Welcome to sleep stories with Steph It is time to relax.
And fully let go.
There is nothing you need to be doing now.
And know where you need to go.
Close your eyes.
And feel yourself sink into the support beneath you.
And let all the worries of the day go.
Drift away.
This is your time.
And your space.
Take a deep breath in through your nose.
And let it out with a long sigh.
That's it!
There is nothing you need to be doing now.
And know where you need to go.
Happy listening.
The Gossip of Valley View It was the 1st of April and Julius Barrett,
Aged 14,
Perched on his father's gatepost watched ruefully the low-descending sun and counted that day lost.
He had not succeeded in fooling a single person,
Though he had tried repeatedly.
One and all,
Old and young of his intended victims,
Had been too wary for Julius.
Hence he was disgusted and ready for anything in the way of a stratagem or a spoil.
The Barrett Gate post topped the highest hill in Valley View.
From there he could see the entire settlement from young Thomas Everett's farm a mile to the west.
To Adelia Williams' weather-grey little house on a moonrise slope to the east.
He was gazing moodily down the muddy road when Dan Chester,
Homeward bound from the post office,
Came riding sloppily on his grey mare and pulled up by the Barrett gate to hand a paper to Julius.
Dan was a young man who took life and himself very seriously.
He seldom smiled,
Never joked,
And had a Washingtonian reputation for veracity.
Dan had never told a conscious falsehood in his life.
He'd never even exaggerated.
Julius,
Beholding Dan's solemn face,
Was seized with a perfect,
Irresistible desire to fool him.
At the same time,
His eye caught the dazzling reflection of the setting sun on the windows of Adelia Williams' house and he had an inspiration little short of diabolical.
Have you heard the news,
Dan?
Yaast.
No,
What is it?
I don't know,
I ought to tell you.
Said Julius reflectively.
It's kind of a family affair.
But then Adelia didn't say not to.
And it'll be all over the place soon,
So I'll tell you if you promise NEVER to tell who told you.
Adelia Williams and young Thomas Everett are going to be married!
Julius delivered himself of this tremendous lie with transparently earnest countenance.
Yet Dan,
Credulous as he was,
Could not believe it all at once.
Get out.
Is true upon my word.
Protested Julius.
Delia was up last night.
She told Ma all about it.
I'm also Carson,
You know.
The wedding's to be in June and Delia asked Ma to help her get quilts and things ready.
Julius ruled all this off so glibly that Dan finally believed the story,
Despite the fact older people thus coupled together in prospective matrimony were the last people in Valley View who could have been expected to marry each other.
Young Thomas was a confirmed Bachelor of 50,
And Adelia Williams was 40!
They were not even supposed to be well acquainted,
As the Everetts and the Williams had never been friendly,
Although no open feud existed between them.
Nevertheless,
In view of Julius's circumstantial statements,
The amazing news must be true,
And Dan was instantly eager to carry it further.
The story would be all over Valleyview in 24 hours.
Julia laughed until he came near to falling off the gate post.
It was two days later when young Thomas heard he was to be married to Adelia Williams.
Even Clark,
The blacksmith,
Told him when he went to the forge to get his horse shod.
Young Thomas laughed his big jolly laugh.
Valley View Gossip have been marrying him off for the last 30 years.
Although never before to Adelia Williams.
There's news to me.
He said tolerantly.
Eep and Grint,
Broadly.
You can't bluff it off like that,
Tom.
He said.
The news came too straight this time.
I was glad to hear it.
Although,
As mighty surprised,
I never thought of you in a dealio.
She's a fine looking woman and she'll make you a capital wife.
Young Thomas grunted and drove away.
He had a good deal of business to do that day involving calls at various places,
The store for molasses,
The mill for flour,
Jim Bentley's for seed grain,
The doctor's for toothache drops for his housekeeper,
The post office for mail,
And at each and every place he was joked about his approaching marriage.
In the end it rather annoyed him.
He drove home at last in what was for him something of a temper.
How on earth did this foolish story started anyway?
With such detail of rugs and quilts too!
Delia Williams must be going to marry someone,
And the Valley View Gossip's unable to locate the man had guessed young Thomas.
When he reached home tired,
Mugged,
Bespattered and hungry,
His housekeeper,
Who was also his hired man's wife,
Asked him if it was true he was going to be married.
Young Thomas,
Taking in at a glance the ill-prepared half-cold supper,
Felt more annoyed than ever and said it wasn't.
Mrs Dunn sighed,
Patted her swelled face and said she was sorry.
She had hoped it was true,
For her man had decided to go west.
Next day,
Three people came to see young Thomas on business.
They congratulated him on his approaching marriage and young Thomas who had recovered his usual good humour,
Merely laughed.
There was no point in being too earnest in denial,
He thought.
He knew this unusual fit of petulance with his housekeeper had only convinced her the story was true.
It would all die away in time,
He thought.
As other similar stories had.
Young Thomas looked rather serious however when the minister and his wife called that evening.
He told them the rumours were unfounded and the minister looked graver still and said He was sorry and had hope.
It was true.
His wife,
Meanwhile,
Glanced significantly about young Thomas's big untidy sitting room,
Where there were cobwebs on the ceiling and fluff in the corners.
Dang it all,
Said young Thomas to himself as they drove away.
They'll marry me yet in spite of myself.
That next Sunday in church,
Young Thomas looked at Adelia Williams and he caught Adelia looking at him.
She blushed guiltily and looked away.
Then he went on looking at Adelia by fits and starts.
He noticed she had round rosy cheeks and twinkling brown eyes.
She did not look like an old maid.
And he wondered that she'd been allowed to become one.
Sarah barnett who to whom reported married him a year ago She looked like a dried sour apple.
For the next four weeks,
The story haunted young Thomas like a spectre.
Down it would not go.
Everywhere he went he was joked about it.
It gathered fresh detail every week.
Adelie was getting her clothes ready.
She was to be married in Silbrown,
Kashmir.
Vinnie Lawrence at Valley Centre was making it for her.
She'd got a new hat with a long ostrich plume.
Some said that was white and some grey.
Thomas kept wondering who this man could possibly be,
For now he was convinced Adelia was going to marry someone.
More than that,
Once he caught himself wandering enviously.
She was a nice looking woman after all,
And he'd not so far heard of any probable housekeeper.
Dang it all.
He said to himself in desperation,
I wouldn't care if it was true.
His sister came over from Carlisle to investigate.
Young Thomas denied everything.
But she scolded.
She had devoutly hoped it was true,
She said.
It would have been a great weight off her mind,
She said.
This house is in a disgraceful condition,
She said severely.
It would break mother's heart if she could rise out of her grave to see it.
Delia Williams is a perfect housekeeper.
You didn't used to think so much of the Williams crowd,
Said young Thomas Dryly.
Some of them don't amount to much,
" admitted his sister.
But Adelia is alright.
Catching sight of a look on young Thomas's face,
She added hastily,
Thomas Everett.
I believe it's true after all.
For mercy's sake,
Don't be so sly.
You might tell me your own sister.
Oh,
Shut up,
Said young Thomas.
He told himself that night Valley View Gossip would drive him into asylum.
If it didn't let up.
He also wondered if Adelia was as much persecuted as himself.
No doubt she was,
He thought.
He could never catch her eye in church now.
But he would have been surprised had he realised how many times he'd tried to.
The climax came the third week in May,
When young Thomas,
Who'd been keeping house for himself for three weeks,
Received a letter and an express box from his cousin,
Charles Everett.
Charles and he had been chums in their boyhood.
They corresponded occasionally still.
Although it was 20 years since Charles had gone west.
He forwarded a wedding present by express,
Of polished buffalo horns mounted on red plush with an inset mirror.
Young Thomas set it up on the kitchen table and scowled moodily at his reflection.
If wedding presents were beginning to come,
It was high time something was done.
The matter was passed being a joke.
This affair of the present would certainly get out.
Things always got out in Valley View.
I'll marry,
He said decisively.
If Adelia Williams won't have me,
I'll marry the first woman who will.
Even if it's Sarah Barnett herself.
Then he put on his Sunday suit,
And as soon as it was safely dark,
Hired him away to Adelia Williams.
He felt very doubtful about the reception he would get,
But the remembrance of the twinkling of Delia's brown eyes comforted him.
She looked like a woman who had a sense of humour.
She might not take him,
But she would not feel offended or insulted because he asked.
When he knocked at Adelia's door,
He discovered his face was wet with perspiration.
Adelie opened it and started when she saw him.
Then she turned very red and stiffly asked him in.
Young Thomas went in and sat down,
Wondering if all men felt so horribly uncomfortable when they went courting.
Hedelia stooped low over the wood box to put a stick of wood in the stove.
May was getting chilly.
Her shoulders were shaking.
Then suddenly she laughed hysterically and sitting down on the wood box she continued to laugh.
Thomas,
Meanwhile,
Eyed her with a friendly grin.
"'Do excuse me,
' she gasped,
Wiping tears from her eyes.
"'This is dreadful.
I didn't mean to laugh.
"'I don't know why I'm laughing,
But I can't help it.
'" and she started laughing helplessly again.
Young Thomas laughed too.
His embarrassment vanished in the mellowness of that laughter.
Then presently Adelia composed herself and removed from the wood box to a chair.
I suppose,
Said young Thomas,
Determined to have it over and done with before the ice could form again.
You've heard the story that's been going on about you and me.
Adelia nodded.
I've been persecuted on the verge of insanity with it!
" she said.
Every soul I've seen has tormented me,
And people have written to me too.
I've denied it till I was black in the face,
But no one believed me.
I felt dreadful bad over the affair.
I even gave up the idea of making a quilt after a lovely new pattern I'd got because they made such talk about my brown dress.
I've been kinda supposing you must be going to marry someone.
Folks just guessed it was me,
" said young Thomas anxiously.
I'm not going to be married to anyone!
" said Adelie with a laugh.
I'm glad of that.
Said young Thomas gravely.
I mean.
.
.
I'm glad there isn't any other man because.
.
.
I'll watch her myself,
Adelia.
Adelia lay down her knitting and blushed crimson.
You needn't think you're bound to say that because of the gossip.
She said.
I don't,
" said young Thomas earnestly.
But the truth is.
.
.
The story set me to thinking about you.
And from there I got on to wishing it was true.
I couldn't get you out of my head.
And at last,
I found I didn't even want to.
It just seemed to me you were the very woman for me,
If only you'd take me,
Adelia.
Will you?
I got a good farmhouse.
I'll try to make you happy.
This was not the most romantic wooing perhaps,
But Adelie was 40 and had never been a romantic little body ever.
She was a practical woman,
And young Thomas was a fine-looking man of his age,
With an abundance of worldly goods.
Besides,
She rather liked him.
And the gossip had made her think a good deal about him,
Too.
Indeed,
In a moment of candour,
She'd owned to herself the very last Sunday in church.
She wouldn't actually mind if the story were true.
I'll think of it.
She promised.
Which was practically in acceptance.
This was what young Thomas understood.
And without loss of time he crossed the kitchen,
Sat down beside her and put his arms about her plump waist.
And here's a kiss my cousin Charlie sent me to give you,
He said.
Looking into her beautiful brown eyes.
