"Nothing that can think of, and the Marshal's sleeping. Which is good, the rest will only help." Alice said with a smile. One day they would have boys, and daughters too, which meant the Rafter A would grow in size as well, it would have to, to accommodate their growing family.
"Did I hear you say something about pirates?" She asked. "Oh my, from what I've heard they can be terrible people that do really bad things. Now, if it was me, I might think about the Navy, and I say that because pirating died out over two hundred years ago. I mean if going to sea is what you want to do."
Leah smiled, "He must be a handful at times, I mean all that energy." She said wistfully, "If only they could bottle it and sell it. I swear, sometimes I just don't have the get-up and go to deal with things. In fact, all these layers of clothes I'm expected to wear are tiring to get into, I swear, you have the right idea about how to dress, and why can't I?"
"I mean, seriously, look at Alice, the split skirts and the blouses with no corset and a hundred underpinnings, well, you get what I mean. Yes, all of that works very well when I am representing the hospital and orphanage, or appearing before the Town Council, but seriously, every day?" A decision was being made, and a change was coming, not that she intended to be less the lady, but being dressed like Addy or Alice for day to day tasks simply made more sense!
"Nothing that can I think of, and the Marshal's sleeping. Which is good, the rest will only help."
"That's good." Weedy glanced past her at the sleeping man, relieved that all seemed to be well. "We got that fishing trip!"
"Did I hear you say something about pirates?" She asked. "Oh my, from what I've heard they can be terrible people that do really bad things. Now, if it was me, I might think about the Navy, and I say that because pirating died out over two hundred years ago. I mean if going to sea is what you want to do."
"Well, no..." Weedy shrugged and looked up at her, trying to explain as he tried to understand himself. "It's not going to sea as much as adventure! But I reckon you're right, about them being bad." With a sigh, he shook his head. "We could be good pirates, like, Robin Hood, right?" Then it would be all right, right? Except he didn't think so.
He looked again at Speed. "Might be a lawman, then, and hunt down range-pirates!"
Alice smiled, "Well that would certainly be the better choice, I think. And what has happened today, well, that was not something that happens all the time." She said, "That was a coward's doing. So I wouldn't give that a second thought, Weedy."
A coward, exactly who would ambush a man on the town streets and then run! She shook the thought from her head, He would be long gone, thinking he had accomplished what he set out to do and likely would never look back for fear he had been seen, no matter how careful he was.
"The other thing, have you ever been on an oceangoing ship?" She asked. "You know, the ocean is a big place." Not that she had even seen the ocean, any ocean. "That's a lot of water and not always clam either. Then there's the wind or lack of it in the sails. Not the best life a boy could aspire to."
She thought to mention a wife, but at Weedy's age, girls had cooties, so that would not be something to mention.
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
"He must be a handful at times, I mean all that energy." She said wistfully, "If only they could bottle it and sell it. I swear, sometimes I just don't have the get-up and go to deal with things. In fact, all these layers of clothes I'm expected to wear are tiring to get into, I swear, you have the right idea about how to dress, and why can't I?"
"He surely does keep me on my toes!" Addy chuckled. "But sometimes th' way he thinks makes me think! Just a different way, an' keeps me smilin'. An' I'm in no way begrudgin' ya them dresses."
Leah certainly wore the satins and silks well, and it did make an image of...well, class and power.
"I mean, seriously, look at Alice, the split skirts and the blouses with no corset and a hundred underpinnings, well, you get what I mean. Yes, all of that works very well when I am representing the hospital and orphanage, or appearing before the Town Council, but seriously, every day?"
"Was just what ya were raised with." Addy shrugged. "I was raised in britches, mostly, 'cause I had all them big brothers who grew outta 'em. I did have a pretty skirt an' blouse fer church an' funerals." Grinning, she shook her head. "Even now, I hafta get guissied up sometimes, but yer never gonna see me in a bustle an' all that frippery! Now, fer you...I think ya'd look just fine in a wool skirt, couple'a petticoats ta give it fluff, an' a nice shirtwaist." She didn't have to wear the men's shirts that Addy did, those were just more practical for working around horses and harness, without all the frills that might get in the way.
"The other thing, have you ever been on an oceangoing ship?" She asked. "You know, the ocean is a big place." Not that she had even seen the ocean, any ocean. "That's a lot of water and not always clam either. Then there's the wind or lack of it in the sails. Not the best life a boy could aspire to."
"I've been on the pond out on the Redmond place," Weedy declared, although he knew that didn't even count as a lake, much the less a whole ocean! "I reckon you're right, and I don't swim real well, either." We it the adults' purpose in life to point out all the negative things and ruin all the fun? Although he supposed it was better to know about the bad things before it was too late!
With a sigh, he frowned. "I suppose I have to finish school first...hey! Do you have to finish school to be a marshal?"
"I think so, Weedy, you have to finish school to do most anything these days." Leah replied with a smile. Hopefully he had no plans to run off in spite of what she had told him. "Though, maybe you could start as security for the hospital, when you get a little older of course, and Addy says it's alright. And, there's always fishing with Speed who could really steer you in the right direction as far as law enforcement is concerned."
That was true, and maybe he could help out at the hospital in any number of ways and earn a little coin in the process, she would see to that, after all, Weedy was her blood brother!
"Was just what ya were raised with." Addy shrugged. "I was raised in britches, mostly, 'cause I had all them big brothers who grew outta 'em. I did have a pretty skirt an' blouse fer church an' funerals." Grinning, she shook her head. "Even now, I hafta get guissied up sometimes, but yer never gonna see me in a bustle an' all that frippery! Now, fer you...I think ya'd look just fine in a wool skirt, couple'a petticoats ta give it fluff, an' a nice shirtwaist." She didn't have to wear the men's shirts that Addy did, those were just more practical for working around horses and harness, without all the frills that might get in the way.
"You and I Miss Addy, we're going shopping! Once this mess is straightened out with Speed, and his recovery is on track, you and I are going to see about those things. I mean I do have trousers and one or two shirts, but I see what you're saying and until there's need of all this material hung on my frame, why not be more comfortable?" She asked, seriously considering a wardrobe change.
"I'll need another trunk, of course, but that's manageable even though the house is quite small. I'll get by." She added becoming a whole lot more comfortable with the idea of 'dressing down,' so to say. "And a hat, that would be a relief, much like Alice wears, and I'm sure the Emporium, well the Anderson' Mercantile. Hopefully they might have boots in my size too. Riding in what I have ruins them for anything else."
"I think so, Weedy, you have to finish school to do most anything these days." Leah replied with a smile. Hopefully he had no plans to run off in spite of what she had told him. "Though, maybe you could start as security for the hospital, when you get a little older of course, and Addy says it's alright. And, there's always fishing with Speed who could really steer you in the right direction as far as law enforcement is concerned."
Weedy nodded, but he was frowning. "I reckon, Addy says school's important, too." Well, he really hadn't expected Alice, or any adults for that matter, to say that school didn't count. "I guess parts of school aren't so bad, I do like learning about history, and some of math and geography. Not too much writing and civics."
Although some of those were just brushed over at his level of school, anyway, and were studied more en depth in college. "I really like learning about the Mayflower and the Pilgrims, I wonder if any of my people were on there." Well, not really knowing his 'people', he could easily imagine!
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"I'd be surely happy ta go shoppin' with ya," Addy declared, grinning. It would certainly be something! "Hafta go early or late, maybe see if they'll open early for ya, so ya don't have th' hens gawkin' at ya, like they was egg-bound!"
With a laugh, Addy continued. "Some'a th' things, like boots, is better from th' boy's choices, same thing, only th' sizes are smaller." She held up a booted foot, then, as an afterthought, pulled it off and let it drop on the floor by the door, followed by the other. "Won't be needin' those again tonight! May as well be comfortable." To that end, she peeled off her shirt and skirts, leaving a faded union suit, her usual sleep-wear. "Gotta git ya one'a these, too," she told Leah, "keep ya warm in th' winter!"