Cowboy Creek Christmas: Mistletoe Reunion

August shook his head.

“Benjamin was about fifteen when his brother started the first newspaper in Boston that did more than reprint articles from overseas. The Courant did opinion pieces, advertisements and printed ship schedules.”

He pulled a chair close to where his boy lay. “Benjamin wanted to write for the paper, too, but he was only an apprentice, so at night he secretly wrote letters to the paper and signed them Silence Dogood.”

“Who was Silence Dogood?”

“A name he made up. In these letters he gave advice and criticized what was going on, like how women were being treated. Then Benjamin would sneak the letters under the print shop door during the night. Everyone liked the letters and wanted to know who Silence Dogood was.”

August’s interest had perked up. “Did he tell them?”

“He finally confessed. Benjamin’s brother James’s friends thought Ben was clever and funny, but his brother was jealous.”

“Then what?”

“Why don’t we read it together, and you can learn all about Benjamin’s interesting life.”

“Yes, let’s read it. Will we finish it tonight?”

Sam chuckled. “It will take a few evenings, but we’ll read it all, I promise.”

August nodded his agreement. “All right.”

“‘Imagining it may be equally agreeable to you to learn the circumstances of my life, many of which you are unacquainted with, and expecting the enjoyment of a few weeks’ uninterrupted leisure, I sit down to write them. Besides, there are some other inducements that excite me to this—’”

“What’s inducements, Papa?”

“Things that spurred him to write.”

“Oh.”

“‘—that excite me to this undertaking. From the poverty and obscurity in which I was born, and in which I passed my earliest years, I have raised myself to a state of affluence and some degree of celebrity in the world.’”

“What is affluence?”

Sam stopped reading and couldn’t help a smile. It might take longer than he thought to read this book.

* * *

It was a sunny day the following week, but cold with a bitter wind when Marlys entered the laundry and stomped snow from her feet on the mat inside the door. She took all her sheets and towels to the laundry behind her own office, but brought her personal items to Mr. Lin’s. She liked the way he rinsed clothing and pressed it so it smelled fresh.

A pretty woman with a green felt hat covering most of her blond hair stood at the counter. She smiled at Marlys. “Are you Dr. Boyd?”

“Yes,” Marlys answered.

“I’m Leah Gardner. I’ve heard so much about you from Pippa, and I’ve been meaning to come introduce myself, but I’ve had a young mother and baby to look after, plus caring for my own newborn...”