Chapter 16 Blessings and Losses

  Spring 1641  John's POV

Junior is now two years old.  One more year and he can start learning how to be a tailor.  Hannah will be one in July, and she is already walking.  She is my little princess.  I love her so.  Mary has her hands full now, so we have two servants to help her with chores and childrearing because Mary helps me in the shop as well, so they help with freeing up her time.  The babies have been such a blessing, so has my shop.  It is prospering and very busy.  

One day in June, I received a telegram informing me that my mentor, friend, William Hutchinson had passed away.  I was so saddened by this that I ran into the house and asked Mary to come into our bedroom for a chat.  I read the letter, and she was speechless.  I was so distraught that I was weeping in her arms.  We embraced each other for a while.  I told her that I needed help writing Anne a letter of sympathy and regret.  I could not go to the funeral due to budgetary, time and other constraints.  I was so upset that I could not work the rest of the day.  I told Mary that I was going to go for a walk at the Commons, and that I might go to the tavern to toast to the memory of William.  She understood my need to mourn.  I went to the Commons and sat in the grass.  I remembered how he came to get me when father died.  I recalled all he taught me about God.  I remembered how he paid my way to settle here.  I remembered his friendship, his generosity, his teachings and most of all his love.  I walked into the nearest tavern and toasted to all those memories.  Before I knew it, I was drunk and needed to go home.  I walked out and went home.  

When I arrived, Mary came to me right away, and knew I was not in a sober state.  She held me, and I cried in front of everyone on her shoulder.  She led me to the parlor couch, and we sat together.  My son came toddling up to my lap.  He climbed up.  Hannah toddled up with him and climbed on my other leg.  They both held me, and Junior told me they loved me and kissed me.  Hannah could only hug, but I knew what it meant.  They knew I was sad and tried to cheer me.  Mary had them get down and walked me to our room.  She helped me undress, wash my face, and put me on the bed.  She told me to sleep it off.  I did just that.  

Mary's POV

When he came home drunk, I was shocked.  I understood his tendency to drink his sorrows away, so I allowed it under these circumstances.  William was like a father to him.  He missed him so, and still did.  He wished he could attend the burial services and comfort Anne, but he could not.  I knew he was feeling depressed, and needed a drink.  This was part of his nature.  He knew that drunkenness was not accepted in the church, so he made me swear not to let anyone know about his state.  He promised me that he would not make drinking a habit.  

A couple hours later, I woke him up and gave him some tea and toasted bread and butter for supper.  I thought that this would help sober him up.  It worked well.  I put the children to bed and came into our room.  He got off the bed, approached me, and thanked me for understanding and nursing him back to normal.  I giggled and told him that it was my duty as his wife to take care of him for better or worse.  He said true, but he also implied with a look what else was my duty.  I did not delay and we started kissing passionately.  It seems that the intimacy between us gets better every time.  We never lack passion.  We made loved.  We never do it once.  Our ardor is strong.  He is feral in love making.  He drives me wild and I enjoy every minute of it.  We love each other deeply.    We not only make love to produce children, but we do it to keep our attraction strong.  By fall that year, I became with child again.  I told John that we will be having another child in Spring 1642.  He was so excited.  He loves children and is a great father to our children.  

In January 1642, John is summoned to the General Court and receives more land.  We could not make any plans for this land because we would wait until summer time after the new baby is born.  I was five months pregnant at the time.  

One day in March, my eldest child became very sick.  He had rashes, a high fever and an upset stomach.  I was very worried, so I had John call the doctor over.  

The doctor did not have good news for us.  He told me that Junior was sick with small pox and that I could be at risk to catch it, so we had to have a nurse tend to him.  John and I prayed for healing for our little guy, but he did not make it.  God took him home.  John and I were devastated.  I cried for weeks.  I was so upset about my child's death, that I could not eat or do anything.  John was concerned because of my pregnant state, that he forced me to eat saying that he could not bear to have another baby die due to me starving myself.  He was right.  I ate very lite foods.  I ate fruit, vegetables, soup and porridge.  The nurse, who took care of Junior, made sure I was taken care of because of my depressed state.  John took Junior's death hard too, and went drinking his sorrows away.  He did not get drunk this time. He just needed to think.  He prayed to God and thanked him for the time he blessed us with Junior.  

When John got home,  we opened our Bible and recited the verse: "Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord (Job 1:21 KJV).  The Lord was in control, and we trusted that the new child would be born healthy, and Hannah would be protected from illness.  After that, I felt a weight lift off my spirit and the depression left me.  I hoped for a replacement for Junior.  If this new baby was a boy, we were going to name him John in honor of our first born.  On the 13th of May 1642, I had a baby after hours of labor.  It was announced as a boy.  We named him John Jr.  in place and in honor of our first born.  Because he was a junior, we decided to nickname him J. J.  John rushed into the room and looked at me with love in his eyes.  Even though we lost our first born, we now had a replacement.  He looked at the babe in my arms and said, "Wow, He looks like Junior.  God is so good to us!  He is a handsome babe!  Good job, my beloved!"  I said, "Thanks!  I need to sleep now."  He was informed that I was weak and needed to rest.  He left the room praising God.  I smiled and said the same in my heart.  Four days later John wrapped J.J. in a blanket, walked to the first church and had him baptized on 17 May, 1642.   

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The next chapter will continue Blessings and Losses Part 2.  There is more to come.  The 1640's John and Mary experience many blessings, but they also deal with losses due to deaths.  We will be covering more of the 1640's in the next chapter.  

The dates are real recorded dates in baptismal records, Boston records and death dates are from online biographical information.  

I hope you enjoyed this chapter.  

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