The West Old & New Vol. III Issue II February 2014 | Page 23

Excerpt from Madam Delacroix’s Diary
A thin patter of rain pelted the dark sheet of night driven by a gusting
wind that banged an unsecured window shutter into the weathered side
of the cottage. The lights were on inside, every pane brilliant with a
glow that reached beyond them touching the edges of Madame’s flower
beds tucked along the outside edge of the building. The nether light
striking the angular stalks of dead flowers bent in full seed over a wetted
earth. The late fall wind had scatter them and a periphery of color would
sprout in early spring, but not as usual, under the vigilant gaze of Madame, for Madame was dead.
Detective Henri Bernard stood in the bedroom of Colette Delacriox at
the end of the bed and beside him the young Officer Petit. “She is beautiful even in death,” the younger man said removing his hat and dropping his eyes to the floor.
Detective Bernard glancing sideways at Petit, stated in a dry voice,
“Your reference to her beauty would have irritated her.”
“But she’s dead,” Petit said putting his hat back on.
“That she is,” Detective Bernard sighed walking around the bed to look
down at the deceased woman. She lay inclined across a spray of thick
pillows, a burgundy shawl of soft material entangled about her still
shoulders. Her head inclined to the side the patterned fabric of the pillow case framing her in profile. Her hair falling in chaotic black curls
laced with silver threads against the paltry skin of high cheek bones. She
looked as if she’d taken a moment to doze, her chin tucked against the
slope of her left shoulder as it curved toward an arm embedded in the
delicate lace of a nightgown.
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A Lifetime of Delivering Babies
By Ruth McHenry in Settlers & Sodbusters 1976
Mrs. Mae Andres came to the Lonepine Community in the fall of 1912 from the town of
Somers.
She was known as "Aunt Bun" by all the younger folks in the valley.
She, with five children settled in the valley to prove up a homestead. There were three children of school age and two baby boys. She raised a family of nine children, losing one in
infancy and a grown son in a car accident in Alaska.
It was not long after her arrival that the people found out she was a good person to have
around sickness and she was kept busy at this job as long as her health permitted. At one
time she had delivered two hundred babies into this world. Some of these were in the town
of Somers.
It was never too cold or too hot for her to go if called. During a blizzard she was kept busy
between two homes where two babies were born on the same day. Both babies are living and she survived with nothing worse than
a worn out feeling. It did not matter to her whether she was taken by horseback, sled, wagon, buggy or car. No one ever made a
date ahead. They just waited until the time came and then came for her. She has left a washing half done, bread to bake, housecleaning under way, canning, or any other work and gone dutifully on her way.
The West Old & New Page 23