Bezpłatny fragment - The Orphan’s Triumph

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Chapter Minus Three: Author’s Foreword

The author of this book is a fourth-generation Polish-American. This means that my great-grandfather Walenty Karnowski landed in New York in 1871. I wrote it in English, my native language.

Make no mistake: this book, and those to follow it, are works of fiction. I have attempted to make the depiction of history as accurate as possible, but where the facts were scant or non-existent at the time of writing, I invented them. Please do not go away thinking that because you read something in my book it must be true. I hope that you will check everything I say. Much of my historic data comes from sites that I visited on the Internet, so the data is as accurate as that.

Chapter Minus Two: The Angel Zuriel’s Foreword

I am Zuriel, the guardian angel of Valentine Karnowski, whose life is the unifying thread of previous, this, and subsequent books. This one is about that period in his life when he turned from boy to man. As an angel in the presence of the triune God, Who is Truth, I know a lot more than you on earth: I know the truth, rather than commonly-held beliefs, about human events. I am a precise kind of being, and that is why I often give times of sunrise, sunset, high- and low- temperatures, wind speeds and other facts of weather, because I know the influence these can have on human events.

Well, why am I writing these books? Valentine Karnowski has led a most unusual life, having lived through many events of historical significance. He is also a genius. I want to show the hardships forced on him and the Polish nation, of which he was a part. I want to show the faithfulness of the Poles to Jesus' Catholic faith. I want to show that — relative to wealth — the “upper class” is actually the lower class, and — relative to morality — the “lower class” is actually the upper class.

These books are in the form of a diary, because the life of Man happens day by day. While something is happening in one place, something else is happening in another. The problem with many novels written by chapter is that e.g., in chapter 1 they will deal with the weather over a period of time, then in chapter 2 they will go back to day 1 and deal with geography. Chapter 3 will go back to day one and deal with Mr. X, etc. I tell you about things that are happening simultaneously.

How am I writing them? I give inspiration to Mr. Schmidt, and he types it all out.

It would add to your enjoyment to trace trips on a map from one place to another. You can find the places mentioned in this book on an Internet map of Europe, and on Google Earth. You will get indispensable background that happened prior to this book from Books One, Two, Three, and upcoming Four B.

Chapter One: Holy Saturday, 1855

Sat. April 7, 1855. In Szczepanki, Prussian-occupied Poland, at 5:00 am Monica Flisowa (28) got her family up so as to attend the Holy Saturday liturgy at 6:00 am. This consisted of husband Henry (33), her mother-in-law Casimira (54), her sister-in-law Agnes (25), her natural children Simeon (6), Hilary (5), Margaret (almost 3), and Gregory (2).

There was also stepson Valentine Karnowski (12+). Valentine had an extremely high intellect. Henry Flis had taken him in when his illegitimate mother died at the end of 1847. His illegitimate father Moses had been executed by firing squad in July, 1843 for crimes he had committed while under diabolic possession. Monica had opposed Henry’s taking-in of the boy, and even moreso, sending him to Hildebrandt, the Prussian state school in Łasin, where he was now nearing the end of seventh grade. He would have one more year of formal education. Monica didn’t do much to disguise her dislike of Val.

*

Fr. Straube — a German — was the pastor of St. Laurence church in Szczepanki. He was appointed in April, 1849 after the previous pastor — the Polish Fr. Berent — was assassinated by a government spy at the instigation of Otto von Bismarck, at this time in history a relatively insignificant Prussian bureaucrat. In his hatred for the conquered Poles he had arranged for the assassinations of two other local Polish pastors, and their replacement by Germans. Of course, the replacement priests themselves were unaware of this, and did their jobs as faithfully as they could. And naturally the local peasantry never learned the behind-the-scenes machinations that had produced the state of affairs, although they were suspicious.

At the liturgy in St. Laurence church Fr. Straube blessed the New Fire, read the 12 Prophecies and Prayers, and blessed the baptismal font, wearing purple vestments. Then he blessed the Paschal Candle, and began Mass wearing white.

When he intoned, “Gloria in excelsis…” various altar boys began jangling hand bells, which they did for the duration of the prayer. The organ was heard for the first time since the beginning of Lent, and the choir took up the rest of the prayer: “…et in terra pax…” The sexton and two other men pulled on long ropes that got the bells up in the tower ringing. Other altar boys pulled off the purple coverings that had hidden statues and pictures since Passion Sunday. Others quickly came out with vases of flowers to adorn the altar. To young and sensitive Val Karnowski it was magnificent and he was deeply moved.

A need to assume the teaching of Polish History and Culture on Saturdays and Sundays had arisen after the mysterious deaths of the three local Polish priests in 1849. The three German priests would confine themselves to teaching the faith only.

Michael Rogala was a local intellectual living in Łasin. He and Val had the highest IQs in all of Grudziądz County; Michael had taken it upon himself to teach these “H & C” lessons. Val was in these classes. Michael could tell that Val was unusually gifted — like himself, so he became the boy’s mentor. The lessons were held in Theodore Kowalski’s barn in Szczepanki. There was no Polish History lesson after Mass today.

The German priests had also informed their Polish congregations that they regarded the traditional Święconka blessing given later on Holy Saturday mornings as a holdover from pagan days, and would not give it. This led to much sadness and resentment on the part of the peasants.

*

After supper, which ended about 6:30 pm, Henry Flis — Val’s protector — felt and heard a gurgling in his intestines. He lost no time in running to the outhouse and having a movement of diarrhea. “I must be gettin’ stomach flu”, he mused to himself. Returning to his family, he said, “Monica, I’m not feelin’ well. I think I’ll lie down here on the bed. Val, why don’t you play somethin’ on your harmonica — soothe your daddy?” He lay down and Val began to play a krakowiak. The happiness of the melody began to put him at ease, when suddenly he gripped his belly and exclaimed, “Excuse me, everyone. I feel another attack of diarrhea comin’ on”. He ran to the outhouse and relieved himself again.

He went back to bed. Monica leaned over him and felt his forehead. It was hot. Lady Rogozińska owned a thermometer, but Monica felt no need to send someone up there to fetch it. He did have a fever. She set in to make some barley water. This folk remedy was considered the best way to stop up diarrhea. She added a scoop of barley to some water; and boiled it. When the water was pink she judged it ready. It was too hot to drink, so she emptied the contents from one utensil to another, letting the material absorb the excess heat. When it was ready she brought it to Henry’s bedside.

Between herself and Val they got Henry to sit up. “Now drink it all, Henry”, Monica demanded in a firm yet kindly way. “I’m not thirsty, but since you insist I’ll do it”, he replied. No sooner had he downed the liquid than he bolted up from the bed and out to the privy to expel more diarrhea. When he returned he said, “I’m sorry, my dear Monica, to be rude to you, but there was no time…”

“Och, there’s no need to apologize”, she said.

He returned to bed and Monica felt his forehead again. She was sure that he was hotter than before. She began to worry. She sat by his side and held his hand. She noticed that the skin of his hands was wrinkled, like hers after doing a load of laundry. His head and neck were covered with sweat and appeared oily. She sent Val to the well and prepared a basin of cold water and a small towel. She could have used a few bits of ice, but the only ice was again at Lady Rogozińska’s, and by the time Val got back with it, it would be melted. She had to content herself with frequent trips to the well for cold water. She would immerse the towel in the water and wring it out a bit. She would mop all Henry’s exposed skin, leaving a film of water to cool him. She fanned his wet skin with a makeshift fan. She dipped the towel again, wrang it again, folded it and placed it on Henry’s brow. She and the children sat down, all watching Henry, who now seemed to be most uncomfortable. He moaned now and then.

At about nine pm Monica said, “You all go to sleep; I’ll stay with daddy. Except you, Val”.

At nine-thirty Henry suddenly grabbed for the basin, and vomited. He got out of bed and moved as though to go to the privy. “You’re too sick for that. Here: use this for a chamber pot”, Monica said, and thrust it at him. He squatted over it and had another movement of diarrhea. She insisted that he drink more barley water, and he did so. “Val, make sure there’s a supply of it. Quick!” she ordered.

At nine forty-five Henry jerked painfully. “Oh, oh, I have cramps in my calves!” he cried. Monica reached under the covers and tried to massage away the cramp, to no avail. “Oh Jezu, help me to bear the pain!” he cried, weeping softly, knitting his brow and biting his lower lip. Monica felt useless and helpless. “Val, get my Rosary”, she ordered. When it was brought she made some feeble attempt to pray, but was more absorbed in her husband’s health. Henry asked Val to bring him a small crucifix, upon which he looked frequently. “My heart is beatin’ so rapidly!” he exclaimed. Monica reached over, pulled away the covers and placed her palm over his heart. It was true. While she stood over him, she noticed that his lips were dry and cracked. “Open your mouth”, she ordered, and saw that the insides were dry. “Aren’t you thirsty?” she asked.

“Well I wasn’t before, but I am now — terribly”, he answered, so she gave him more barley water.

As the night wore on he became irritable, which she took in stride, correctly attributing this to his discomfort. She did not answer back tit for tat. She became more alarmed at the frequency of diarrhea movements, and the amount of water that each contained. Val was kept running emptying the chamber pot into the privy. He stayed up.

The sun set at 6:51. Monica and Val continued to sit by Henry’s bedside.

Chapter Two: Easter, 1855

Sun. April 8, 1855. Henry Flis is sick. At about 3:00 am Monica looked at Henry’s face, which was illuminated by a single candle in the dark room. She noted that his breathing had become shallow and rapid. He seemed to be staring into space with little consciousness. He pushed the covers aside to make another trip to the chamber pot, but his movements were slow and fumbling. She helped him get up. He was dizzy and weak. “That’s it”, she told herself; “I’m sendin’ for the doctor.” She ordered, “Val, you hafta go to Łasin and fetch Dr. Burchardt immediately”.

*

Ignorant of all this, in St. Laurence Church, Szczepanki, Fr. Straube began the Resurrection Mass and procession in relative darkness at 4:30 am. Outside the black sky was cloudless and the temperature was 29°F. It wasn’t much warmer in the church. Rogala did not teach Polish History to the kids afterwards.

*

Unaware of the drama that was playing out in Szczepanki, Val’s mentor Michael Rogala will spend the day with Lord Bogumił Gruszczyński and his family at Gruszczyn manor, Szonowo szlacheckie, in St. Catherine’s, a neighboring parish. Bogumił had been a friend of Lord John Rogoziński, the heir to Rogóźno Zamek estate, where Val’s mother had been lady’s maid to dowager Lady Rogozińska (John’s mother) and her two daughters. Lord John had hatched a plan to make Val’s mother — Marta Neringówna — fall in love with Bogumił, then to expose the plan. This was Lord John’s revenge for Marta’s rebuffing his advances. Recoiling from this cruel blow, Marta, who HAD fallen in love with Bogumił, went into a depression; didn’t take care of her health, contracted Pneumonia, and died. Remorse-stricken, Bogumił had converted and now lived a saintly life. He was determined to introduce democratic reforms on his estate.

*

It was about 5:00 am when Val and the doctor returned. It was still dark; dawn would come in about half an hour. The doctor went up to Henry and examined him. He turned to Monica and announced, “He has Cholera.”

“O Jezu!” exclaimed Monica. The doctor opened his bag and administered a dose of calomel to the patient. He took out his monaural wooden stethoscope and listened. Henry’s heart was beating very quickly.

Realizing the seriousness of the situation, she ordered Val to fetch Fr. Straube.

Val and the pastor arrived about 6:00 am. Monica got thirteen-year-old Val and her children to kneel and pray. “Daddy has Cholera”, she announced to them solemnly; “We hafta pray for ‘is return to health”. Everyone began weeping.

Fr. Straube set up a sick-call table and heard Henry’s Confession. Because the sick one could not keep anything down Father snipped off the tiniest spec of the Eucharistic Bread and gave it to him. He anointed him. When the Last Sacraments were finished, Henry addressed the group in little more than a whisper, punctuated by short shallow breaths. “I don’t know — - if I will outlive — - this disease, — - or if I will be — - awake much longer,…” At this he lapsed into what seemed like sleep. Recovering, he continued, “ — - I may be talkin’ to you — - for the last time. — - I beg forgiveness — - for any harm — - I have done you.” He fell away again. Coming to, he said, “ — - It’s sad — - that I could not — -have done so — - until pressed — - by the prospect — - of eternal — - damnation.” He paused a long time. He wanted to go on, but could not.

Doctor Burchardt left the praying group. He turned to Val and told him, “Give him barley water as often as possible, and 20 grains of calomel four times daily”. Then Dr. Burckhardt announced, “You are all under quarantine. From now on no one is to come or go until I say so.”

“Doctor, what’ll we do?” asked a weeping Monica.

“Keep his feet elevated. Keep him warm. We want to sweat it out of him. Continue to give him liquid — preferably barley water.”

Monica said, “Children, eat your breakfast. I’ll stay with your daddy and eat later”.

Apart from the children, a frightened Valentine asked Monica, “Mama, is daddy going to die?”

“We don’t know, Val. That’s in God’s hands”, she replied through her tears. “We must pray that he get well”.

The doctor got Val to make a sign that said, “Cholera. Stay away until May 18th.” He nailed it up to their door.

Chapter Three: Henry Flis — Val’s Foster-Father — Dies

At about 8:30 am Monica noticed that Henry’s fingertips and lips were blue. He was sweating. At 10:00 am he complained of chest pain. At 11:00 he became delirious, clutching at his belly, then lapsed into a coma. Doctor Burchardt spoke softly into Fr. Straube’s ear, “I think it’s time”. With everyone assembled Fr. Straube anointed Henry for the last time, as everyone wept and prayed silently. His breathing became very shallow; his face showed great pain. Henry was thinking, “My Jesus, you suffered for me. Help me, help me, to bear these sufferings to atone for my sins. I believe that you are merciful. I throw myself on your mercy.” At 12:30 noon his face relaxed into a broad smile, as he saw the angels sent to lead him to Purgatory, and he breathed his last.

Val had an epileptic seizure. Luckily, they had Dr. Burchardt to tell them what to do: “Do nothing. Just keep everything away from him that he could hit as he thrashes about. We don’t want him hurting himself”. Monica was thinking, “Don’t I have enough on my hands?” and she made no attempt to hide it.

Before leaving, the doctor said to the confused Monica, “I will drop by Hildebrandt School and inform them about the quarantine. That way you will not be fined for Val’s absences”.

After his departure Monica sent Val to the well to get some water to wash Henry’s body. The purpling sky in the west filled her with many emotions: sorrow, nostalgia and melancholy. She missed him, and let the tears flow.

She got Val to go around and announce Henry’s death to the neighbors. This he did by shouting, “CHOLERA AT OUR HOUSE! STAY AWAY!”

At home he helped her to undress, then redress, her husband, and lay him on the bed.

The sun set at 6:53.

8:00 pm came — bedtime, but no one wanted to go to bed.

Tues. April 10, 1855. Monica got her family up before dawn, which came at 5:19. She and Val dragged Henry’s body outside, where two men, informed by Dr. Burchardt, picked it up. At the time Cholera was believed to be spread by “bad air”, so the two men who immediately buried him in St. Laurence’s churchyard wore cloth bandanas over their noses and mouths.

*

At 6:00 am Fr. Straube said a Requiem Mass for Henry, but his body was already in the ground. None of his family was at the church: Monica, the kids, his parents or siblings. There was no post-burial meal in Theodore Kowalski’s barn.

*

At 6:53 am Mrs. Krajecka, the matchmaker, having heard the announcement of Henry’s death at Mass, risked her health: she approached Monica’s door and yelled from a distance, “YOU NEED A MAN TO TAKE CARE O’ YOU AN’ YOUR HOUSEHOLD! LEMME DO SOME INVESTIGATIN’ AN’ COME UP WITH SOMEONE!” Tearfully, Monica yelled back from her doorway, “ALL RIGHT! I AGREE!”

Wed. May 2, 1855. The Kłopoteks were sent to prison, and the children were placed in an orphanage. They were a “black-sheep” family that had moved into the same barracks that housed the Flises and Val. Both parents were alcoholics.

Fri. May 4, 1855. At 6:00 am Fr. Straube said the Mass in honor of St. Monica. Although this was her namesday, Monica Flisowa was not in attendance: she was quarantined.

*

Monica gave herself a subdued namesday party this night starting at 6:30 pm. Present were her mother-in-law, her sister-in-law, Monica’s children Simeon (6), Hilary (5), Margaret (almost 3) and Gregory (2). And of course, Val Karnowski.

Michael Rogala (24), a friend of both the late Henry Flis and Val Karnowski, was to have been present, but word of the quarantine kept him and everyone else away. Mrs. Krajecka had so far not produced any eligible husbands. Monica found Michael handsome, but reason prevailed: he was penniless, and was no farmer. He was well-educated; she was illiterate. A friendship had developed between him and her late husband Henry. And she could see that Rogala enjoyed talking with Val, who was so unusually smart for a 13-year old, and was in Rogala’s Polish History and Culture classes. She did allow, but not encourage, that relationship.

Fri. May 18, 1855. In Szczepanki Monica awoke her family at sunrise: 4:05, glad that the quarantine was ending.

*

In Łasin Rogala took note of the significance of the day, as he was desirous to visit the Flises. He would give his condolences to Monica, the widow, and converse with the prodigy, Val.

*

The sun set at 8:01 pm, everyone’s bedtime. In Szczepanki Val got into bed, glad that he would be going back to school on Monday. A note about new sleeping arrangements: occupying bed one were Monica and her daughter Margaret (3), and son Gregory (2). In bed two were her late husband’s mother Casimira (54) and sister-in-law Agnes (25). Bed three held her sons Simeon (6) and Hilary (5) and stepson Val (13), head-to-foot. Since space was limited Henry had made a bunk bed of beds two and three, with bed two on the bottom.

Sun. June 3, 1855. At 9:00 am Val attended the Mass for Trinity Sunday in Szczepanki with sixteen classmates from Hildebrandt School. The only ones among them who actually lived in Szczepanki were Sosnowski, an anti-intellectual, with whom Val felt nothing in common, and Eugene Derdowski, a very nice boy whom it was easy to like but who was of average intelligence and never had anything to say. Whenever he saw them he prayed, “Lord, help me not to be a snob. It’s not their fault that they’re not as smart as I. And help me to forgive it when they get jealous of my brain”.

Chapter Four: Krajecka, the Matchmaker, Presents a Candidate

At about 2:00 pm in the afternoon Mrs. Krajecka paid a visit to Monica Flisowa. “I think I have good news. I have a widower, Anselm Knitter. He’s 35, he’s Polish and he’s a colonus”.

“How many children has he?”

“Three: 7, 4 and 3”.

“Oh, that’ll be more work for me”, Monica said, crestfallen.

“Wait a minute. You have your mother in law and her daughter; you have Val Karnowski — he’s 13. Put all the older children to work — don’t do everything yourself!”

“How’s ‘is health?” she asked, ignoring the imagined criticism.

“He’s a big man: six feet if he’s an inch. He has a strong back. He’s muscular.”

“Where does ‘e live? He’s not from our parish; I don’t recognize the name.”

“He’s from Goczałki, Łasin parish. That’s just one parish over. Ye-e-e-s, you’d have to move there, but think: it’s more room — he lives in a detached house owned by Lord Bogumił Gruszczyński of Gruszczyn Manor. They say Bogumił’s become a livin’ saint. Wouldn’t you like to get away from Lady Rogozińska? Also, remember, the Kwasigrochs moved to Gruszczyn, his estate, after she kicked ‘em out. You’d have some ready-made friends right away. They love it there.”

“We-e-ell, it sounds good. When can you arrange a meetin’?”

“Corpus Christi’s comin’ up. How ‘bout late that afternoon, after the procession?”

“That’s fine.”

Tues. June 5, 1855. In Łasin Nathan Karnowski, brother of Val’s late father Moses, was the Rabbi of congregation Bnai Yitzhak. Nathan runs the Kashruth chicken store in Łasin and is very patriotic for Poland. (Michael Rogala works in the store. With his high intellect Michael ought to be teaching, but the Prussian state frowns on Poles teaching). At this time Europe was undergoing an epidemic of Cholera. Today Nathan’s wife — Michal Pippik — Val’s aunt through marriage — died of the disease. She leaves one child, a son Avriel, born 5/22/1849.

*

At 6:00 am the German pastors in Szczepanki, Gruta and Łasin all said the Mass of St. Boniface, Bishop and Martyr. At catechism afterward they continued to make a big deal of it.

*

At 7:18 with the temperature at 54°F, absolutely no wind blowing, and under a cloudless sky, Val left for his first day back in school after quarantine. His usual fellow-travelers had come by, with the intention of passing, but he called out, “Hey, you guys, wait for me!”

Chapter Five: Incident on Corpus Christi

Thurs. June 7, 1855. At 5:15 Monica woke Val and Simeon for school. They would not be able to attend Corpus Christi Mass, which was a cause of resentment at the government and the school on the part of most parents. This would be a day of no work for Catholics.

*

At 9:00 am Fr. Straube celebrated Corpus Christi Mass, then there was a procession with the Blessed Sacrament around the outskirts of St. Laurence parish, Szczepanki. Corpus Christi was also the traditional day to receive First Communions locally.

*

At 9:40 during the Spelling period at Hildebrandt School the kids were having a test when Alex Sosnowski, bored, happened to look out the window and saw the procession with the Blessed Sacrament wending its way past the school. Others caught sight of him, and their attention left their pencil-and-paper and focused on the windows. Disregarding decorum, all the kids rushed to the windows. “IT’S THE BLESSED SACRAMENT! DOWN ON YOUR KNEES!” Val shouted, and all the Catholic kids did so, craning their necks to see over the sills.

“GET BACK TO YOUR SEATS!” barked Mr. Kulas, who was old and cranky, from behind his thick glasses. He shook his fist of gnarled knuckles at the class and exclaimed, “Everyone who has left his or her seat will stay after school and perform the tasks of those who were originally assigned them. And you, Karnowski, as the ringleader, you will stand in the corner and wear a dunce cap”.

*

That afternoon at about 4:00 pm there was a knock on Monica Flisowa’s door. She opened it to find Mrs. Krajecka, a tall man, and three boys. Monica had on her best, and had made sure that her children did, too. There was no telling that she would like him, but in the event that she did, she wanted everyone to look their best and be on their best behavior.

“Why don’t all you children go outside and play, so that we adults can talk big-people talk?” she asked. They did so.

Meanwhile inside the adults talked pleasantries for quite a while, behind which they were making little judgments about each other. Finally, Mrs. Krajecka got down to business. Marriage at this time in Polish society (and most European society) was an economic necessity. Romantic love did not have much place in it. To survive, a man and woman needed to form an alliance that was workable. The one thing that the culture drilled into them was that they owed each other respect. Love, in the forms of philia and later agape, would grow over time.

Both Monica and Anselm came to an understanding on what their responsibilities would be. They agreed, after which everyone walked over to the rectory in Szczepanki and asked Fr. Straube to set a date for their marriage.

*

At 4:10 pm school let out. The Lutheran and Jewish kids left the building; the Catholic kids washed windows and floors, etc. as punishment.

*

At 6:30 pm Val got home late, just in time for supper, and after telling her what happened, Monica knew that she ought to visit the school and talk with the administration, but Val was not her child, and she had to manage a household. Besides, her mind was full of conflicting thoughts: being happily married vs. What if things go bad?

“I’ll go to the school with ‘im”, piped up Casimira Flisowa, the late Henry’s mother, feeling that she needed to do something to justify her room and board.

Sun. June 10, 1855. At Mass the first banns of marriage between Monica Flisowa and Anselm Knitter were announced in St. Laurence, Szczepanki, St. Catherine’s, Łasin, and for good measure, in Assumption, Gruta. Not much ever happened in the country, so this was big news locally.

Chapter Six: Val’s Step-Grandma Defends Him at Hildebrandt School

Mon. June 11, 1855. Casimira Flisowa accompanied Val to 6:00 Mass. She would need grace to face the people at Val’s school.

Afterwards, holding Val’s hand on one side and Simeon’s on the other, she left for Hildebrandt School to complain about the Corpus Christi incident with Val and the kids.

*

Casimira, Val and Simeon arrived at school. “You kids go to your first class. I’ll go to the principal”, Casimira said. Being illiterate, she was at a loss as to which door was marked “principal”, so she timidly asked someone passing in the corridor. The person took her to the right door, and she knocked, again timidly. That didn’t produce anyone, so she said a prayer: “O Lord, give me the grace to go through with this!” and knocked more loudly. This time a woman — apparently a secretary — opened it. “I must speak with the principal”, Casimira said meekly. She was ushered in, and a seat was pointed out to her.

The principal sat behind a big oak desk. Sitting, he was a tall man, and portly. He wore pince-nez glasses, a frock coat, starched white collar and black cravat. He had a large bushy moustache that blended in with bushy sideburns. His hair was thinning, and a bald spot was just beginning to appear on his head. All head hair was streaked with grey.

He went about some paper work as though she were not there. After some time he looked up and asked, in Kashubian-accented Polish, “And what brings you here?” She stood and took a few steps forward. She narrated the Corpus Christi incident, and said, “We Catholics have a right to practice our religion. Your Mr. Kulas punished the Catholic children, and my grandson even more so by makin’ ‘im stand in the corner with a dunce cap. He should be made to apologize for this”.

He got up, stepped off his dais and approached her. She was surprised to see that standing he was rather short. Taking her hands he said, “Madam, the Prussian state prides itself on being a secular institution. We cannot allow every religion to take time away from study to accommodate its peculiar practices. We are trying to make up for centuries of illiteracy and backwardness in this area”. He was careful not to say, “in Prussian-occupied Poland”.

“Then why does Rev. Kretzmann come in to teach Lutheranism?” she said to herself, and had a quick debate with herself as to whether or not to use this weapon. She decided not to, figuring his ensuing loss of face would make things only worse. Drawing on the virtue of self-control, she held her tongue.

She responded, “I’m very disappointed at your answer. You know, when we Poles ruled ourselves we gave religious freedom to all, and that includes Jews and Protestants not wanted in other countries. If you were smart, you’d go along with our faith. If you want us to blend in and become Prussians, that would make greater sense”.

She curtsied, turned and left.

After he was sure that she had gone home, he sent for Mr. Kulas. “What kind of an idiot are you, bearing down on the Polish kids? And making that boy-wonder Karnowski wear a dunce cap? You know how volatile the Poles are. You want another riot? Another May 3rd? Henceforth, you are to make allowances for religious eccentricities. Hear?” And Kulas backed away red-faced.

Chapter Seven: Val’s Stepmother — Monica Flisowa — Remarries

Sun. July 1, 1855. The sun rose at 3:47 to a cloudless day. There would be no precipitation all day. Monica got everyone in the house up.

*

At the 9:00 Mass in St. Laurence church, Szczepanki the widow Monica Flisowa (29), nee Grzemska, Val’s stepmother, married the widower Anselm Knitter (35). Fr. Straube was the officiant. Her late husband’s mother Casimira (54), sister-in-law Agnes (25), her children Simeon (6), Hilary (5), Margaret (3) and Gregory (2) were present, as well as Val (13), a stepson. Anselm’s children Aloysius (7), Nicholas (4) and Marius (3) were also present. Casimira, Agnes and Val were delegated to care for the children.

*

After Mass the congregation moved to Theodore Kowalski’s barn, where a kapela was formed which included harmonica and drums (Valentine Karnowski), gęśle (Paul Kwasigroch) and dulcimer (Uncle Julian Nering). The late Henry Flis had played the kobza. That now was taken over by Simon Kwasigroch.

Val Karnowski was feeling very uneasy that his world was changing. When he wasn’t playing he stayed close to Michael Rogala. Between 4:53 and 5:53 pm the high temperature reached 88° which caused Val to sweat. The thirteen-year-old noticed that he had body odor, something that had never happened before.

Sunset at 8:33 pretty much signified the end of the celebration, as everyone had to work the next day.

Chapter Eight: Monica, Val and the New Family Move to Goczałki

Mon. July 2, 1855. Foregoing the usual three-day wedding, Monica and her family began loading a wagon for the move from Szczepanki to Goczałki, east southeast of Łasin. There was a sad parting from neighbors. Val felt scared: everything was changing. Thank goodness the weather was fair and the sky was pure blue. Lady Rogozińska had the next tenants standing by as Monica moved out. Val was not in school, so he did a man’s portion of the work.

They took time to attend 6:00 am Mass. Out in the courtyard after Mass there were more tearful farewells. Monica’s family had lived in Szczepanki for many generations. Val said goodbye to those in his catechism class, but realized that he will still see them in Hildebrandt School in September.

*

By 6:30 pm they were moved into the house in Goczałki. Monica made supper and the combined family sat around the table for the first time.

Occupying bed one were Anselm and Monica and her son Gregory (2). In bed two were her late husband’s mother Casimira (54), sister-in-law Agnes (25), and Monica’s daughter Margaret (3). Bed three held her sons Simeon (6) and Hilary (5), and his son Nicholas (4). With stepson Val (13) in bed four slept Anselm’s sons Marius (3) and Aloysius (7). Before the two families were blended at Monica and Anselm’s wedding, he had realized that there wasn’t going to be enough room to move around, so he built four bunk beds, one bed above another.

When the sun set at 8:31 pm the twelve members of the new Knitter family went to bed for the first night in their new home. Val was assigned the middle position between Marius and Aloysius. The beds consisted of animal skins stretched over crisscrossed ropes. Val’s weight worked against him, as it caused the other two to roll toward him.

Sun. July 15, 1855. When their rooster got the Knitters up at 4:01 one of the first things that Val said was, “Today is Henry Flis’s namesday. Can we honor him in some way at supper tonight?” His new step-father Anselm Knitter barked, “We’ll have no mention of him. I am head of this house now!” Outside a violent thunderstorm raged.

*

The new Knitter family attended the 9:00 Mass in Łasin. A different set of Val’s classmates from Hildebrandt School also attended this Mass, fifteen in all. Richard Koprowski and Carol Król were the only two who lived in Goczałki, where Val now lived.

*

In the afternoon Val had an epileptic fit. The other kids reacted by backing away as far as they could. Anselm reacted by yelling at Monica, “YOU NEVER SAID ANYTHING ABOUT ANY OF YOUR KIDS’ BEIN’ POSSESSED!” Monica responded, “He’s NOT my kid. And he’s not possessed — just strange!” Anselm made a decision to make life difficult for Val.

Chapter Nine: Val Starts His Last Year of Formal Education

Mon. September 3, 1855. This was Val’s first week of school. In the past, in order to get to 6:00 am Mass, Val had to get up at 5:15, but Łasin was farther from Goczałki than Szczepanki had been, so the new wake-up time would have to be 4:45, and he would have to leave for Mass at 5:08. When Val had been expelled from Rogóźno Zamek Manor after his mother’s death, Fr. Kąkol, the chaplain there, had taken pity on the orphan and gifted him with his old Antoine Redier alarm clock. Val now counted it as one of his prize possessions.

At 4:45 today all the members of the Knitter household awoke for a new day. That included Anselm, his children Aloysius, Nicholas and Marius; Monica and her children Simeon, Hilary, Margaret and Gregory, stepson Valentine Karnowski, Casimira Flisowa, Monica’s mother in law from her first marriage, and Casimira’s daughter Agnes. This was a special day for Val, Simeon and Aloysius: beginning today local children would begin attending Catechism classes taught by Frs. Straube, Erdmann and Knitter in their respective parishes.

At 5:08, after morning prayers and breakfast, Val left for 6:00 Mass in Łasin, in the dark. With him were Monica’s son Simeon (b. 2/27/49), starting 1st grade, and Anselm’s son Aloysius, (b. 6/19/1848), starting 2nd grade. On their way the sun rose at 5:20. Val heard the crowing of many roosters as they walked along the shore of Łasin lake. Starting today and ending 7/21 Val would be an acolyte. His partner was classmate Richard Koprowski.

As soon as Mass was over, Fr. Stanislav Knitter set in to teach catechism class. (Here I, Zuriel intervene. As I said elsewhere this priest is a Kosznajder. I said there that the Kosznajders had retained their Germanness, but had adopted many Polish customs. Taking Polish first names is one of these.) “Today we will pick up where you left off last June”, he said. His lessons would all start with a question, and its answer. Then there would be explanation of it, finishing up by taking questions.

“What is necessary to make a good Communion?”

Frank Pasko answered, “It’s necessary to be in the state of sanctifyin’ grace, to have a right intention, and to obey the laws of fastin’”.

Val felt uneasy in his new surroundings, but good to be free of parental control, especially that of his new stepfather; in addition, he looked forward to a final year of formal learning. He loved learning things.

In the past, the priests would have taught Polish History and Culture at the end of catechism lessons; they would no longer be taught since the priests were now German. At this 1st session Frank Pasko informed Fr. Knitter that Rogala was teaching Polish History and Culture in Szczepanki. As he walked back to his seat with a smug look on his face, several boys hissed, “Snitch!”

*

This was also the first day of instruction at Hildebrandt state school, Łasin. At 7:45 am under a cloudless blue sky Val left the church for school, where he and his fellow catechism students arrived for the start of classes.

Hildebrandt School had two divisions. Each was situated in its own building, with a shared playground between them. The first, which received much monetary support from the government, was for German children. The second, which received almost no government support, was for Polish, Kashubian and Jewish children.

Val, and a gaggle of kids whose faces were by now familiar to him, milled about with a lot of Polish, Kashubian and Jewish mothers in the schoolyard in front of the Polish school building. A similar group shuffled about in front of the German school building at the other end of the same playground.

The sky was still pinkish at the horizon; the air was cool: 69°F, and the wind moved at about 3 mph — just light air. Val could hear distant cows mooing, and horses neйing. He got that same big emptiness inside that he had felt seven times before.

By and by the principal came out and called out in Polish: “ALL YOU CHILDREN ENTERING EIGHTH GRADE, COME FORWARD!” Val and the others did so, and another man arrived and ushered them inside.

The man escorted the children — thirty-seven in all — to a cloakroom adjoining their classroom. This was a long narrow room with hooks on the walls. Here they hung their outer garments and schoolbags. Then they took any seat in a classroom whose leaden-grey walls hadn’t been painted for years; dust had settled on the topside of the many bulges in the plaster.

At precisely 8:00 the man introduced himself as Val’s teacher: Mr. Thaddeus Stroik, a 22-year old Kashube, whose first job this was. It was the policy of the Prussian government to employ Kashubians as teachers because the Kashubes nurtured hopes that the Prussians would grant them some kind of autonomy — something that had not been granted them under the Poles, and also by giving them hegemony over the Poles, it would create antagonism between the two groups; hence, it would be easier to control both. Divide and conquer.

He segregated the children: boys on one side, girls on the other, two to a desk. Val’s deskmate, Edward Kielkowski, had been paired with him many times before, since their names were together on any list. Ed was smart. Short. An only child, but not spoiled. Val was too shy ever to propose getting together to play with him after school. They would match wits in catechism, at Hildebrandt and at Polish History and Culture. It was an affable competition. Ed was big on competitive games and Val wasn’t, but he always respected Val’s not wanting to join in. He was one of the few who never made fun of Val for this.

Mr. Stroik said, “I am sure that by eighth grade you are familiar with the drill at Hildebrandt, but I am required to tell you anyway. You may be absent three times per semester. You will still need a doctor’s note to prove illness. Really sick or not, your parents will be fined for each day away”.

“Rev. Kretzmann, pastor of St. MartiniKirche, will come in and teach you religion once a week on Monday mornings and on important occasions. On such days the time will be taken from Polish Reading. You will get a 15-minute recess in mid-morning and mid-afternoon, and an hour off for lunch, which your mothers are to pack. You may visit the outhouse whenever you need, and to signify this you are to raise 1 finger for ‘number one’, and 2 fingers for ‘number two’”. At this there was some giggling.

Continuing, he went on, “Since the state grants minimal money for non-German schools, you students yourselves will have to keep the place clean. Here is the schedule for this week’s chores:

The janitor of the German school will gather branches from the woods. Coming early and chopping these branches, then distributing bundles of them to each classroom to be put into the stoves in the middle of each room: Apfelbaum, Bak, Brandt, Chromy, Derdowski, Deręgowska, Draziński and Gordon.

Ringing the large handbell to signify changes of class and special assemblies: Górna.

Washing blackboards. Hertz.

Washing windows: Jezierska, Karnowski.

Washing floors: Kielkowski, Klinger, Koprowski, Krewta, Król, Kuta, Lorek, Łopatka.

Digging a new hole for the outhouse, picking it up and moving it, and filling in the old hole with sand: Misiak, Myszka, Pasko, Pastwa, Rosenthal, and Róg. This will only be done once this semester.

Whenever a student decides that he is no longer Polish, Kashube or Jew, but rather is a Prussian, he will be relieved of chores and attend the German school, where chores are done by paid help. The day will end at 4:10 pm”.

After these minutiae of life at school had all been taken care of, an election for class president was held and 13-year-old Val was elected. In what passed for a “teachers’ lounge” at the time, Stroik had heard of this precocious child, Valentine Karnowski. Without ever having met him, he had developed an instant jealousy toward him. There was nothing Stroik could do but accept the election. Of all eight teachers only Val’s fifth- and sixth-grade teachers had not given him a hard time. The fifth grade teacher had been neutral; the sixth grade one had actually liked him.

Stroik then said, “Now open your desktops and take out the books inside”. After a brief run-through of the books that would be used this year, he said, “All right. Take out your readers”. With that they went into their Polish Reading class. “We are going to read a Polish translation of an American book by Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe. It is called, Uncle Tom’s Cabin”. From Mr. Kulas, the seventh grade teacher, Val already knew about the three reading groups, based on their ability to read: the Eagles, the Robins, and the Dodos.

The first group of Eagles consisted of Bak, Brandt, Gordon, Karnowski and Kielkowski. The second group of Eagles consisted of Chromy, Kuta, Lorek, Pastwa and Rosenthal. The third group of Eagles consisted of Różek, Sadowski, Sieradzka and Sorowski. All these children were superior readers; those in group three were as proficient as those in group one.

The Robins consisted of Deręgowska, Draziński, Klinger, Koprowski, Krewta, Król, Łopatka, Myszka, Misiak, Pasko, Sikorski, Zięba and Żonawiec.

The Dodos consisted of Apfelbaum, Derdowski, Górna, Hertz, Jezierska, Róg, Sosnowski, Trybulec, Wróblewska and Zimny.

The reading course’s objectives: to build vocabulary. To see words in larger chunks instead of one word at a time. To analyze words for roots and affixes. To use the dictionary. To distinguish the main concept from the supporting details of a text. To determine what will happen next in a reading selection. To relate experiences in a text with real-life experiences and events. To ask meaningful questions in order to understand text. To answer questions about a text after reading it.

Chapter Ten: Description of Val’s Classmates

As Val began his last year of formal education these were his classmates. After spending time with them for seven years he knew something of their personalities. In fact, by the end of his very first week, back in 1848, he had them sized-up.

1. Frank Pasko. He was a Kashube and seemed all too ready to act as a tattle-tale for any teacher. He gave trouble to Val in 4th grade. Attends St. Catherine’s, Łasin. Frank’s father was the late Moishe Karnowski, the peddler, who had impregnated his mother on his rounds in the vicinity. When her parents found out her condition, they kicked her out, and she found work in a shop in Łasin, and is still working there at this time. Thus, Frank and Val are half-brothers, though of course they don’t know it. Lives in Łasin. Namesday: Oct. 4.

2. Thomas Myszka. One of his arms was shorter than the other. He was mean. He smoked and used bad language. Attends Transfiguration, Jankowice. Lives in Jankowice, north east of Łasin. Namesday: Dec. 21.

3. Edward Bak. He had a quick wit and would make others laugh. He was a leader. He was smart. Lives in Szonowo Szlacheckie, east southeast of Łasin. Attends St. Catherine, Łasin. Namesday: Oct. 13.

4. Bonaventure Kuta. The idea that Poles named their children after saints was so engrained in the culture that no one ever razzed him for his name. He was a leader and joker. Smart. Lives in Jakubkowo, south southeast of Łasin. Attends St. Catherine, Łasin. Namesday: July 14.

5. Richard Koprowski. He seemed not so smart. His face looked like a bloodhound, with a perennially sad expression due to drooping eyelids — not that he was sad; he just looked that way. He had narrow, sloping shoulders and walked hunched over. Lives in Goczałki, E of Łasin, further east of Plesewo. Attends St. Catherine’s, Łasin. Namesday: Feb. 7.

6. James Pastwa. He had a sense of inferiority, and to compensate, was always trying to “one-up” others. He would scoff at others’ accomplishments. A typical remark would be, “Hah! You think that’s somethin’?” His father died while Jim was in 1st grade. He needed approval. Bak, Kuta, Koprowski and Pastwa began to hang around with each other right away in first grade. Koprowski, because he needed a leader; Pastwa because he got something out of hanging around with the “in-crowd”, namely, Bak and Kuta, the #1 and #2 of the outfit. Lives in Nowe Mosty, west of Łasin. Attends St. Laurence, Szczepanki. Namesday: July 25. (I, Zuriel want to say a word about this “in-crowd”. All the boys would have liked to be part of it.)

7. John Klinger. He was a friendly, happy-go-lucky Kashube, with a round face, like the moon, of average intelligence. Lives in Przęsławice, south of Łasin. Attends St. Laurence, Szczepanki. Namesday: Dec. 27.

8. January Sorowski. He was always trying to get the boys to play some game involving a ball. Val found him a pest. Decades later when Val was reflecting on his school years he came to realize that Jan was actually trying to help him. He was tall, light blond, thin, but not skinny. He had a nose like a bird’s beak. Lives in Orle, west of Łasin. Attends St. Laurence, Szczepanki. Namesday: Sept. 19.

9. Eugene Draziński (17). He was older than the others. He had been taken out of school in the past due to rheumatic fever. He was skinny, and had a slight shaking in his head. There was a just-perceptible jerkiness in his movements sometimes. Lives in Rogóźno Zamek, west of Łasin and Nowe Mosty. Attends St. Laurence, Szczepanki. Namesday: June 2.

10. Alex Sosnowski. The kind who is just there: there was nothing remarkable one way or the other about him. Never raised his hand to answer a question. A wise-guy. Another of the late Moishe Karnowski’s illegitimate children. In this case the mother’s parents did not kick her out, but were cool toward her for the rest of her life. They kept him, but treated him with marked hostility. Attends St. Laurence, Szczepanki. Lives in Szczepanki. Namesday: May 3. He will die 02/1/1864.

11. Mordecai Hertz. He was Jewish and seemed a bit effeminate. A bit overweight. His widowed mother ran a small shop in Łasin. He was fond of gadgets. Lives in Łasin; attends Bnai Yitzhak synagog.

12. Ewald Zimny. Val was to develop a friendship with him, even though he was big and fat, and not so smart. Val disliked himself for “settling” for a friend like Ewald. Lives in Jasiewo, west of Łasin, west of Słup. Attends St. Laurence, Szczepanki. Lived in the same building with his cousin, Heribert Łopatka. Namesday: Oct. 3.

13. Bernardine Deręgowska. At the age of 16 she will become an illegitimate mother. Her father was a polonized Kosznajder whose original surname was Döring. When Bernardine’s grandfather died, his estate went to the oldest son. Bernardine’s father, who was the youngest, was left with nothing, so found work for the Gruszczyńskis. Lives in Bogdanki, south of Łasin, south of Jakubkowo. Attends St. Catherine’s, Łasin. Namesday: May 20.

14. Cyril Gordon. He was a member of the Gordon family, which had escaped Scotland during the persecution of Catholics there, and settled in Poland. Of course, he knew nothing of this. He was small, and reminded Val of a mouse. He had reddish tan skin and naturally rosy cheeks covered with a fine blond down. The original Gordons in Poland were nobles; Edward was of an impoverished branch descending from Fabian Gordon. Lives in Plesewo, east of Łasin. Attends St. Catherine, Łasin. Namesday: Mar. 18.

15. Camillus Sadowski. He was very short, and his puffy cheeks reminded Val of those of a squirrel. He smiled a lot. He was frisky. Lives in Jankowice, north east of Łasin. Attends Transfiguration. Namesday: July 18.

16. William Żonawiec. He had suffered an injury to his eye, and there was a white scar on the perimeter of one iris. It didn’t seem to affect his sight. Lives in Szonowo Szlacheckie, east southeast of Łasin. Attends St. Catherine, Łasin. Namesday: June 25.

17. Thomas Brandt. He was taller than most boys, and very smart, but Val and he never really got to be friends. Lives in Jakubkowo, south of Łasin. Attends St. Catherine’s, Łasin. Namesday: Mar. 7.

18. Edward Kielkowski. From about 5th grade on Val used to gravitate toward Ed as the group was going home after school. Val saw himself and Ed as two intellectuals discussing serious things, e.g., they as well as many other students in catechism class were stirred by stories of martyrdom, and saw themselves as martyrs, too. Ed was smart. Short. Lives in Nowe Mosty, west of Łasin. Attends St. Laurence, Szczepanki. Namesday: Oct. 13. He will die 6/6/56.

19. Heribert Łopatka. In 7th and 8th grades Val developed a slight closeness with Heribert, Ewald Zimny’s cousin. Val would seek Kielkowski or Herb out at catechism class, then they would walk to school together. He would seek them out after Mass on Sundays, too. This ended when Heribert got interested in a certain girl. Val did nothing with either of these two after class; he really had no close comrades outside the time spent in school. Heribert and Zimny came and went together, since they lived in the same building in Jasiewo, west of Łasin, west of Słup. The kids used to taunt him: “Her-bert, Her-bert”. He would reply, frustrated, “My name is Her-ee-bert!” Attends St. Laurence, Szczepanki. Namesday: Mar. 16.

20. Daniel Sikorski. A short freckle-faced Kashube. His sandy hair’s natural place was falling down over his eyes. He began to mature sexually in 6th grade, and could be counted on to say or do something dirty, practices he picked up from his father. He became the local “bad influence”. Attends St. Laurence, Szczepanki. Lives in Jasiewo, west of Łasin, west of Słup. Namesday: Jan. 3.

21. Dorothy Chromy (16). She was very pretty and smart. When her father discovered that Euphrosina, the mother, was having sex with another man, he threw her out. It was general knowledge in the area. He will let her back this year. The family turmoil accounted for her poor academic record up to a point. She will make up for it when her parents get back together. Lives in Nowe Mosty, west of Łasin. Attends St. Catherine’s, Łasin. Namesday: Feb. 6.

22. Rosanna Wróblewska. She was pretty and shy. Never raised her hand in class. The kind who is just there: there was nothing remarkable about her, other than a habit she had: she would spit on the desk and rub it around with her index finger until it was dry. After a few days of this her side of the desk smelled bad. Lives in Przęsławice, south of Łasin, south of Bogdanki. Attends St. Laurence, Szczepanki. Namesday: Mar. 22. She will die 1/16/56.

23. Patricia Jezierska. She was fat and her face looked Mongolian, probably due to a Ukrainian or Russian ancestor. Lives in Słup, south west of Łasin and Słup Młyn. Attends St. Laurence, Szczepanki. Namesday: Mar. 17.

24. Carol Trybulec. In 6th grade she got infatuated with Val, and has been following him home since. The boys used to tell him that she would skulk from tree to tree, a fact of which he was at first oblivious. She would follow him all the way to Szczepanki, where he lived, then backtrack to Słup Młyn, on the Osa, where she lived. They used to razz him gently about this. She was a nice girl, pretty, a little bit chubby, and big-boned. She had blond hair, and an extra fold of skin in the inner corner of her eyes, like an Oriental. Her father was an alcoholic, and did not attend church. Lives in Słup Młyn, south west of Łasin. Attends St. Laurence, Szczepanki. Namesday: Nov. 4.

25. Barbara Sieradzka. She was very pretty, flaxen blond, and blue-eyed. She had a very smooth face. Val liked her. Lives in Rogóźno Zamek, west of Łasin. Attends St. Laurence, Szczepanki. Namesday: Dec. 4.

26. Vincenta Górna. She was short, chubby, of average looks. Nice. Val thought that she could have been the sister of Camillus Sadowski: they looked so alike. Lives in Bogdanki, south of Łasin. Attends St. Catherine’s, Łasin. Namesday: Apr. 5.

27. Magdalene Róg. Red-head, probably had a German ancestor. Average looks and intelligence. Lives in Jasiewo, west of Łasin, west of Słup. Attends St. Laurence, Szczepanki. Namesday: July 22.

28. Ahuva Apfelbaum. The kind who is just there: there’s nothing remarkable one way or the other, except for the fact that when her parents showed up they wore Chasidic clothes. Attends Bnai Yitzhak Synagog. She will die 2/6/56.

29. Alverna Misiak. She seemed somewhat masculine to Val. She had a low-pitched voice and was a bit sarcastic. Lives in Plesewo, east of Łasin. Attends St. Catherine, Łasin. Namesday: Sept. 17. She will die 3/12/56. Another of Moishe Karnowski’s illegitimate children. In this case her mother was able to find a husband. He had lost his wife, and needed a mother to his eight children. He was willing to take her and her daughter. Alverna came to despise her mother and adore her stepfather. She is Val’s half-sister, though neither knows that.

30. Magdalene Lorek. The other girls tended not to like her, as she was smart. Skinny. Lives in Szonowo Szlacheckie, east southeast of Łasin. Attends St. Catherine’s, Łasin. Namesday: July 22. She will die 4/9/56.

31. Margaret Zięba. Kinda chubby. Her father made a coat for her out of rabbit fur, which was the envy of the other girls. Lives in Jakubkowo, south of Łasin. Attends St. Catherine’s, Łasin. Namesday: July 20.

32. Carol Król. Fat, freckly, friendly. Her skin was somewhat dark, suggesting that she had gypsy ancestry. She had dark blond hair. Lives in Goczałki, east of Łasin and Szonowo Szlacheckie. Attends St. Catherine’s, Łasin. Namesday: Nov. 4.

33. Carol Krewta. She was the first girl in the class to begin sexually maturing, back in sixth grade. The girls began to treat her as a kind of authority about what to do next where boys were concerned. Attends St. Laurence, Szczepanki. Lives in Orle, west of Łasin. Namesday: Nov. 4.

34. Leokadia Różek. She was very pretty and very smart. Val developed a crush on her. Lives in Plesewo, east of Łasin. Attends St. Catherine, Łasin. Namesday: Dec. 9.

35. Eugene Derdowski. He was just there. He was quiet and had a pleasant smile that made one like him. Average intelligence. Lives in Szczepanki. Attends St. Laurence, Szczepanki. Namesday: June 2.

36. David Rosenthal. He was tall, and always seemed to be comparing himself to others. He was very smart, to the point of being obnoxious. Lives in Łasin, attends Bnai Yitzhak Synagog. Saw himself as superior, since he lived in the “big city”, whereas most of his classmates lived in “the sticks”. He did not look like a Jew; in his adult life he will change his name to Sigmund Eberhard, moved to Berlin and passed for a Goy.

The class had started out in 1848 with 45 kids. Five had died; one had been sent to prison for life for killing two of them. Two had gone over to the German school to avoid chores in the Polish one.

The entire class: Apfelbaum, Bak, Brandt, Chromy, Derdowski, Deręgowska, Draziński, Gordon, Górna, Hertz, Jezierska, Karnowski, Kielkowski, Klinger, Koprowski, Krewta, Król, Kuta, Lorek, Łopatka, Misiak, Myszka, Pasko, Pastwa, Rosenthal, Róg, Różek, Sadowski, Sieradzka, Sikorski, Sorowski, Sosnowski, Trybulec, Vróblevska, Zięba, Zimny and Żonawiec.

The 22 boys: Bak, Brandt, Derdowski, Draziński, Gordon, Hertz, Karnowski, Kielkowski, Klinger, Koprowski, Kuta, Łopatka, Myszka, Pasko, Pastwa, Rosenthal, Sadowski, Sikorski, Sorowski, Sosnowski, Zimny, and Żonawiec.

The 15 girls: Apfelbaum, Deręgowska, Chromy, Górna, Jezierska, Krewta, Król, Lorek, Misiak, Róg, Różek, Sieradzka, Trybulec, Vróblevska and Zięba.

*

When petite Vincenta Górna rang the hand bell at 4:10 pm the workers ran to a room that would have been called a janitor’s closet, if the school had had its own janitor. Hertz took a pail and sponge to wash blackboards. He couldn’t resist drawing funny pictures on the board, getting a reaction, then sponging them off.

Jezierska and Val each took a ladder, sponges and clean rags to wash windows. The window openings were filled with “double-hung” windows, each divided into six panes. The way the window were washed was to open a ladder, mount it, and clean and dry the upper inside sash, then remove the ladder and do the lower inside. Then lower the upper sash, and while standing on the sill or the ladder again, to reach outside and clean and dry, down as far down as one’s arm allowed. Then, opening both, and sitting on the sill with one’s body outside, to lower both sashes onto one’s lap and finish the lower part of the upper sash. Then to raise the upper one into place, and while still outside, to finish the outside lower sash. They had a week to finish the job.

Kielkowski, Klinger, Koprowski, Krewta, Król, Kuta, Lorek and Łopatka each took a pail, a tough bristled brush, a bar of brown soap and drying rags to wash the floor. This would be done on their hands and knees. Each room in that school was designed to accommodate 48 kids. There were four rows of double desks with six desks in a line. This gave five aisles, with a cross aisle way in the back, and a space up front on the teacher’s right, and another on his left. Eight spaces, eight kids.

For seven years when there was no after-school work, Łopatka, Zimny, Sosnowski, Derdowski, Sorowski, Kielkowski and Val would form a group leaving from school and walk westward. Each would peel off to reach his own home. Tonight that group would consist of Zimny, Sosnowski and Sorowski.

From now on when there was no after-school work Val would be part of a group walking eastward; it consisted of Bak and Żonawiec going to Szonowo szlacheckie, Gordon going to Plesewo, and Koprowski and himself going to Goczałki. Oh, he was going to miss his pal Kielkowski. “Hafta find some way to spend time with him!” thought Val. Friends were hard to come by for him, and he feared losing touch with this one.

When he got home neither Monica nor Anselm inquired how his first day had gone.

Tues. September 4, 1855. For at least a year Val has been anxiously scanning his face in the family mirror, eagerly looking for facial hair. Today while washing he finally spotted a line of fine down above his lips. (Zuriel: But he won’t actually shave until he is 18.) He also noticed over the summer that on hot days, when he sweats he develops body odor. He will notice it later today, when the temperature hits 87°F, and the relative humidity hits 83%.

At 5:08 am Val and his stepbrothers left for Mass under a cloudless black sky.

*

The sun rose at 5:22. The temperature was 41°F; there was zero wind, and it would be cloudless all day. In Goczałki Anselm Knitter awoke to a compulsory labor day. He was put to work helping to slaughter, gut and cut up a cow for the Gruszczyńskis’ personal table.

*

At catechism the lesson began with: “Does he who receives Communion in mortal sin receive the body and blood of Christ?”

Edward Bak answered, “He does receive the body ‘n’ blood of Christ, but does not receive ‘is grace, an’ ‘e commits a great sacrilege”.

At 7:00 am the Hildebrandt School woodchoppers assembled in a small open space next to an equipment building. As had been predicted by Mr. Stroik there was a large pile of branches of various diameters: some of twig-size, which would need simply to be broken into lengths that would fit into the stove. Others were 4” or even 5” in diameter. These would need to be sawed or chopped. Sawing seemed to be the most efficient method to reduce them, and Apfelbaum, Bak, Brandt, Chromy, Derdowski, Deręgowska, Draziński and Gordon set in. While two held a branch in an X-shaped cradle, two others would wield a rip-saw and make quick work of it.

At 7:45 Vincenta Górna rang the large hand bell signifying for them to stop and go to their classroom.

By the time the boy-choppers entered the school for class several of them had made Val’s same discovery about body odor.

At 8:00 Górna rang the bell for Polish Reading. Mr. Stroik said, “Each reading group will come to the front of the room, where you will sit on 2 wooden benches. Each will stand while reading two pages, until I say, ‘That will be all. Next”.

The five readers of Eagles’ group 1 covered pp. 1—12 of Uncle Tom’s Cabin today. Val and Ed were in this group.

CH. I

One chilly day in February, two gentlemen were sitting in a well-furnished room in a Kentucky town, discussing some subject with great earnestness. One of the parties, however, did not seem to be a gentleman when critically examined. He was short and thick-set, with coarse features and a swaggering air; ungrammatical and sometimes profane in his speech. His companion, Mr. Shelby, had the appearance of a gentleman, and the arrangements of the house indicated easy and even opulent circumstances. „That is the way I would arrange the matter”, said Mr. Shelby.

„I can’t make trade that way — I positively can’t, Mr. Shelby”, said the other.

„Why, the fact is, Haley, Tom is an uncommon fellow; he is certainly worth that sum anywhere, steady, honest, capable, manages my whole farm like a clock.”

„You mean honest, as niggers go”, said Haley.

„No; I mean, really, Tom is a good, steady, sensible, pious fellow. He got religion at a camp-meeting, four years ago; and I believe he really did get it. I’ve trusted him, since then, with everything I have, money, house, horses, and let him come and go round the country; and I always found him true and square in everything.”

„Some folks don’t believe there is pious niggers, Shelby”, said Haley.

„Well, Tom is the real article, if ever a fellow was”, rejoined the other. „Why, last fall, I let him go to Cincinnati alone, to do business for me, and bring home five hundred dollars. I am sorry to part with Tom. You ought to let him cover the whole balance of the debt; and you would, Haley, if you had any conscience.”

„Well, I’ve got just as much conscience as any man in the business can afford to keep; but this, ye see, is a leetle too hard on a fellow — a leetle too hard.” The trader sighed contemplatively.

„Well, then, Haley, how will you trade?” said Mr. Shelby, after an uneasy interval of silence.

„Well, haven’t you a boy or gal that you could throw in with Tom?”

„Hmm — none that I could well spare. I don’t like parting with any of my hands, that’s a fact.”

Here the door opened, and a small quadroon boy, between four and five years of age, entered the room.

„Come here, Jim Crow”, said Mr. Shelby. „Now, Jim, show this gentleman how you can dance and sing.” The boy commenced one of those wild, grotesque songs common among the Negroes, in a rich, clear voice.

„Bravo!” said Haley.

„Now, Jim, walk like old Uncle Cudjoe, when he has the rheumatism,” said his master.

Instantly the child assumed the appearance of deformity and distortion, as, with his back humped up, and his master’s stick in his hand, he hobbled about the room, his childish face drawn into a doleful pucker, and spitting from right to left, in imitation of an old man.

„Now, Jim,” said his master, „show us how old Elder Bobbins leads the psalm”. The boy drew his chubby face down to a formidable length, and commenced intoning a psalm tune through his nose, with imperturbable gravity.

„Bravo! What a young „un!” said Haley. „Tell you what,” said he, „fling in that chap, and I’ll settle the business!”

At this moment, the door was pushed gently open, and a young quadroon woman, apparently about twenty-five, entered the room.

„Well, Eliza?” said her master.

„I was looking for Harry, please, sir.”

„Well, take him away, then,” said Mr. Shelby.

„By Jupiter”, said the trader, „there’s an article, now! You might make your fortune on that thar gal in N’Orleans, any day.”

„I don’t want to make my fortune on her,” said Mr. Shelby, dryly.

„Come, how will you trade about the gal?”

„Mr. Haley, she is not to be sold,” said Shelby. „My wife would not part with her for her weight in gold.”

„Ay, ay! Women always say such things, „cause they ha’nt no sort of calculation, I reckon.”

„I tell you, Haley, this must not be spoken of; I say no and I mean no”, said Shelby.”

„Well, you’ll let me have the boy, though”, said the trader.

„What on earth can you want with the child?” said Shelby.

„Why, I’ve got a friend that’s going into this hyar branch of the business wants to buy up handsome boys to raise for the market. They fetch a good sum.”

„I would rather not sell him,” said Mr. Shelby, thoughtfully, „but -”

„What do you say?”

„I’ll think the matter over, and talk with my wife. Call up this evening, between six and seven, and you shall have my answer,” said Mr. Shelby, and the trader bowed himself out of the apartment.

Mr. Shelby was a fair average kind of man, good-natured and kindly, and disposed to easy indulgence of those around him, and there had never been a lack of anything which might contribute to the physical comfort of the Negroes on his estate. He had, however, speculated, largely and quite loosely; had involved himself deeply, and his notes to a large amount had come into the hands of Haley.

Now, it had happened that Eliza had caught enough of the conversation to know that a trader was making offers to her master for somebody.

She would gladly have stopped at the door to listen, as she came out; but her mistress just then calling, she was obliged to hasten away.

„Eliza, girl, what ails you today?” said her mistress.

Eliza started. „Oh, missis!” she said, raising her eyes; then burst into tears.

„Why, Eliza, child! What ails you?” said her mistress.

„Oh! Missis, missis,” said Eliza, „there’s been a trader talkin’ with Massa in the parlor! Do you suppose Massa would sell my Harry?” And the poor creature sobbed convulsively.

„Sell him! No, you foolish girl! You know your master never deals with those Southern traders, and never means to sell any of his servants, as long as they behave well.”

Reassured by her mistress” confident tone, Eliza laughed at her own fears.

Bak, Brandt, Gordon, Karnowski, Kielkowski and Kuta of the Eagles reading group had been pălling around together at recess and lunch for many years. They were the brighter boys of the class. Today they sat together and got to discussing Uncle Tom’s Cabin. “Well, so far the characters are Mr. Shelby, Mr. Haley, Tom — a slave, a slave boy, Jim Crow, and a slave-girl, Eliza”, said Bak.

“What’s a ‘quadroon? That’s what the last two are,” asked Gordon.

“It’s a person who is one quarter Negro”, said Val.

“I wonder if they have octoroons and sixteen-aroons”, laughed Kuta.

“Shelby seems to be a nice man; Haley may not be”, said Brandt.

“Seems Haley wantsa buy Tom but Shelby won’t part with ‘im”, said Kielkowski.

“And when ‘e meets the quadroons ‘e wants ‘em thrown into the deal”, said Brandt.

“Imagine buyin’ people!” said Gordon.

“Well, they don’t buy us, but we might as well be slaves. Remember how the Kwasigroch family was kicked out by Lady Rogozińska in January, 1849 with no place to go. In January, for heaven’s sake!” said Val.

9:40: Polish Grammar. Stroik asked, “Why Study Grammar?” Then he read this sentence to the class: “Having eaten our lunch at the railway station, the train started off again”.

“Is there a mistake in the sentence?” he asked.

He called on various students. Apfelbaum, Jezierska, Sosnowski and Zimny saw no problem. Kielkowski raised his hand and said, “It oughtta be “…WE started off again”. When asked why, he had no idea; “It just sounds right”, he said.

Stroik said, “Grammar class will help you to speak your language properly. People who speak properly gain respect when they move about in society. They gain the ability to rise in society. If you stay on the peasant level, you will not rise. You will always be exploited”.

11:45: Lunch. As the kids ate, they discussed what Mr. Stroik had said in Grammar. Val said, “I notice that my friend Michael Rogala uses better Polish. So did my late friend Lord Blaise Rogoziński”.

Kielkowski said, “Imagine movin’ up in society!”

Sosnowski said, “Ahhh, knowin’ how to talk fancy ain’t gonna make me a better farmer”.

At 12:35 German History was taught. This was not objective history, which told the good and bad things in the German past. Rather, it was chauvinistic. It glorified the German race. It was full of “master race” ideas, such as, that God had laid a burden on the German people eventually to rule all Europe. It approved of the ongoing German colonization of the “lesser nations”, and justified every war Germans had undertaken. And if they had not won them, it criticized those who had. When it came to Prussia, it glorified the Junker class.

Val would bring up in his Polish History and Culture classes many things that were taught at Hildebrandt, for a more objective evaluation. Michael Rogala encouraged this. Consequently the Polish kids were generally not being taken in by the propaganda. Across the schoolyard in the German school the same indoctrination was being done to the German children, but with an entirely different reception, especially among the boys. It pumped them up to provoke fights with the non-Germans in their midst.

At 4:10 Górna rang the bell for dismissal, and the kids without chores left for home.

Mordecai Hertz set in to washing blackboards. Jezierska and Karnowski began washing windows. Kielkowski, Klinger, Koprowski, Krewta, Król, Kuta, Lorek, Łopatka got down to washing floors.

When their work was done Val and Koprowski left together. It turned out that they both lived in the same village: Goczałki. They walked eastward with the long Łasin lake on their right, 4 ½ mi.

Wed. September 5, 1855. When Val looked into the mirror he saw that he had begun to get acne on his forehead. Grandma Flisowa saw his concern, and scolded him, “Don’t go squeezin’ those pimples: that’ll leave holes in your skin! Instead, you hafta wash your face a lot, and eat beet tops”.

At 5:08 Val and his stepbrothers Simeon and Aloysius left in the dark for Mass and school.

The sun rose behind them at 5:24 on what will be a cloudless, rainless day.

Back in Goczałki it was Anselm Knitter’s day off. Rather than attending Mass, he slept late.

At 6:00 Mass in St. Catherine, Łasin Val saw a different group of his Hildebrandt School classmates.

Afterward Fr. Knitter taught catechism. Today’s topic: Q. Is it enough to be free from mortal sin to receive plentifully the graces of Holy Communion?

Bonaventure Kuta gave the right answer: “It’s not enough to be free from mortal sin; we should be free from all affection to venial sin, and should make acts of faith, hope, and love”.

*

9:40: Polish Grammar. Mr. Stroik began with, “How Much Correct Grammar do You Know?” He gave the class a long list of words usually mispronounced according to local dialect, or for which, during the time of the Prussian occupation, a German word had become substituted for a genuine Polish one. (In this latter, he was unwittingly going against Prussian policy: they would be happy if all non-German speakers would start using German in their daily lives. But something deep in Stroik championed retaining Polish and Kashubian). He told them, “In most European countries there is an unwritten rule: save dialect when speaking with local people, but when you travel to other parts of your own country, you need to know the official language”. (Here he was again unwittingly thinking of when and if they should travel to other parts of Poland. Such travel was discouraged with the belief that it awoke nationalism.).

10:45: Turnen. Since first grade the routine had begun with a run around the schoolyard, the speed increasing occasionally. In time jumping over progressively higher hurdles was added. Back inside the gymnasium there followed stretching exercises. Then there were push-ups, sit-ups, arm-curls, and squats with heavier and heavier weights. There was rope-climbing, jumping greater and greater distances, and crawling along the floor carrying a simulated rifle in one’s arms. In this case the skill was to crawl under a horizontal pole without touching it. There was swinging from one rung to the next of a horizontal ladder. There was climbing a rope-mesh suspended on a high wall, climbing over the wall, and climbing down a similar rope-mesh on the other side. There was standing with one’s eyes closed with two boys behind him, and falling back to have them catch him. The latter was to develop trust.

3:20: Geography. Stroik told the class, “We are going to use the book, Geography for Beginners, written by Schlumpf in 1845. Then he asked, “Why Study Geography?” He gave the following reasons:

1. To understand basic physical systems that affect everyday life (e.g. the relationship of the earth to the sun, tides, wind and ocean currents).

2. To learn where places are, and their physical and cultural characteristics in order to function more effectively in the world.

3. To understand the geography of past times and how geography has played an important role in the history of peoples, their ideas, places and environments.

4. To develop a mental map of your community, province, country and the world so that you can understand the “where” of places and events.

5. To explain how human and physical systems have arranged and sometimes changed the surface of the Earth.

6. To understand and see order in what appears to be the random scattering of peoples.

7. To understand the complex ways that people and places are connected.

8. To appreciate Earth as our homeland and to provide insight for wise management decisions about how the planet’s resources should be used.

9. To understand global interdependence and to become a better global citizen.

*

After supper at about 6:30, while Val was doing his homework, Anselm needled him, saying such things as, “Well, looky here. Our little book worm! Think you’re better’n us? Hmph! A lotta good readin’ is gonna do you in farmin’”. Monica did nothing to stop her husband, being of the same mind. She recalled the conversation that she and Henry had had about entering Val into first grade. Since then school had been made mandatory, otherwise none of her kids would be sent there. It was grandma Flisowa who stood up for him: “Never mind! It may be too late for us, but this boy deserves to have a better life, and readin’ and writin’ are the way to it!”

“YOU BE QUIET, OLD LADY; I’M THE BOSS AROUND HERE!” Anselm barked.

7:00 pm was the time for choir practice in local churches. Val had been a member of the choir in Szczepanki, since the church was right where he lived. But now he lived in Goczałki, and the church was in Łasin, same place as Hildebrandt School. After all the effort of walking home to eat supper, he was not going to be able to walk back in time. And just waiting around in Łasin from school’s end til 7:00 without eating did not seem reasonable. It pained him not to be in choir. It got him away from Monica and Anselm. Besides, he really did like to sing. And in Szczepanki he had been friends with Mr. Skibiński, the organist/director.

After supper Val set in to studying both his catechism and Hildebrandt subjects.

At his prayers tonight he formed an image of himself standing before Jesus. In his fantasy he put his right hand on his heart, lifted the left, and vowed, “Jesus, you have given me a high intellect. I can tell, because I see how easily I learn things, and how those around me do not. I promise to embark on a lifetime of learnin’ and developin’ my talents like singin’ and drawin’ despite the ridicule of people like Anselm, Monica and my classmates. I promise not to lord my intellect over others. Also, I pray You to lead me to a daddy such as I never had. Amen”.

Thurs. September 6, 1855. At catechism Fr. Knitter proposed the question: “What is the fast necessary for Holy Communion?”

Val Karnowski was prepared, and he gave the right answer, “To abstain from all food, beverages, and alcoholic drinks from midnight before Holy Communion. The sick may take food, non-alcoholic drinks, and any medicine right up to Communion time.”

Alex Sosnowski sneered to those around him, “The know-it-all!”

Val heard this and asked himself, “Is the price of learnin’ things gonna be worth bein’ hated?” He thought back to his prayer of last night.

Fri. September 7, 1855. Adalbert Nering, Val’s grandfather, hanged himself this day in 1848. Val offered his Mass for him. He addressed him: “Grandpa, in charity I hafta believe that you’re in Purgatory. NOW you see all the sufferin’ you caused so many people. You must pray to undo all that damage”.

*

8:00: Polish Reading. Val’s Eagles Reading group 1 read Uncle Tom’s Cabin, chapter 4, pp. 19—26:

CH. IV

AN EVENING IN UNCLE TOM’S CABIN

The cabin of Uncle Tom was a small log building, close adjoining to „the house”, as the Negro designates his master’s dwelling. In front it had a neat garden patch, where, every summer, strawberries, raspberries, and a variety of fruits and vegetables, flourished under careful tending. The whole front of it was covered by a large scarlet begonia and a native multiflora rose.

The evening meal at the house is over, and Aunt Chloe, who presided over its preparation as head cook, has left to inferior officers in the kitchen the business of clearing away and washing dishes, and come out into her own snug territories, to „get her ole man’s supper”. A round, black, shining face is hers. Her whole plump countenance beams with satisfaction and contentment from under her well starched checked turban, for Aunt Chloe was acknowledged to be the best cook in the neighborhood.

In one corner of Tom’s cottage stood a bed, covered neatly with a snowy spread; and by the side of it was a piece of carpeting, of some considerable size. In the other corner was a bed of much humbler pretensions, and evidently designed for use.

On a rough bench in the corner, a couple of woolly headed boys, with glistening black eyes and fat shining cheeks, were busy in superintending the first walking operations of the baby.

A table, somewhat rheumatic in its limbs, was drawn out in front of the fire, and at this table was seated Uncle Tom, Mr. Shelby’s best hand, the hero of our story. He was a large, broad-chested, powerfully made man of a full glossy black, and a face whose truly African features were characterized by an expression of grave and steady good sense, united with much kindliness and benevolence.

He was very busily intent on a slate lying before him, on which he was carefully and slowly endeavoring to accomplish a copy of some letters, in which operation he was overlooked by young Massa George, a smart, bright boy of thirteen.

9:40: Polish Grammar. How to Use the Dictionary. Mr. Stroik told them, “You were issued a dictionary at some time in the past. Your homework assignment is to take this list of words, look up each one of them, write out its definition, the definition in your own words, and the dialect or slang word that it replaces”.

At 2:15, Recess, Ed Kielkowski shouted to the boys, “HEY, YOU GUYS: LET’S PLAY MARBLES” and Val moved away, conscious of his poor ability at the game, and not wanting to be ridiculed. Ed said, “C’mon, Val; join us!” but Val sought out Ewald Zimny and they just hung out together.

Chapter Eleven: Val the Artist

3:20 pm, Drawing. Ever since first grade Val and January Sorowski had been friendly rivals in art. Val was good in copying; January was good in drawing “from his head”. The teacher did not actually teach anyone how to draw from life, or how to use various materials. Rather, he allowed students either to go to the blackboards and draw with chalk, or draw on paper with pencils at their desks. Sorowski did the former; in fact, other students would come up to him and say, e.g., “Jan, draw me a girl”, and he would. Val sat at his desk and drew. Val was already disliked by most of his classmates for his intellect. Now he was disliked for his ability to draw. What saved Sorowski from being disliked was his ability with sports.

Mr. Kulas, Val’s 7th grade teacher, had discovered that Val was good at art. He realized that Val was a precocious child, able to read far beyond his age, so he used to take him out of various lessons with art projects.

At one point during that year Val hadn’t been doing much studying for about a 3 week period. Instead he had been commandeered to “blow up” small pictures to poster size. He handed one in one day, in which he had not estimated correctly. The top part of the small picture did not fit on his drawing. When Mr. Kulas pointed this out, and said he’d need to redo it, Val, in his nervousness, grabbed for the first words that came to him. He said, “Oh that would be too much trouble”. What he meant was, “That would be a great deal of trouble”.

“’TOO MUCH TROUBLE’, IS IT!” shouted the teacher, in a huff. “WELL, I WILL SEE THAT YOU NEVER DO ANOTHER ART PROJECT FOR ME AGAIN!” He snatched the drawing out of Val’s hands. This suited Val just fine, as he wanted to learn. Kulas was cool to Val the entire rest of the year.

There wasn’t much chance of doing special art projects this year, the way Stroik seemed to resent him. “I wanna be liked like anyone else. I don’t resent my classmates for their lack of intellect. I don’t lord my intellect over them. I don’t know why Stroik doesn’t like me. I wish I wasn’t smart. I wish I had no artistic ability”, he told himself. “No, I really can’t say that.”

Chapter Twelve: Val Begins Polish History and Culture Classes

Sat. September 8, 1855. The 6:00 Mass in Łasin had honored the Birthday of the BVM. When Michael Rogala left, he and Val rode to Szczepanki, where he taught Polish History and Culture in Theodore Kowalski’s barn for the first time this semester. Thirty-three of Val’s classmates from Hildebrandt School were all there, as well as a lot of other, younger, children. Rogala was pleased that the local Polish parents wanted to preserve their culture. So was Val.

Michael honored several people whose namesdays had occurred over the summer: Bonaventure Kuta July 14th, Camillus Sadowski July 18th, Margaret Zięba July 20th, Magdalene Róg and Magdalene Lorek July 22nd and James Pastwa, July 25th.

Val and Ed stayed behind to talk with Rogala. This would become a frequent occurrence. There was a natural attraction among the three intellectually-gifted males. Val brought up how difficult it was to endure the rudeness of his classmates because he was smart. “I’m not tryin’ to show off”, he said, and Ed offered, “If you would only play at the games we play! I don’t nearly feel their dislike as much as you do, and that’s prob’ly ‘cause I play ball”.

“I can’t; I just can’t!” Val said.

Rogala listened, and was sympathetic. He wondered if there was something he could do.

*

At 3:00 Rogala, Val and Simon Kwasigroch — the residue of the old Agricultural Circle — met at Bogumił Gruszczyński’s estate where the subject was Foraging for Edible Foods in Time of Famine. The Prussian king, fearful of a repeat of the revolution that had occurred in March, 1848, had banned all worker — or communistic — meetings, consequently the Agricultural Circle had had to go. Everyone’s experience with foraging had been described in book 3 of this series.

“Stay behind”, Michael said to Val. When the others had left, he said, “I sympathize with your fear of playing games involving a ball. Tell you what: after these Agricultural Circle meetings, I will show you how to throw and catch a ball. Then you will be a match for anyone at school”.

Val had complete trust in Michael and in no one else, not even Ed Kielkowski. He readily acquiesced, and as Michael patiently repeated each move that he wanted Val to learn, Val’s resistance melted into more trust. “It is amazing how this boy can be so gifted intellectually, and be so totally lacking the gift for sport”, Michael wondered to himself. “Still, with patience I am sure that I can bring out of him a modicum of ability.”

*

After supper Monica cut Val’s hair, demanding more than once, irritated, “STAND STILL!”, although in fact, he had been doing just that. Afterwards Val gave himself a bath. While he was doing so, Anselm kept up a supply of unkind remarks, such as, “Men don’t bathe. That’s for women! We got us a little sissy boy!”

Chapter Thirteen: About Polish Folk Dancing Classes

Sun. September 9, 1855. The sun set at 6:35. At 7:00 pm there was a Polish Folk Dancing lesson at Przybyło’s Hall, Łasin, taught by Agnes Flisówna, Val’s step-aunt (25 and single). These lessons came about in this way:

Concerned that the government’s Germanization program would succeed on the Polish children, the late Fr. Muzolf from Assumption church in Gruta had arranged for them to get weekly folk dance lessons. Miller Placid Rzepnikowski had been talked into playing his drums for the beat, and Theodore Kowalski for the music. Both were from Szczepanki. Since then they had been held in the hall of Mr. Przybyło, a patriotic Pole in Łasin, on Sundays at 7:00 pm, a time when it was generally impossible to rent the hall anyway, as people had to go to bed early. Przybyło even rented out his hall at a discount. Frs. Berent and Konieczny had both been notified; Frs. Muzolf and Berent made the announcement from their pulpits before their deaths. At first Fr. Konieczny would have nothing to do with the idea, wanting to keep on the good side of the Prussians, but in time he turned into a patriot, too.

Now, in 8th grade, and with puberty beginning, Val was all the more eager to continue, so he was present. So was Leokadia Różek, in whom he had an interest. He was too shy to ask her to be a partner; he was ecstatic when Agnes Flisówna paired them up.

As with all things artistic, Val was a good dancer. The girls wanted to dance with him. One would think that that fact would boost his self-confidence, but it didn’t. After Leokadia praised Val to James Pastwa, James said, “Huh! He’s not that great”.

Mon. September 10, 1855. This was Val’s second week of school. Today, before class began at 8:00, Frank Pasko went to Mr. Stroik and volunteered a report on who did what, who shouldered the work, and who had dogged it, during the moving of the outhouse two days ago.

Then pastor Kretzmann came in to teach religion. This was particularly offensive to the Jewish kids, but they knew enough not to protest. Today he taught that there are only two sacraments, and even if there really were seven, all of them would give pardoning grace to those who do not set up an obstacle.

At 9:40 out in the corridor Margaret Zięba rang the large hand bell announcing Polish Grammar. Mr. Stroik asked, “Have You Learned to Tell a Story Well?” He handed out a short story of three paragraphs. “At the end of this exercise you are going to re-tell this story in your own words. Karnowski, go to the blackboard. Now class, we are going to have a discussion to reduce each of the paragraphs to a single sentence, and Karnowski, you will write down each”.

At Recess, forgoing a game of “It”, Val and Edward Bak got into a discussion about the morning’s catechism lesson. They recalled St. Tarcissus, who had died defending the Eucharist that he was carrying to a sick person. “I’m surprised that a lay person was allowed to handle the Blessed Sacrament”, said Bak.

“Well, it was a different time”, said Val; “Also, there was a persecution goin’ on. No one was likely to suspect a boy”.

At 11:45 the kids were sent outside to eat their lunches. The temperature was 66°F, the wind blew at 13 mph, and the sky was cloudy. Val sought out Ed Kielkowski, and between them they discussed the 6th bombardment of Sebastopol in the Crimean War, which was in the newspaper. “Do you suppose that the Allies can depose the Tsar and establish freedom and democracy in Russia?” asked Ed.

“We’d be happy if we could just depose ‘im from the Polish throne and re-establish freedom here”, replied Val.

Thomas Myszka happened to be running by within earshot, and asked Ed, not stopping for an answer, “Ed, why do you hang around with that know-it-all?”

3:20: Geography. Stroik’s topic today was Points of the Compass. He produced a compass. Then he said, “We do not know why, but this pointer always points north. When you rotate the compass so that the pointer actually points to the letter N, you will know where east, west and south are. Thus, if you are lost, you will have a rough idea which way to go to get where you want. Ships at sea cannot see land, so they need equipment to keep on course. Besides a compass, ships also use something known as a sextant. We will not go into sextants”. Then he passed it around the room. Each student was fascinated by the phenomenon.

Val had no chores this week, so he was free to leave for home when Zięba rang the bell at 4:10 pm. While waiting for his stepbrothers he sought out Kielkowski and they talked briefly about sailing. They imagined themselves as brave members of Columbus’s crew, using compass and sextant to find the New World. ‘If we had lived in his time we would’ve believed him”, said Ed, when Stroik had said that the Italians had not believed he could go west to get to the Orient.

*

8:00 was Val’s usual bedtime. Every night as he said his prayers he would think about classmate Leokadia Różek. He felt so good when he thought about her. He wondered, „Why do I feel this way?” He didn’t know it, but he was having his first crush. “Would she like me more if I weren’t so smart?” he asked himself. His answer was a reluctant, “Yes”, so he resolved to refrain from raising his hand. “Maybe I’ll even give a wrong answer once in a while.”

Tues. September 11, 1855. At 6:00 in St. Catherine’s church, Łasin, Fr. Knitter said the Mass of Ss. Protus & Hyacinth, Martyrs.

Before beginning catechism after Mass, Val brought up what Rev. Kretzmann had said:

“There are only two sacraments, and even if there really were seven, all of them would give pardoning grace to those who do not set up an obstacle”.

Fr. Knitter responded, “Protestantism has no governing authority. Jesus did give one to us Catholics. The Catholic Church has always taught that there are seven. Now, as to all of them giving pardoning grace, that would make all of them equivalent to the sacrament of Penance”.

Having satisfied Val, Father read from a book of saints,

“St. Protus and Hyacinth were Catholic martyrs during the persecution of Emperor Valerian (257–259 AD). Tradition holds that Protus and Hyacinth were brothers. They served as chamberlains to St. Eugenia, and were baptized along with her by Helenus, Bishop of Heliopolis, Egypt. Devoting themselves zealously to the study of Sacred Scripture, they lived with the hermits of Egypt and later accompanied Eugenia to Rome. There, they were arrested for their Catholic faith by Emperor Gallienus (260–268). Refusing to deny their faith, they were first scourged and then beheaded on September 11”.

*

8:00: Polish Reading. The Eagles reading group 2 read chapter 5 of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. They came up with this synopsis of it:

Characters: Mr. & Mrs. Shelby; Haley, who bought and sold Negroes; and slaves: Eliza & Harry, her son; Tom & his wife (known as aunt Chloe). Mr. Shelby tells his wife that he needs money, so will sell Tom and Harry to Haley. Mrs. Shelby rails against slavery. Slave Eliza overhears the conversation. She takes her boy to escape to Canada and stops at Uncle Tom’s cabin to inform him of her escape, and to tell him that he, too is sold. Chloe tells him to escape, too, but he is loyal to Shelby and refuses.

9:40: Polish Grammar. After the kids came up with their three sentences Stroik said, “Here is a list of words from the story. Come up with substitute words for each one, and Karnowski, write down each one”. They did this.

At Recess some boys, including Val, decided to have a race across the schoolyard. Val won. James Pastwa poo-pooed the accomplishment, saying, “Hah! Runnin’ don’t mean nothin’; sports with a ball, or marbles — those are what matters!”

Ed Kielkowski defended Val, saying, “Pastwa, you’re only sayin’ that ‘’cause you’re not a good runner!”

During Lunch period Val and Ed sat eating their lunches in the 69° air while they discussed what it would be like to die for the faith.

Wed. September 12, 1855. Val had been formulating a way that he was going to be able to attend choir practice at St. Catherine’s church, Łasin. After eating breakfast he timidly approached his stepmother, “Mama, I’d like to stay in Łasin after school today. I wanna be part of the choir. Please fix me somethin’ to eat to fill my stomach. I can eat more when I get home, which will be late”. At this Anselm, whose day off it was, piped up, “Well, our little sissy boy fancies ‘imself a singer!” Drawing on the only experience he knew, which was gained growing up in his family, he added, “Men don’t sing!” Monica waved Anselm to desist, and meekly acquiesced to Val.

*

8:00: Polish Reading. The Eagles reading group 3 read chapter 6 of Uncle Tom’s Cabin today. They condensed it to this Précis:

Characters: Mr. & Mrs. Shelby; slaves Eliza and Black Sam; Haley, slave merchant. The Shelbys discover that Eliza has fled. When Haley appears he is informed. Shelby offers to help look for Eliza. Black Sam is told that he is to go with Haley to find Eliza, and that Mrs. Shelby doesn’t really want Eliza caught. Sam pulls a trick to delay their departure. Mrs. Shelby furthers the delay by inviting Haley to dinner.

When school let out Val walked around Łasin looking into store windows. At about 6:00 he sat down on a bench and ate his little bundle of food. He sat there until sunset — 6:29 — and then went into the church and sat there, waiting for the choir to assemble.

Thurs. September 13, 1855. The Eagles reading group 1 (Val’s group) read chapter 7 of Uncle Tom’s Cabin today. Here is their résumé of Chapter 7:

Characters: Eliza, a quadroon slave; Tom & Sam, slaves; Mr. Symmes. It’s early spring; the Ohio River is full of ice. At Shelby’s, servants are slow about feeding Haley, further delaying him from pursuing Eliza. Shelby calls Tom and tells him that he is sold to Haley. Mrs. Shelby promises to buy Tom back when it’s possible. Black Sam says that there are 2 roads to the Ohio River, and tricks Haley into taking the wrong one, further delaying things. After a while on the dirt one, they have to turn back and take the paved one. Eliza has been in an inn, and sees the Haley party. She exits through a side door. Haley spots her. She runs to the water’s edge with him behind and jumps onto an ice floe. She jumps from one floe to another and reaches the Ohio shore, where Mr. Symmes helps her up. He directs her to a white house where people will help her.

Sun. September 16, 1855. After Mass Rogala taught Polish History and Culture to the kids in Theodore Kowalski’s barn, Szczepanki. He informed them that September 12th was the feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary, and that this feast was extended to the whole church by Pope Innocent XI to commemorate the salvation of Europe from the Mohammedans by their King John Sobieski on 9/11/1683.

He announced to the kids his coming departure to serve in the Crimean War. Val was particularly saddened. Val and Ed Kielkowski stayed behind to talk with Rogala about this.

*

Rogala’s coming departure to serve in the Crimean War was the main topic during breaks at the Polish folk dancing lesson at Przybyło’s Hall, Łasin. Bak, Brandt, Gordon, Kielkowski, Koprowski, Kuta and Żonawiec wanted him to go, as they came from more patriotic homes. Myszka, Sosnowski, Pasko and Pastwa said that they didn’t care if Rogala stayed or went, as they would just as well skip Polish History and Culture. “How can you be so indifferent to your Polish culture?” asked Val.

“Oh, Karnowski, get off your soap box!” yelled Sosnowski. Val felt ashamed.

Mon. September 17, 1855. This was Val’s third week of school. At 9:40 out in the corridor Bonaventure Kuta rang the hand bell announcing Polish Grammar. Then, sentence by sentence, Stroik went through last week’s story substituting the synonyms supplied by students. He asked, “How did the sentence sound with the substitutions?” They had to agree that the original was best.

3:20: Geography. Stroik announced, “Today we deal with Types of Land”. He defined islands, hills, mountains, valleys, rivers, lakes, and ponds, with all of which they were familiar. He told them about continents: “They are enormous islands. There are seven of them, and each is millions of acres in size. They are: Europe, Asia, North America, South America, Africa, Antarctica, and Australia”.

He told them about volcanos: “They are mountains that have fire inside them; sometimes they send out flame, smoke and ashes from their tops, with a noise like thunder. Molten rock wells up from deep inside the earth, spilling out, and flowing down the sides. They cover farmland and even whole cities. Pompeii, Italy was covered by lava — that is what we call that molten rock — in 79 AD, and was only uncovered at the end of the 18th century”.

Kuta rang Dismissal at 4:10. Outside the temperature was 57°; the wind blew at 6 mph, and it was cloudy. Zimny, Kielkowski, Sosnowski, Derdowski and Sorowski formed a group heading west from school. Today the group was minus Łopatka, who was washing floors. Sosnowski brought up Val’s double punishment: he had to chop wood and wash windows. “That’s what he deserves! He thinks he’s so much smarter than us!” he said.

Kielkowski defended Val saying, “He doesn’t think he’s smarter than us. You’re just jealous!” Sosnowski lunged at Kielkowski and the two became one, rolling around on the ground, each trying to land punches at the other. Zimny, who was Val’s pal, and Sorowski, Val’s friendly art-rival, each grabbed a kid and pried them apart. They didn’t know it, but the truth was that Mr. Stroik had made a mistake in listing Val twice, but rather than removing him from one, in his jealousy over Val’s precocity he let it stand.

When all concerned had cooled off, and they had resumed their walk, Sosnowski growled, contemptuously, “I don’t believe that rock can melt. And flow like water, no less!”

Kielkowski responded, “Alex, you’re a blockhead. Will anything ever get into your thick skull?”

Tues. September 18, 1855. The Eagles reading group 3 read chapter 9 of Uncle Tom’s Cabin today. Here is their outline of Chapter 9:

Characters: Ohio senator & Mrs. Bird, who have recently lost a child; old Cudjoe & old Dinah — Black servants; and honest John (a white). Sen. Bird tells his wife, „There’s been a law passed forbidding people to help the slaves that come over from Kentucky”. She asks, „And what is the law? It don’t forbid us to shelter these poor creatures at night, does it, and to give „em something to eat, and a few old clothes, and send them quietly about their business?” He responds, „Why, yes, my dear; that would be aiding and abetting”. She remonstrates with him about this law. Cudjoe calls them to the kitchen where they meet Eliza, who tells them her story. Eliza tells them that she has lost 2 kids, and Harry — all she has left — is about to be sold. She says that she has a husband who works for a mean guy who threatens to sell him down river. She is assigned a bed with one of the servants and the Birds talk in private. Sen. Bird says she must leave that very night and he will drive her to van Trompe’s place. Mrs. Bird commends him. She gives her dead child’s things to Eliza. Bird delivers Eliza to honest John and leaves.

Wed. September 19, 1855. While the wood choppers chopped before school Val and Ed fantasized about being part of the team excavating Pompeii. “I can’t wait until they get the whole place uncovered”, said Val.

“Yeah, it’ll be like being back in a city eighteen hundred years ago”, replied Ed.

Then they talked about being in a large sailing ship on the Atlantic Ocean, travelling to America. “How can a ship sail west if the wind is blowin’ from the west?” asked Ed.

“I dunno, but we do know that it happens”, answered Val.

“Why don’t you go to America, Karnowski; then we’ll be rid of your know-it-all attitude”, said Mordecai Hertz. This caused laughter from the gentile students.

8:00: Polish Reading. Val’s Eagles reading group 1 read chapter 10 of Uncle Tom’s Cabin today. This is their condensation of Chapter 10, pp. 74—79:

Tom the slave sits waiting to be taken away. He talks with his wife, aunt Chloe. Mrs. Shelby comes and says there is nothing that she can give Tom that will not be taken away, but promises to buy him back some day. Slave-dealer Haley comes to take him away. In the wagon he shackles Tom’s feet. When Haley stops at a blacksmith shop Tom is surprised to find young Massa George Shelby has come to say goodbye. Haley returns and gives a little speech about not running off. Tom assures him he has no such intention.

9:40: Polish Grammar. Stroik had several kids stand before the class and tell the story he had read to them, in his or her own words.

3:20: Geography. Water. Stroik told the kids about the seas, also called oceans: “Ships and vessels of many types sail on the sea. Fish of many kinds live in the waters, such as whales, sharks, porpoises and salmon. There are also crabs, oysters, lobsters and clams, and multitudes of other creatures. Although there is so much of it, you cannot drink it, for it is very salty. Lakes, however, are fresh water. You CAN drink from them”.

Thurs. September 20, 1855. The Eagles reading group 2 read chapter 11 of Uncle Tom’s Cabin today. They summed-up Chapter 11, pp. 80—86, thus:

Chapter 11 follows Uncle Tom after he’s bought by Augustine St. Clare, a rich man in New Orleans. St. Clare doesn’t fully believe slavery is wrong, but he treats Tom kindly and respects him. St. Clare’s daughter, Eva, is very sweet and quickly becomes close friends with Tom because she sees how good and honest he is. Another character, Miss Ophelia, comes from the North. She says she is against slavery, but she still has her own biases and doesn’t feel comfortable around Black people. This chapter shows different ways people think about slavery. Some people are kind but don’t question it, while others say it’s wrong but still act unfairly in their daily lives.

At 9:40 Ewald Zimny’s ringing of the hand bell signified: Polish Grammar. Making Interesting Sentences. Stroik asked the class, “What is a sentence?” Val knew the answer but held back. There was some hand-raising, which did not produce the answer, so Stroik told them, “A sentence is a group of words expressing a complete thought”. He pointed to a page in their book with a list of 20 groupings of words and hosted a class discussion as to which were and were not sentences. At its conclusion he said, “Furthermore, a sentence needs a subject and a verb”.

Fri. September 21, 1855. 8:00: Polish Reading: The Eagles reading group 3 read chapter 12 of Uncle Tom’s Cabin today.

CH. XII.

SELECT INCIDENT OF LAWFUL TRADE.

Mr. Haley and Tom jogged onward in their wagon, each, for a time, absorbed in his own reflections. However, the day wore on, and the evening saw Haley and Tom comfortably accommodated in Washington, KY, the one in an inn, and the other in a jail.

About eleven o’clock the next day, a mixed throng was gathered around the court house steps, waiting for a slave auction to commence.

The different men on the list were soon knocked off at prices which showed a pretty brisk demand in the market; two of them fell to Haley.

„Come, now, young un,” said the auctioneer, giving a boy a touch with his hammer, „be up and show your springs, now”.

„Put us two up togedder, togedder, do please, Massa,” said an old woman, holding fast to her boy.

„Be off,” said the man, gruffly, pushing her hands away; „you come last. Now, darkey, spring”. And, with the word, he pushed the boy towards the block.

His fine figure, alert limbs, and bright face, raised an instant competition, and half a dozen bids simultaneously met the ear of the auctioneer. Anxious, half-frightened, the boy looked from side to side, as he heard the clatter of contending bids, now here, now there, til the hammer fell. Haley had gotten him. He was pushed from the block toward his new master, but stopped one moment, and looked back, when his poor old mother, trembling in every limb, held out her shaking hands towards him.

„Buy me too, Massa, for de dear Lord’s sake! Buy me, I’ll die if you don’t!”

„You’ll die even if I do, that’s the kink of it,” said Haley, „No!” And he turned on his heel.

„Now!” said Haley, pushing his three purchases together, and producing a bundle of handcuffs, which he proceeded to put on their wrists; and fastening each handcuff to a long chain, he drove them before him to the jail.

A few days saw Haley, with his possessions, safely deposited on one of the Ohio River boats. It was the commencement of his gang, to be augmented, as the boat moved on, by various other merchandise of the same kind, which he, or his agent, had stored for him in various points along shore.

The stripes and stars of free America waved and fluttered overhead; the decks were crowded with well-dressed ladies and gentlemen walking and enjoying the delightful day. All was full of life, buoyant and rejoicing; all but Haley’s gang, who were stored, with other freight, on the lower deck.

„Boys,” said Haley, coming up, briskly, „I hope you keep up good heart, and are cheerful. Now, no sulks, ye see; keep a stiff upper lip, boys; do well by me, and I’ll do well by you”.

The boys addressed responded the invariable „Yes, Massa,” but they did not look particularly cheerful.

One day, when the boat stopped at a small town in Kentucky, Haley went up into the place on a little matter of business. Tom, whose fetters did not prevent his taking a moderate circuit, had drawn near the side of the boat, and stood listlessly gazing over the railings. After a time, the trader returned with a colored woman, bearing in her arms a young child. She was dressed quite respectably, and a colored man followed her, bringing along a small trunk. The woman came cheerfully onward, talking, as she came, with the man who bore her trunk, and so passed up the plank into the boat. She walked forward among the boxes and bales of the lower deck, and, sitting down, busied herself with chirruping to her baby.

Soon Haley seated himself near her, and began saying something to her in an undertone. Tom noticed that she answered rapidly, and with great vehemence.

„I don’t believe it, — I won’t believe it!” he heard her say. „You’re jist a-foolin’ with me.”

„If you won’t believe it, look here!” said the man, drawing out a paper: „this hyar’s the bill of sale, and there’s your master’s name to it; and I paid down good solid cash for it, too, I can tell you, so, now!”

„I don’t believe Massa would cheat me so; it can’t be true!” said the woman, with increasing agitation. „He told me that I was going down to Louisville, to hire out as cook to the same inn where my husband works, that’s what Massa told me, his own se’f; and I can’t believe he’d lie to me,” said the woman.

„But he has sold you, my poor woman, there’s no doubt about it,” said a good-natured looking man, who had been examining the papers.

„Then it’s no account talkin’,” said the woman, suddenly growing quite calm; and, clasping her child tighter in her arms, she sat down on her box, turned her back round, and gazed listlessly into the river.

„That’s a fine chap!” said a man, suddenly stopping opposite to him, with his hands in his pockets. „How old is he?”

„Ten months and a half”, said the mother.

The man whistled to the boy, and offered him part of a stick of candy, which he eagerly grabbed at, and very soon had it in his mouth. Then the man whistled and walked on. When he had got to the other side of the boat, he came across Haley, who was smoking on top of a pile of boxes.

„They won’t want the young „un on a plantation,” said the man.

„I’ll sell ‘im, first chance I find”, said Haley.

„I’ll give thirty for ‘im”, said the stranger, „but not a cent more.”

„Now, I’ll tell ye what I’ll do,” said Haley, „I’ll say forty-five; and that’s the most I’ll do.”

„Well, agreed!” said the man, after an interval.

„Done!” said Haley.

„Where do you land?”

„At Louisville,” said the man.

„Louisville,” said Haley. „We get there about dusk. Chap will be asleep; get ‘im off quietly, and no screamin’; I like to do everything quietly; I hates all kind o’ agitation and fluster.” And so, after a transfer of certain bills had passed from the man’s pocketbook to the trader’s, he resumed his cigar.

When the boat stopped at the wharf at Louisville, the woman was sitting with her baby in her arms. When she heard the name of the place called out, she hastily laid the child down in a little cradle formed by the hollow among the boxes, first carefully spreading her cloak under it; and then she sprang to the side of the boat in hopes that, among the various hotel-waiters who thronged the wharf, she might see her husband. She pressed forward to the front rails, and the crowd pressed in between her and the child.

„Now’s your time,” said Haley, taking the sleeping child up, and handing him to the stranger. „Don’t wake ‘im up, and set ‘im to cryin’, now.” The man took the bundle carefully, and was soon lost in the crowd that went up the wharf.

When the boat left the wharf the woman returned to her old seat. The trader was sitting there, the child was gone! „Why, why, where?” she began, in bewildered surprise. „Lucy,” said the trader, „your child’s gone; you may as well know it first as last. You see, I knew you couldn’t take him down South, and I got a chance to sell ‘im to a first-rate family, that’ll raise ‘im better’n you can”. Dizzily she sat down. Her hands fell lifeless by her side. Her eyes looked straight forward, but she saw nothing. The poor, dumb-stricken heart had neither cry nor tear to show for its utter misery. She was quite calm. »I know this hyar comes kinder hard at first, Lucy,« said he; “but such a smart, sensible gal as you are won’t give way to it. You see it’s necessary, and can’t be helped!”

„O! Don’t, Massa, don’t!” said the woman, with a voice like one that is smothering.

„You’re a smart wench, Lucy,” he persisted; „I mean to do well by ye, and get ye a nice place down river; and you’ll soon get another husband, such a likely gal as you”.

„O! Massa, if you only won’t talk to me now,” said the woman, in a voice of such quick and living anguish that the trader got up, and the woman turned away, and buried her head in her cloak.

Tom had watched the whole transaction from first to last, and had a perfect understanding of its results. He drew near, and tried to say something; but she only groaned. Honestly, and with tears running down his own cheeks, he spoke of a heart of love in the skies, of a pitying Jesus, and an eternal home; but the ear was deaf with anguish, and the palsied heart could not feel.

One after another, the voices of business or pleasure died away; all on the boat were sleeping, and the ripples at the prow were plainly heard. Tom stretched himself out on a box, and there, as he lay, he heard, ever and anon, a smothered sob or cry from the prostrate creature, „O! What shall I do? Lord! Good Lord, do help me!”” and so ever and anon, until the murmur died away in silence.

The trader waked up bright and early, and came out to see to his live stock. „Where alive is that gal?” he said to Tom.

Tom said he did not know.

„She surely couldn’t have got off in the night at any of the landin’s, for I was awake, and on the look-out, whenever the boat stopped. I never trust these hyar things to other folks.”

Tom made no answer.

The trader searched the boat from stem to stern, among boxes, bales and barrels, around the machinery, by the chimneys, in vain.

„Now, I say, Tom, be fair about this hyar,” he said, when, after a fruitless search, he came where Tom was standing. „You know somethin’ about it, now. Don’t tell me, I know you do”.

„Well, Massa,” said Tom, „towards mornin’ somethin’ brushed by me, and I kinder half woke; and then I hearn a great splash, and then I clare woke up, and the gal was gone. That’s all I know on ‘t”.

The trader was not shocked nor amazed. He had seen Death many times, met him in the way of trade, and got acquainted with him, and he only thought of him as a hard customer, that embarrassed his property operations very unfairly; and so he only swore that he was unlucky, and that, if things went on in this way, he would not make a cent on the trip. He, therefore, sat discontentedly down, with his little account-book, and put down the missing body and soul under the head of losses.

Sat. September 22, 1855. The remnant of the Agricultural Circle — Rogala, Simon and Val — met with Bogumił at 3:00 pm at Gruszczyn. The subject was Agricultural Machines. McCormick’s reaper and John Deere’s plow were featured. Bogumił had one of each. Rogala announced that he was going off to the Crimean War, so this was his last session. He urged the others to continue. He promised to write.

Afterward Michael took Val aside and they practiced. Again Michael exercised extreme patience as Val, the intellectual genius, worked to overcome an innate lack of talent in throwing and catching. “Michael, you’re leavin’ just when I’m gettin’ the hang of throwin’ and catchin’. Oh how I wish you weren’t goin”!”

“You still have Ed. You cannot call him your friend if you don’t trust him with getting together and continuing your practice. You must ask him”, Michael said.

*

It was customary for Val’s hair to be cut on Saturday nights. Monica was preoccupied with baby Gregory, and asked her husband, “Anselm, please cut Val’s hair. I’m busy”.

“Hey, he’s your kid. You do it!” he barked back. After finishing with Gregory, and with much muttering to herself, she did, but to spite Anselm, butchered the job, which Val found out when he looked into the mirror. “Oh, no! What’re the girls gonna’ think o’ me? I’ll be laughed at!” he told himself, but said nothing. As he bathed himself he was ill at ease, constantly on the alert for Anselm’s barbs.

Sun. September 23, 1855. At about 10:30 am in Theodore Kowalski’s barn Rogala honored Alverna Misiak, whose namesday had been September 17th, and January Sorowski, whose namesday had been September 19th. For everyone’s benefit, he gave this account of St. Januarius’ life:

“Januarius was Bishop of Beneventum, Italy. While no contemporary sources on his life are preserved, later sources and legends claim that he died during the Great Persecution which ended with emperor Diocletian’s retirement in 305 AD.

He is the patron saint of Naples, where the faithful gather three times a year in the Cathedral to witness the liquefaction of his blood, kept in a sealed glass ampoule.

The earliest mention of him is in a 432 letter by Uranius, bishop of Nola, on the death of his mentor Saint Paulinus of Nola, where it is stated that the spirits of Januarius and St. Martin appeared to Paulinus three days before the latter’s death in 431. About Januarius, the account says only that he was ‘bishop as well as martyr, an illustrious member of the Neapolitan church’. The Acta Bononensia says that ‘At Pozzuoli in Campania [is honored the memory] of the holy martyrs Januarius, Bishop of Beneventum, Festus his deacon, and Desiderius lector, together with Sossius, deacon of the church of Misenum, Proculus, deacon of Pozzuoli, Eutyches, and Acutius, who after chains and imprisonment were beheaded under the emperor Diocletian”.

He announced that he was going off to the Crimean War, to fight for Poland’s re-emergence as an independent nation, and that henceforth lessons would be taught by Fr. Ignatius Flis, who would come in from Jankowice. Afterwards, when the others had gone, Val pleaded, “Oh, Michael, please don’t go. You’re my only friend”. Then, realizing that Ed Kielkowski was there, he amended his statement, “Well, my only adult friend”.

Chapter Fourteen: Michael Rogala Leaves for the Crimean War

Mon. September 24, 1855. Today began Val’s fourth week of school. From today until 9/29 Val will serve 6:00 am Mass at St. Catherine, Łasin. His partner is Bonaventure Kuta, of the in-crowd. He will play practical jokes on Val all week. Val will take them in stride, for he knows that there will be no malicious intent, just playfulness.

Michael Rogala went to this 6:00 Mass at St. Catherine’s. Afterwards he called Val aside, saying, “Here: I am leaving the key to my flat in Łasin with you. Someone needs to guard my things while I am gone. Feel free to read any of my books. Think of it as a refuge when life gets too tough for you. Keep it clean”.

“May I take Ed there?” Val asked.

“Yes, but you two are the only ones who are to know about it. You must promise me that.”

“I promise.”

After a long hug Val found Ed and the two went back into the church.

At catechism there Father Knitter asked, “How is the Mass the same sacrifice as that of the Cross?” Val knew the answer but refrained.

Bernardine Deręgowska answered, “It’s the same ‘cause the offering and the priest are the same — Christ our Lord; and the ends for which the sacrifice of the Mass is offered are the same as those of the sacrifice of the Cross”.

*

While on the way to school Val shared what Rogala had told him with his pal. “Won’t it be great to have a secret place?” he asked and Ed said, “Wow! Yeah!”

*

At 7:30 am Michael Rogala and Nathan Karnowski left for Burgas, Bulgaria, in the Ottoman Empire.

*

9:40: Polish Grammar. The subject was, Coming up with Interesting Things to Say. Stroik told the kids, “When you speak or write, two things count: 1. what you have to say, and 2. how well you say it”.

3:20: Geography. Roads, Towns, Cities. Stroik said, “If you go from one place to another on land you travel on a road. Most of the ones you know are dirt-roads, but in some places they are paved. A major road between big cities is called a highway. In some places those travelling on roads have to pay to keep them up. These highways are called turnpikes. A man there keeps a pike lowered until you pay a fee.

On the road you meet people on foot, on horseback, in farm wagons, or in carriages of many types. As you travel along you run into villages, usually consisting of a few houses of local farmers who do not live on the land they farm, but who find it advantageous to group together. Or you may come to cities, which have many houses, and whose major streets are paved. Cities are often on the bank of rivers or on the sea shore”. He asked, “What would you say Łasin is: a city or a village?”

There was a long silence. Finally Val could not stand refraining longer. He piped up: “A city. It’s big, the major streets are paved, and it’s on Lake Łasin”.

“Right you are, Karnowski”, replied Stroik. Then Stroik asked, “Are you children going to let Karnowski answer all the time?” Val regretted speaking up.

*

On the road to Burgas, Rogala wrote letter R09/24 to Val. Val will receive it 10/3.

Tues. September 25, 1855. As Val and his stepbrothers Simeon and Aloysius were leaving for school, Anselm Knitter got up. It was his compulsory labor day. He was put to work making rakes, forks, buckets, barrels and ladders for the folvark at Gruszczyn. Today Val changed his opinion: he should not hide his intellect; he should bear the abuse. He did not want to end up like Anselm.

*

At catechism Fr. Knitter raised the question, “What are the ends for which the sacrifice of the Cross is offered?”

Val answered, “The ends for which the sacrifice of the Cross are offered are:

1. To honor and glorify God;

2. To thank ‘im for all the graces bestowed on the whole world;

3. To satisfy God’s justice for the sins of men;

4. To obtain all graces and blessings”.

At 6:53 am the day’s temperature was 31°F. This was the first time the temperature went below freezing this fall.

*

8:00 in Hildebrandt School: Polish Reading: Val’s Eagles reading group 1 read chapter 13 of Uncle Tom’s Cabin today. Their rundown of Chapter 13, pp. 95—101 was:

Characters are: Rachel & Simeon Halliday, Phineas Fletcher & Ruth Stedman, all Quakers; and slaves George, Eliza and their son Harry. Simeon tells Ruth that George is in the settlement. Ruth tells Eliza. Eliza awakes from a dream to find George looking down at her. After eating the Quakers tell George that Phineas Fletcher will take him to the next stop on the Underground Railroad.

Wed. September 26, 1855. This morning Fr. Knitter said the Mass of Ss. Cyprian & Justina, Martyrs. Val’s imagination wandered to a time in ancient Rome when he was being asked to renounce his faith. “Not on your life!” he retorted to the magistrate there. In his own pew, Val’s pal Ed was having a similar fantasy.

At catechism afterward the teaching revolved around: “Is there any difference between the sacrifice of the Cross and the sacrifice of the Mass?”

William Żonawiec said, “Yes; the manner is different. On the Cross Christ really shed ‘is blood and was really slain; in the Mass there’s no real sheddin’ o’ blood nor real death, ‘cause Christ can’t die anymore; but the sacrifice of the Mass, through the separate consecration of the bread and the wine, re-presents His death on the Cross”.

Val asked, “You mean it is like a play? It enacts something that happened eighteen hundred years ago?”

“I am glad that you raise that question. No! The Mass does not enact an old event. The Mass is the very same events of the Last supper and Jesus’ death on Calvary. These events are brought forth in time. It means that you are at Calvary.”

*

9:40: Polish Grammar. Mr. Stroik went through The Kinds of Sentences, Declarative, Interrogative and Imperative. “Declarative simply declares a fact; interrogative asks a question, and imperative issues a command.”

3:20: Geography. Canals and Railroads. Stroik told the kids, “Canals are wide ditches — like rivers — but dug by men, and filled with water. Boats loaded with flour, grain, salt, coal, or any merchandise, are pulled along by horses walking along the banks. Not far from here is the Bydgoszcz Canal. It was built in 1772—1775, at the order of Frederick II, king of Prussia. It is about 15 ½ mi. long, between the cities of Bydgoszcz and Nakło, connecting the Vistula- and the Odra- Rivers. Because the land at one end is higher than at the other, locks had to be installed so that boats can move from one water level to another”.

Mr. Stroik said that a railroad is a mode of transportation of many people and goods. An engine powered by steam pulls many cars on tracks. He told them that trains travel at 20—25 mph, and “Wow!” was heard thruout the room. He asked, “Has anyone ever seen a train?” Val raised his hand: “When my ‘big friends’ and I went to Paris we saw one in a German city”. Stroik clenched his jaw and said to himself, “I had to ask!”

Thurs. September 27, 1855. At about 6:30 Fr. Knitter asked the catechism class, “How should we assist at Mass?”

Thomas Brandt answered, “With great interior recollection and piety and with every outward mark of respect and devotion”.

The priest then read to the class:

“Sts. Cosmas and Damian were two Arab physicians, reputedly twin brothers, and early Catholic martyrs. They practiced their profession in the seaport of Aegeae, then in the Roman province of Syria”.

“Accepting no payment for their services to the poor led to them being named ‘the silverless’ or the ‘unpaid’; it has been said that, by this, they attracted many to the Catholic faith. During Diocletian’s persecution, they were arrested by one Lysias, Prefect of Cilicia, who ordered them under torture to recant. However, they stayed true to their faith, enduring being hung on a cross, stoned and shot by arrows and finally suffered execution by beheading. Anthimus, Leontius and Euprepius, their younger brothers, who were inseparable from them thruout life, shared in their martyrdom, ca. 287 AD.”

On the way from church to Hildebrandt Val and Ed indulged in their ongoing fantasy of becoming martyrs.

On the streets they saw a lot of booths made of branches and covered with leaves. People appeared to be living in them! Ed asked a Chasidic-looking man who was exiting one, and he explained, “These are part of our Jewish religion. God requires us to live in them at this time of year”.

*

9:40: Polish Grammar. Giving Directions. Stroik called for volunteers to come to the front of the room and give directions from various local places to other local places. “The object is to pronounce your words distinctly, speak slowly, look at your audience, and in general, get yourself understood”. At the end of Val’s speech the teacher said, “Now we will examine how Karnowski did. Remember, be kind; be constructive. Do unto others as you would have done to yourself”.

James Pastwa disregarded this caution and proceeded into a scathing appraisal of Val’s speech. Alex Sosnowski joined him. Stroik could have said, “Boys, nothing you are saying is constructive”, but he just sat there. Interiorly, Val asked himself the question with which he had struggled since starting first grade: “Is it worth it to be smart and by doing so, to forfeit the possibility of havin’ friends?” But then he told himself, “There’s no guarantee that actin’ dumb will get me friends. And anyway, I know I wasn’t tryin’ to show off”.

Fri. September 28, 1855. Val’s Group 1 put together this abridgement of Chapter 16 of Uncle Tom’s Cabin:

Characters: Augustine & Marie St. Clare; Eva, their sickly daughter; Miss Ophelia, Augustine’s cousin; Mammy and Tom, slaves. Marie gets imaginary illnesses and thinks that the slaves cause this. She can’t see that separating Mammy from her children and husband causes Mammy any pain. Ophelia is shocked at the familiarity between black Tom and white Eva. Augustine points out Ophelia’s Northern hypocrisy. Augustine is not religious. Marie comes back from church and reports that the minister agrees with her opinion that slavery is God-ordained.

On the road, Rogala wrote letter R09/28 to Val. Val will receive it 10/5.

Sat. September 29, 1855. Fr. Ignatius Flis told the kids at Polish History that John Charles Chodkiewicz, fighting for Poland, had crushed the Swedish armies at the battles of Biały Kamień this day in 1604. After class Val got hold of his pal Ed Kielkowski. The two then let their imaginations run wild, envisioning themselves carrying the Polish flag victoriously through the savage enemy troops. From turkey and goose feathers they devised wings such as the famed Polish Winged Hussars had worn on their backs to frighten the enemy.

*

At 3:00 pm Val and Bogumił met at Gruszczyn. The latter had invited Simon Kwasigroch (27) who lived on Bogumił’s estate, to take Rogala’s place. The subject was Livestock Skills.

*

After supper, while Val was taking his bath he took surreptitious looks to see what changes were being made to his body. He was especially careful that Anselm not see him doing this. “Oh, how I wish I had someone here with whom to talk. I miss Rogala!” he told himself.

Sun. September 30, 1855. The sun set at 17:46. At 19:00 pm the weekly Polish folk dancing lesson at Przybyło’s Hall, Łasin, began. Val was present. Everyone brought a lantern or candle, since one stipulation Przybyło had made was that he was not going to provide lighting for the cheap rent he had offered.

When the session was over all the children exited into total darkness. The girls would leave in a pack, and the boys would wait a while and also leave in a pack. The westward-walking kids would meet in the darkness of the Rogóźno Forest; the eastward kids on the road next to Łasin Lake. Both groups would engage in kissing sessions. Val very much enjoyed these sessions. He was in love with Leokadia Różek, from Plesewo. He would seek her out to kiss. He would pray at night, “O Lord, please let Leokadia like me”.

Bernardine Deręgowska would let some boys get a little more than a kiss.

Mon. October 1, 1855. At 4:45 Val’s Redier alarm clock rang to get him up to begin his fifth week of school. After kneeling by his bed to say his morning prayers, he went out to the well for water to wash and to cook. The sky was dark, but cloudless; the temperature was 24°F and the wind was barely moving. He stood there in awe for a while as he surveyed the vast array of stars. He was snapped out of his reverie by Monica’s, “C’mon! I need that water!”

At 6:08, after a meager breakfast of a gruel made from foraged ground dried Couch Grass rhizomes and hot water, his classmate Koprowski knocked on his door, and they went on their way to chop wood. The sun had just come up. Neither boy would be attending Mass all week.

*

At 7:00 am the woodchoppers assembled in 23°F cold, but under a brilliant blue sky. Val and Ed conversed while they sawed through a log. Referring to the coming Polish Reading period, Ed asked, “Why do you think Mrs. Stowe wrote that book?”

“Prob’ly to get sympathy for the oppressed slaves.”

“It’s terrible how those slaves suffered, and how their families were separated when one was sold.”

“Well, if you think about it, it’s about as bad as for us Poles. The Negroes had the white gentry class to oppress them, and we have the Germans.”

“The Prussian government wasn’t thinkin’ when they chose this book for us Poles to read!”

“They prob’ly did so to get us to prefer Prussia to the United States.”

“I still prefer the United States.”

The 8:00 period was begun by the ringing of the large handbell by Magdalene Lorek, whose turn it was this week. She seemed so skinny to Val that he wondered if she had the strength to do it, but she did, holding it with both hands and letting it ring while hanging, instead of “sideways” as the boys and others would do it. This provoked derisive laughter from Thomas Myszka and the weak-willed who followed him. Val was tempted, but refrained.

Pastor Kretzmann came in to teach religion. Today he taught that to deny that sin still remains in a child after Baptism, is to insult both Christ and St. Paul.

Val asked, “Are you saying that after Baptism a child is still in sin?”

“Indeed I am.”

“Then what good is Baptism?”

“Baptism is like a layer of snow that has covered a circle of cow’s dung. We say that God ‘imputes’ righteousness to the person being baptized. He is still full of sin, but God acts as though he is righteous.”

This didn’t seem correct to Val, but he refrained from continuing a conversation. He wanted to ask Fr. Knitter about it.

9:40: Polish Grammar. Explaining Things. Once again Stroik called kids to the front of the room to address the others. “Is there something that you do well? I want you to tell us how to do that”. In case they were at a loss, he had a list of possibilities. There were things that Val thought he did well, like drawing and running, but he refrained, knowing the derision he would receive.

3:20: Geography. Shape of the World. Stroik led the kids to a drawing in their book and said, “The world on which we live is called Earth, and, as you can see, it is a big globe rotating in space. Earth is a planet, and there are seven of them. Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn can all be seen with the naked eye, so it’s impossible to say who the first human was to discover them. Uranus was discovered by William Hershel on March 13, 1781. There are other bodies in space, but that is the subject of another course: Astronomy”.

“Remember in our last lesson I told you about continents. This picture shows some of them: Europe, North America, South America, Asia, and Africa. There are two others: Australia, which is occupied by only one country, and Antarctica, at the South Pole.”

“There are two poles: the North, and the south. The temperature there gets very cold -150°F, so you would not want to visit there!”

At 4:10 Lorek rang the bell for Dismissal, and Zimny, Kielkowski, Sosnowski, Derdowski and Sorowski formed a group to walk home. Seeing Ed without Val, one of them asked, “Where’s Val?”

“Oh, he moved. Now he walks eastward”, he replied.

*

Rogala sent Val letter R10/01. Val will receive it 10/8.

Tues. October 2, 1855. This was the compulsory labor day for Anselm Knitter, Val’s stepfather. He took part in a harvest of honey from Lord Bogumił Gruszczyński’s hives. Later he participated in outbuilding repair at the Gruszczyn folvark. “While I’m workin’, that Karnowski kid is takin’ it easy. But this is ‘is last year o’ leisure. I’ll see to that”, he thought.

*

While chopping wood this morning Val brought up the concept of space that had come up in Geography yesterday. “It’s funny that ‘scientists’ can accept that there is no limit to space — that it’s infinite — but can’t accept that God is infinite”, he said to Ed.

Then he said, “Rev. Kretzmann said that to deny that sin still remains in a child after Baptism, is to insult both Christ and St. Paul. I must confess that I don’t understand that”.

Ed said, Well, we know that after Baptism Original Sin is gone. Lutherans and Catholics agree on that”.

“He has it wrong if he thinks that we Catholics believe that a child under the age of reason is capable of sinning.”

8:00: Polish Reading. Val’s Eagles’ group 1 covered pp. 124—139 of Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Their review of Chapter 17:

Characters: George & Eliza Harris — runaway slaves; Jim, George’s servant; Simeon & Rachel Halliday, and Phineas Fletcher, 3 Quakers. Phineas reports that he overheard a group of 6—8 men in an inn talking about the Harrises’ being in the Quaker settlement. The Harrises plan an escape to the next station northward on the “underground railroad” to Canada. They are pursued by the 6—8 men. Phineas gets Michael Cross to follow the escapees, looking back for the pursuers. The wagon drives off. Phineas wants to gain a certain rock for shelter and concealment. Phineas orders everyone out and up into the rocks, and Michael to ride to Amariah’s, to get him and his boys to come back and talk to the pursuers. They pass through a narrow gorge, where only one can walk at a time, til they come to a rift or chasm little more than a yard in breadth. They all jump across, then climb high. From the height Phineas and company train their pistols down onto the gorge. George addresses Tom & company, warning them that he will shoot. Marks fires at George. Tom Loker appears in sight. George shoots him in the side, but he continues to advance and jumps into the midst of the good guys. Phineas pushes him, and he falls down into the chasm. His gang tries to pick him up, but winds up leaving him. Phineas & company begin to walk ahead and run into Michael, Stephen and Amariah. They take Tom Loker to Amariah’s where his wound is attended to.

9:40: Polish Grammar. Once again Stroik called kids to the front of the room to instruct the others about something that they do well, and once again Val felt uncomfortable, wishing this period was finished. “Please, don’t let Stroik call me up to the front”, he prayed.

11:45: Lunch. Val’s classmate Thomas Myszka was a troublemaking type. One of his arms was shorter than the other. He did things to overcompensate and get the attention off himself. Today he made fun of Helena Łubiecka. He had done so before. She was not bright and very shy and quiet. She seemed fragile. To get accepted, Val joined in in taunting her. Val felt very bad about this later. “I’m so very like her, so why did I do that?” he scolded himself.

*

8:00 pm: Val knelt by the side of his bed to say his night prayers. Going over his day in his mind, he remembered what he and Myszka had done to Helena Łubiecka. He felt very bad about this, and prayed, “O Lord, please forgive me for what I did. In the future, help me to stand up for what’s right!”

Wed. October 3, 1855. At Hildebrandt School when Mr. Stroik was taking roll, he called out the name, “ŁUBIECKA!” There was no response.

8:00: Polish Reading. Group 2 came up with this review of Chapter 18, pp. 140—148 of Uncle Tom’s Cabin:

Characters: Tom, the slave; Mr. St. Clare and Miss Ophelia, his cousin, Eva, his daughter; Dinah & Prue, slaves. St. Clare comes back drunk from a party, and Tom gets him to promise never to do that again. Ophelia takes Dinah to task for her messy kitchen. Prue comes to sell rusks. Tom lectures her about drinking.

9:40: Polish Grammar. Parts of Speech. Stroik told the class, “To build a sentence you need various kinds of words, in the same way that a man building a house needs various kinds of materials. We will learn the name of each kind of word, what it does, and how to use it properly”.

11:45: The children of Hildebrandt School ate their lunches out in 54° air, under a cloudy sky. Val and Ed discussed slavery. Ed asked, “Why does a person allow another to order ‘im to do things? Why doesn’t ‘e just run away?”

Val replied, “Prob’ly ‘cause there are people who will return ‘im to ‘is ‘owner’”.

“Then why doesn’t ‘e just sit there and say, ‘I’m not doin’ anything for you’?”

“Prob’ly ‘cause ‘e’s afraid that ‘e’ll be whipped into doin’ it, or even killed”.

3:20: Geography. All about Maps. Stroik told the class, “A map is a representation of part of the earth. The distinctive characteristic of a topographic map is the use of contour lines to show the shape of the earth’s surface. Topographic maps show many kinds of geographic features, including roads, railroads, rivers, streams, lakes, buildings, built-up areas, boundaries, place- or feature- names, mountains, elevations, survey control points, and vegetation types.

Contour lines are imaginary lines that join points of equal height above average sea level. Contours make it possible to show the height and shape of mountains, depths of the ocean bottom, and steepness of slopes.

Zimny said he did not understand. Stroik explained, “You know that there is water at the bottom of your well. Let us say that the water in all the wells in Prussia is at the same height or depth. That would mean that it is underground everywhere. Mean sea level is like that. ‘Mean’ here means ‘average’. So, any point on the earth’s surface can be said to be, e.g., 300’ above sea level, sea level being 0’. Now imagine cutting a horizontal slice through a hill. Every point on that surface will be at the same height above sea level. If you were a bird looking down, you would see an outline of that slice. We would call that the 300’ contour line”.

Zimny said that he understood, so Stroik continued: “Mercator projection. To explain this I have to call your attention to the lines that run up and down from North- to South- poles. These are called meridians. The horizontal lines are called parallels of latitude. The parallel running through the earth’s middle is called the equator. You will see that at the equator the vertical meridians are as far apart as possible. As you go north or south of the equator and follow a parallel, the meridians get closer and closer together. Mercator projection flattens out the map of the world so that the meridians are always the same distance apart”.

*

When Val got home he found that he had received a letter — Rogala (1) — from Michael.

“R09/24. Dear Val,

Nathan and I have set up our tent on the western shore of Lake Urszulewo. We have a beautiful spot, surrounded by pines. We passed through the village of Urszulewo which used to belong to the Benedictine nuns, but was taken away from them by Prussia.

We had some trouble at the border with Russian Poland, but everything worked out fine.

In almost every place we have seen gothic churches from the 13th and 14th centuries.

I am still traveling, so do not try to write to me. I will write to you, however, and let you know when I am in a place to which you can mail letters.

Well, we have to cook our food, so I’ll sign off til later.

Your friend,

Michael.”

Anselm Knitter came home for supper slightly drunk. He was not the kind who drank up all his pay, however. “What’s that you’re readin’?” he growled to Val.

“A letter from my friend Michael. He’s gone off to the Crimean War.”

“Well, I don’t like you havin’ friends that’re so much older’n you.”

Val thought, “What the heck do you care? You’re not my father. I need someone like my father to talk to”, but he did not vocalize it. Instead, anticipating the question: “Whadda you two do when you get together?” he DID say, “We talk about stuff that you’re not interested in”.

“Oh, yeah? Gimme a subjec’ and you’ll see how I can talk wit’ you about it”, he challenged.

Wishing to give Anselm a kind of “head start” Val chose from farming, the only thing Anselm knew anything about. “Have you ever heard of McCormick’s plow?” he asked.

“No. What is it?”

“It’s a better way of plowin’. They attach a steel plate to the front o’ the plow, and it turns over the soil more easily. Ever hear of contour plowin’?”

“No. What’s that?”

“Well, imagine a hill. Instead of plowin’ from the top to the bottom, you plow sideways, around the hill. That way you keep your topsoil from drainin’ away when it rains.”

“Bah! We never did it like that. My ancestors never did it like that. That’s goofy!” At that Val realized that the conversation had gone as far as it ever would.

Thurs. October 4, 1855. In Hildebrandt School when Mr. Stroik was taking roll, he called out the name, “ŁUBIECKA!” For a second day there was no response.

8:00: Polish Reading. Group 3 put together this sketch of Chapter 19, pp. 149—154 of Uncle Tom’s Cabin:

Characters: Tom & Dinah, slaves; Mr. St. Clare, rich New Orleans white man, Eva, his frail daughter, Ophelia, his New England cousin.

Eva changes her mind about going somewhere: she’s disturbed about the drinking of the slave Prue. Another slave brings Prue’s rusks and Dinah finds out that Prue was drunk again, so her owners whipped her and put her down in the cellar. Eva hears this and almost faints. Ophelia tells St. Clare that he should do something about this; he answers that a man can do what he pleases with his property. He gives a speech about the impending end of slavery. Tom tries to write a letter to his wife and children still back on his former plantation. Eva helps him. Tom tells her that his former owners promised to buy him back, and Eva is all for that. The letter gets posted.

9:40: Polish Grammar. Nouns. “Nouns are names of persons, places or things”. He had the kids name things in their desks, and things they saw on the way to school. While the kids were giving examples and under his breath Olek Sosnowski said, “dung”, and Thomas Myszka quickly added, “puke”. This caused general tittering in their area. “Just what is so funny back there?” Stroik demanded to know. Frank Pasko volunteered the information.

“Well, first of all, both of you have understood the concept of a noun correctly. Secondly, you will pick up your books and stand in the corner holding them until I say ‘stop’”.

He finished this period with, “Your own name is a noun, too”.

Fri. October 5, 1855. Group 1 of the Eagles, which included Val, composed this compendium of Chapter 20, pp. 155—168 of Uncle Tom’s Cabin:

Mr. St. Clare announces to his cousin Ophelia that he has purchased a little slave girl for her: Topsy. Ophelia describes Topsy as a “thing” and asks: why the gift. St. Clare says, “For you to educate”. Turns out that he bought her to rescue her from abuse. Ophelia questions Topsy and her answer is always, “I dunno”. Ophelia washes her, clothes her and begins by teaching her how to make a bed. Topsy gets caught trying to steal. She goes on to “confess” to further thefts, but the items are found not in her possession. When asked why she confessed to something she hadn’t done, she says that that was what she thought was required. Slave Rose says that Topsy should be whipped, but Eva will not hear of it. Eva speaks to Topsy the first kind words she has ever heard. Ophelia is tempted to use the whip to discipline Topsy but St. Clare says, “That’s what she’s used to”, so Ophelia tries a different tack. She teaches her to read and to sew.

*

Val received Rogala’s letter — Rogala (2).

“R09/28. Dear Val,

In Sierpc (Tues. 9/25) we passed a synagog and Jewish cemetery. That pleased Nathan. He has been impressed at the number of synagogs so far. There are synagogs in Sierpc, Drobin, Klimontów, Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki and Radom. No doubt there will be many others. There are Jewish cemeteries at Sierpc, Drobin, Iłża, Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, Nowy Dwór Mazowiecki and Warsaw. There is even a Jewish hospital at Radom.

We spent night #2 (Tues. 9/25) in Załuski. In conversation with natives of the place we were offered hospitality again.

In 1823 a Jew from England, Levi Selig Sunderland, settled in Iłża and founded a famous faience factory. In 1850, a Jewish kehilla was established there. There is a mill for grinding glaze for the faience factory.

Warsaw (Wed. 9/26) has too many churches and palaces to describe. The Russian overlords have converted at least one Catholic Church into an Orthodox one: a main dome and 4 little corner domes have been added. I wonder how people can worship in a church that they have stolen. As we passed it we encountered a religious procession. There were several pops, all wearing beautiful vestments of silk and gold thread, and many Russian colonists holding banners and candles. Several men carried a wooden cross on which was painted a Byzantine icon of the dying Christ. When I inquired what the occasion was, I was told that it was the feast of the Orthodox Exaltation of the Holy Cross, one of their 12 Great Feasts.

The Koniecpolski palace has been confiscated to be the residence of John Paskievich, Russian namiestnik of prostrate Poland, and general in the Crimean War.

We passed through Grójec (Thurs. 9/27), where Fr. Peter Skarga was born. He was a patriotic Jesuit of many talents. Around Grójec we saw many hectares of apple trees, and ate not a few.

We had a lot of difficulty crossing from the Russian Partition into the Austrian. The Austrians are jittery that the Russians are trying to upset the balance of power in Europe. I convinced them that we are not spies.

We spent night #4 outside, 17.44 mi. past Radom (Thurs. 9/27). Nathan commented that we were observing Sukkot by sleeping outside.

We just passed through Klimontów (Fri. 9/28). It is a station on the ‘Lesser Polish Way of Saint James’, one of the two Polish routes of the Way of St. James, the medieval pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. It runs from Sandomierz to Kraków through the ‘Land of Lesser Poland, i.e., Małopolska’. Among points of interest in Klimontów are: the Baroque collegiate church of St. Joseph (1643—1646), St. Hyacinth church (1617—1620), and the Dominican abbey (1620—1623), where pilgrims on the Way stay. We had to keep moving otherwise we would have stayed there. Nathan was impressed by the neo-classicistic synagogue, built in 1851.

We have just been offered hospitality by some Poles some miles past Klimontów, where we will spend night #5.

Well, enough for now.

Your friend,

Michael.”

On the way to Burgas, Ottoman Empire, Rogala wrote letter R10/05. Val will receive it 10/12.

Sat. October 6, 1855. Fr. Ignatius Flis told the kids in Theodore Kowalski’s barn, Szczepanki about the “Great Diet” (Four-Year Parliament) which was convened in what was left of Poland, 1788. Val and Ed talked about it: “If only we had been deputies to previous Diets. We would’ve boxed the ears of those traitorous deputies who allowed themselves to be bought off by Russia, Prussia and Austria”, said Val.

“Well, in 1788 the deputies finally woke up. Too bad they didn’t stick to their reforms”, said Ed.

*

The 3-man rump of the Agricultural Circle consisting of Lord Bogumił, Simon Kwasigroch and Julian Nering met at 3:00 pm at Gruszczyn with Val in attendance. The subjects were How to Spot Sick Bovines and Cure Them, and How to Maintain a Healthy Pasture. The men were fortunate to be addressed by a pupil of Adam Ferdinand Adamowicz, of the University of Wilno. Adamowicz was one of the pioneers of Polish veterinary medicine and the creator of Polish veterinary vocabulary.

The speaker expressed surprise to have Val Karnowski, a mere boy of thirteen, in attendance. “Don’t be surprised. In many ways this boy is smarter than the rest of us. After talking with him a while, you will see that he is very bright”, offered Bogumił.

*

Sun. October 7, 1855. It was customary in Łasin area churches for children in 8th grade to lead the rosary after 9:00 am Mass. Val was chosen for this today, and, despite having said the Our Father many times, he got stage fright and forgot the words. “You’re not so smart”, taunted Sosnowski.

*

After 9:00 Mass and Rosary Fr. Ignatius Flis taught Polish History in Theodore Kowalski’s barn. He honored Ewald Zimny, whose namesday was October 3rd, and Frank Pasko, October 4th. The previous local pastors had all been Polish; they would have done this on the actual day. The present pastors are all German and do not follow this practice.

Mon. October 8, 1855. At catechism Fr. Knitter’s teaching pivoted on the question: What are the effects of the Sacrament of Extreme Unction? Dorothy Chromy supplied these answers:

1. To comfort us in our sickness and to strengthen us against temptation;

2. To remit venial sins and to cleanse our soul from the remains of sin;

3. To restore us to health, if God sees fit.

Val asked, “What if the sick person has mortal sins on ‘is soul?”

Father replied, “Hopefully, he can still make a last Confession and receive Viaticum along with Extreme Unction”.

“What if he can’t speak?”

“Extreme Unction can indeed bring God’s forgiveness of mortal sins, but normally, Church law requires him to confess verbally his mortal sins if he recovers. It would wash away his mortal sins if he was no longer able to speak or properly communicate.”

Val brought up what Rev. Kretzmann had said last week, that after Baptism, a baby still had sin.

Fr. Knitter said, “We say that Baptism makes one a whole new person. Adam and Eve’s sin only damaged our human nature; it didn’t thoroly corrupt it, as Luther taught. He should know that Lutherans believe — as we also do — that Baptism removes Original Sin. What other sin could remain, since children are presumed to attain the age of reason only at about seven, and one can only sin after that?”

*

Val began his sixth week in Hildebrandt School. When Mr. Stroik was taking roll, he called out the name, “ŁUBIECKA!” For a third day there was no response. “If anyone lives near her, tell her she had better get herself in here”, Stroik commanded. It turned out that no one DID live near her.

She was never seen again. Val thought, “You don’t hafta be a genius to know that she simply doesn’t wanna come to school to face the abuse”. Val knew that there was a fine for being truant; he wondered what the state did in a case like Helena’s. He felt a burden of guilt to think that he played a part in her suffering.

At 8:00 Thomas Brandt rang the large handbell, and the day’s classes began. Pastor Kretzmann came in to teach religion. Today he taught that concupiscence — the inclination toward sin — delays a soul departing from the body from entrance into heaven.

9:40: Polish Grammar. Pronouns. Stroik told the kids, “Pronouns are words used in place of nouns to save time”. He took them to that place in the book and showed them the pronouns for I, you, he, she, it, we, you, and they. “You already know these pronouns; now you know that they ARE pronouns”, he said.

3:20: Geography. The Global Map. Stroik pointed to the large globe mounted in a frame at the front of the room. “Get up and file by. As you do, you will see what I told you last lesson about meridians and parallels of latitude. There are 360° of meridian, with the major one — 0°— running through Greenwich, England.”

“The distance between each parallel of latitude is about 69 miles (110 kilometers). The five major parallels of latitudes from north to south are called: the Arctic Circle, Tropic of Cancer, Equator, Tropic of Capricorn, and the Antarctic Circle. Łasin is 53.52° north latitude, 19.09° east of Greenwich”.

Val, Żonawiec, Gordon and Koprowski formed a group walking east after school. The temperature was 80°; the wind was blowing at a mere 14 mph, and it was cloudless. The discussion concerned whether it was better to die suddenly or over a period of time, knowing that one is dying. Koprowski said, “I’d like to die in my sleep. That way there’s no pain”.

Val said, “I’d rather know that I’m dyin’. That way I can get ready to see God, and also have time to receive Extreme Unction”. Żonawiec and Gordon said they hadn’t thought about it, but sided with Val.

*

At home Val read Michael’s letter — Rogala (3).

“R10/01. Dear Val,

We are a little past Kvakovce, Slovakia, which is part of the Austrian Empire.

In Cmolas (Sat. 9/29) we saw a Shrine of the Transfiguration with a miraculous image, which attracts pilgrims. The shrine contains one of the largest permanent altars in Poland. Nathan attended synagog.

Part of Głogów Małopolski (Sat. 9/29) in the 16th C was owned by Peter Kochanowski and after him Peter’s son, the brother of the poet Jan. We will talk about Jan Kochanowski when I get back. He is an important figure in Polish literature.

In Rzeszów (Sat. 9/29) we heard that a Russian attack at Kars, north east Turkey, was defeated, and that there was Cavalry skirmishing at Eupatoria, on the western shore of the Crimean peninsula, north of Sebastopol. Nathan commented, ‘Seems that the Russians are tryin’ to get Eupatoria back’, and I told him, ‘That appears hopeless’. Nathan went to synagog in Rzeszów.

In Strzyżów (Sun. 9/30) I attended Mass in the stone-walled Collegiate Church of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, from the 2nd half of the 15th C. We were told that on August 15, 1769, the oath of the Bar Confederates took place in front of the image of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception in this church, in the presence of Casimir Pułaski and Francis Trzecieski. This image was posted on the banner of the Confederates.

Nathan said, ‘It’s ironic: Pułaski died fightin’ for the right of the American people to govern themselves, yet here he allied himself with reactionaries who wanted to do away with that right! Americans regard him as a hero; I regard him as a base traitor! I quickly replied, ‘No, Nathan, you have it backward. The Bar Confederates were the good guys; the bad guys were the Targowica Confederates’.

In Krosno (Sun. 9/30) they make beautiful glassware.

Iwonicz Zdrój (Sun. 9/30) is +1,318.46’ Above Sea Level — way high in the Carpathian Mountains! By comparison, Łasin is +298.56’. The town is named for St. Ivo. It has been a resort since 1582. It is surrounded by hills: On the east: Piekliska (+1,466.5’), Borowinowa (+1,660’), Glorieta (+1,804’), Wólecka (+2,004.5’); on the west: Ispak (+1,584’), Winiarska (+1,832’), Przedziwna (+1,814’), and Żabia (+1,821’).

There are numerous healing springs in the city, as well as sulphide waters. Iwonicz-Zdrój is a big spa. People come from all over Europe to sit in the waters or drink them. They are supposed to be good for various ailments: diseases of the motor organs, digestive system, rheumatology, respiratory tract, women’s problems, nervous system, skin, osteoporosis and obesity.

We could not resist the experience of ‘taking the waters’. We bathed in them and drank them.

In Dukla (Sun. 9/30) we visited the Complex of the Bernardine abbey (1731), whose church was built in 1761–1764. In the church is the coffin of St. John of Dukla.

We slept in a Polish peasant’s home in the border village of Barwinek (Sleep #7).

Enough for now.

Your friend,

Michael”.

Tues. October 9, 1855. In Łasin today Fr. Knitter said the Mass of Ss. Dionysius, Rusticus, and Eleutherius, Martyrs.

Then there was catechism. Val brought up something that Rev. Kretzmann had said: “Concupiscence — the inclination toward sin — delays a soul departing from the body from entrance into heaven”.

Fr. said, “Lutherans claim to base everything they believe on Scripture. This belief is utterly bizarre: nowhere in Scripture is such a belief to be found. We would say that attachment to specific vices must be burned off — in Purgatory. Even the greatest saints died with the inclination toward sin. It is part of our fallen human nature. Everyone except the Blessed Virgin Mary is born with Concupiscence”.

Then, resuming his place, he asked: “Question: What do we mean by ‘the remains of sin’?”

Vincenta Górna answered, “We mean the inclination to evil and the weakness o’ the will which are the result of our sins, which both remain after our sins have been forgiven”.

*

In Goczałki the sun rose at 6:21, waking Anselm Knitter for his compulsory labor day. He was given the task of taking all the ashes that had been stored, making lye, and then combining the lye with purified lard, producing soap for Gruszczyn Manor.

*

In Hildebrandt School Group 2 established this synopsis of Chapter 21, pp. 169—174 of Uncle Tom’s Cabin:

It deals with what slave Tom left behind in Kentucky. (He’s been sold to Mr. St. Clare in New Orleans.) Mrs. Shelby tells her husband that Chloe — Tom’s wife — received a letter from Tom, inquiring when he’ll be bought back. Chloe suggests that she be hired out to a confectioner in Louisville to bring in $4.00 per week. Chloe gets slave George to write to Tom with that news.

9:40: Polish Grammar. Adjectives. Stroik told the class, “An adjective is a word used with a noun or a pronoun to point it out or to describe it. It tells which, what kind of, or how many”. As examples of adjectives that point out he gave “this ball, that ball or yonder ball. Numbers are adjectives, too”.

*

That evening in Goczałki Val received Michael’s letter — Rogala (4).

R10/02. Dear Val,

Prior to the Partitions the next thing we would have encountered after Barwinek would have been a border; now we are simply moving from one part of the Austrian empire to another. We passed through the Dukla Pass in the lower Beskids, into Svidnik (Mon. 10/1), then Kvakovce (Mon. 10/1), both in Slovakia.

We then passed through Użhorod, in Podkarpacka Ruś (Tues. 10/2). The people here are called Rusyns. They are Slavs, like us.

In Mukachevo, Ukrainia (Tues. 10/2), we saw the 14th C Palanok castle. The Austrians turned this important fortress into a prison at the end of the 18th C. They held the Greek national hero Alexander Ypsilanti a prisoner in it from 1821 to 1823. By 1851 Mukachevo supported a large yeshiva, thereby demonstrating the community’s commitment to Talmudic learning and piety. The Jews of Mukachevo make up almost half of the town’s population. Nathan is getting an education about his Polish Judaism.

Well, time to go to sleep (#9).

Be a good boy. I will see you soon.

Michael.

Wed. October 10, 1855. At catechism Fr. Knitter asked, “How should we receive the Sacrament of Extreme Unction?”

Alverna Misiak answered, “We should receive it in the state of grace, and with lively faith and resignation to the will of God”.

Val responded, “Well, that means that if we’re in the state of mortal sin, first we need to make a deathbed confession, then receive Viaticum”.

“Right, Val.”

*

In Polish Reading at Hildebrandt School Group 1 read Chapter 22, pp.174—178 of Uncle Tom’s Cabin:

CH. XXII

„THE GRASS WITHERETH, THE FLOWER FADETH.”

Life passes, with us all, a day at a time; so it passed with our friend Tom, til two years were gone.

Tom and Eva were seated on a little mossy seat, in an arbor, at the foot of the garden. It was Sunday evening, and Eva’s Bible lay open on her knee. She read, „And I saw a sea of glass, mingled with fire”.

„Tom,” said Eva, suddenly stopping, and pointing to the lake, „there it is”.

„What, Miss Eva?”

„Don’t you see, there?” said the child, pointing to the glassy water, which, as it rose and fell, reflected the golden glow of the sky. „There’s a »sea of glass, mingled with fire«.”

„True ‘nŭf, Miss Eva,” said Tom; and Tom sang; „O, had I the wings of the mornin’, I’d fly away to Canaan’s shore; Bright angels would convey me home, to the New Jerusalem”.

„Where do you suppose New Jerusalem is, Uncle Tom?” said Eva.

„O, up in the clouds, Miss Eva.”

„Then I think I see it,” said Eva. „Look at those clouds! They look like great gates of pearl; and you can see beyond them far; far off it’s all gold. Tom, sing about „spirits bright’”.

Tom sang the words of a well-known Methodist hymn: „I see a band of spirits bright, that taste the glories there; they are all robed in spotless white, and conq’ring palms they bear”.

„Uncle Tom, I’ve seen them”, said Eva.

Tom had no doubt of it at all; it did not surprise him in the least. If Eva had told him she had been to heaven, he would have thought it entirely probable.

„They come to me sometimes in my sleep, those spirits;" and Eva’s eyes grew dreamy, and she hummed, in a low voice, „They are all robed in spotless white, and conq’ring palms they bear.”

„Uncle Tom,” said Eva, „I „m going there”.

„Where, Miss Eva?”

The child rose, and pointed her little hand to the sky; the glow of evening lit her golden hair and flushed cheek with a kind of unearthly radiance, and her eyes were bent earnestly on the skies.

„I’m going there,” she said, „to the spirits bright, Tom; I’m going, before long”.

The faithful old heart felt a sudden thrust; and Tom thought how often he had noticed, within six months, that Eva’s little hands had grown thinner, and her skin more transparent, and her breath shorter; and how, when she ran or played in the garden, as she once could for hours she became soon so tired and languid. They were interrupted by a hasty call from Miss Ophelia.

„Eva, Eva! Why, child, the dew is falling; you mustn’t be out there!”

She had noted the slight, dry, cough, the daily brightening cheek, and tried to communicate her fears to St. Clare; but he threw back her suggestions with a restless petulance, unlike his usual careless good humor.

„Don’t be croaking, cousin, I hate it!” he would say; „don’t you see that the child is only growing? Children always lose strength when they grow fast”.

The child’s whole heart and soul seemed absorbed in works of love and kindness, and there was a touching and womanly thoughtfulness about her now, that everyone noticed. She would sit for half an hour at a time, laughing at the odd tricks of Topsy, and then a shadow would seem to pass across her face; her eyes grew misty, and her thoughts were afar.

„Mama,” she said, suddenly, to her mother, one day, „why don’t we teach our servants to read?”

„What a question, child! People never do.”

„Why don’t they?” said Eva.

„Because it is no use for them to read. It don’t help them to work any better, and they are not made for anything else.”

„But they ought to read the Bible, Mama, to learn God’s will.””

„O! They can get that read to them all they need.”

„It seems to me, Mama, the Bible is for everyone to read themselves. They need it a great many times when there is nobody to read it.”

„Eva, you are an odd child,” said her mother.

„See here!” she added, „these jewels I’m going to give you when you come out. I wore them to my first ball. I can tell you, Eva, I made a sensation.”

Eva took the jewel-case, and lifted from it a diamond necklace. Her large, thoughtful eyes rested on them, but it was plain her thoughts were elsewhere.

„How sober you look, child!” said Marie.

„Are these worth a great deal of money, Mama?”

„To be sure they are. Father sent to France for them. They are worth a small fortune.”

„I wish I had them,” said Eva, „to do what I pleased with!”

„What would you do with them?”

„I’d sell them, and buy a place in the Free States, and take all our people there, and hire teachers, to teach them to read and write.”

Eva was cut short by her mother’s laughing.

„Set up a boarding-school! Would you also teach them to play on the piano, and paint on velvet?”

„I’d teach them to read their own Bible, and write their own letters, and read letters that are written to them,” said Eva, steadily. „I know, Mama, it does come very hard on them, that they can’t do these things. Tom feels it, Mammy does, a great many of them do. I think it’s wrong.”

„Come, come, Eva; you are only a child! You don’t know anything about these things,” said Marie; „besides, your talking makes my head ache”. Eva stole away; but after that, she assiduously gave Mammy reading lessons.

“Eva talks like someone much older”, said Cyril Gordon of the Eagles Reading Group 1, shaking his head from side to side in disbelief.

“Well, Val talks like someone much older. Maybe she’s very smart, like Val”, said Ed Kielkowski.

Ignoring his friend’s compliment, Val said, “Mrs. Stowe writes to get sentiment outa the reader”.

“Mrs. Stowe is idealistic — like Michael Rogala or Lord Blaise”, said Brandt.

“New Orleans is in Louisiana, which used to be part of France. The St. Clare family oughtta be Catholic, yet Mrs. Stowe has made ‘em Protestant. Guess she just couldn’t overcome her anti-Catholicism”, said Bak.

9:40: Polish Grammar. Action Verbs and Verbs of Being. Verb Phrases. Stroik told the class, “A verb is a word that asserts something — usually an action — about a person, place or thing”.

3:20: Geography. Continents. Stroik told the class: “Europe, Asia and Africa are really only one continent. Each is so big that we study them separately”.

Fri. October 12, 1855. Val received Rogala’s letter — Rogala (5).

“R10/05. Dear Val,

We learned that poet Adam Mickiewicz has left Burgas for Istanbul. We hope to get to meet him.

We passed through Berehove, Ukrainia (Wed. 10/3). It’s the cultural center of the ethnic Hungarians living in Podkarpacka Ruś.

Okli, Ukrainia (Wed. 10/3), +744.75’ ASL, is right on the border with Transylvania. While in Ukrainia we were forced to subsist mostly on a diet of foraged items. Although Ukrainia produces much wheat, the Russian overlords harvest it for export. The local population is starving and must forage for food.

We crossed the border into Transylvania without incident. The first villages were Halmeu and Livada. Interestingly, Livada’s elevation above sea level is the same as Łasin’s.

We went through Baia Mare, Transylvania (Thurs. 10/4). It’s a big city, in a valley, encircled on all sides by hills and mountains. Some peaks reach +4,593‘ASL! They are the highest mountains we have ever seen! No matter which direction one looks there are outstanding landscapes.

In Valea Bizusa-Bai, Transylvania (Thurs. 10/4), known for thermal baths, we ‘took the waters’ again. While we were lounging in a pool our conversation drifted to St. Francis and the spirit of poverty. Nathan couldn’t get it; he, as well as his people, believe in acquiring money and possessions. They don’t have a clear view of an afterlife, so it makes sense to “get it all” while on earth. Well, he is a good man. We saw a duel between two Austrians. One was offended that the other did not tip his hat in greeting. When are men going to stop such childish posturing? You must never become like that!

We slept (#12) about 14 mi. past Gherla, Transylvania (Fri. 10/5). It is the seat of the Ordinariate for Catholics of the Armenian Rite in Romania. Their cathedral, named for St. Gregory the Illuminator, was built in 1792. Gherla is also the seat of a Greek-Catholic diocese. Their cathedral is named for the Holy Trinity.

That is it for now, young man.

Your friend,

Michael.”

In Theodore Kowalski’s barn, Szczepanki, Fr. Ignatius Flis read to the kids:

“On October 12, 1812 Napoleon began his retreat from Moscow. On his way back he passed through our Smołeńsk and Wilno. In early November, 1812 he learned that a general had attempted to take over the government back in France. On December 3 he abandoned what was left of his ‘Grand Armée’ and returned home on a sleigh, leaving a Marshal in charge. On December 14, 1812 the Grand Armée reached Kowno and crossed the Niemen into Prussia”.

Sat. October 13, 1855. Washing floors at 3:00 pm in Hildebrandt School were Draziński, Gordon, Górna, Hertz, Jezierska, Karnowski, Kielkowski and Klinger. Val and Ed conversed while on their knees, talking through the row of desks as they backed up. Val told Ed about Michael’s letter, and said, “He and Uncle Nathan are in the Beskid Mountains — way up there. He said that they have sat in mineral water that comes outa the ground hot. They even drank it”.

Ed asked, “Why would anyone drink it?”

“Dependin’ on which spring is involved, each one is supposed to help cure its own ailment”, was the reply.