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Gone Home
- University of Michigan Press
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Gone Home after dr. dean had snapped his bag shut and left, it was Mrs. Waters who ‹rst spoke of practical matters. “I suppose Mary Bailey should come and do what’s necessary for Anna?” Henry was aware of several pairs of eyes on him; clearly, this suggestion was no more welcome to the older children than to him. “Lottie, take the children outdoors, will you?” Lottie wiped her eyes and nodded. Will slipped from Mrs. Waters’s lap and started toward the door. “Josie? Wake up, we’re going outside and look for ›owers, for Mother.” Lottie’s voice broke slightly on the word “Mother,” but she took Josie’s hand ‹rmly enough and helped her down from the lounge. “Mother’s asleepin’ now?” asked Josie uncertainly, peering at the still form. Normally she spoke much more clearly, but this midmorning nap in the parlor had disoriented her. “Mother’s gone to be with Jesus,” Mrs. Waters told her.“You go outdoors with Sister now.” “I, that is, we, can do what’s necessary.” Henry brought Mrs. Waters back to the concern at hand. “Oh, but I thought certainly, since Mary Bailey is such a friend of the family . . .” “Mrs. Bailey is an old busybody,” stated Roy suddenly. “Roy!” Mrs. Waters was shocked. “What Roy means is, Mary Bailey has been very high-handed and interfering in the family business, involving herself in my sister-in-law’s personal affairs. I don’t like to speak ill of her . . .” He stopped, realizing how priggish that sounded, knowing what Anna would have said to that. Mrs. Waters seemed to understand, however. “Of course, people often prefer to do for their own. I’ve often felt that way myself,” she said, and sent Ralph to the kitchen for a basin of cool water. As she and Henry prepared Anna’s body, they discussed plans for the funeral. “Will you ask Reverend Waters if he could be ready by tomorrow afternoon?” “Wouldn’t you prefer Dr. Shaw? Oh, and what about Anna’s brother? Surely it will take more than a day for him to arrive, and of course you will want the notice in the paper ‹rst.” 133 But Henry was adamant. “Brainard won’t be able to come in time. For the children’s sake, I don’t want this to drag on. And I don’t want Shaw, I want your husband. Anna would have wanted that.” “Well, I’ll ask Mr. Waters, but I’m sure he’ll think it terribly hurried .” may 17, 1894 the thackers stood in a row to one side of Reverend Waters, next to the open cof‹n. Outside, a soft wind rustled the just-opening leaves on the trees around them. Henry looked about him, as though he had mislaid something important. Roy and Ralph, themselves dazed, ›anked Henry as though to prop him up should he require it. Lottie felt a moment’s confusion—if it was true that people went to be with Jesus when they died, why was the family standing there looking down at the wooden box, a box soon to go into that deep hole out in the cemetery? She scolded herself—of course she knew about leaving behind one’s earthly remains; that’s probably why they called them “remains .” She knew about ascending to Heaven in incorruptible bodies. But it still felt as though Mother was in that pitiful, smelly ruin that lay in the box. She had been in the ruined body for so long, corrupted though it had been for the last two weeks, how could she leave it so quickly? When did the soul leave, and how fast did it travel? And if the “remains ” weren’t Mother, who were they? That was her unruly mind again, circling around things that she’d prefer not to think about, just like remembering those sad little “Oh! Oh! Oh!” cries when Mother lay asleep the other day; would she never stop hearing those? And thinking about Mother’s “remains” in that box, in that hole? Oh, terrible thought, what if Mother weren’t dead yet at all? What if she woke up later and was . . . Her knees trembled. Will squinted up at her curiously. “Lottie?” he whispered. Ralph looked at Lottie with some concern. She looked as bad as Father just now. Probably none of them looked too lively, come to that, he thought; then when Lottie smiled weakly at him, he turned his...