Bittersweet Bliss by Ruth Glover

Author:Ruth Glover
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Frontier and pioneer life—Fiction, Scots—Canada—Fiction, Saskatchewan—Fiction
ISBN: 9781441239365
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group

Sister Dinwoody—tables and food arrangement

Herkimer Pinkard—ice-cream freezers cranked from time to time, fresh ice added as needed

Molly Morrison—drinks (lemonade and coffee)

Robbie Dunbar—organize ball game

George Polchek—children’s races and games

As the families of Bliss and surrounding districts arrived, Birdie was prepared to hand out report cards to children or parents, to be met with sighs of relief, a couple of groans, a few cries of anguish. There was no arguing with report cards; once the year’s grade was recorded, neither heaven nor earth could change a child’s fate—going on to the next grade or taking the year over. No wonder report cards were awaited with anxiety by pupil and parent alike.

The Nikolai wagon appeared and disgorged its load—a dozen and more children scattering to the far corners of the meadow to play games, tussle, race, and, in general, have a marvelous time. Arvid Nikolai took a box to the table area, but his family would consume far more than they brought. With so many mouths to feed and supplies limited, the Nikolai children always approached the picnic tables as though they contained a king’s feast. And for them they did.

Katrin, overwhelmed mother of this tribe, sank to the grass among the women of the district, one babe at her breast, another pulling at her skirts. Watching, Birdie was assured of a good supply of pupils for years to come.

Neither Arvid nor Katrin read much English, and they spoke brokenly, so Birdie spread out their children’s report cards and explained each one. Finally, it boiled down to whether or not they had passed. They had, though Birdie cautioned the parents that Frankie, he of the runny nose and perpetual sniff, needed help. The ailment seemed to run in the family, and Katrin listened with longsuffering as yet another teacher did her best to help.

Birdie, extremely frustrated, could only try to describe the remedial effects of a couple of items she had located in the pages of medicines listed in the Drug Department of the catalog. Bronchial Troches promised “relief for coughs, colds and sore throat,” and Slippery Elm Lozenges were “a demulcent for roughness in the throat and irritating cough.”

Katrin listened dazedly, blinking and nodding, until Birdie, sensing that her words were as chaff flying in the wind, finally concluded helplessly, “Well, just try and make sure he has a handkerchief with him wherever he goes.” To Katrin’s blank look she repeated handkerchief and hankie until, in desperation, she snatched her own small scrap of cambric from the cuff of her sleeve where it was kept and demonstrated.

Understanding flooded Katrin Nikolai’s face, and she nodded agreeably. With considerable relief Birdie turned to the distributing of the cards, turned to find herself face-to-button with a masculine chest.

Birdie raised her vision from the shirt button to find the broad, beaming face of Wilhelm “Big Tiny” Kruger several inches above her own. She retained her dignity and her place, and it was Big Tiny who stepped back with an apologetic murmur. If he studied her face

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