Rainy days provided a problem, and that is why when old Maggie died about six months after Sarah came to Beulah Land as a bride, she asked for the cabin and was given the use of it. The very old people who were beyond work and for whom any diversion was better than none sometimes came to sit and listen, and a few of them learned to write their names and the year of their birth, of which they were very proud.

Ezra came in and out because he loved Sarah and enjoyed watching her with the children, but he never stayed for very long at a time. At seventy-five he was still busy with his herbs and healing potions. His hands were still firm in their understanding of where and how to touch an animal to give comfort. Floyd came to watch and listen too, because he liked being near Sarah.

But mainly it was the children. Some came for a certain time, and then dropped out, and came again when whatever work or interest had deflected them was satisfied. Two who never came were Roman’s half-brothers, Alonzo and Roscoe. Their father taught them, as he had taught their mother (but not Roman, never Roman) before they were born.

Probably none of this would have happened, or it would have happened in a lesser or different way if family demands on Sarah had been greater; but there was little for her to do. The running of the house was managed so efficiently by Lovey it could provide no occupation for Sarah. Deborah and Roscoe ran the plantation jealously. Indeed, they kept things pretty much to themselves again. After Leon’s fly at applying himself to the working affairs of the place during the time he was first in love with Sarah, his efforts had slacked off.

He was too proud to pretend he was needed where he clearly was not, too shy or weak to take authority from Deborah and Roscoe, who would surely have resisted any such effort on his part. And he took too much pleasure in idleness to be able to continue consistently any effort he began.