CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
BABY NEWS ©
Louisa woke August beside her, with a quick but forceful push.
“Wha, what’s the matter love?”
“August, I think you had better go and get the doctor, please.”
“What, it’s time, the baby’s coming, how long, are you okay, where are my shoes?” he shot at her while getting out of bed. “No, my love, I’m not going anywhere, I’ll wake Alfred and Magnus and they can take the wagon and go for the doctor,” he rushed through the door with one sock and shoe on and the others in his hand.
The doctor and his wife arrived in plenty of time. Louisa thought that it may have been quicker this time being her eighth, but things progressed slowly.
Her only quick baby had been Magnus, back on the goldfields in Gulgong. It looked like this baby would take its own sweet time.
August refused to leave her side. The doctor, was none to pleased with this arrangement, but kept his silence.
Finally their bouncing baby girl made her appearance twelve hours after Louisa had first woken on August.14 She was blonde and light blue eyed like her father and had a robust set of lungs on her.
There came a loud cheer from behind the door in the hallway. No doubt her six brothers and sister were all eager to meet her.
After the doctor’s wife cleaned her up and washed the baby, Louisa called the children in. She was worried about their reaction to another child in their family and not one to their father.
She hadn’t needed to be concerned, the children fell in love with her the moment they stepped into the room.
August, holding the baby raised his brows in question to Louisa and she nodded.
“Children, I would like to introduce you to your sister, Frances Engstrom. Frances, these are your big brothers and sister. I think the first cuddle should go to Alfred and then Magnus for getting the doctor,” he smiled as he handed the little bundle to him. “ 1887 is proving to be an excellent year for this family.”
14 Australia, Birth Index, 1788-1922 F ranges Engstrom, [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. http://www.ancestry.com.au
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
She hadn’t needed to be concerned, the children fell in love with her the moment they stepped into the room.
August, holding the baby raised his brows in question to Louisa and she nodded.
“Children, I would like to introduce you to your sister, Frances Engstrom. Frances, these are your big brothers and sister. I think the first cuddle should go to Alfred and then Magnus for getting the doctor,” he smiled as he handed the little bundle to him. “ 1887 is proving to be an excellent year for this family.”
14 Australia, Birth Index, 1788-1922 F ranges Engstrom, [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. http://www.ancestry.com.au
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
THREATENING CLOUDS ©
Louisa thought back to the time after Ethel’s birth and remembered how long it had taken her to get back on her feet.
Eight children in seventeen years wasn’t that many, but it had taken it’s toll on her body, she thought. Also being thirty seven and having babies was getting a bit old for it she thought.
August insisted that she spend each day, just looking after the baby and children. The older boys and August took it upon themselves to do her chores and prepare the meals. The little children were happy to play either in the kitchen or outside with her, while she sat nursing Frances.
August worked long hours, dividing his time between his cattle farm and the bar. No matter how much she nagged him, he would not see the doctor about his persistent cough. He said that her magic lemon and honey water was all he needed.
Waking one bright sunny Monday morning early, she decided that she needed to get back to her normal routine. Frances would hopefully sleep for another hour. She headed downstairs, calling Peter as she went. Copper fire lighting duties had passed onto him, now that Alfred and Magnus had the sheep to attend to each day.
Washing Day, she hadn’t realised how, much she had missed being active.
On the second load she noticed red on something in the basket. On closer look she realised it was blood on more than one of August’s handkerchiefs. Dread gripped her heart. It couldn’t be, could it? He must have cut himself, she was letting her imagination get the better of her.
Later that night, after tea, she sat with August over a pot of tea. When he started to cough, she asked the question she had been thinking of, all day.
“August, please tell me the truth, are you alright? Have you been coughing up blood?”
“It’s nothing to worry about my love, it is just a little cough. I must have scraped the back of my throat when coughing. Nothing to worry about I’m sure.”
“August, I am not taking no for an answer, you are going into town tomorrow and seeing the doctor. I will not hear anything more about it.”
That night after he had fallen asleep, she listened to the wheeze of his breath. Why hadn’t she heard this before?
Oh Lord, what would tomorrow bring?
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