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"Hoere you fellas going to care for Docey? Did you have a plan? She can’t travel like this, and it’s too cold for the baby to live in a tent" A chill wind has come up and ripples the river

"We didn’t know she was this close to terured we’d lay up here for a few days, let Girlie rest, and then get on to Torrington to a church or someplace, find so she started paining"

I run over the options They could stay here and try to keep warm I could take the mother and babe up to our houseor

Here Becky sticks her head out the flap and surprises me "She can coets on her feet" She hands the lard and the unused rags out to the fathers I know they aren’t really the fathers, but the beas make me think of the, saves the butt in a tobacco tin, and ties his knapsack closed

"I’ with her," he tells me "The other felloill stay with our stuff We don’t have et robbed, we’ll be as miserable as sin"

I look over at Becky "No, you won’t," she counters "There’s only room for Docey and the baby" Thetheir heads as if being told that their favorite grandmother has passed

Becky shakes her head "Sorry," she says "Really I am, but there’s just nowhere for you to stay You can visit every day" At that the men cheer up, and within an hour we have Docey and Hope up the hill and situated in the Ford Becky gives the fellows her address and directions, and by late afternoon I’e for home

Will and the others stand and salute as I pedal past These are good working fellows, I reflect, unerants or bums, as some people call them In my mind, Docey is Mary and they are the three Wise Men

June 20, 1930 Moon obscured by the clouds

Birth of baby Hope down by the riverside The et the last nae by Becky Myers, the ho for hours, and the tissue around the vagina ollen, thick, and red With ater compresses and lard I was able to ease the baby out without a tear Mother and infant were taken to Becky’s house Present were irl, and Mrs Myers They toldfro I fear she will have a hard go of it

Hester

Ondown Salt Lick, I decide at the last ets around Maybe he’ll know of some work Except for the birth of the baby, and my few supplies, the coins I received at the courthouse, the day didn’t net et a cold drink of water

Noting his black Model T parked in the drive, I walk e Under les over slate as sin the clear water Skimmers float in the slow places A minnow flashes, then disappears, but I ren of the vet in the yard or the barn, so I approach the front door of his stone far it to swing open No answer I know he must be here, because his Ford’s in the driveWithfenced ain, harder

"Yeah?" co off the back porch, I look up at an open"Mr Hester?"

"Yeah"

"It’s Patience Murphy"