Musing #29 - "One Story a Week Challenge," Story 4

Hmm. . . which card shall it be today? Read the first paragraphs of the story (below) and take a guess :-). At the end of my post, I have the correct picture. Keep reading and see if your guess is right!

Go back in time, to the early 1900's. Imagine a family that consists of a mother, father, several girls, and twin baby boys. Their house is filled with noise, from the kids to their many pets, and there is hardly ever a dull moment.
This story focuses upon one of the girls of this family, whose name is Beth Walter. At the age of eight, she is the "middle girl," which means that one sister is older than she, the other younger. Beth loves to paint, sew, and draw, but mostly she likes to hang out in the great outdoors. She enjoys climbing trees and swinging from fences, and she loves to laugh and play with her sisters.
Considering all these things, Mother and Father's bit of news that they delivered one steamy day in early July brought shrieks of pure joy and excitement from the little girl.
The Walter family was going to spend the day at the seashore!

  "Are we almost there yet?" Beth asked for about the dozenth time. She tucked her skirt around her knees, leaned back against the side of the buggy, and sighed. "I'm so tired of sitting here!"

  "Yes, we're nearly there," Father assured her. He jiggled Pepper's reins and clucked his tongue. "Giddup, Pepper."

  With a snort and a shake of his dark mane, the black-and-white spotted steed obediently picked up his pace. 

  Beth heaved another sigh and leaned out of the buggy to catch a better view of the road ahead. Hurry, hurry, hurry! She wanted to say, but she didn't. She knew Father and Pepper were doing all in their power to get the Walter family to the train station in time.

  The train station! The thought again sent Beth's stomach into a fluttery tizzy. I'll get to ride on a train! AND see the seashore for the first time!

  "Beth, please turn around and sit still," Mother said. "I don't want you tumbling out of the buggy."

  "Yes, Mother." Beth swiveled around and clasped her hands in her lap. The tips of her fingers touched cold metal, and she smiled. Her pretty "birthday bracelet" - a gift from her Aunt Sophie and Uncle Charles for her ninth birthday - encircled her wrist. Beth wore her bracelet all the time, and today's visit to the seashore was no exception. The gold-colored band - complete with a heart-shaped charm bearing her name and birthdate - was a special, special piece of jewelry to the girl, even more precious than the faux pearl necklace and silver ring she'd spent her birthday dimes on. 

  I've had this bracelet for five months now, Beth thought, twirling the band around, bringing the heart-shaped charm to view. And I don't think I've taken it off once.

  "Beth, wake up!" Big sister Catharine's hand on Beth's arm snapped her from her thoughts. 

  "I wasn't asleep," Beth returned, shrugging off her sister's hand. "I was just thinking."

  Catharine laughed. "Yeah. I had to wake you from your daydreams. But look!" And she pointed out the buggy. "We've arrived at the train station!"

***

  The moment Beth's bare toes touched the soft, warm sand of the seashore, she gasped, then giggled. Reaching down, she scooped up a handful of the teeny, tiny grains of sand. 

  "Look, Cate!" she squealed to her older sister. "Sand!"

  Catharine grinned. "If you think the sand is fun, just wait till you see the ocean!" Her eyes twinkled, and Beth knew why. Catharine was three years older than she was, and, before Beth had turned five, the Walters had lived near a large lake. Father had taught Catharine how to swim. However, after Beth turned five and her little sister, Amelia, was born, the Walters moved, and none of the Walter children had seen a single huge body of water since, although Catharine told and retold her tales of swimming lessons with bright eyes and passionate voice. 

  "Someday," she always told Beth, "I'll teach you to swim, too."

  Well, that day seemed to have come sooner than either had expected it to, and, truth be told, Beth was not really looking forward to it. One glimpse of the gigantic ocean, with its roaring waves breaking into bubbles and foam at her feet, made her shudder and draw back. 

  "C'mon, Beth!" Catharine urged. She dashed right out into the waves, splashing water every which way. "It feels so good!"

  Beth bit her lip. She never liked being outdone by her older sister, and Catharine did make the water look like fun. It doesn't hurt to try, I guess, Beth concluded. 

  But as soon as her toe touched the water, she shrieked and ran away. "It's cold!" she hollered to Catharine.

  Catharine giggled and sloshed her way back to the shore. "Of course it's cold," she said. "But don't worry - your body will soon adjust to the temperature, and the water will feel almost warm." She held out her hand. "C'mon. We can go out together."

  Beth flashed a smile and readily slid her hand into Catharine's. "Okay."

  "Make sure you girls stay where Father and I can see you," Mother called. 

  "Yes, Mother!" Catharine and Beth yelled back.

    ***

  By afternoon, Beth was soaked to the skin. Her skirt was stuck to her legs, and her shoes - which she wore to keep the hot sand from scorching her feet - squeaked with each step she took. 

  But she was having a grand time.

  After her sister had gotten her into the water, Beth had not wanted to go back to shore. She and Catharine waded around, collecting shells and finding sea creatures. Finally, when Beth was too cold and wet to take any more, they headed back to shore and helped Amelia make sand castles before entertaining their baby brothers, who lay cooing on blankets.

   For lunch, Mother spread out a yummy array of jelly sandwiches, apples, cheese, and sugar cookies. Beth was starved, and she gobbled her lunch right down, heedless of the crunchy sensation of sand in her cookies and sandwiches. 

  Between bites, she bubbled, "Thank you so much for this nice vacation, Father, Mother. I'm enjoying this trip to the beach even more than the fun train ride." 
   Shivers raced up her spine at the mention of the train. It'd been a fantastic experience, but truly the beach was a hundred times better!
  Beth swallowed her last bite of cookie and asked her parents, "May I rinse the jelly and sugar on my fingers off in the ocean?"

  Mother nodded, and Beth leaped up and ran to the waves. As the water surged around her ankles, she squealed. Kneeling, she dipped her hands in the water. 
  A sudden sight made a horrified scream rip from her throat. The next moment, she dashed back to her family's picnic-spot, where her sisters, brothers, and parents lay, relaxing, about the blankets. As Beth ran to them, all but the babies sprung to their feet and anxiously demanded to know the cause of her panic.
 "It's my bracelet!" Beth cried out, clasping her bare wrist. "It's gone!"
  "Gone?" Mother said. Her face paled. "What bracelet? The one Aunt Sophie and Uncle Charles gave you?"
  Beth nodded, her little chest heaving with sobs. "Oh, Mother, where can it be?"
  Mother's breath whooshed out, and she sank to the ground. "Oh, Beth," she said, softly, "If only I'd remembered that you had it on! I'd have told you to take it off before you went swimming."
  At Mother's words, the sobs caught in Beth's throat. "You mean . . ." She swallowed and drew a breath. "You mean it's in the ocean?" A tear stole down her cheek, followed closely by another. "You mean I'll never get it back?"
  "It could be in the ocean," Father said. "But then again, it could be on the beach, too. Stay here, darling; Catharine and I will look around. If your bracelet is anywhere on this sand, we'll find it."
  "Yes, little sis," Catharine joined in. She stooped to grab Beth's wet hand and give it a comforting squeeze. "I'm a very thorough searcher." She winked. "Don't worry."
  Beth threw her arms around her sister and kissed her cheek. "Thank you," she breathed.
  Beth then joined her mother, little sister, and brothers on the blanket, while Father and Catharine began the search.
  "Oh, Mother," Beth sobbed, as her mother draped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close, "Do you think they'll find my bracelet?"
  In response, Mother smoothed back the hair from Beth's forehead and kissed her. "Yes, my dear, if God wills it."
  Beth hardly heard her mother's reply, so great was her anguish, but instead she kept her eyes glued upon the beach - hoping, just hoping for a twinkle, a twinkle in the bright sun that would shout the news of  the hiding spot of her precious metal bracelet.
  An hour passed in this way. When Father and Catharine came back, looking dejected and very, very sorry, Beth burst into tears afresh and threw herself into her father's arms. "Oh, Father, is it gone forever?" she whispered.
  "I'm afraid so," Father answered in a soft, sympathetic tone of voice, as he caressed his daughter's hair and looked down upon her with pitying blue eyes.
  She pulled away from him and, half-blinded by tears, ran to the ocean. There she fell to her knees and sobbed, the water lapping and foaming about her. My beautiful, valuable bracelet is somewhere out here, in this wide, wide blue ocean. The very thought was bad enough, but then a worse realization pressed down upon her, What will I tell Aunt Sophie and Uncle Charles? 
  She sensed her sister sitting down beside her, and she turned away. She didn't feel like talking to anybody.
  "Beth," Catharine's voice was gentle, "I'm sorry."
  Beth sniffed and shook her head. It's not your fault, she wanted to say, but a sob came instead.
  "Father and I tried everything," Catharine went on. "At least, we thought we tried everything. But we didn't."
  Still no response from Beth, and Catharine went on, "We didn't pray."
  Beth's head rose from her knees, and she turned to Catharine. "What?"
  Catharine's head was already bowed, her eyes closed. Beth followed her example. Oh, dear Jesus, she prayed, I'm sorry for not coming to You sooner. This ocean is big, but You are bigger. Please, if it is Your will, could You bring my bracelet back to me? In Jesus' Name. Amen.
  Feeling much better, Beth smiled and rose. "Thanks, Catharine."
  "Girls!" Father called. "It's time to call it a day and head home. Help us pack up."

  ***

  Beth left the beach behind. She left the ocean. And she left - she was sure - her bracelet. But for some reason, she felt peaceful.

  "It's God's Will," she murmured repeatedly to herself. 

  Yet . . . what do you suppose awaited her when the Walters climbed back into their buggy after returning by train?

  Her bracelet, laying right there on the seat!

  "What?" Beth exclaimed, scooping it up with trembling fingers. "What is it doing here?"

  Mother examined the bracelet and smiled. "The clasp broke," she said. "It fell right off your wrist without you even noticing. Father and I will get the clasp fixed extra well, and you probably won't ever lose it again."

  Completely content, Beth settled back against the buggy, clutching the precious piece of jewelry tight. Thank You, Jesus, she prayed, then fell into a deep sleep.

  

Beth Walter :-)

Notice the jewelry she's wearing?

  

  

Thank you, Abby, from Little Birdie Blessings for the picture that inspired this story. (The picture used for this story is one of my favorites *wink*)

NOTE FROM AUTHOR TO READERS: Do you enjoy visits to the seashore? If so, do you prefer to wade in the ocean or play in the sand? Is there a Bible verse that this story reminds you of?