Talking To Nathanial Chapter 37

While Henry was outside, Miriam managed to find a few eggs originating from sometype of hen, two pears, a basket full of dandelion greens, and plenty of flour.

Not seeing any meat in sight, Miriam sighed.

She happened to spot some carrots and half a cabbage.

Inspecting the flour carefully, she found that it was definitely cut with some other type of powder or chemicals.

Why is it so hard to get normal flour in this time period? There goes her idea for pancakes with pear slices.

Putting the flour back where she found it, ahe turned around to see Nathanials semi-groggy, and semi gloomy face with full display of undereye bags.

"What happened to you? Your to young for dark circles under your eyes. Also, where do you get your flour from? It seems to be cut/ laced with something other than flour to make it cheaper for production. Someone surely is screwing you over. I am waiting for Henry to get water to boil for my water jug I keep in my travel trunk. I only drink boiled water so I can be sure it is clean. I have a delicate body for a child." Miriam asked about him in concern first, and then explained the situation with the flour in an attempt to educate him to be careful in the future when buying food products.

Unfortunately, Nathanial although a very mild mannered boy by nature, was still sour about finding out about his mom's secret of not being married to their father.

He thought she was acting like a spoiled miss being picky about their flour, and lying about it not being safe and or wholly flour.

In spite, he responded to her, " Im sorry, a legitimate child like you only deserves the finest of granules of flour, should a spec of dust fall will her highness please pardon an ignoble bastard such as I?"

Rather taken aback by his snarky attitude, Miriam barked right back at him, "I'm SO sorry for trying to help PROTECT you from potentially harmful substances in your food. If you all slowly die from lead and arsenic poisoning from dishonest salesmanship, do not expect me to send my regards. The nerve, I simply wanted to give a fair and just warning, but you take it as an attack on your personage. How childish of you. How old are you? Fourteen or fifteen years old? Almost old enough to be a father if need be and here you are yelling at a little girl not even 1/3rd your age. If this is how you treat family, than I might as well be a stranger! My fathers actions, are not my fault. They are not your fault either. Taking out your anger on others for no reason will lead you down the path of a ruffian who beats his future wife and kids and god forbidding, perhaps ending their lives!"

Moriam just stood infront of the cooking stove and crossed her arms infront of her in an unyielding manner.

Nathanial, who didn't mean to come off as hard pressed and spiteful, had no words to refute her claims.

It was true some men vented their problems on women and children in order to feel better.

He decisively concluded that he shouldn't have snapped at her so hard, and that he would never beat women and children in the future.

Upon hearing a thorough scolding from inside, Henry hurried his pace and finished drawing water and took up a small armful of wood and walked back into the house.

Miriam was overjoyed to see his return.

"Wow your really strong, I would have to drag that bucket of water and kick the firewood inside. What did you eat when you were little to get so strong?" Miriam said with a gasp of admiration and tottled over to Henry and took a small piece of firewood from him and held it with both her arms.

"Is it cold outside? Are your shoes wet from the morning dew?" Miriam said as she squatted down to look at Henrys shoes, sure enough, they were a little damp. Miriam hastily wiped the dew off his shoes with a fold of fabric from her dress.

"All dry. Getting wet isn't good for leather. I got leathers boots on today too. I fixed them up so I didn't have to buy a pair of useless pretty ones that would get ruined the moment one steps in the filthy streets of a city. I'd love white boots but they wouldn't serve a practical purpose so oh well." Miriam babbled abit about her boots.

Yes, she was awfully proud of her thriftyness.

Walking over to a corner, Miriam set the little piece of firewood where it would go to power the fire for boiling water.

"I'm suprised the servants haven't gotten up yet. Usually Beatrice helps me and boils the water for me so I don't scald myself. Oh by the way, are you Spanish Henry, you sound like you have a accent." Miriam inquired as she skipped past Henry and found a rag in a corner somewhere and started to try and clean.

"Yes I am Spanish. I am visiting this summer in America." Henry responded rather dryly.

"You don't sound very enthusiastic, I guess you guys aren't traveling to far from huh. Are you a musician?"Once again, she bombards him with questions.

"No, not quite. It's just a hobby. The plan is to study law soon. Nathanials hoped occupation is actually related to what you were talking about earlier. He wants to be a doctor." Henry said with a sly grin noticeable upon his face.

As Henry started the fire to boil the water, Miriam made her way over to Nathanial as quick as a mosquito to a uncovered plump and healthy human leg.

"So how far have you studies come along then? Which school do you hope to attend, or are you attending? Most importantly, show me your research materials! Do you know all the bones in the human body yet?" Miriam daid rather excitedly. Finally something she could talk about in depth.

"Do you know all the bones in the human body?" Nathanail replied in a playful manner.

"Do you have a pencil and large piece of paper? I can draw a skeleton of all the ones I know and draw lines labeling them. How much are you willing to bet that you can correctly approximately sketch and label more of them than me? If I know more than you, you must let me help you study the paper and charts." Miriam said while wiggling her eyebrows as if in friendly competition.

"Oh and let me borrow Henrys violin for a few everyday of my stay in this house." She added, last second to her terms and conditions.

"What would I get when I win though?" Nathanial replied naturally.

"Uh, how about make sure father pulls some strings to get you into the best school he possibly can, or pays for the best school he possibly can? And yes, I can certianly promise that. Me and father are close." Miriam promised and bragged a little, but just a little.