The Sweetness of Water

Caleb and Prentiss have been on the run for eight days without seeing any sign of Hackstedde and his men. Time passes, and after a month, the men see the town of Convent. Caleb, comfortable in the new surroundings, readily wanders into the town to buy provisions. Prentiss, however, is still uneasy and continues to hide between trees and not make eye contact with passing strangers. Prentiss daydreams about being truly free, living in the North where he can have his own house, a job, and a family. He thinks about a life with Delpha or Clementine, his family waiting for him to come home. He becomes more comfortable with showing himself in the town, and his bond with Caleb helps him to realize that he can be happy.

Silas tells Isabelle that she should consider moving back to the homestead in Chambersville so she can be closer to her nephews. She tells Silas that she may need him again but that she would not be leaving Old Ox. After Silas leaves, Isabelle walks into town and posts help wanted signs for the Walker farm.

The first person to respond to Isabelle’s signs was Elliot, a Black man in town looking to get back on his feet. Isabelle offers him 15 acres of her land to farm as he wished with no expectation of payment in money or crops. The only thing she asked for in return is help a couple of days a week restoring the field that George had been working before the fire. She tells Elliot that once he is on his feet, someone else could come and have the same opportunity. Elliot has some hesitation at first as many people in town have heard about what happened to Landry. He finally agrees and tells Isabelle that he will be back in a week.

The months following Elliot’s arrival at the Walker farm bring several men who set up their own plot of land and small tents. Isabelle enjoys watching the men recover the field. Each day she visits Landry’s and George’s grave in the clearing and tells them how the farm is coming back to life. One evening after returning home from the woods she is met by Mildred. Mildred is concerned for Isabelle after seeing she is dirty and her house is unkempt. Mildred visits Isabelle regularly since George’s death as she, too, is alone after her son Charlie weds. Mildred tells Isabelle that they should move to Europe and start a new life. Isabelle tells her that she is happy where she is and that offering land to the men in return for help with George’s farm brings her enjoyment. She hopes such joy can be found for Mildred.

Mildred notices some rough sketches of a map of Isabelle’s land. Fearing that Isabelle will “muddle up” her land, Mildred offers to draw a proper map for her. Isabelle’s plan to offer freedmen plots of land to get back on their feet is a success. One freedman, Godfrey, is harassed by a group of assailants one day, but after Mildred’s son learned about the attack, he tracked down the assailants and doled out his own punishment. No one staying on the Walker farm had any further reason to worry about attacks. Isabelle and Mildred argue whether the freedmen should be allowed to build housing on the property—Isabelle argues that once they had enough money they would move on with their life as they planned, but Mildred worries that they would become too comfortable and not leave. Isabelle and Mildred’s bond grows, and the two become inseparable.

One day Isabelle recognizes Clementine’s carriage coming up the lane. She and her daughter had escaped the fire, but their home was destroyed. Clementine plans to move north to find work and a good school for Elsy. She asks if Isabelle has heard from Caleb and Prentiss, and Isabelle tells her she is expecting a letter any day. Isabelle imagines that the letter will reveal that they made it to Philadelphia or New York and that they are working in an upscale hotel where they get to sleep in real beds. Clementine reassures Isabelle that this dream for Caleb and Prentiss is possible because of their courage and strength. Clementine reveals that Prentiss had told her about Landry, which makes Isabelle jealous because he had never confided in her. Clementine bids Isabelle a farewell and promises that if she sees Caleb and Prentiss up north, she will ask them to write to Isabelle.

In Convent, Caleb and Prentiss are housed in an attic of an inn. While nothing special, Caleb feels blessed to have a space that he and Prentiss can call their own. They work for Mr. Whitney each day at his sugar bush, clearing trees and boiling sap. Prentiss works hard and ridicules Caleb for always being given the less labor-intensive jobs. They both think about the rabbit and goat milk Mrs. Benson prepared for dinner the night before and look forward to the leftovers. Mr. Whitney works the men all day, and when they return to the inn, Mrs. Benson has already gone to bed. Caleb and Prentiss return to their room and eat an apple and some left over ham.

That night Caleb hears a noise, and when he looks out the window, he swears he sees August. He wakes Prentiss, takes the razor blade he keeps under his bed, and runs downstairs vowing to kill August. Once outside, Caleb realizes that the man he thought was August was Mrs. Benson’s nephew who has come for a visit. When the men return to the attic, they cannot sleep. Caleb apologizes to Prentiss for his actions. Prentiss assures Caleb that he will likely see August’s image everywhere he looks for the rest of his days. He tells him that he sees Landry’s mangled body, Mrs. Etty who would stand over him as he worked the field, and Gail Cooley rousing him awake at every turn. He reassures Caleb that he has nothing to be sorry about and tells him to go to sleep.

The next day, Mr. Whitney offers Caleb a job repairing the levy outside his house. Caleb tells Whitney he plans on moving further north to establish his own place. Caleb tells him that Prentiss is content in Convent and that he should consider him for the job. Later that night Caleb wakes to Prentiss shaving his beard. When Caleb asks him why he is shaving so late, Prentiss tells him it is time for them to move on from Convent. Prentiss tells him that he is sick of hearing the work bell each morning. Caleb takes a piece of parchment paper that Mrs. Benson had given him and plans to write a long letter to Isabelle once they are settled in their own place. He knows soon they will be far away from Convent and Old Ox.

Isabelle visits Ted Morton’s farm and notices how the house has fallen into disrepair. The fountain no longer contains flowing water, and it is rusting and falling apart. The front door to Majesty’s Palace is blocked by the debris from the collapse of the upstairs floor. The furniture, family belongings, and most of the land fell victim to the fire. Isabelle approaches Morton, leads him to the fountain, and offers to buy it from him. He says it is not for sale, as it was a gift for his wife. He assures her that he had nothing to do with the fire and that Old Ox would eventually return to how it was before the war. Isabelle sends her regards to Morton’s wife, and the two go their separate ways.

Isabelle plans to have a fountain like the one at Majesty’s Palace built in the turnaround so it is visible from the cabin, barn, and the fields. She dreams of the day that Caleb and Prentiss return home to see the fountain and George’s land helping to support the freedmen. She finally receives a letter from Caleb, and he tells her that he and Prentiss made it to a northern town, though he does not disclose where in fear that the sheriff will intercept his letter. They are working at a dock and have plenty of money for food and housing. While Isabelle is relieved, she acknowledges that she will still carry a mother’s worry in between letters. She realizes that it may be a long time before the men can return to see the beauty that has grown out of their absence, and she decides to take whatever comes her way, realizing that hope may be enough.