
pressure on her to accept a suitor had built in the past few years, and
she was now very happy that she had waited.
A month after his
parents' death, Eric was married to Becky in a simple ceremony at the
church. Cousin Mildred was eager to get back to her family, and left
straight from the wedding to rejoin them.
Their first afternoon
at home as a married couple was busy and productive, but Eric had
trouble concentrating as he contemplated the wedding night to come.
The blessed moment finally arrived.
The
lamps in the bedroom were lit, and the door closed. They turned to each
other, and he took her in his arms. He felt shivers run up his spine as
they shared their first real kiss. Blood surged to his loins and within
seconds he had a full erection. Becky responded to the kisses with
obvious pleasure.
She was eager for the physical union to come.
Sure, her mother had spoken of some initial pain, but she had also
confided that there was much pleasure to come. Her mother's demeanor
plainly showed that she herself had greatly enjoyed the pleasure of
sexual union.
While the local customs required modesty from
young women in public, there were no such rules governing Becky's
behavior when she was alone with her husband. She knew she was
attractive and was eager to finally show her body in all its glory to a
man -- and Eric was the man she had dreamed of. Having earlier changed
out of her wedding finery and corset, Becky wore now only a dress, a
bra, and a "Yankee chemise", a slip-like garment that extended to
mid-thigh. Underpants for men and women were still in the future for
New England farmers.
As Becky removed her dress, chemise and bra
she savored the appreciative looks from her new husband. Eric removed
his shirt. He paused before removing his trousers. Was it normal for
him to have such a full erection already? Was it impolite? He didn't
know, but Becky didn't know either. She didn't mind -- not in the
least. She gave one of her most winning smiles and looked approvingly
at the bulge in his pants. When he removed them, his organ stood forth,
protruding dramatically from his body, veins showing against his hard
shaft, his tip peeking out from its hood.
Becky tried not to
stare. She had never seen an erect penis before, and like many women,
she had trouble seeing how it would ever fit inside her. She now
believed her mother's warnings of pain far more than her promise of
pleasure to come. Still, she was excited. She needed it, even if it
hurt.
The two stood facing each other, naked, smiling and excited.
Eric
looked Becky up and down, and a little unease grew within him. When he
had first known her, Becky had been a small girl with flat chest and
slim hips. She had been a late bloomer and had not developed too much
during high school, and had hid what development there was under
loose-fitting clothing.
Since high school she had caught up to
the other girls and surpassed them. And now, standing before him, she
had large, full breasts and wide hips. Between her legs was a copious
growth of light brown hair. It was just the way she was supposed to
look. She had a body suitable for bearing his babies and nursing them.
Yet
as he beheld her, he was aware of his erection starting to soften. To
hide this fact, he took her by the hand and led her to the bed. As she
lay down, he lay beside her and pulled up the covers over them.
He
turned to her and looked at her beautiful face, the face he had
fantasized about so many times, and a little blood pumped back into his
wilting organ. He was thrilled as he cupped her breast for the first
time -- but his erection softened. He doubted this was normal, and it
worried him. He slid his hand down over her stomach and hips to explore
between her legs. She readily spread them to give him access, smiling
at him expectantly. He felt hair and flaps of skin, and as he clumsily
spread her lips and pressed, the flesh gave an inch or more without
running up against bone.
These were the hidden, private parts of
a young woman, the place he had dreamt of sliding his organ, the place
of ultimate fulfillment of his desires. What's more, they were the
inner private parts of Becky, love of his life. And Becky's face made
it clear that those parts were open to him, open to his penis. He was
not just allowed but encouraged to do whatever he wanted with her. Any
red-blooded man would slide his hard penis straight into her opening,
possess her and seed her.
His penis, however, was entirely soft.
He kissed Becky and rubbed her female parts. Becky winced, then gently
grasped his hand and moved it in a way that was evidently more pleasing
to her. He kept rubbing, thinking of how sexy she was and how many
times he had dreamed of possessing her totally. Becky moaned and gave
little gasps, and as she did he felt the area beneath his fingers grow
wetter and hotter.
Several minutes into this activity, he saw
her give him a significant look. He suspected it meant she was ready
for him to take her virginity, but since he wasn't ready, he lowered
his head. She caressed his hair and his back, and finally whispered,
"I'm ready!" Eric felt panicked. His penis was still soft. He kept
rubbing gently. After a minute, Becky giggled and said to him, "You're
such a tease!" With that, she slid her hand down in search of Eric's
penis. She touched it at once, but then groped around further,
wondering if she had somehow missed the long, hard organ she had seen
as they stood. But the truth came to her soon enough.
Neither of
them knew what to do. She saw that Eric looked uncomfortable. Was there
something she was supposed to be doing? Was he too embarrassed to tell
her what it was? For his part, he was pretty sure that his body just
wasn't responding properly. It wasn't responding the way a real man's
body was supposed to.
He removed his hand and hugged her to him, saying, "I love you, Becky."
"I love you too, Eric," she said.
They kissed, but both sensed the tension and unease in the other.
They
then found their nightclothes and put them on. Eric wore a nightshirt,
and Becky a nightgown, though they were virtually identical: a
one-piece elongated long-sleeved shirt which extended below the knees.
They turned their backs to each other and slept.
The two were up at dawn to begin the day's work on the farm.
That
night Becky came to bed naked again, as did Eric. He kissed her and
fondled her, and while he was delighted to behold and touch his
beautiful Becky, his organ did not rise.
On the third night Eric came to bed in his nightshirt, and seeing him
dressing before retiring, Becky did as well.
There
is far more to a marriage than the sex. They relaxed around each other.
She learned where everything was in the kitchen and cabinets around the
house, learned how he liked his food prepared, and learned of the
simpler chores such as feeding chickens and collecting eggs. She made
some gentle suggestions for redecorating, and he had no problem with
most of them -- though a few things he wanted to leave undisturbed, as
they were tied in his mind to his mother's way.
Most of all,
they talked. He learned of her parents, her past, and all the intrigue
among the schoolgirls growing up that he had been totally oblivious to.
She had known of his affection for her all along! She certainly
couldn't make the first move, though. He was surprised to learn that
she, beautiful Becky, had felt shy and uncomfortable throughout her
childhood.
The two had lived their lives up to that point
without sex, and there was nothing to keep them from going right on
that way. They both tried not to think about sex. It was easy for Eric,
because the woman lying in bed next to him didn't turn him on -- if she
had, there would have been no problem. Becky had a harder time. She
found the man sleeping right next to her every night to be very sexy, a
man she wanted to make love with. She would have even welcomed a brutal
and painful ordeal if that was all he could offer. But his organ didn't
get suitably hard to allow anything of the kind.
She found her
hand between her legs at times, and when his regular breathing showed
he was asleep, she rubbed until waves of pleasure broke over her and
she had her first orgasm. She felt very guilty, however, and gradually
succeeded in just not thinking about sex at all.
Eric
could buy most of what he needed for his farm right in town, a mere
five miles away. Occasionally he needed more obscure items -- new
varieties of seeds, new tools, or parts. Then they went into the city.
When he went on these expeditions, he stayed overnight in a tavern.
Becky
stayed home during his first expedition after the marriage, but she
suggested she accompany him on the second one. They arranged with a
neighbor to do the critical farm chores.
Eric was a sober man
whose reactions were muted, especially in public. So when Becky saw a
twinkle in his eye and a big smile, she quickly looked to find the
cause. A mother walked along the edge of the road, a small boy holding
one hand, a small girl the other. Becky saw he was looking at the girl,
not the woman or the boy. She was perhaps five years old, with dark
brown hair and blue eyes, smiling, alert, and in love with life. She
wore a simple gray dress. Becky made a note of it. A minute later, on
the same walk, a girl of eight or so walked by in the company of her
father, and Becky saw a similar reaction on Eric's face, if less
pronounced.
Among the guests at the inn was a family. The
youngest of the three children was a girl of perhaps three or four.
Eric kept glancing at her as they had their evening meal in the inn.
"Beautiful, isn't she?" Becky said.
Eric saw that Becky had seen him looking. "Um, yes!" he agreed, though
she saw he looked flustered.
"Wouldn't
it be nice to have one of our own?" Becky asked. She at once regretted
it, as she had reminded him of his impotence. Naturally a cloud came
over Eric's face.
The next morning as they were preparing to
leave for home, Eric went out behind the inn to use the privy. On his
way back, he passed two people who were waiting their turn. The first
was an older woman who stood in the yard not too far from the privy.
The second was that same little girl. She was leaning against the door
that led back to the inn, and gave him only a brief and shy smile as he
passed. Once inside, Eric lingered in the hall, occasionally looking
out the window to see what that charming girl was up to. He stayed back
from the window so she couldn't see him.
The girl went nearer
the privy and leaned over to play with some bits of sticks and weeds,
but kept looking up at the privy door. The woman was taking her time.
He saw the girl hold her legs together and squirm, and she looked
increasingly uncomfortable. The girl looked worried, and after glancing
around, in one deft motion she hitched up her skirt and squatted. A
stream of golden pee drained from her body within seconds. She was
facing him, and he had had a clear view of her little slit. His cock
rose rapidly in his pants as he moved away from the window. The scene
was etched in his mind, and the more he thought about it, the harder
his cock became.
He let himself into the room he and Becky were about to vacate.
"Eric, dear, I am just about all ready to go --."
Eric
didn't answer. Instead, he dropped his trousers to reveal his rigid
cock. He didn't speak to Becky, but pushed her urgently towards the
bed, not looking at her. His young wife was confused, but saw the
opportunity provided by his erection. She began to fiddle with her
clothing, but Eric said, "Quickly!" His eyes were shut, the image of
the girl's slit in his mind.
In some exasperation, he tossed her back on the bed, pushing her skirt
up to give him access. But her chemise stuck.
Becky said, "Wait, you'll rip it!" and managed to pull it up out of the
way.
Eric
saw his goal and lodged the tip of his cock where he thought it
belonged, then shut his eyes again, imagining that little girl
squatting. With a mighty shove he felt Becky's flesh press in, but his
poor aim became clear when he found himself pressing against a bone.
Becky quickly grasped his organ and changed the aim. He shoved again,
and this time there was no bone, but the flesh did not give. He shifted
his arms to get better leverage, then lunged one more time.
"Ouch!" whispered Becky, and tensed up.
Eric
kept shoving inward, then began in and out strokes, fast and frantic.
His cock chafed against Becky's dry flesh, but he didn't at the time
know that it could feel so much better. His cock was in the warm cavity
where it belonged, and within fifteen seconds of penetration, his body
convulsed and he spurted, keeping up his frantic thrusting as the
spurts continued. Finally they stopped, and he withdrew, seeing as he
did Becky's confused face moist with tears. She looked down and saw
that blood had stained her chemise; some had soaked through to her
dress. Afraid that it might seep through onto the spread on the inn's
bed, she leapt up, trying to contain the blood.
Eric moaned, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
Becky
was in many ways upset. Her husband had taken her virginity in a very
abrupt and brutal manner, rupturing her maidenhead so that the blood
had ruined her best dress. She had had no chance to warm up at all, and
her vagina hurt badly.
However, she was also very happy. They
had finally consummated their marriage, and this was hopefully the
start of sexual relations that would get better with time. Above all,
now she might be able to have a baby!
"It's OK!" Becky said.
"I'm so glad! What happened? -- No, never mind that. I'm so glad," she
said, bending down to kiss him where he lay.
He returned the
kiss, but felt guilty and confused. Obviously it was the sight of a
little girl peeing-- and especially that glimpse of her little labia --
that had gotten him hard. During the brief sex he had looked at Becky
as little as possible because he needed to keep thinking of that little
slit, not his wife.
"You went to the privy, right?" she asked.
Eric nodded. "You didn't run into any little girls, did you?" Becky
asked, teasing. But she was startled by the embarrassment she saw
briefly flutter across her husband's face.
"Um, well, that little one was going in as I was coming out," he said,
trying to sound nonchalant.
Becky filed that information away.
As
they retired that night in their own bed, Eric turned to his wife,
hoping his erection would materialize. She was quite sore from their
morning encounter, but she would put up with anything if it could
contribute to the start of a real sex life. Unfortunately his cock did
not rise.
They went to bed in their nightclothes from then on.
He hoped that perhaps some spontaneous kissing and fondling might help
if there were no expectations. It would be easy enough to remove their
nightclothes if opportunity presented itself. But it did not. He was
discouraged but not surprised. Becky was bitterly disappointed.
As
usual, the bedroom was completely dark. Eric eased into bed, debating
what he should do with the new litter of pigs. Which ones were worth
keeping?
"Eric," said a small voice. "It's Becky! I like you, Eric."
"Becky?" Eric asked.
"I'm only seven years old," she said. "Would you touch me, Eric? On my
chest?"
"Becky..." he said. Was she making fun of him?
"It's OK, why not pretend?" she whispered. "Let's try!"
That put him at ease.
Uncertainly, Eric turned and ran his hand over Becky's chest. Her
breasts were tightly bound with cloth.
Eric turned Becky's face to him and kissed her.
"Ooooo!" she giggled, playing her part like a girl who had never been
kissed.
"You kissed me!" she squealed. "Now, between my legs, up under my
dress? It's naughty, but I want you to touch me there."
Eric
found his cock rising as he slid his hand up under the girl's nightie.
Between her legs, there was no hair! She must have shaved. His cock
hardened more. He felt Becky's hand check the state of his cock, and
then she whispered, "Can you lie on me and poke that peepee up under my
nightie?"
Eric was into the swing of things. He mounted his
little girl. He kept at bay his perception of the heft of woman he felt
beneath him, trying to keep in mind the illusion of girlhood Becky was
trying to create.
"Now, in my body?" she said. "I'm feeling very naughty. Please?"
Becky
aimed his cock and Eric pushed and he slid in. Her vagina was wet and
hot, and he just kept gliding in, deeper and deeper. It felt so much
better than during their brief fumbled encounter in the inn! This was
where his cock was supposed to be, and his body responded as nature
intended. In under a minute his strokes lengthened as he pushed in more
insistently, and then he groaned as his cum shot into the little girl
beneath him.
Becky sighed with delight and hugged Eric to her even as he kept
twitching.
The
two woke with lighter hearts as they went about their day's business.
That night Becky once again impersonated the little girl he had adored
so much, and he slid his hard cock into her. But this time he couldn't
help notice the heft to her thighs. As he moved his hands to change
position, he found her wide hips, and at that moment his erection
shrank within her.
Becky's efforts at pretending to be a girl never worked again to rouse
Eric's manhood.
Ten months of marriage had passed, and it had been fully consummated
only twice.
Becky had an idea. She was very nervous about bringing it up with Eric,
so she wanted to pick exactly the right moment.
Twice
she made an especially nice dinner, but sensing he was not in a good
mood she put off the conversation. After the third dinner, he seemed to
be in a good mood. Conditions would never be better.
"I wanted to ask you something, Eric," she said as he sat back in his
chair after enjoying the cherry pie.
"Go ahead!" said Eric.
"I
was thinking of hiring a girl to help me around the house. You know,
helping with the wash and the ironing, feeding chickens and the like."
"I hardly think there would be enough to keep YOU busy, without hiring
anyone new."
Becky
was momentarily tempted to reply that if he had been seeding her
regularly, as was his duty and her right, maybe she would have a child
to care for and enough work to occupy her time fully. But wisely she
resisted.
"I hear girls are very cheap, nothing like a hired hand."
"Still, once you start spending a little extra here, a little extra
there, it starts adding up."
"Well, the other reason is I'd be less lonely with some companionship."
"There's plenty of time to visit Mrs. Ambercroth next door, isn't
there?"
"Yes, yes... but I find her tiresome. What's more, I think a girl could
make things more lively around here."
"Well..."
This
was the crucial moment, and Becky's heart pounded hoping she would
deliver it just right. "Besides, you might enjoy having her around
too." She went right on. "We could try it for a week or two, and then
send her back if it doesn't work out."
Eric had heard Becky's
line. He enjoyed little girls, and there was nothing wrong with that.
But he still had a distinct memory of that girl squatting in the grass
behind the inn. It was that sight alone which had allowed him to
consummate the marriage. If only he could infuse that memory with color
and vitality again! Did Becky suspect that it was the sight of the
girl's nakedness that had aroused him?
Could they recreate
whatever it was he needed to get hard? Having a girl around would seem
like a good start. Trying for a week or two should do no harm.
"Did you have a girl in mind?" he asked.
"Do you know the Connor family?"
"No, not really."
"They
live in town. They have six children, and Mr. Connor has taken to
drink. There is little money left for Mrs. Connor and she is having a
terrible time keeping the household going."
"Hmmm, OK," Eric said.
"Why don't we go in to visit them and see if they have a girl we could
hire?"
The
Connors lived in what could charitably be called a shack. The woman who
answered the door looked much older than her 31 years, her clothing
worn.
"Mr. Olson! Mrs. Olson! Oh my, what a surprise!"
"Hello, Mrs. Connor, how are you today?" Eric asked.
"Oh, quite well, I can't complain, sir."
Becky spoke, "Do you mind if we come in for a moment? We had something
we wanted to discuss with you."
Mrs. Connor looked embarrassed and off balance. "It really is quite a
mess in there, I am afraid to say."
"Well, we could talk out here, that is fine too!"
"Oh,
thanks for understanding, ma'am. Things have been a bit hard lately, I
have to admit." A child screamed within, and with a brief look of
apology Mrs. Connor leaned in the door. "Arthur!" she hissed. A boy's
voice spoke soothingly, and the screaming died away.
"I can see
you have your hands full," Becky said, "so I'll get right to the point.
Eric is of course out working all day out in the fields, and I'm proud
of how well the farm is doing." Eric looked down. "I'd like to hire a
girl to help me out -- and keep me company."
Mrs. Connor didn't
quite understand. "My oldest girl is Judith, ma'am, and she's just
eight, and I'm not sure how much she could help." But not wanting to
let any chance at some income slip away, however unlikely, she adopted
a more positive tone: "But she's a good girl, and a bright one, and she
can learn fast!" She turned over her shoulder to shout with an air of
command, "Judith, freshen up quick and come out here!" After a pause
and a quick, sheepish glance at her visitors, she added, "Please!"
Judith's
dress was stained. She had combed her hair but it was nonetheless oily.
But she did look alert. "What sort of duties did you have in mind,
ma'am?" Mrs. Connor asked.
Eric interrupted. "Can you bring all your children out for us to see?"
"Yes, could you, please?" Becky asked, following her husband's lead.
"Certainly,
give me a moment." Mrs. Connor disappeared within, followed by Judith.
After a minute of urgent whispers and a few yelps, a motley crew
assembled.
"Steven is not here at the moment, but here we have
Judith of course, then Arthur, who is six, the twins Helen and John who
are almost four, and of course Faith," she said, indicating the baby in
her arms.
They all looked somewhere between thin and gaunt.
Becky saw quickly that Eric's eyes were fixed on Helen.
Becky squatted low. "Helen, can you come see me?"
The girl hid behind her twin John, but looked up questioningly at her
mother.
"Yes, dear, go to the nice lady!"
"What a lovely girl you are, Helen!" Becky exclaimed.
Eric caught the shy smile that flickered across Helen's face, and his
mind was made up.
"What do you think, Eric?"
"She looks OK to me," he said nonchalantly.
"What do you want such a little one for?" Mrs. Connor asked, as Helen
hurried back to hug her mother's leg.
"She
could help feed the chickens and gather eggs. But I'm not looking for
work really, I just like the idea of someone to keep me company.
Someone to chat and babble at me. "
"Well, I could see that,"
Mrs. Connor said, though her memory of a time when she wanted anyone
new to chat and babble at her was quite dim.
This sounded very
promising. Although she would miss her little girl, simply having one
less mouth to feed would be a welcome relief. But Mrs. Olson had not
said she would be willing to take a child off her hands, she had said
she wanted to hire the girl.
"I could consider it," she said, leaving it to the Olsons to name a
price.
"How about one dollar a week?" Eric asked.
Mrs. Connor's heart skipped a beat. That would help a great deal! But
it was much too high, and she was suspicious.
"This isn't charity, is it?" she said. "I don't take charity!"
"No,
not at all!" Eric added. "I just think that it would be worth a dollar
a week to have little Helen around -- for Mrs. Olson's sake," he said,
looking off into space.
"What about fifty cents?" Becky suggested.
"I
would feel better about that," Mrs. Connor agreed, though also
disappointed to be passing up those extra fifty cents a week. "When
would you like her?"
"When is convenient for you?"
"Any time."
"What about right now?" Eric asked. He fished into his pocket for fifty
cents and held it out.
"We'll have to see how it goes," Becky said. "If Helen is unhappy or
there is some other problem, we may have to send her back."
"Of course, of course," Mrs. Connor agreed, though her eyes were fixed
on the two quarters that Eric held.
She turned to her brood. "The rest of you -- back in the house!"
Judith
and Arthur stooped to kiss their little sister and whisper a word to
her before heading inside. Mrs. Connor handed the baby to Judith as she
went in. John didn't understand what was happening and went straight
inside without a word to his twin.
Sensing the mother wanted to speak with her daughter alone, Becky said,
"Mr. Olson and I will wait over here, Mrs. Connor."
Mrs.
Connor swooped the girl into her arms and spoke to her quietly. As she
spoke, Helen looked back and forth between the Olsons and her mother,
tears welling up in her eyes. Mrs. Connor gave her a long hug, then set
her down and led her by the hand to Becky. Eric handed the woman the
coins, and the Olsons helped Helen into their carriage.
Becky talked to Helen soothingly on the ride back to the farm, though
the girl remained frightened, anxious and silent.
Helen's
first show of enthusiasm came at supper. She ate greedily, then gladly
took the seconds and thirds she was offered. She was less enthusiastic
about having her hair cut short and the long, hot bath that Becky gave
her, nor was she too happy to sit in her lap for an hour as Becky went
over every inch of her head and body in search of lice.
"Say goodnight to Mr. Olson, Helen."
When
the girl turned her head away, Eric said, "Oh, that's OK, you don't
have to say anything to me until you feel like it. Is there anything
else you'd like before you go to bed?"
"More food?" the tyke nearly whispered.
Becky
gave her husband an approving smile as she led Helen off to the kitchen
for an evening snack, then to her clean, fresh bed.
The girl
perked up considerably with fresh, clean clothes, the undivided doting
attention of a grown-up, and above all enough food. She had the run of
the house, the barn, and the fields nearby.
Eric had a little
time to spend with Helen after his chores were done at night. He asked
her questions, listened to her answers with great interest, and made
conversation. He smiled at her, and sympathized when she was sad. Becky
observed all that hopefully.
But Eric kept Helen physically at a
distance. While Helen snuggled freely in Becky's lap, she sensed
correctly that Eric's was off limits.