One of the greatest stories is Across The Wide and Lonesome Prairie by Christiana Gregory. It tells the tale of Hattie, a young girl whose parents pull up roots and move across the prairie to find a new home in Oregon. In the book, there are several really colorful characters, one being Mrs. Kenker. Mrs. Kenker is a kindly looking grandmother-type with milky-white skin who in all honesty is a thief whom Hattie discovers at the beginning of the book. Because she does not want to upset her mother, who is already wadded up and not excited about the Oregon Trail travel, she does not disclose events when she sees Mrs. Kenker steal.
Throughout the story, Mrs. Kenker comes off sweet and lovely but Hattie is on to her wicked ways. The story is too long to tell but as it progresses, Mrs. Kenker’s husband jumps to his death and because Mrs. Kenker cannot drive her teem of horses and covered wagon alone, those in the wagon circle are forced to help her clean out her wagon where all of the stolen items are found and handed to each of the wagon trail members.
At first, people are kind to her with the loss of her husband being so fresh but as time moves along, she is shunned and alone. Because of this, Hatti remembers lessons her mother has taught her about forgiving and being kind to others. Her heart becomes tender towards Mrs. Kenker and she sort of befriends her.
In the last chapters of the book when everyone gets to Oregon and sets up their home, there is a party at Hattie’s cabin, thrown to celebrate reaching their destination. Mrs. Kenker came to the party, “empty handed as usual”, Hattie said. And, when she came into the house, she hardly knew what to do with her hands, and though Hattie felt Mrs. Kenker wanted to take part, she did not know how and so she began to leave.
That was when Hattie ran to her bedroom and grabbed one of the only 2 things that made it in traveling across the dusty trail. She wrapped it quickly and caught Mrs. Kenker just outside of the front door. Giving the gift to her, she said, “Merry Christmas, Mrs. Kenker”. Truly, Hattie believes she saw a misty eye in the glimmer of the moon on Mrs. Kenker’s face.
Mrs. Kenker died alone in her lean-to home and the constable said no one had been by for weeks to find her in distress.
As a school teacher, I would read this story to the children and help them see that to have a friend, you must be a friend. I tried to help them understand that we must go with “something in our hand” and not go empty handed. We should be giving and kind to others and expecting nothing in return. That would be God’s love. Why should we do this? Because He first loved us. We should first love others and loving is giving.
Josie
