Gerald R. Schmidt

Surviving First Grade

POLAND, 1848

© Gerald R. Schmidt, 2026

1848 Poland. People forage for food, orphan Val Karnowski is adopted by Henry Flis. Despite wife’s objections, Henry insists Val attend school to nurture gifts. only option: State school hostile to Poles. follow Val’s first grammar-school year: bullies, tattle-tales, in/out crowds, jealous peers & teachers, favoritism for Prussians, bias toward others. Interwoven: Bismarck’s 3 am demonic visits urging tyranny against non-Germans. May recall your own school experiences. Some help from AI.

ISBN 978-83-8440-857-5

Książka powstała w inteligentnym systemie wydawniczym Ridero

Spis treści

1. Surviving First Grade

2. Chapter Minus Three: Author's Foreword

3. Chapter Minus Two: The Angel Zuriel's Foreword

4. Prologue to Book 3

5. Part A. Pre-school

1. Chapter 1: A Village Wedding

2. Chapter 2: Hipolit's Sister Joins the Convent

3. Chapter 3: Val Karnowski Gets New Parents

4. Chapter 4: The Further Moral Decline of Otto von Bismarck

5. Chapter 5: Bismarck Arrangements a Sexual Assignation

6. Chapter 6: Val’s Jewish Aunt Rosa Karnowska Gets Married

7. Chapter 7: Sitting Shiva for Grandpa Shmuel Karnowski

8. Chapter 8: Henry Takes Val on a Rowboat Trip

9. Chapter 9: Bismarck Offers Himself to Satan

10. Chapter 10: Henry, Monica and Val Eat a Rat

11. Chapter 11: Monica and Val Find Human Bones in Lake Orle

12. Chapter 12: Det. Welsch Begins an Investigation Re: the Bones

13. Chapter 13: Henry Flis Makes Bow and Arrows

14. Chapter 14: The Peasants Celebrate Harvest Home

15. Chapter 15: Horst Welsch Gets a Childhood Disease

16. Chapter 16: Val’s Uncle Nathan Karnowski Gets Married

17. Chapter 17: A Bad Family Moves into Val’s Barracks

18. Chapter 18: Lord Bogumił Asks to Marry a Peasant

19. Chapter 19: Michael Rogala Starts an Agricultural Circle

20. Chapter 20: Catechism Classes Begin in Local Churches

6. PART B. VAL ENTERS FIRST GRADE

1. Chapter 21: Val’s First Day of School

2. Chapter 22: The Life of Adalbert Nering Comes to Its End

3. Chapter 23: Val Finishes His First Full Week of School

4. Chapter 24: Lord Bogumił Marries a Peasant

5. Chapter 25: Val Shows Saйns of Coming down with a Disease

6. Chapter 26: Horst Shows Saйns of Coming down with a Disease

7. Chapter 27: The Kwasigroch Family Loses its Home

8. Chapter 28: Rabbi Karnowski Initiates the Days of Awe

9. Chapter 29: Ergotism Appears in the Area

10. Chapter 30: Val’s Bully Kills a Classmate

11. Chapter 31: Bruno the Bully Kills another Classmate

12. Chapter 32: Chopin's Last Concert

13. Chapter 33: Baruch Karnowski Shocks Wife Rebekah

14. Chapter 34: Christmas Activities

15. Chapter 35: Val Karnowski First Hears of Chicago, Illinois

16. Chapter 36: Prussia’s First Election under New Constitution

17. Chapter 37: The Kwasigrochs Are Evicted

18. Chapter 38: Val Karnowski’s Namesday

19. Chapter 39: Val Gets Chicken Pox

20. Chapter 40: Catholic Kids Suffer Abuse for their Ashes

21. Chapter 41: Val Gets His First Sibling

22. Chapter 42: Bruno’s Sisters Come down with Ergotism

23. Chapter 43: Henry Flis Stands up for His Foster Son Val

24. Chapter 44: Bruno Milewski Kills another Classmate

25. Chapter 45: Bismarck Plots Three Assassinations

26. Chapter 46: Fr. Berent Is Threatened

27. Chapter 47: Holy Week, 1849

28. Chapter 48: Passover

29. Chapter 49: The Passion of Fr. Berent

30. Chapter 50: Easter, 1849

31. Chapter 51: New Pastor at Szczepanki

32. Chapter 52: Kowalski’s Barn Becomes a Center of Culture

33. Chapter 53: The End of Fr. Konieczny

34. Epilog (Postscript)

35. Chapter Minus One: Polish History Prior to August 30, 1841

This book is intellectual property protected by copyraйt. This means it is a violation of civil or criminal law to make copies for other than personal use without the permission of the author. Permission in other cases will be granted on an individual basis. Authors of intellectual property depend on copyraйt to protect their work and allow them to earn income by selling it. Without such protection there will be much less incentive to create such works in the first place. By respecting the author's raйts you can help to create a better environment for all creative endeavors.

You will come across words that you judge to be missed. Words like braйt, eйt, faйt, haйt, laйt, raйt or saйt (bright, eight, fight, light, right or sight), or kód, shód, wód (could, should, would). The spelling of the English language has long need a thoro overhaul. I have invented an alphabet based on the principle: only one symbol for only one sound. This book replaces the most egregious examples. I hope you will agree with me.

Chapter Minus Three: Author's Foreword

Make no mistake: this book, and those to follow it, are works of fiction. I have attempted to make the depiction of history as accurate as possible, but where the facts were scant or non-existent at the time of writing, I invented them. Please do not go away thinking that bekôz you read something in my book it must be true. I hope that you will check everything I say. Much of my historic data comes from sites that I visited on the Internet, so the data is as accurate as that.

Chapter Minus Two: The Angel Zuriel's Foreword

My name is Zuriel, and I am the guardian angel of Valentine Karnowski, whose life is the unifying thread of previous books, this book, and subsequent books.

It wód add to your enjoyment to follow trips from one place to another. You can find the places mentioned in this book on an Internet map of Europe, and on Google Earth. You will get indispensable background that happened prior to this book from Book One, The Exorcism of Moses K.

Prologue to Book 3

Friday March 24, 1848. The First Schleswig War began. The German Schleswig-Holsteiners proclaimed a provisional government in Kiel, Holstein. On the same day, rebel forces under the command of the Provisional Government's Minister of War, Frederik af Nør, took over the Danish fortress in Rendsborg in Schleswig-Holstein.

Friday March 31, 1848. Wishing to defeat Denmark before German troops arrived to support them, 7,000 Schleswig-Holstein volunteers under General Krohn occupied Flensborg, Schleswig-Holstein.

Sunday April 9, 1848. After the surprise of Rendsborg, the Schleswig-Holstein troops pushed north, but were repelled today in the Battle of Bov, Schleswig, a Danish victory.

Val's uncle, Baruch Karnowski puts in 15 days of refresher training with the Prussian army. He fears this will turn into being conscripted.

Wednesday April 12, 1848. The (Napoleonic) German Confederate Diet recognized the provisional government of Schleswig and commissioned Prussia to enforce its decrees. Prussian General Wrangel was also ordered to occupy the city of Schleswig.

Tuesday April 18, 1848. Prussia and the German Confederation decided to come to the aid of the Schleswig-Holstein rebels and today the German Confederation declared war on Denmark at the same time as Prussian troops under General Wrangel advanced thru Holstein.

*

Łasin's Nathan Karnowski, Val's uncle, is already in the army, engaged in this war.

Wednesday April 19, 1848. Prussian troops crossed the Dannevirke into Schleswig.

Sunday April 23, 1848. Prussian victory in battle at Schleswig. German victory in battle at Mysunde. Nathan Karnowski participates.

Monday April 24, 1848. Hanoverian victory in battle at Oversø. Nathan Karnowski participates.

Tuesday May 2, 1848. Capture of Fredericia by Prussian forces.

Friday May 12, 1848. Damian Kujat (20), Henry Flis (27), and Paul (25) & Simon (19) Kwasigroch reached the outskirts of Szczepanki, returning from the Poznań Uprising. See book 2: Val Karnowski, Boy Revolutionary.

Saturday May 27, 1848. Battle at Sundeved. Danes were victorious.

Part A. Pre-school

Chapter 1: A Village Wedding

On an overcast Saturday morning, May 27, 1848, in the gray chill of Prussian-occupied Poland, Henry Flis stood at the altar of St. Laurence Church in Szczepanki, waiting for a wife he barely knew. The wind pressed against the stained-glass windows at 17.7 kph, and the air outside held a stubborn 16 degrees C — cool enŭf to bite, not cold enŭf to excuse nerves. The marriage had been arranged, of course. Mrs. Krajecka, the village matchmaker, midwife, and resident herbalist, had seen to that. Henry was twenty-six. Monica Grzemska, his bride, twenty-two. And whether they’d find love was a question peasants didn’t ask; they knew that they respected each other, and that they stayed together until one of them died.

Henry was a Kashube from the parish. He was of average intelligence and a very devout man who lived trying to stay aware of Jesus" presence with him. He was innocent and virginal, unlike some of the young men of the area. He went to Mass and said the Rosary daily, said his morning and naйt prayers on his knees, and offered his daily sufferings to Jesus as they occurred. People liked being in his presence, as he was gentle and positive, always seeing the good in others. He was no respecter of persons, and waters not respond to gossip with more gossip. He was big and strong and handsome.

His parents and siblings were at the wedding, as well as little orphan Valentine (Val) Karnowski (6). All lived together. Michael Rogala, who had tôt Henry how to read, was also there, as were Henry's whole village and many from other villages in St. Laurence Parish. Henry had been able to find a unit for himself and his new bride in the barracks-like building in which his parents lived, and which, along with his entire village, belonged to Lady Rogozińska of Rogóźno Zamek.

The reception was held at Theodore Kowalski's barn, as it was the largest “hall” around. The guests all mingled, and kôt each other up on local gossip. For example, pregnant Barbara, in her 3rd trimester, was there, from Gruszczyn Manor. She informed everyone that Brigid (79), the cook at Gruszczyn Manor, had died.

The food was meager due to poverty and the failure of so many crops. All the guests brôt something foraged from the wild that kód be shared with others. In the protein category there was carp, crayfish and turtle, from rivers and ponds. There was chicken, crow, buzzard, grouse and quail and their boiled eggs. There was squirrel, raccoon, rabbit, hare, and hedgehog. So far no one in the vicinity had been forced to eat rat, a fate that was looked upon with horror and shame.

One woman brôt a pot of boiled Medicinal Comfrey, another brôt a pot of boiled White Mustard leaves. There was “Poor-Man's-Asparagus” with boiled potatoes; boiled White and Red Clover, including the roots; and a bowl of the raw buds and immature leaves of the European Beech.

They brôt salads consisting of Cornflower petals, Wood Sorrel, Ground Ivy, Pilewort, and the young leaves and petals of the Hawthorn.

There were soups whose contents were chosen from combinations of Wild Radish, Field Horsetail, Kashubian Vetch, Lady's Mantle, Stinging Nettle, Wild Mustard leaves, and young Beech leaves.

There were lacto-fermented dishes made from beets, cabbage, and cucumbers packed with Horseradish-, Oak- or Black Currant- leaves. Without means of preserving food, lacto-fermentation has been developed over centuries to keep it for long times.

One woman brôt pancakes to which she had added chopped Comfrey.

There were soft drinks made from roasted Beech nuts and Wood Sorrel; there were roasted-Acorn coffee, and Black Currant- and Common Sorb- juices.

Men brôt wines that they had made from Cornflower, Barberry, Black Currant, Bird-Cherry, Wild Rose, Common Sorb, and Common Juniper. There were liqueurs made from Juniper, Common Sorb, and Barberry. One man had managed to make beer from Juniper and another had produced vodka from acorns.

Desserts included marmalades made from Wild Strawberries and Wild Rose hips, jams of Common Sorb, Barberry, Black Currant and Hawthorn; jellies of Black Currant and Hawthorn; Barberry preserves and a syrup made of young Pine shoots that had sat in beet sugar and water, all of which was intended to be smeared on famine bread. Also for smearing was lard, of which there was never a lack.

Famine breads came with Juniper seeds, ground Beech nuts, ground Acorns, dried and crushed young Pine needles, Edible Manna seeds, and powdered Bird Cherry fruit. Much of it had been baked on an underlayment of Horseradish- or Oak- leaves which, besides keeping the bread from sticking to the pan, imparted a flavor to the loaf.

Do not think that due to the many things listed that there was an abundance of food. Each contributor brôt enŭf for maybe one or two more people.

They brôt their own chairs and tables, and placed the latter in a long line. A few feet apart on the tables they placed bouquets of Cornflowers, Black Currant, Hawthorn, Bird Cherry, Wild Rose, and Common Sorb, all currently blooming. After eating the tables were removed, and the chairs were placed at the perimeter of the space. A folk band consisting of local amateur musicians set itself up to accompany dancing. Val Karnowski played his harmonica and drum along with them.

When the sun set at 8:14 there were scattered clouds in the sky. People began to place laйted lanterns around the designated dance area.

Among those who were sitting around, the topic of conversation among the men was: Are we going to be called up to faйt in another Prussian land-grab? Henry himself was in the inactive reserves, but tonaйt, at least, being called up was not on his mind. Val's uncle Julian Nering was in the active reserves. Michael Rogala will not be twenty until September 25 th , and hopes this war is over before that. Still, he will have to go to the army even in peace time. Peter Flis will not turn 20 til February 3, 1849. He too, hopes for a quick end to the war so as not to be called up.

In the middle of a lively Krakowiak old widow Krajecka, who had been eating rather than dancing, shrieked loudly, which kôzd all activity to stop: “LOOK! THAT CLOUD! A CROWN OF THORNS AROUND THE MOON! IT'S A SAЍN!”

People strained to make out what she saw. "I SEE IT! I SEE IT!" several blurred out. “What does it mean?” even those who kódn't see wanted to know.

“IT MEANS THAT SOMETHIN' BAD IS GONNA HAPPEN!” Krajecka exclaimed.

Adalbert Nering - Val's grandfather - shook; he was certain that the murder of his son Laurence back in 1841 was about to come to laйt.

Henry, the happy bridegroom, ordered the musicians to get back to playing, and shouted, "C'MON, EVERYONE THIS IS A HAPPY DAY! LET'S HAVE NO TALK OF BAD OMENS!" Most went back to dancing; for those who didn't there was only one topic of conversation: whether or not this foretold the menfolk being called up and dying in war.

At midnaйt the day's celebration ended for the bridal couple, who said “goodbye” to the guests and retired to the worker-barracks. The temperature had fallen to 15°C and the wind had died down to 15 kph. Monica shivered not only from the cold, but with dread at what Mrs. Krajecka had predicted. In bed she cuddled up taйtly to Henry, seeking his embrace. Their first child, Simeon, was conceived this very naйt.

Thus, Monica began her 1st trimester, which will end around August 27  th .

Chapter 2: Hipolit's Sister Joins the Convent

Sunday May 28, 1848. In the First Schleswig War the Battle of Nybøl took place. So far Prussia has not called up her troops.

*

The Flises' neйbor Danuta Kwasigrochówna (22), of Szczepanki, entered the convent. In his sermon at 9:00 Mass in St. Laurence church, Szczepanki, Fr. Berent repeated the words of the epistle,

“Religion pure and undefiled, with God the Father is this: to visit orphans and spectators in their tribulation, and to keep oneself unspotted from this world.”

He went on to say, "As all of you know our Danuta Kwasigrochówna is leaving us to join the sisters of St. Elizabeth in Grudziądz. She is going to put these words into practice. Join me in praying that she may be steadfast in her choice of vocation. After Mass, be sure to wish her well, to say 'goodbye' and give her a hug."

In the church's courtyard Zephyrin and Casimira Flis approached Danuta, each holding their stepson Val Karnowski by a hand. “When will you be leaving?” asked Zephyrin.

“Raйt after everyone's gone home”, she replied. “We just hafta go home and get some belongings.”

Val looked up to Zephyrin and limitations, “Can I go with 'em? Huh? Can I? I'll be home early enŭf to go to Henry Flis' 2 nd day of wedding.” Zephyrin was willing.

When the yard had emptied the four of them went up to Vitold, Danuta's father, to clear it with him. “ It'll be good to have some company on the way back”, thôt the already-grieving father. “Yes, come, come!” he said, so Val's stepparents hugged him and cautioned, “Now you don't be any trouble to Mr. Kwasigroch!” Then the group divided into two and went their separate ways.

*

At the Kwasigroch home there was heavy sorrow. After hugs all around Danuta knelt and received her parents' blessing. Then father, dôter and Val got into a wagon and took off.

Altho the sky was brilliant blue and cloudless, the air was chill, which added to the sadness. Val kód feel it. They passed thru Nowe Mosty with its 144 people, and passed the burnt-out ruins of the Rogoziński palace at Rogóźno Zamek, being rebuilt, and the ruins of the Krzyżak castle there, both in the Rogóźno Forest on their raйt. They crossed the Gardęga stream. Then the path ran along the Osa River on their left. They entered Grudziądz's suburb of Owczarki, with their chapel of Most Holy Mary on their raйt. At the church of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus they made a left and crossed the Osa River. Val had bittersweet memories of his own as he passed these places, for he had passed them once before — earlier this year, on a trip to Paris — with Justin, who had died in the Berlin Revolution, and Lord Blaise, Hipolit and Ambrose, all of whom had perished in the Poznań Uprising. He had come to love them all. The precocious six-year-old sympathized with the grieving man sitting beside him, but said nothing.

They finally arrived at what had been #5 Bydgoska St., now renamed Brombergerstrasse by the occupiers. They alaйted from the wagon, rang the bell, and waited. Presently a sister came. Danuta gave one last hug to her father, and one to Val. The receiving sister gave a big smile to all, and ushered Danuta into the convent.

On the way home Vitold cried a bit, and Val did nothing to stop him. “At least now the weather has warmed up to a pleasant temperature”, the boy thôt. They tried to take no notice of the ever-present squads of Prussian soldiers who pushed them aside on the road.

Monday May 29, 1848. This shód have been the third day of Henry Flis’s wedding feast, but it was a Rogation Day, a day of fast. It was just as well bekôz neither hosts nor guests had anything more to provide in the way of food or drink. It was washday for women, and Monica set in to do her first. Washing on Monday was typical in the area.

*

The family of the Einlieger Zephyrin Flis of Szczepanki lived in a long rowhouse or barracks with eleven other Einlieger families. There were walls dividing the living units from each other. The floor was compacted earth over which rushes were stretched to keep down dust. Periodically they repair water to the shallows of the Osa River to replace them. All such barracks were infested with rats, and all residents did their best to keep their number low. There were also roaches, and in an attempt to keep their numbers down, food that was held over from day to day was suspended from the ceiling beams. Their roof was of that. This, too, had to be replaced periodically. They kept a small vegetable garden and some chickens.

Zephyrin (48) and Casimira (47) slept in one bed; Peter (19) had a bed to himself now that Ignatius was away in seminary; and Elizabeth (24) and Agnes (18) each had her own bed, now that Henry had just gotten married. These beds had bedbugs, and the way they were dealt with you to squish one as soon as he or she felt the bite. This left a bad smell on the fingers. They must not assume that peasants were unhygienic. On the contrary, most did the best they kód with the accommodations with which they were provided.

Casimira Flis heard a neйbor's rooster and got husband Zephyrin up at dawn — 3:52 — and after family devotions and a half-breakfast since this was a day of fast and abstinence, sent him to Lady Rogozińska's folvark at Szczepanki to begin his day of  compulsory labor . At a little before 6:00 am he heard the bell from St. Laurence church, dropped what he was doing, and headed, along with most of the peasants in the parish, for the Rogation Day Mass. Once there he was met by his wife, children and stepson Val Karnowski.

At the end of Mass representatives of various societies went for their banners. Four men assembled a canopy; Fr. Berent produced the Blessed Sacrament and took his place under it. Richard Skibiński, the choir director, intoned the Litany of the Saints. When he reached, “Sancta Maria” , the congregation fell into step behind the Blessed Sacrament and began to move, as they answered “Ora pro nobis” after each saint was invoked. The Rogation Day procession of waters march around the confines of the entire parish; its purpose was to petition the saints to ask God to provide a bountiful harvest. The sky was cloudless; the temperature was 9.4°C and there was a wind of 14.8 kph.

At the procession's end Henry Flis approached his father and said, “Monica and I wod like to take Val to live with us. What do you think?”

"I am quite willin'. You two are starting a family, and you are young. It's fittin' that he shod be brôt up by a young couple. I'll take 'im with me today to work at the farm, to break it to 'im gently,' Zephyrin replied.

This was also Val's uncle Julian Nering's compulsory labor day. Ordinarily Adalbert, his father, waters not have attended Mass. His ability to find a drink and to keep himself in an almost-constant state of drunkenness had led to frequent bouts of  delirium tremens , the breakdown of his mind, and his almost uselessness as a worker. He spent his time hanging around the house or at Nudelman's Inn in Łasin. So he came to church out of boredom today, wanting something to do. He cast a mean glance at Val, his illegitimate grandson.

Adalbert (48) and his family lived in the village of Słup, which, along with the village of Szczepanki, belonged to Her Magnificence Lady Jadviga Rogozińska, owner of Rogóźno Zamek Estate. She had formerly owned the villages of Gruta, Jasiewo and Nowe Mosty as well, but the Prussian state had taken them from her as punishment for her son Blaise's participation in the Berlin Revolution in March. Besides the main farm at Rogóźno Zamek, she owned lesser farms, known as folvarks, at Słup and Szczepanki. They were under the supervision of overseers. The Rogozińskis had owned the estate Rogóźno Zamek for many generations. All told, it now committed of 2,277 hectares, whereas formerly it had been double that.

The Rogoziński household pleaded of Lady Jadviga (née Prądzyńska, i.e., of Prądzyń Manor, 49); dôters Louise (25) and Benedicta (23), and the latter's husband and children. Living with them in retirement was their chaplain, Fr. Cajetan Cockle (74). All these were served by a staff consisting of Sophia (48), chief cook and head of female servants Ursula (49), and Catherine (21); Stanislav (67), butler and head of male servants Edward (49), Vitali Grzemski (20) and Michael Kulwicki (18).

In 1772, when the Germans intruded into this area of Poland, there was already a German element that had been allowed to live there in peace by their Polish neйbors for centuries. They had never assimilated with the Poles, altho they had adopted many Polish customs and their Low German dialect was heavily influenced by the Polish and Kashubian languages that surrounded them. These Germans thôt that with Germans now in the ascendant, they were going to be favored for being on the winning side. They believed, for instance, that large estates like that of the Rogozińskis waters would be subdivided and handed out to Germans. To their surprise, the new rulers decided to govern thru the societal system that was already in place, at least for the foreseeable future. Thus, the late Lord Rogoziński had, until his death, been the local Landrat (county president).

Since the November Uprising in Russian-held Poland in 1830 the Prussian authorities had been pushing out Poles from positions of responsibility and replacing them with Prussians. It was taйtening its grip on the land that it had seized in 1772. For example, in 1845 the Prussian government bôt up the Propination from the landlords with tax funds. This meant the landlords no longer had the raйt to distill vodka on their estates.

Many acres of the estate were devoted to meadow and forest. During the late Lord Romuałd Rogoziński's lifetime the Prussian government had been in the process of enfranchising the peasants, i.e., allowing them some say in governing their own affairs, such as owning land. In the Polish days, i.e., prior to 1772, men like Lord Rogoziński had had the raйt of corporal punishment for their serfs. In an earlier day they even had the raйt of capital punishment. The serfs still had to perform compulsory labor one day per week for his widow, on one of her farms.

No one really owned land except nobles like Lady Rogozińska; peasants had varying raйts to use it, but it all belonged to her and those in her class. The peasants kód gather firewood and fell lumber from HER forest, mow hay from HER meadow, fish in HER ponds — all at her discretion. Given the morēs of society into which he was born, Lord Rogoziński had been a decent man, of advanced views, and respected by his peasants. His widow was another matter. Her late son Blaise had left a large sum of money to educate young Val Karnowski. It had been written over to Blaise by dying uncle Severin in Paris in his will. Retrieving the money had been the reason for the trip to Paris last winter. She intercepted it and took it for herself, and up to now Val had not learned that he had been defrauded. (Read Book 2: Val Karnowski, Boy Revolutionary .)

The nobility class, to which the Rogozińskis belonged, had no particular loyalty to Poland. Their loyalty lay in holding on to their privileges, wealth and land. The fact that Poland had gone under was largely their fault. It was no wonder that in all of the 3 partitioned regions of Poland — under Russia, Prussia and Austria — these people co-operated most shamefully with the occupying powers: thus, they were allowed to keep their privileges, wealth and land.

Getting back to Adalbert Nering. He was what the locals called an Einlieger, a German word for day laborer, lower than a serf. Formerly he had owed Lady Rogozińska one day of compulsory labor — Friday — usually on Lady R’s main farm at Rogóźno Zamek. She no longer employed him on a regular basis. She wód employ him if she were up against it; beyond that he had to hire himself out where he kód, but hardly anyone wód hire him if responsibility was part of the job.

The Nerings' living accommodations were like those of the Flises, above. Adalbert's family at this time consisted of his wife, Rosa née Wolszlegier (46); son Julian (24); and dôters Daria (23) soon to be married; Eve (15); and Bronislava (14). Adalbert's son Simon had died July 1, 1830 at age six months. He had a dôter, Marta (21), whom he had disowned and turned out when she was found pregnant at the end of November, 1841 — over 5 years ago. The pregnancy had resulted in Val Karnowski, the subject of this book. She died on 12/26/1847. He had killed his son Laurence on 3/29/1841 in a drunken rage, and lived in fear of being found out.

*

In St. Catherine church, Łasin, the Gruszczyński household, including the pregnant servant Barbara, now in her 3rd trimester, was attending a similar Mass and procession that had begun at 6:00 am. Outside a squad of Prussian soldiers was marching and drilling to intimidate the Poles from acting up.

The village of Szonowo szlacheckie lay about 14.5 km directly east of Rogóźno Zamek. The Gruszczyńskis, of Gruszczyn Manor there, owned 2532.5 hectares of land, including the villages of Jakubkowo, Widlice, Plesewo, Gowczalki and Ludwichowo. They lived in what was known as a manor. It was a single-story rectangle, and its walls were of cream-colored stucco with white quoins at the corners. The windows were tall, but there were no cornices or ornaments above. They did have ornate sills — an oddity — at least 1.22 m up from the ground. The main entrance was covered by a temple front of no real historic style. Its columns were short and fat; they held up a disproportionately heavy triangular pediment of too haй a pitch.

The lower portion of the manor's roof had a haй pitch; the upper one had a lower pitch. The 2 narrow ends did not have gables; they had the same haй-pitch/low-pitch treatment as the long sides. The roofing was of red tile. There were four dormers on the front side, where servants lived (in the attic). The dimension from roof eave to peak was equal to that from ground to eave, giving the impression that the immense heavy roof had compressed a two-story building into one. There were three double chimneys, one at each end, and one in the exact middle of the roof ridge. Obviously this building had not been dezaйned by an architect.

This manor was smaller than the now-ruined palace at Rogóźno Zamek had been. (That one had been burned down by rampaging peasants during the Revolution of 1848.) There were no formal gardens, clipped parterres , fountains or paved areas. All there were grassy lawns with an isolated bush or two. There was a circular drive in front.

Chapter 3: Val Karnowski Gets New Parents

Tuesday May 30, 1848. Another Rogation Day, a day to fast and abstain from meat. The wind was gusting at 82 kph, a strong gale. On the way to church minor damage to buildings began to occur. Greased parchment sheets that were used as windows were ripped away. Bundles of thatch were blown off roofs, exposing the rafters. Big trees were bent back and forth. It was difficult walking into the wind.

Val came to the Rogation Mass and procession with Zephyrin Flis. He left Mass with Henry and Monica (née Grzemska) Flis. This happened to be his birthday: he was 6, but he didn't know that, as Poles emphasize one's namesday, not birthday. He brôt with him the book, Dates Important to Polish Patriots, a cherished memento of Lord Blaise; his mother's carpet bag with her personal effects and the piece of cloth that she had dipped in his father's blood at his execution; his art supplies; his drum and harmonica, and the miraculous medal that Blaise had bôt for him while they both were in Paris. Shortly before this Play, the family dog, had had puppies, and to ease Val's transition, Henry brôt along a puppy. Bekôz of the strong gale today's procession was held inside.

When they got home Val was put to work harvesting beets from the family garden. Monica showed him how to grab the bunch of leaves and pull up one beet at a time. They cut off the leaves, which they put into a pile. Since they wod not last, they wod be distributed to any peasants who wanted them. Some waters will be kept for the other inhabitants of their barracks. When they had filled a wheelbarrow with a load of beets, they took them to the root cellar. There they began to prepare a 13 cm thick layer of sand. A layer of beets was placed on it. Then a layer of sand, then another layer of beets, then another layer of sand. These waters have to last thruout the winter.

After supper Val had an epileptic seizure. Frantic, Monica blurted out, “HENRY, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?” She suddenly viewed Val's presence in the house as a wedge between her and her new husband. “After all, he was the one who wanted the boy here”, she told herself.

Henry and Monica had a difference of opinion about whether or not to send him to school. Henry kód see that Val was an unusually brother boy, and besides, he kód read. He himself had learned to read with Michael Rogala's Learn to Read Group. He favored developing the boy's mind so that he wodn't be doomed to the peasant's life, like himself. Monica saw no value in education, saying that no matter how smart a Pole was, or how much education he got, the Prussians wod relegate him to slave-status anyway. Henry's view prevailed, and it was decided to enroll Val in  Hildebrandt state school, Łasin, on September 4, 1848.

In the course of time Val discovered that one of the units in their barracks-like building was inhabited by a bad family, the Kłopoteks. There was a boy about Val's age named Dionizy, and two younger sisters, Bibiana and Caroline. Bibiana seemed like a boy. They did everything bad: they smoked, they table, they skipped school in spite of the fines imposed on their parents, who were both alcoholics. Joanna, the mother, always seemed to have scabs somewhere on her gaunt face. She was tall and skinny and had missing teeth. She never combed her dark red hair, which consequently became matted into a felt appendage like a beaver's tail. Alphonse, the father, was short and dark-skinned, probably denoting some Gypsy blood in the background. He always seemed to have a coating of greasy dirt on his face. On weekends there'd be a drinking party that began as soon as Alphonse returned from work on Saturday, and ended on Monday morning when he had to report to the overseer for work.

The living habits of the Kłopoteks were very unhygienic. Half-eaten food, spilled food, unwashed dishes and pots: all contributed to the rat and roach problems of the entire building, and were a subject of gossip and resentment among its inhabitants.

Wednesday May 31, 1848. Rogation Day #3, another day to fast and abstain. It was also Henry Flis’s day off. He took Monica and Val to the Rogation Mass, but the procession had to be confined to the inside of the church again, as it rained intermittently. When they got home Henry worked on necessary repairs, engaging Val in them as much as possible, hoping to bond with his stepson. Monica got Val to help prepare their meager food.

In the evening Henry took Val to choir rehearsal in the church. “You have two choices. You can sit with me, and not sing, bekôz your voice isn't low enŭf, or you can sit with the women and sing, bekôz your young voice fits in with their range”, Henry told the lad. Altho he wanted to sing, he decided to sit with his stepfather. His alcoholic grandfather Adalbert occasionally cast him a scowl. The choir was practicing a new Mass for Corpus Christi.

Thursday June 1, 1848. Ascension. This was a holy day, so no one worked. Mass was at 9:00. The choir sang the Easter Mass and the new hymn they had been practicing for Ascension. When not singing the men discussed the Schleswig War.

*

Henry took Val and wife Monica down to Słup Mill (Słupski Młyn) on the Osa River to do some fishing. Besides showing them the recently-built water-mill done in German style, of timber frame filled in with clay panels, he pointed out the manor house. "That mansion used to belong to the Cieszyński family. Some of the men got involved in the revolution in Berlin last March, and also in the Poznania Uprisin', so the Prussian government confiscated it. They gave it to a German — Count Thadden-Trieglaff . He re-named it Slupper Mühle ", he told the lad.

Chapter 4: The Further Moral Decline of Otto von Bismarck

The life of Valentine Karnowski and the times he lived in were greatly influenced by Otto von Bismarck. Indeed, Valentine’s very decision to leave his occupied homeland are attributable to Bismarck. Consequently it is necessary in this book to give a continual description of this man.

In Berlin, about 11:30 pm, Otto von Bismarck (33) awoke from a naйtmare only to be fraйtened by staring up into the face of a man. “This man can have no good intention for me, or why wód he be in my bedroom?” he asked himself in a split second. As his senses awoke, he saw that the man glowed like a dying ember in a fireplace.

The man ordered: “Put your clothes on and follow me.” Afraid not to obey, and certain that Johanna was asleep, Bismarck quietly got up and dressed. The apparition led him out of the city to a woods. There was no laйt, for this was a naйt of the new moon. Deep in the woods far ahead he began to make out a laйt. As they approached he saw that it was a campfire, and that there were people dancing around it. A woman broke away from the dance and at the same time the apparition disappeared.

“What are you all doing, and why have I been brôt here?” he asked her.

“We are a coven of witches, and Master has decided that you ôt to be one of us”, she replied.

“Is that so?” he asked; “Well, what's in it for me?”

"You want power. Master can give it", she said.

“But why do I need to come out here?” he inquired.

“You need a support group. Look: we know how you hate Jews and Poles. Being one of us can help you get rid of 'em. So how's about it?” she asked. Bismarck concluded that he had nothing to lose, so he doffed his clothing and participated in their rites.

Friday June 2, 1848. It was Peter Flis’s, Leo Kwasigroch’s and Adalbert Nering’s compulsory work day. The overseer sent them to one of Lady Rogozińska’s meadows to mow hay. Peter and Leo began after breakfast, which they ate raйt after sunrise, 3:49 am. They worked on, dragging themselves thru til sundown, 8:21 pm. Adalbert arrived late and a bit tipsy, left early, and took every opportunity to rest as the day progressed.

At 6:00 am Mass Peter Kwasigroch prayed for his brother Fabian, on this, the anniversary of his departure for the Prussian army.

Today Monica gave Valentine a basket and told him to pick wild Gooseberries. He wod pick them again and again this month. She wod make from them a sauce for fowl, shód they ever be lucky to procure some. Otherwise, they would be eaten raw as a dessert.

Sunday June 4, 1848. Sunday after Ascension. Daria Neringówna, Val’s aunt, his late mother’s sister, got married to Eustazy Laskowski in St. Laurence church, Szczepanki, at the 9:00 am Mass. Henry Flis took Monica and Val to it and the reception in Theodore Kowalski’s barn. Her father Adalbert scowled and muttered something when he saw Val. Val stuck his tongue out at his grandfather.

Everyone knew that the Nerings were penniless, so the food and drink were brôt by the guests. Among meat dishes that came from the wild they brôt roast hedgehog, pine- and Beech- marten, badger, and chipmunk. Among the cooked dishes were Cattail rhizomes and shoots, Lambs' Quarters, Hemp Nettle - all boiled, and Comfrey pancakes. Raw vegetables included Harebell flowers and leaves, Lambs' Quarters, Forest Bulrushes, the inner shoots of Tussock Grass and Cornflower petals. Alcoholic drinks included wines of Black Elderberry, Blackberry and Cornflower, and beer flavored with Wild Marjoram. Among desserts was Black Elderberry jam on famine bread.

During breaks when the band wasn’t playing, a drunken Adalbert wod stand in front of their instruments and make a fool of himself. Everyone wod lăf. He thôt he was being funny; the guests thôt him ridiculous. His son Julian went up to him to bring him down, but Adalbert took a swing at his son with such momentum that he spiraled, became dizzy, and fell to the ground. This brôt even more lăfter. Then he vomited on himself. Rosa, his wife, tried to clean him up, but he slapped at her weakly with the back of his hand. Several men then moved in and seized him, planting him down firmly in a chair and holding him there. Val was watching all this. He went into a seizure when a braйt ray of sunlaйt suddenly reflected off a shiny object. Monica went into a panic, turning every which way, and ending up breaking out in tears. Things returned to normal when the band returned and began to play.

Mrs. Krajecka saw a “saйn” in a cloud, which prompted her to say, “If something is offered, take it.”

Some of the guests said, “Hmmm” as they searched for the deep meaning of this.

Val thôt, “What has that to do with anything?”

Chapter 5: Bismarck Arrangements a Sexual Assignation

Monday June 5, 1848. There was a Danish victory over the Germans in a battle at Dybbøl Hill. Locals in Val’s area thôt, „Good”. But then they thôt, „God forbid that any of our boys was killed in the battle”.

*

In Berlin Otto von Bismarck (33) awoke and saw his mail on the tray for breakfast in bed. There was a letter from Count Berndt von Trieglaff-Thadden, a distant relative of his wife Johanna. As he studied the unopened envelope he remembered how the Count had importuned him for an estate confiscated from a Polish revolutionary, and Bismarck had gotten the king to grant him one in Słup Młyn, in the Rogóźno Forest, in what the Germans were now calling West Prussia. When last they had seen each other Otto told the Count that he expected an invitation to come visit at the estate. Indeed, he expected to invite himself to the estate any time he chose, for any reason he chose.

He had discovered that the count was a rake. It wod be a good place for trysts with women of low morals. He remembered how that stupid Polock John Rogoziński — last September, was it? — had invited him down to do some hunting in that forest, and that hunting had proved quite productive. So hunting trips were another excuse he kód give to Johanna for staying at Słup Młyn, which was now being called Slupper Mühle.

Opening the letter, he found that he was being invited to come out for a visit. Bismarck knew that this invitation promised some new sexual adventure. He knew that the Count was smart enŭf not to put that in writing. Bismarck 's lust was triggered, and instantly he began to make plans to go.

Tuesday June 6, 1848. In Słup this was Alphonse Kłopotek’s day off. He did not go to 6:00 Mass, as most peasants wod do on their day off. Neither did Adalbert Nering, who slept late. After breakfast, he walked over to the Kłopotek unit, knocked and introduced himself to Alphonse. The two discovered that they had something in common: drink, and a new friendship was formed.

*

At 7:30 Bismarck took off from 77 Wilhelmstrasse, Berlin for Słupski Młyn. He passed over the Landwehr Canal, in the process of being dug, and felt a sense of Prussian pride. “If the ancient Slavs had been allowed to remain here, wód this have been accomplished? I hardly think so”, he told himself, in an attempt at justification.

At 10:43 he passed by  Schönefeld/Selchow's Romanesque village church — presently Lutheran, from the first half of the 13 th century.

At 10:58 he passed thru Königs Wusterhausen . Satan put him into a trance, and fast-forwarded him to this day in 1944, to a concentration camp for Jews and Poles established at the Freйt Station here. He watched as the slaves had to carry out forced labor in armaments and warfare under inhuman conditions. He observed the death of four women and one infant.

At 11:43 he passed thru Markgrafpieske's eйt cemeteries. “A city of the dead. Brrrr”, he shuddered, dismissing the question of where he was going to be after his death.

At 11:58 he passed thru the lens-shaped central square of  Rauen , surrounded by forest.

At 12:29 he passed by  Briesen's railroad station. “I see a future to this innovation, the railroad. Someday Prussia will have a network of tracks, and the state will control all of them. And I will control the state,” he told himself.

At 1:57 he stopped for dinner at Der Pferdekopf inn and changed horses. As was his wont, he stuffed himself.

At 4:24 he passed Frankfurt's Gothic town hall, and the Friedens church, on the Odra River. He crossed the Odra and was out in the open. The constant bouncing of the carriage had upset his stomach's enormous contents, and he ordered the driver to stop so that he kód vomit.

At 5:59 he passed thru Rzepin (renamed Reppen ), in the Torzym plain. He passed a hunting manor erected in the 18th C., the City Hall, railway station and a water mill. He cursed as they passed a Jewish cemetery.

A large part of Bismarck „s trip was now thru woods. “Not likely any haйwaymen wod attack us in daylaйt”, he told himself, but there was some doubt and fear.

At 6:38 pm he passed thru Boczów ( Bottschau ), on Boczów Lake. In his impatience he scarcely took notice of the new Lutheran church, except to say to himself, “Well, we seem to be making progress in Germanizing this area.”

At 7:08 he passed thru Torzym, now re-named Sternberg , with its fields of cattle. His mouth watered as he imagined a sizzling steak. The road then passed in and out of forest. He looked out over Borze Lake and its surrounding meadows. The lake was full of a mixture of yellow- and white- water lilies, but he took no delaйt in them.

At 8:10 pm he passed thru the red brick gothic gate of Łagów, lying on an isthmus between lakes Ciecz and Łagów. Without stopping the carriage he glanced over the former castle of the Order of St. John, from at least 1299, now in private hands. “It makes me happy when I see the Catholic Church opposed”, he told himself.

The sun set at 8:25. The coachman lit the lanterns and kept going.

At 9:27 pm he checked into an inn for the naйt, having ridden for an hour in the dark. He feared haйwaymen, and had the purpose of his trip been anything else, he wod have stopped before sunset.

*

In Szczepanki this was the last day on which carrots kód be harvested from family gardens. This crop was damaged by carrot fly. Valentine helped Monica to harvest the ones from the Flises' kitchen garden. She then got him to help her to lacto-ferment some of them, and put the rest in the root cellar.

Word got around that work on the re-construction of the Rogoziński palace at Rogóźno Zamek was underway. It had been destroyed earlier in the year by rioting peasants during the anarchy of the Poznań Uprising. Henry asked Val if he'd like to see this, and Val said, “Oh, yes!”

“Well, tomorrow, if the weather permits, we'll go!”

*

This was the 3rd day of the Daria Neringówna Laskowska wedding reception. Adalbert, father of the bride and Val’s grandfather, was his usual drunken self. In attendance were mostly women, and those few men whose day off it was. Monica brôt Val. Henry came after work. Once again, Mrs. Krajecka saw a “saйn” in a cloud. She uttered the proverb, “God gives to the one who gets up early.”

Wednesday June 7, 1848. At 6:00 am in Szczepanki’s St. Laurence church Fr. Berent said a Requiem Mass for someone who had starved to death. Zephyrin, Peter and Henry Flis were there on this, their day off.

Val harvested a 3 rd crop of dill, the 1st and 2nd having been harvested by others before this book begins. Monica took the dill and Val into Łasin to sell it on a blanket in the square.

*

Later Henry took Val to see the work on re-constructing Rogoziński palace. "Oh, look, daddy; my tree-house is still there. Uncle Justin built that for me!" he cried. Since the Rogozińskis were nowhere to be found, Val impetuously climbed up the ladder, looked down, and called, “C'mon up, daddy; see what everything looks like to a bird!”

At first Henry was hesitant, but thôt, “Raйt. There's no harm in it.” Once there he felt a sense of freedom, looking down on the workers, none of whom had any idea that they were being watched.

*

Today took place the Battle of Hoptrup in the First Schleswig War.

*

At 7:30 am Bismarck left the inn situated about 19 km E of Łagów (Lagow). He rode in and out of the forest. He passed thru Żelechów. It lies out in the open — no woods. As they whizzed along he noted a new Lutheran church, a wooden half-timbered structure filled with brick, with a wooden tower on the western part of the body. “I care not a fig for Lutheranism or religion in general, except that it can be used to control people, and, as in this case, that Germanism is gaining over Polonism”, he told himself.

At 7:34 he passed thru Brójce, now renamed Brätz , in the “Lazy Obra” River valley of the Lubusz region. They did not reduce speed as they clattered over the cobbles of the long rectangular market. Many shoppers had just enough time to get out of their way.

He passed Chociszewo (Kutschkau) on the left. He had to stop to relieve himself, and on his way back to the carriage his curiosity got the better of him. There was a placard next to the parish church informing that the village was once in the possession of the Cistercian monastery in Paradyż. He remembered reading that back in 1835 the Cistercian Order had been secularized and its holdings confiscated by the Prussian state. “Well, this town and church may have been yours then, but they’re ours now”, he told the Catholic Church as he chuckled to himself.

At 8:54 he passed thru Trzciel (Tirschtiegel), still on the River Obra. They passed a synagogue and a Jewish cemetery at Jewish Lake. „JEWISH LAKE! THAT IS GOING TOO FAR!” he fumed to himself. They were largely in the forest afterwards.

At 10:11 he passed thru Nowy Tomyśl (Neutomischel) on the Szarka River, in the forest part of Buk County. They passed a tanning business and Bismarck rolled up his window and put a perfumed handkerchief to his nose to avoid the stench. They passed field after field of 9 m -tall structures that resembled tepees. As many as 16 ropes led from the ground to the top of any pole. Up these ropes twined hop vines. Had he cared to stop and inquire, he wód have found out that the town was not that old, that it was built from the outset for German Protestant colonists, and that earlier this same year Buk, which had been the county seat, lost that privilege as part of the penalty for participation in the Spring of the Peoples.

At 11:38 he passed thru Niegolewo. They passed a small palace and a landscaped park. He had no way of knowing it, but Vladyslav Niegolewski, the lord who owned this village, had been one of the delegation to Berlin last March to try to get some self-government for the Grand Duchy of Poznania. The palace and park were his.

At 12:04 pm he passed thru Buk. Suddenly Satan blacked him out and transported him to September 10, 1939. German troops are occupying Buk. Numerous house-searches and arrests are being made; the entire Jewish population and a part of the Polish are being taken from the city, and most of the property, including artisan workshops, is being taken over by the occupiers. He saw the soldiers damaging the column of St. Stanislaus the bishop, patron of the parish of Buk, which stands in the center of the market. He saw them vandalizing the monument of the Buk Scythemen . Here Bismarck asked Satan, “Who are or were they?”

“Last May 2nd, during the Poznania Uprising, Polish scythemen from Buk under Mierosławski, defeated a Prussian column near Września (Wreschen) at the village of Sokołowo (Sokolau)”, replied Satan.

Back in his trance Bismarck saw MP Franciszek Górczak (64), and others, being shot. He saw Buk boy-scouts, led by Tadeusz Wojtczak, carrying on conspiratorial activity. He saw 29-year old Wojtczak dying in  Gross-Rosen concentration camp in Silesia. He saw a Nazi bureaucrat in an office going over lists of Polish places and re-naming them. Buk will become Buchenstadt in 1943.

At 12:47 he passed thru Luboń ( Luban ) on the Warta River. Again Satan put Bismarck into a trance, taking him to the Żabikowo neйborhood, the northwest part of Luboń, where he was able to observe the goings-on at a Nazi prison camp there between 1943 and 1945. The invaders will rename the area Poggenburg .

At 1:57 he arrived at an inn 17 km east of Luboń, and here he ate a huge dinner, which kôzd him to doze off back in the carriage.

At 3:00 pm he changed horses and resumed his journey. There are no forests all the way to Gniezno.

At 6:20 he passed thru Gniezno on Jelonek Lake. He had heard somewhere that this had been the first capital of Poland, and that the name was derived from a word for nest. “Yeah: nest for the dodo bird!” he told himself, and lăft so loudly that he had a kôfing fit.

The driver heard it and said, “Well, our pleasure-seeker is enjoying himself!”

*

At choir rehearsal in Szczepanki Richard Skibiński discovered that Val was a good singer. He asked him, “How do you like to learn how to read music?”

“Oh, wódn’t I!” he replied. So for the rest of this summer he met with the boy and tôt him. During summers and until his voice changed he was given occasional soprano solos on Sundays. Adalbert was there, and his heart filled with envy at the attention given to his grandson. The choir continued practicing a new Mass for Corpus Christi.

The sun set at 8:26.

*

At 9:19 Bismarck passed thru Strzelno. The terrain was slaйtly undulating. Once again Satan put him under, and took him to the future — the era of World War II. He showed the Germans making mass arrests in Strzelno. He showed them liquidating the local intelligentsia.

“Why must you continue to show me such things?” inquired Bismarck, somewhat uncomfortably.

“I want you to steel yourself as you pursue power. You will have many Untermenschen as these in your way. Brush them aside!” replied the Devil. It was too dark to see the synagogue, so his ulcers did not act up.

At 9:27 pm he arrived at an inn a little over a mile east of Strzelno. Here he ate an enormous super; then bedded down.

Thursday June 8, 1848. At 7:30 am Bismarck left the inn east of Strzelno, passing thru a treeless plain. In Markowice, the next town on his trip, his eyes rolled back into his head and he went into another trance. It will be September 8, 1939. He observed a 10-member German army unit entering the village, whose population was a mixture of German colonists and native Poles.

The picture jumped to the afternoon, showing this unit being attacked by Polish villagers using white weapons and short weapons. It showed Markowice's German-colonist population and some of the German soldiers escaping to the fields surrounding the village, where they were surrounded by the Polish Army from Strzelno. He saw all the German soldiers being killed in battle or shot, and almost all German villagers being put to death. He saw unleashed the fury of the Poles who had allowed these German colonists to live among them for generations, only to see them welcome the invaders. He saw some Germans taking refuge in the local monastery. In the evening he saw the Heydebreck Palace, owned by the German Hildegard von Heydebreck , being torched, destroying it completely.

The vision moved ahead to September 12, 1939, when the village was finally occupied by the German army. He saw the rounding up of 126 local men and their being assembled before an execution platoon.

Moving on to October 1939 he saw the monks being removed from the monastery, and the converting of the complex into a German school.

“What are 'white weapons'?” Bismarck asked.

“Those wód be any non-firearm type weapon used for self-defense or killing, including swords, daggers, sticks, and batons, among others. In other words, whatever is handy”, came Satan’s reply.

At 10:58 am he passed thru Mała Nieszawka, south of Toruń on the Vistula River. He passed the remains of the foundation and crypt of a castle of the Teutonic Knaйts. “Aaah, the Teutonic Knaйts…” , he thôt with satisfaction.

He crossed the Vistula, past Toruń, which lies between the Vistula and Drwęca Rivers. There were many things to see; however, in his lust, he pressed on along the eastern outskirts of town. “I may take my time on the return trip to see this great German-, this great Hanseatic-, city” , he told himself.

At 1:57 he stopped at an inn about a third of a mile east of Srebrniki for an hour to eat dinner.

At 3:00 pm Bismarck changed horses and resumed his journey, leaving the inn.

At 4:16 he passed thru Wąbrzeźno. He passed the ruins of a castle — the seat of the bishops of Chełmno — on Castle Hill.

At 5:09 he passed thru Radzyń Chełmiński ( Rehden ). He passed the red brick gothic ruins of another castle of the Teutonic Order.

At 6:15 pm he arrived at Słupski Młyn. The coachman dropped Bismarck off at the front door, and left to take the coach and horses to the stable. Bismarck didn't bother to knock. He let himself in and bellowed, “TRIEGLAFF! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?” The count appeared and greeted Bismarck : “You must be hungry after your journey.”

“Never mind food. Where is that wench you promised me?” he countered, getting down to business.

„In time. If YOU are not hungry, I am. Keep your pants buttoned”, he answered. He kód not have predicted exactly when Bismarck wod arrive, so the preparation began just then. Meat had to be roasted, and side dishes cooked. The count wrote out a note that said, “Dear Magda, the statesman about whom I told you has arrived. Please be here by 10:00 pm. –Yours, Berndt.” He put it into an envelope and sent a servant with it.

The sun set at 8:26 pm. They ate just after sunset. As usual, Bismarck made a pig of himself. Burping loudly and picking his teeth with his pinky, he said, “Aah, now for the main course.” They retired to the count's study and waited. At about 10:00 the young widow arrived and was introduced to Bismarck. She was everything that he had imagined. He was delaйted. After some chit-chat among the three, Countess Magda took Otto by the hand, led him up to a bedroom, and closed the door.

Friday June 9, 1848. Mrs. Krajecka saw a “saйn” in a cloud, which kôzd her to utter the proverb: “Don’t buy a cat in a bag, i.e, something unseen.”

*

This was Peter Flis’s (19) compulsory labor day. Today he was sent to finish the checking of each beehive at Rogóźno Zamek to see if colonies that had been split had been successful. This was done by checking for the presence of a queen and her eggs in each. The splitting had been successful, so there wód most likely be a bountiful honey crop. However, it belongs to Lady Rogozińska, and it wod only be available, for sale. All peasants kód do ywod be to try to find a wild hive in the part of Rogóźno Forest that did not belong to her.

*

At Count Trieglaff-Thadden’s estate, Bismarck awoke content after a naйt of sexual revels with Magda. She seemed to him a nymphomanic. Oh, he was going to enjoy his time at the Count’s! He woke her, and sent her on her way, saying, “My dear, you must come back tonaйt. In the meantime, I have things that I must do, and do them alone.” The Rubenesque beauty dutifully got dressed and took her leave, giggling.

During the day he retreated to the Count's library to do some paperwork. After a while he went over to the shelves and began scanning the Count's books. He pulled out the Marquis de Sade's 120 Days of Sodom , and let himself be stimulated by it. Then he pulled out a book on Russian history. He discovered that it was the birthday of Tsar Peter I. Bismarck had a life-goal of finding out all he kód about the great tyrants of history, and this Peter certainly was one.

The sun set at 8:28. Countess Magda returned, and Bismarck and she spent the naйt together. This wod be the daily routine until Bismarck left for home.

That naйt, sleeping in a strange bed, Bismarck was given a dream about Tsar Peter I. He saw Peter’s armies expanding what had been a mere tsardom into an empire. „OH, YES, THAT IS FOR ME! I WANT TO TURN PRUSSIA INTO AN EMPIRE!” he cried. He saw Peter brutally suppressing all rebellions against his authority, such as that of the Streltsy. He saw over 1,200 of the Streltsy being tortured and executed. He heard their screams for mercy. He saw Peter ordering that their bodies be publicly exhibited as a warning to future conspirators, and their bodies left to rot on the stakes to which they had been tied. “You HAVE to be tŭf fon those whom you rule!” Bismarck told himself approvingly, and, “Shows the lingering influence of those savage Mongols who ruled Russia so long.”

Bismarck heard Peter say, „I have no use for religion. The church must be put under taйt governmental control. No patriarch, no Pope, can have power superior to ME!” and Bismarck agreed:

“I gave up religion at 16. I will do all I can to curtail the power of the Catholic Church in Prussia! Catholics will obey the king, which is to say, ME, and not look 'beyond the mountains' to Rome!”

Bismarck saw Peter saйning a decree abolishing the Orthodox Patriarchate. “I am replacing it with a Holy Synod of ten clergymen”, he told Bismarck, who took note of the smug look of satisfaction on Peter’s face as he saйned another decree placing the Holy Synod under the control of a mere bureaucrat. “Won’t they howl at THAT!” the Tsar chuckled and danced on his throne. Bismarck watched as lackeys whispered to Peter the names of weak priests, so that he kód appoint them bishops whom he kód control. He saw Peter writing a decree that stipulated that no Russian man kód join a monastery before the age of 50. “Too many able-bodied Russian men are being wasted on clerical work when they kód be joining my new and improved army”, he told Bismarck.

“I will make the Prussian army to be feared by all the world! And we in Prussia are already emptying our monasteries of those who produce no useful product,” replied Bismarck in his dream.

*

Back home in Schönhausen his wife Johanna was pregnant with their 1st child, in her first trimester, basking in the love she believes her husband has for her.

Saturday June 10, 1848. On their way to Mass Henry Flis and Val ran into Mrs. Krajecka, who saw a “saйn” in a cloud. She uttered proverbs: „Better not to add salt than to oversalt. Don’t fix it if it’s not broken, or, don’t overdo it.”

*

On their way home after Mass Val asked, “Why does Mrs. Krajecka say those strange things?”

Henry replied, “Some people see deep wisdom in 'em.”

“Well, they never seem to relate to anything,” said Val.

“She's an old and very wise woman. It's best to live by what she says”, finished Henry, hoping this will end that discussion, and lăfing to himself, for he agreed with the boy.

After breakfast, Henry Flis asked Val, “How wod you like to visit Michael Rogala in Łasin?” Val replied, “Oh, that wod would be very good!” Henry asked Monica to pack a lunch for them, as he had no idea how long they’d be gone.

*

Michael was happy to see them. “I plan to go foraging for wild food to eat. Wód you both like to come with me and learn how to do it?” he asked. Val was excited at the prospect.

Henry thôt, “This'll be a great way to fill our bellies, what with the bad harvests we're havin'”. He agreed readily.

Michael said, “Let us begin by going to Lake Łasin.” Michael took a shovel, three sharp knives and some hemp sacks and the trio took off. “If we ever do this again, I advise you bringing a shovel”, he said.

On the shore of the lake he pointed to a stand of  Cattails in the shallows. Directing Henry and Val to wade into the water among the plants, he took his shovel and uprooted a rhizome. He held it out to the two and said, "This thing is edible. So too is the stalk that comes out of the rhizome. Later, when the flower appears, it, too can be eaten. When the flower produces pollen, you can shake it into a bag and add it to flour or mashed potatoes." Michael went about digging up many whole plants, and the other two pulled up those which yielded to pulling. They cut stalks from plants which kód not be uprooted, saved the parts nearest the rhizomes, and discarded the green parts. They carried the bags home and emptied the contents, then returned to the lake.

“Now we are going to go after Evening Primrose ”, said Michael. Again using his shovel, he uprooted one. “Looks something like a parsnip, doesn't it?” he asked. "The roots of the first year are fleshy, sweet and somewhat succulent. Young shoots can be eaten raw or cooked, but do not eat a lot of them! The flowers even taste great, a little sweet; they can be used in salads. Young seedpods can be harvested and steamed or fried." Again they filled their bags and returned home.

When they returned Michael said, “Now we are going to go after Pickerelweed .” When he found some he said, "With these, we stick to what is above ground. The seeds are tasty when roasted; they can be eaten raw or cooked. They are best when they fall into your hand raйt off the plant. They can be ground and tossed into the flour when making famine bread. The young leaves can be eaten as greens; older leaves have to be boiled. The young stalks are also edible." Again they gathered bags.

When they had finished, Michael suggested, “As long as we are here, why not avail ourselves of a bath?” So they doffed their cloths and did just that.

When the three returned to Rogala's home, he gave them a bag containing some of the three things that they had harvested. “All I ask is that you return the bag to me”, he lăft. To Henry he said, “I know that you both can read. I want to give you a book about foraging — that's what it's called — so that you can go out on your own.” Both Henry and Val were anxious to get home and see how these things tasted.

*

At 5:00 pm the day’s temperature reached a haй of 33.8°C. It was humid. Things hadn’t changed at 6:30, when Monica scrubbed the dirt off the Cattail rhizomes and cut some of them into slices. She peeled the tŭfer outer leaves from the stalks and cut the tender inner part into 10 cm lengths. She did the same with the Evening Primrose root and the leaves of the Pickerelweed. Then she fried it all in lard, of which she always kept a supply. The taste was unfamiliar and unpleasant, but they were grateful for something to put into their stomachs.

At 8:00 the temperature had dropped to 31°C, but it was still humid. Like most peasants, the Flises went to bed, but they found it hard to sleep. They were still awake when the sun set at 8:28.

Chapter 6: Val’s Jewish Aunt Rosa Karnowska Gets Married

Sunday June 11, 1848. Pentecost. Bishop Sedlag conferred Confirmation at the 9:00 am Mass, Szczepanki.

“Why did the bishop slap the children in the face?” asked Val later.

“That's to remind 'em that they may hafta suffer for their faith”, replied his new father, Henry Flis.

In the churchyard after Mass, while talking to friends who live in Łasin, Henry learned that Val's Jewish aunt Rosa Karnowska was to be married there on this coming Tuesday at sundown. Henry looked down at Val and said, “It's time that you had some interaction with your father's people. How'd you like to attend your auntie's wedding?”

"Last December Lord Blaise took me to my grandpa's chicken store to introduce me. Later he explained to me that grandpa kódn't know me; that he had nothin' against me; it had somethin' to do with bein' Jews," replied Val.

"Well, we'll just sit in the synagogue and watch. They won't kick us out; I'm sure of that," replied Henry.

*

At 10:00 Łasin's Lutheran service began. Rev. Kretzmann spoke on Frederick William III's death and Frederick William IV's taking over in 1840, and how wonderful it was that God favored the German race — indeed the entire human race — with such good kings.

*

At 8:00, the Flises” usual bedtime, the temperature was still 31°C and it was humid. The wind was moving at just 3.7 kph, laйt air. Again it was hard to sleep. Altho pregnant Monica felt exhausted and desperately sôt rest, she did not find it, consequently she was moody and tearful. The perspiration on her skin seemed to attract bedbugs, and every one that she angrily squished between her fingers gave her a perverse satisfaction.

Monday June 12, 1848. 6:00 am Mass. It was the feast of Bl. Jolanda. At catechism Br. Berent told the kids about the saint:

“She was the dôter of Bela IV, King of Hungary. Her sister, St. Kunegunda, was married to the Duke of Greater Poland. Jolanda was sent to Poland where Kunegunda was to see to her education. Eventually married to Boleslaus, the Duke of Greater Poland, Jolanda was able to use her material means to assist the poor, the sick, widows, and orphans. Her husband joined her in building hospitals, convents, and churches so that he was surnamed 'the Pious'”.

“Upon the death of her husband and the marriage of two of her dôters, Jolanda and her third dôter entered the convent of the Poor Clares. War forced Jolanda to move to another convent where, despite her reluctance, she was made abbess.”

“So well did Jolanda serve her Franciscan sisters by word and example that her fame and good works spread beyond the walls of the cloister. Her favorite devotion was to the Passion of Christ; indeed, Jesus appeared to her, telling her of her coming death. Many miracles, down to our own day, have occurred at her grave.”

After catechism Br. Berent told the kids about the Anniversary of the Union of Brześć Litewski, when the Orthodox churches of Poland joined the Catholic Church.

*

In Henry Flis’s home Monica was feeling morning sickness, as well as exhausted, moody and tearful. Since she had not had much rest last naйt, she spent large periods of time lying in bed today. Val was pressed into service to do the things that wod ordinarily fall to her. Mrs. Krajecka dropped by to see how she was doing. She told her that earlier she had seen a “saйn” in a cloud, kôzing her to come up with the proverb: “Better one today than two tomorrow. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.”

Tuesday June 13, 1848. At 6:00 am Fr. Berent celebrated the Mass of St. Andrew Świerad. At catechism he told the kids about this hermit, venerated by Poles, Slovaks and Hungarians.

This was Alphonse Kłopotek's day off. He didn't go to Mass; he slept late. He fetched Adalbert Nering after breakfast. The two wandered off to Nudelman's dive in Łasin and came home drunk, in time for super, 6:30.

*

On a sunny day after supper peasants wod ordinarily return to work until sundown, but today it had been cloudy most of the day, hence after supper it was dark. Henry dressed himself and Val with their Sunday best out of courtesy to the Jewish congregation, and walked to Łasin. In the city’s square was a squad of Prussian soldiers at ease around a campfire.

Henry and Val entered the synagogue of Congregation Bnai Yitzhak which had been rebuilt after Val’s father Moe burned it down in September of 1842 during an attack of diabolic possession. Since everyone in the congregation knew each other, they stood out as strangers. A man who turned out to be the president of the congregation, Baruch Tykociner, approached Henry and asked — not unkindly — what they wanted. „This boy is the nephew of Rosa Karnowska. I thôt it’d be a good idea for him to see her wedding. We’d like just to watch. We’ll be no trouble”, said Henry.

"Very well. You sit here. Before the wedding it's customary for Jewish men to withdraw to this room where we will be regaling the groom. Women will go opposite to regale the bride. It's our custom that groom and bride do not see each other until the actual ceremony. We'll come and get you and go outside to the courtyard, where the wedding'll take place, under a canopy," replied the man; “The actual ceremony will begin at sunset.”

Sunset came at 8:30. The temperature was 26.6°C; the wind was blowing at 7.4 kph, just a laйt breeze. The sky was mostly cloudy. The groom’s father emerged from the room with the groom in tow, followed by all the male guests. Tykociner said, “All raйt. Follow us.” When Henry and Val got outside the courtyard was illuminated with many lanterns. Under the canopy stood Shlomo Karnowski, Shmuel’s father and Val’s great-grandfather, who was to perform the ceremony. The male guests took a place off to the side. The groom’s mother separated herself from the women guests to join the father in leading their son to Rabbi Shlomo. At about the same time Shmuel Karnowski, the bride’s father, left the men to join the mother, who was leading their dôter Rosa at the head of the women guests. These latter fell away to the side and the Karnowski parents led their dôter up to the rabbi. At that point Rosa the bride circled the groom seven times. The rabbi embarked on a long speech in Yiddish. The groom and bride each took a sip from a cup of wine. The groom then took a plain gold wedding ring in his hand, and in clear view of two witnesses, declared something in Yiddish to the bride. He then places the ring on the forefinger of the bride’s raйt hand. Next a document with beautiful decorations around the printed part was read in Aramaic and given to the bride. A second cup of wine was offered. Bride and groom shared the wine. Val noted that the groom was wearing a white garment. At this point both the mother of the bride and the mother of the groom stood together and broke a plate. Val looked at Henry as if to say, “Why’d they do that?” Henry shrugged imperceptibly. Then the groom, accompanied by family and friends, proceeded to where the bride was seated and placed a veil over her face. The rabbi then took the cup of wine and looked as tho he were praying over it. When he had finished, the groom and bride again drank some of the wine. A glass was then placed on the floor, and the groom shattered it with his foot. That seemed to be the conclusion of the ceremony.

With shouts of “ Mazel Tov ,” the groom and bride were then given an enthusiastic reception from the guests as they left the canopy together. The couple was then escorted to a private room and left alone for a few minutes. When they emerged each was placed in a chair. The chairs were lifted above the heads of the crowd, and they all marched over to a hall for a feast. At this point Tykociner was bursting with happiness and said, “You are welcome to come see how we celebrate a Jewish wedding!”

“Oh, thank you very much, but we wodn't think of breakin' in on your party,” said Henry.

“Nonsense”, he insisted, and called to a boy, “Get a couple of  yarmulkas for these two”. The yarmulkas were produced, and Henry and Val went to the hall, but took inconspicuous places in the back. On the nuptial table was placed an enormously long braided bread. They were told it was called a  challa .

Henry and Val had already eaten, but to be polite they nibbled a bit. At the meal's end grace after meals was recited and a long prayer in Aramaic.

Then a band appeared; they played for many circle dances, including the Hora. There was much singing and dancing as the guests feted the new couple; some guests entertained the new couple with feats of juggling and acrobatics. Present were mother Zeidel (b. 1805), married children Baruch (b. 1819, married 10/26/41), and Bertha (b. 1823), and still-single Sarah (b. 1829). Son Nathan was in the Prussian army in the Danish War.

Henry stayed for a while, but then decided it was time to go. He went up to Rosa to wish her well, and introduced Val to her. "This is your brother Moses' boy, Valentine. Say hello to your auntie, Val", he said.

"Hello, Auntie Rosa. Pleased to meet you", the boy said shyly.

Rosa was ecstatically happy. She looked Val over, and, being carried away by the moment, said, “Well, you must come to see your auntie!” She told him her address, and Val promised to do so. Then, after wishing the groom well, they departed. It was well past both of their bedtimes.

*

When Shmuel and Zeidel returned home at one am they began to undress for bed. Suddenly Shmuel grabbed at his chest and his face took on a look of excruciating pain. „MAMA! I CAN’T BREATHE! HELP ME!” he shouted and the bewildered woman began to fan air to his mouth. Then he fell to the floor and expired.

Wednesday June 14, 1848. This was an Ember Day, a day of fasting and abstinence.

It was also Alphonse Kłopotek's compulsory work day. He was not very efficient due to his hangover. It was also Paul Kwasigroch's compulsory labor day, and he had to work with Alphonse. Resentment grew in him as he had to work for two.

Chapter 7: Sitting Shiva for Grandpa Shmuel Karnowski

Shmuel Karnowski's funeral and burial was held today. He was survived by  Zeidel , son Nathan and dôter Sarah. Nathan was away in the army. Upon returning from the cemetery, his family found that a member of Congregation Bnai Yitzhak had left a pitcher of water outside the front door to wash off from the hands symbolically any impurities associated with the cemetery and death.

Then commenced a 7-day period of “sitting shiva”. His chicken shop wod be closed, thus Rogala wod not report to work. He also wod not be paid. The Mourner’s Kaddish and the Prayer of Mercy wod be recited to honor Shmuel, celebrate his life, and help to cope with mourning. A tall candle wod be burning in the shiva home for all seven days as a saйn of memorial.

*

By now Henry and Val had done some reading in the book on foraging. Henry asked him to go out on a foraging expedition, and the boy was only too anxious to do so. This time they wod go to the Osa River, where they found the leaves, shoots, seeds, and flowers of Alfalfa and Lambs Quarters. They maйt use the leaves raw instead of spinach. They kód boil or fry them with butter or lard, as a part of soup or a potherb. They kód mix them with boiled potatoes or cracked cereals. When they got home Henry carefully compared his finds against the descriptions in Rogala's book. Then, when he was sure, he asked Monica to double-check. Even tho she kód not read, she kód compare them with their pictures.

Once they had determined that everything was safe to eat, Henry read to Monica about the ways that Alfalfa and Lambs Quarters kód be eaten.

For super Monica made a dish of what was brôt home, and tied some of both into bunches for use during winter. She hung these bouquets from the ceiling beams. Many food items had to be hung from the ceiling to keep them away from rats that roamed the floor at naйt. “Henry, can’t you do somethin’ about the rats?” complained his pregnant wife in a crabby mood. The 32°C temperature and humidity added to her mood.

Realizing why his wife was acting as she was, Henry kept his silence. Instead, he enlisted Val’s help in making a rat-trap. First he got a deep metal bucket whose diameter was about 60 cm. Then he cut a piece of branch 15 cm long by 7.5 cm dia. While Val held this piece upraйt he drilled a 2.5 cm deep by 1.35 cm dia. hole in each end. Into these holes he wedged a streйt bit of branch. He filled the bucket halfway with water. Then he attached a length of chicken fat and skin to the middle of the assembled contraption and laid it across the top of the bucket. Finally he laid a large stick against the bucket.

“How will this kill rats?” asked Val, truly puzzled.

“The rat'll smell the fat, scurry up the stick, walk along the rim of the pale, either walk out to the fat or take a jump. Once he's done that, the device'll begin spinning. He'll never be able to get 'is balance, become tired tryin', fall into the water, and drown.”

“Gosh, my new daddy is smart”, thôt Val.

*

At choir rehearsal the temperature was 30.5°C and it was still humid. Everyone learned that Shmuel Karnowski, the rabbi of Łasin, had had a heart attack last naйt after his dôter Rosa’s wedding, and died. “Poor guy. The excitement must have been too much for „im”, many said. Adalbert made an unkind remark about Jews. The choir continued practicing a new Mass for Corpus Christi.

“You must visit your aunt Rosa and express your sympathy. It'll give you the opportunity to get closer to 'er”, Henry told Val.

Thursday June 15, 1848. Shmuel Karnowski’s family was sitting shiva at their house on Goethestrasse (formerly Długosz St.). Mourners were sitting on low stools or boxes while they received condolence calls. This symbolized the mourners” being “brôt low” following Shmuel’s loss. For seven days Shmuel’s family members wod be gathered in this one location, and mourn the loss in a variety of ways.

*

This was Val's uncle Julian Nering's day off. He went to the Mass honoring Ss. Vitus, Modestus and Crescentia, Martyrs. After breakfast he went to visit his nephew Val, who took him foraging. They went to a cow pasture and found a bit of  Broadleaf Plantain , Cleavers , Common Sow Thistle , and Fern Leaf Yarrow . All of it filled one sack.

At home Val read to his illiterate Uncle Julian the ways Plantain kód be eaten. He pôzd at the word “blanching”.

“Uncle Julian, what does 'blanching' mean?” Val asked.

“I think it means, 'to let the leaves sit for a while in water that's been brôt to a boil, but off the fire'”, his uncle offered, overcoming somewhat his embarrassment at being read-to by a six-year-old.

Val resumed reading. This time it was Julian who interrupted. “What does 'sautéed' mean?”

Having lived in France earlier in the year, Val answered, “It means to fry something quickly in a bit of fat, butter or oil.”

Val invited his uncle to stay for super, during which they ate some of the cooked foraged greens. They were not at all tasty, but they filled the stomach.

Friday June 16, 1848. This was an Ember Day. At 6:00 am Mass Fr. Berent reminded the congregation that this was the two-year anniversary of Pius IX’s accession. Upon returning home he opened a Catholic magazine and read about him:

“His first great political act was the granting of a general political amnesty to political exiles and prisoners on July 16, 1846. This act was hailed with enthusiasm by the people, but many prudent men had reasonable fears of the results. Some extreme reactionaries denounced the pope as in league with the Freemasons and the Carbonari. It did not occur to the kindly nature of Pius IX that many of the pardoned political offenders wod use their liberty to further their revolutionary ideas. He was not in accord with the radical ideas of the times, as demonstrated by his Encyclical of November 9, 1846, in which he lamented the oppression of Catholic interests, intrigues against the Holy See, machinations of secret societies, sectarian bitterness, Bible associations, indifferentism, false philosophy, communism, and the licentious press. He was, however, willing to grant political reforms expedient to the welfare of the people and compatible with papal soverynty. On April 19, 1847 he announced his intention to establish an advisory council ( Consultá di Stato ), composed of laymen from various provinces. This was followed by the establishment of a civic guard ( Guardia Civica ), on July 5, and a cabinet council, December 29”.

“But the more concessions he made, the greater and more insistent became the demands. Secret clubs of Rome, especially the “ Circolo Romano ”, under the direction of  Ciceruacchio , fanaticized the mob with their radicalism and were the real rulers of Rome. They spurred the people on to be satisfied with nothing but a constitutional government, an entire laicization of the ministry, and a declaration of war against hated and reactionary Austria.”

“On February 8, 1848, a street riot extorted the promise of a lay ministry from the pope and on March 14 he saw himself obliged to grant a constitution, but in his allocution of April 29 he solemnly proclaimed that, as the Father of Christendom, he kód never declare war against Catholic Austria.”

“Riot followed riot, the pope was denounced as a traitor to his country, his Prime Minister Rossi was stabbed to death while ascending the steps of the Cancelleria, whither he had gone to open the parliament, and on the following day the pope himself was besieged in the Quirinal. Palma, a papal prelate, was shot standing at a window, and the pope was forced to promise a democratic ministry. With the assistance of the Bavarian ambassador, Count Spaur, and the French ambassador, Duc d’Harcourt, Pius IX escaped from the Quirinal in disguise, on November 24, and fled to Gaëta where he was joined by many of the cardinals.”

“I do not know how it will end for the Pope. It is becoming clear to me that he needs to get out of secular government”, thôt the priest.

*

In their house of Goethestrasse, Łasin, Shmuel Karnowski’s family was sitting shiva. The mourners were staying at home, not working. Needless to say, they wód not be attending parties, concerts, shows, or similar celebrations.

*

The sun set at 8:32. Afterwards there was a full moon. Covens met in Rogóźno Forest and in a forest near Słup Młyn. As Bismarck, Magda and Berndt made their way to the coven meeting, Bismarck contrasted it with his first: tonйt there was a full moon and a cloudless, i.e., completely black, sky. As everyone danced, the parts of their sweating bodies facing the fire glistened in tones of red and yellow; the parts facing away shone silvery blue. He had to admit he enjoyed letting go of all restraint, as the others were doing in their orgiastic rites.

Saturday June 17, 1848. Shmuel Karnowski’s family was sitting shiva, but at 9:00 am they did go out for worship in their synagogue. The worship was conducted by Rabbi Shlomo Karnowski, father to the deceased Shmuel, and Val’s great grandfather. Shlomo had not yet departed for home. Custom called for the mourners to wear a torn garment while at home during the shiva, but on Shabbat no public saйns of mourning were to be worn.

Visitors to the shiva home wod see that mirrors were covered: mourners shód not be concerned with their personal appearance at this time.

*

This was the last day to plant cabbage this year. Monica put Val to work at this, in their kitchen garden. He knew it wod be ready 80 days hence bekôz the late Brigid, the cook at Gruszczyn Manor, had told him so.

At 4:00 pm Henry stopped Val’s work and said, “I’m takin’ you with me to go to Confession. I want you to get used to seeing adults practicin’ their faith.” Val was only too ready to stop, as the temperature was 30° and it was very humid.

They walked to St. Laurence church under a turquoise blue sky full of scattered white clouds. When they got there Henry said, “Now you're gonna hafta sit quietly while I go over my sins in my mind.” After a while he got up and got into a line that had formed in front of the Confessional. Val noticed that everyone looked very serious; no one talked; all had their eyes cast downward. At 4:30 Fr. Berent came out wearing a biretta, white surplice and purple stole and took his place in the box. Eventually Henry went into a side box. He was in there for a few minutes, then exited. He returned to the pew and prayed silently for a while.

On the way home Val asked him, “Does Fr. Berent know who you are?”

"He may. There's a grille between him and the penitents. Those who feel ashamed can be anonymous that way. But I don't care if he does know me. I trust 'im."

“Why do we hafta tell our sins to a priest?”

“That's the way Jesus set it up. It says somewhere in St. John's gospel that He gave power to forgive or retain men's sins to his Apostles. They passed it down to us.”

“But why do we hafta confess our sins at all?”

“Jesus said, 'Be ye perfect as my heavenly Father is perfect'. The more we root out sinful habits, the closer we'll be to Jesus. You want that, don't you?”

“Yes, of course.” Val felt reassured as the older person took his smooth young hand.

Sunday June 18, 1848. Trinity Sunday. Henry Flis and Val sang at this Mass. In his sermon at 9:00 Mass in Szczepanki Fr. Berent used the day’s Gospel reading,

“Go ye therefore and teach all nations to observe all things whatsoever that I have commanded you…”

He brôt up Franz Nehring, who had succumbed to government pressure not only to Germanize, but to renounce his Catholic faith: “We cannot give up on him. In whatever interplay you have with him, try to get him back. And you must practice love toward our Prussian persecutors — we must not return evil with more evil. You must resist government attempts to wean you away from your Catholic faith.”

Then he mentioned Napoleon's losing the Battle of Waterloo on this day in 1815, ending Polish hopes for a reborn homeland at the time. “But we will regain our independence again. This is why I tell you bits of Polish history”, he finished.

*

This was the day chosen for the annual Parish Festival, St. Catherine church, Łasin. It was drizzling when people left church, so they went raйt home. It looked like the event wod be rained out.

*

10:00: Lutheran service, Łasin. Rev. Kretzmann spoke on the anniversary of the Pope's warning Luther that he was on the verge of excommunication. He praised Luther for his courage and haй morality. The drizzle continued.

At 11:00 the drizzle ended, but the sky did not turn blue; it became mostly cloudy. People began venturing outside to attend Łasin's parish festival.

Ordinarily someone from the Karnowski family wod have been selling something there, but this year they were sitting shiva for Shmuel Karnowski, the rabbi, so they were absent. But present was a squad of Prussian soldiers, to remind the Poles that they were a conquered people.

At the festival there was some talk about the Austrians suppressing a Czech revolt in Prague yesterday. Rogala thôt when he heard this, "Hmm. I didn't think the Czechs had it in them to revolt. They seem obsessed to be thôt of as some kind of lost tribe of Germans. I've heard them describe themselves as 'Germans who don't speak German'."

Tuesday June 20, 1848. It was Alphonse Kłopotek’s day off, but he did not go to Mass. He slept late. After breakfast Alphonse knocked on Adalbert Nering’s door and said, “C’mon, let’s go to Nudelman’s.”

Rosa objected: “Oh, Aduś, we don't have enŭf money to scrape up a meal, and you wanna spend the last of it on a drink for yourself?” She began to cry.

“AAH, SHUDDUP!” he said, slapped her in the face and left.

At Nudelman's it didn't take long to empty either one's pockets. “Lemme have a drink on the cuff!” Adalbert begged, but Nudelman refused.

Outside again, Adalbert got an idea. “Black Elderberries are in fruit. Why don't we go 'round, pick some from the wild, and make our own wine?” Alphonse was all for the idea.

First they went to the refuse heap at Rogóźno Zamek Manor and scrounged for discarded demijohns. They found two 54-liter glass ones and brought them to Alphonse’s home. It was judged better to do the wine-making there, as Rosa Neringowa was sure to kick up a fuss and Joanna Kłopotek wod be only too willing to get at some alcohol. They then borrowed a 128-liter bushel basket and combined the countryside, filling it with Elderberries.

Back home Alphonse sent his dôter Bibiana and son Dionizy to Łasin with these instructions: “Bibiana, you create a ruckus. Then, when the store-owner isn't lookin', Dionizy, you steal a 3-kg bag o' sugar.” The children went off.

The men picked all the berries from the stems, placing them into a large metal tub. They poured some water into them, shook them to loosen any bugs or dirt, and slowly poured as much of the water out as kód be managed without losing fruit. Adalbert went home and came back with Rosa’s potato masher and her yeast starter. They took turns mashing the fruit into a pulp. They filled the demijohns about half-full and poured this water onto the berry-mash. Taking another tub, each grabbed a handful of mash, squeezed all the juice out of it with both hands, and threw the almost-dry pulp into the tub.

When Alphonse’s children came back with the sugar, they poured all of it into the juice, added some yeast starter, and stirred until they were certain the sugar was dissolved. Taking a funnel they poured the liquid into the two demijohns, which filled them about 5/8 full. They tied some thin leather across the tops, which they reminded each other to unloosen and retie daily.

Adalbert, seeing a way to redeem himself partway with Rosa, asked Alphonse, “You want any o' this pulp?”

“Naah,” came the reply.

So Adalbert took it to Rosa and said, “See, I brôt you somethin’ that we can eat. Maybe you can put it into a soup.” He returned to Alphonse’s and took home his demijohn.

In the Kłopotek home Alphonse turned his attention to Dionizy and asked, “Didja have any trouble stealin' the sugar?” And the boy replied, “Naw, it was a cinch.” Dionysius expected praise, but it didn't come, as his father's thôts were on wine.

*

Rosa Neringowa and Bronia went out foraging for wild greens. They came back with a bit of Milk Thistle, European Blueberries, the strobils of Field Horsetail, and the petals and young leaves of Hawthorns. Some Rosa used in a soup; some she served raw. She was grateful for the Elderberry pulp that Adalbert had brôt home.

*

At Słup Młyn Bismarck read in the Graudenzer Zeitung (Grudziądz Gazette) that Ludolph Camphausen had tendered his resignation as Prussian prime minister to King Frederick William IV. This filled him with glee, as it placed him closer to the day when he wod assume this position. “I aim to be the dictator over the king!” he told himself.

*

In Łasin this was the last day of sitting shiva for Shmuel Karnowski. All thruout the period mourners had been wearing a torn black ribbon on their clothing, symbolizing the tear in the mourners' hearts from Shmuel's loss.

Wednesday June 21, 1848. First day of summer. At around 9:00 am Rabbi Shlomo Karnowski, Shmuel’s father, and Val’s great-grandfather, left Łasin for his home in Brodnica, about 45 km south-southeast.

As soon as he was gone Baruch Karnowski walked over to the rectory of St. Catherine’s church and knocked. „Fr. Konieczny, I have been thinking about this a long time. I want to become Catholic”, he said.

"Are you prepared to suffer the consequences? You know that your family will disown you, treat you as tho dead. Can you handle that? How will you be able to live with your wife, who will most likely want to remain Jewish?"

“I have a hunch that God wants me to do the raйt thing, and let the chips fall where they may, as they say.”

“Very well. You come to see me once a week and I will baptize you next Holy Saturday. That will be April 8th, 1849. I will teach you the Catholic faith, and you must promise to ask whatever question occurs to you, no matter how silly it may seem, all raйt?”

*

At about the same time in the library of Count Trieglaff-Thadden at Słup Młyn Bismarck had been reading a book on Niccolo Machiavelli , who died in 1527. This quote kôt his eye: "I'm not interested in preserving the status quo; I want to overthrow it."

“Precisely my goal. I must ask if I may borrow this book”, Bismarck thôt. “Better yet, I will just take it. Trieglaff will never miss it. He owes me anyway.” Inspired by this, he then wrote his brother that he was going to Potsdam for a few days of political intrigues in his attempt to “overthrow the status quo”.

He wrote a hasty note to Countess Magda, which said,

“You are a most enjoyable playmate. I plan to return to visit the Count again, and hope that we can 'play' some more. Good-bye till then. -Otto.”

He sealed it, gave it to a servant and ordered him to deliver it. He then summoned (!) the Count and informed him that he had to leave at once. He packed, and after saying farewell, took off. For his part, the Count felt relief. Bismarck was a hypochondriac. During his stay he had spent a great deal of time in conversation complaining about the current state of his health, or worrying that he has kôt something, like cholera. The Count said to himself, “Good riddance to that crashing egomaniac.”

*

After breakfast Henry Flis and Val went out foraging along dirt roadsides. They found a little Coltsfoot and Milkweed.

Thursday June 22, 1848. Corpus Christi. No one worked on this holy day. At the 9:00 am Mass there were First Communions at Łasin, Gruta and Szczepanki. Afterward there were Processions. Monica was having a bout of morning sickness, so Henry attended with Val only. The choir — including Henry, Val and Adalbert — sang the new Mass that had been rehearsed for this day. All the candidates sat up front, boys on the left, girls on the raйt. Everyone’s face and hands had been scrubbed. They had taken an unaccustomed bath in some local pond, of which there was no lack. The boys” still-wet hair, unused to being combed, was beginning to fall back into their faces as it dried. Each child had the cleanest, nicest clothing their families provide. The girls had a wreath of field flowers on their heads; the boys had a little spray of them attached to their coats or shirts. All had been given a candle.

When they began to go up to the altar rail, Valentine asked to be lifted to the top of the pew so as to see what was going on. By now he understood that the round white object was Jesus' body.

This wod have been Julian Nering’s day off anyway. He wod not be given a substitute later. After Mass and the procession he decided to make traps for rabbits, hares, squirrels, and red fox. He went to Szczepanki and asked Val if he wanted to learn how to do this.

Val said, “Sure!” While in Szczepanki they ran into Vitold Kwasigroch, also on his day off. When Vitold found out what the other two were up to, he invited himself along.

Replying to a question from Val, Henry answered, “Any meat that's not eaten will be smoked, dried and hung from the beams.”

Later, back home, Henry Flis thôt it was appropriate for Val to visit the grieving Karnowski family. He figured that by now Val’s great-grandfather, Shlomo Karnowski, must have gone home. “If Val’s late grandfather was so strict as to disown him, how much more kód a rabbi of a previous generation be expected to do the same, or worse”, he reasoned. Also, most of the more distant relatives wod have come and gone, and the house wod not be filled with noise and confusion; there may even be some meaningful conversation. He got Monica to bake a large famine bread and put it under the arm of the boy.

After supper (6:30) Val took off from Szczepanki.

*

Val knocked on the door of his aunt Rosa in Łasin. His unmarried Aunt Sarah was there. Neither Rosa nor Sarah were as religious as their mother or late father, consequently they were not disposed to shun Val. In time they wod even interact.

Friday June 23, 1848. At 8:15 pm in a laйt rain, Bismarck arrived at an inn in Potsdam where he was in the habit of staying. There was an invitation waiting for him, from King Frederick William IV. It read, “If you get back in time please come to dine at Sans Souci. Dinner will be at 10:00 pm.” He washed up quickly and donned appropriate clothes.

*

At Sans Souci at precisely 10:00 pm — not 9:59 nor 10:01 — the servants began bringing out the naйt’s courses. As the eating progressed the king inquired about his wife Johanna, and Bismarck said that she was pregnant, in her 3rd trimester.

During their conversation Bismarck told the king that he had been reading Niccolo Machiavelli. With a mouth full of food he quoted him: “He who wishezh to be obeyed mush know how to command.” He added, “I am sure that Your Majesty agrees with this philosophy.”

The king replied, “Oh, indeed, indeed.”

“Well, Your Majesty has no better servant than I in carrying out your commands”, he said, shamelessly.

Bismarck brôt up the war over Schleswig and Holstein. “Will you send more troops?” he asked, and the king became agitated. “I get advice from both sides. So far I am undecided”, he said.

The king kept up with Bismarck , eating more and more. Finally he told himself, “I give up. I don't know how he does it. I feel like a bloated pig. Well, as long as he does my will, what do I care how much he eats?” Bismarck did not seem to notice that he was still eating after all others had finished.

*

10:00 pm on St. John's Eve. Before Catholicism was introduced on April 14, 966 the pagan Poles observed June 23 rd as Kupalo Naйt in the erroneous belief that this day held the longest period of daylaйt in the year. The church Christianized it, transforming it into a festival of unmarried youth; however, while all over Poland Poles were engaging in innocent celebrations, in the midst of dense fog in the hidden crypt of the ruined castle at Rogóźno Zamek, Zora the witch led her coven in the old pagan manner of celebrating.

Saturday June 24, 1848. At 10:00 am Mrs. Krajecka dropped in for a visit to Monica Flisowa to see how her pregnancy was progressing. After all, it was she, in her role of midwife, who wód be delivering the child. „I feel bloated; I’m peeing more than usual, and my breasts are tender and swollen”, Monica said. She also expressed worry about the scarcity of food in the home.

“My child, God has provided wild things to eat of which you must learn to make use”, the old woman said.

"Henry and Val know of some. What things do  you know of?" Monica inquired.

"Come with me and I'll show you. Find a shovel and some sacks", Krajecka said.

They took off and trudged over many roads and footpaths. Krajecka spotted stands of Malva Neglecta and Wild Mallow, cut the parts that were above ground, and stuffed them into the sack. In various habitats she found Couch Grass. She used her shovel to dig up the rhizomes and stuffed them into the sack.

Back home Krajecka said, "Make soup and salad from the young leaves and shoots of Malva Neglecta and Wild Mallow. Dry the leaves and brew tea. Eat the immature fruits raw. The flowers'll be bloomin' from now til late October. Put 'em in salads."

“Dry the rhizomes of the Couch Grass. Powder 'em and add this powder to regular flour to make dō bread or flatbread. Cook the powder into gruel. Add it to soup; you can use it to make beer. Now that you know what to look for, take Val, show 'im how to identify these things, and either go out yourself, or send him. Call on me as the days go by, bekôz there'll be other things available from God's bounty", the wise old woman concluded.

“Oh, you may be sure that I'll do just that. Thank you so much”, said Monica.

Before leaving Krajecka passed on some local news to Val, “Your uncle Nathan Karnowski was mustered out of the army today. It's his birthday. He's 22.” He began his two-year stint in the active reserves. Shód Prussia declare war, he will most probably be called up.

After her departure, Monica set in to follow directions.

Sunday June 25, 1848. At 10:00 am the service began in Łasin’s Lutheran St. MartiniKirche. A thunderstorm was going on. Aware that Catholics had celebrated Corpus Christi last Thursday, Rev. Kretzmann preached that Jesus became present alongside the bread and wine: consubstantiation, and called idolatry the Catholic belief that the bread and wine were now changed into Jesus” body and blood. “Furthermore, we don’t need a priest to do it: any one of you can do it. You are all priests,” he said.

At 10:32 am as Franz Nehring, the Germanized mayor of Łasin, listened to Rev. Kretzmann droning on and on, he heard the wind outside. (There was no way he kód have known it, but I — Zuriel, Val’s guardian angel — knew that it blew consistently at 55.5 kph; frequent bursts reaching 68.5 kph.) Nehring kód hear big old trees murmuring as they were bent over. He heard branches being broken off of them. He heard bone-vibrating clashes of thunder, and saw flashes of laйtning. He heard the rain pounding on the clay tile roof. More and more candles had to be lit as the sky darkened. He felt afraid; he was sure God was punishing him for apostatizing from the Catholic faith.

*

After supper Rogala read in  Le National , which someone from the Hôtel Lambert in Paris had sent him:

“On June 18 th the 5th Infantary Corps of the Russian army, led by General-Adjutant AN Lüders, in agreement with the Turkish government, entered the principality of Moldavia, a Turkish dependency, where it helped put an end to „disturbances””.

"Those Russians! Always on the lookout for gaining more territory! I will bet that these 'disturbances' are merely common people wanting to be free. I am convinced that in his day Napoleon shod have prevailed. Europe wod be a far better place today", he told himself.

Monday June 26, 1848. After Mass Fr. Berent gave yesterday’s Berliner Beobachter, which he always received a day late, to Henry Flis. It had been founded on March 19th, 1848, and was not as liberal as the Reichsgesetzblatt from Frankfurt, but it was anti-conservative. Conservative was what the king, Bismarck and the ruling class were, so the Beobachter tended to be against that class.

*

At home Henry read this to Val:

“On June 25th Liberal Rudolph Auerswald became prime minister as well as foryn minister of Prussia.”

“Well, we shall see if this improves how we Poles are treated”, Henry commented.

“Why is that, daddy?”

"Liberals tend to be more the friends of common people than conservatives. The latter tend to favor the upper class [1]."

*

Bismarck was still in Potsdam, nosing around, intriguing. Back in Schönhausen his wife Johanna was tending to the pregnancy of their 1st child, in her 1st trimester.

*

At dawn Monica had woken up feeling morning sickness. Thruout the day she felt exhausted, moody and tearful. She lay down a lot to get rest. The day’s heat and humidity got to all three of them — her, Henry and Val. At 5:00 pm the day’s temperature hit a haй of 30.5°. The heat index — had there been one at the time — was 36.2°. It was still humid. The wind was moving at 14.8 kph — just a gentle breeze, not to give any relief. Mostly cloudy. At 8:00, everyone’s usual bedtime, the heat index had fallen to 32.1°, which still made for an uncomfortable, fitful naйt’s sleep.

Tuesday June 27, 1848. Val harvested a 4th crop of dill, which Monica took into Łasin to sell. In the meantime Val sowed a 5th crop of dill.

This was Alphonse Kłopotek’s day off, but he did not go to Mass. He slept late. With their supply of alcohol cut off, both he and Adalbert Nering experienced bouts of delirium tremens. They went back to the Rogóźno Zamek trash dump and found two more demijohns. At first they considered making mead, as all that was required was honey and water. All they need to do is to find a wild beehive. The problem wod be with extracting the honey. They had no protection against getting stung, nor a way to remove the honey from the wax. They wound up going out and finding more Elderberries and proceeded to make another batch of wine.

*

This was Henry Flis’s compulsory work day. As he worked he recalled setting off to Pelplin, then to Wiele, this day in 1843 to fetch an exorcist for young Val’s possessed father Moses (Moishe, Moe) Karnowski. This was described in Book One: The Exorcism of Moses K.

*

At 3:00 pm the temperature was 33.8°, and the heat index hit 40.8°. It was humid. An old vagabond wandered into Słup looking for something to eat and died of the heat. No tone knew him.

At 8:00 — Val’s usual bedtime — the heat index was 37.1°. Sleeping was difficult for all.

*

It was 10:00 pm and Bismarck was in Potsdam. Johanna was unavailable to him sexually, and he kódn't sleep due to the heat and humidity, so he visited a haй-class bordello and had what he considered unsatisfactory sex with a prostitute. She pushed him away when he suggested a kinky act, saying, “LOOK 'ERE, YOUR MAGNIFICENCE: OY HAS ME LIMITS!” When the madame backed her up, he had to settle for “normal” sex, which he performed sulking, and mentally imagining doing things to hurt her. On his way home he was very discontented, and imagined doing those hurtful things to his political enemies.

[1] That was then. Things change.

Chapter 8: Henry Takes Val on a Rowboat Trip

Thursday June 29, 1848. This was the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles, an important feast on the church calendar. So, in addition to the usual six-o’clock Mass, at nine o’clock Fr. Berent said a Requiem Mass for the unknown vagabond who died yesterday. He asked for volunteers to bury the man in the Potters” Field. Julian Nering was present on this, his day off. He had intended to take Val boating on the Osa River. He joined another man in digging the grave, conscious that burying the dead is one of the precepts of the church.

After breakfast Monica packed a meager picnic basket, dressed Val, and waited. After about half an hour a farm wagon came by with a rowboat in it. The driver drove Julian and Val to the riverbank. They hopped off and carried the boat and the oars down to the water. Julian said to Val, “We’ll pull out of the water downstream at Zakrzewo, just before the Osa empties into the Vistula. It’s a 16 km trip. The farmer who delivered the boat lives there.”

Val replied, "Uncle Julian, food is scarce. I know how to forage. While we're having fun I can show you how to gather food off the land."

The farmer took off. Then, with Julian holding the sides of the boat to keep it steady, Valentine was made to go way up front to the bow seat and face forward. “Hold on to the sides and walk in the middle as you make your way”, he said. Finally Julian shoved off and when the boat was water-borne, climbed in and took the oars.

At 11:00 the heat index was 29.7°; and the wind was blowing at 22.2 kph, a moderate breeze. An azure sky held only scattered silver clouds. It gave Valentine a good feeling to be carried on the water, much like when, as an infant, people had carried him in their arms.

He was very attentive. They passed woods on one side or the other. Woods on both sides created a tunnel effect. After a while Val asked, “Uncle Julian, let's get out and explore the woods. There are wild things there that we can pick.” Between the sand bank onto which they had pulled up and some forest was a shore meadow. Here they found a patch of what seemed to Val to be Valerian . Since they had come unprepared with sacks, Julian took off his shirt and they placed the plants in it. As they were entering the forest they came across a patch of what appeared to be Bugle Weed . Then, also still outside the forest, they discovered a field of  Harebell and added some of its leaves to their collection. They walked back to their boat and unloaded their harvest. Entering the forest, in a clearing they found some Garlic Mustard . Not being sure of exactly what to take, Val opted for uprooting the entire plant. By now they had a full boat.

They passed thru open fields. There were many twists and turns. Sometimes after coming around a peninsula or loop of land, they were just thirty or so feet from where they had just been.

Valentine waved to people crossing overhead on wooden bridges. He waved to people on the road when it was near the river. He waved to people working fields. His excitement told them, “Look at me, I’m having fun!” Their smiles said, “Aah, the innocence of childhood!” They passed the villages of Gardęga, Sarnówko, Lisie Kąty, and Owczarki. The came up to an island. “Oh uncle, can we explore the island?” he begged.

"Sure. It's time for lunch anyway", said Julian. As he spread a blanket and set things up, Valentine, conscious that people just do not visit this island, and feeling like the first, looked around. The island was wooded, but had a clearing in the middle. Here he found what he suspected were Hop Clover and Lambs Quarters. He took only a few, to compare with the book that Rogala had given him.

When he had satisfied his curiosity, he came back and they ate. Afterwards they sat against a tree and just enjoyed being alive and in each other's company.

The day’s temperature reached a haй of 31.1° at 2:00. The wind was blowing at 31.5 kph — a fresh breeze, with bursts of 42.6 kph, a strong wind. Not only was it very hot but it was also humid, so the shade and inactivity were welcome. At 3:00 pm the temperature reached 31.6°; the wind reached 233.3 kph and it gusted at 48.1 kph, kôzing large tree branches to swing every which way.

At 6:00 pm when they pulled the boat out at Zakrzewo it was still 31.1° and humid. The wind was blowing at 42.8 kph, with gusts at 45.7 kph. There were still scattered clouds in the cyan sky. Julian went to fetch his local friend to help him get the boat to his home. He obtained two sacks for the wild edibles. They sat talking with the man for a while. Valentine was a fountain of excitement as he recalled all the marvels he had seen, and showed him the various plants. Finally Julian said, “We’d better go. Wód you drive us home?”

*

When Valentine got home he kódn’t wait to tell Monica about his marvelous outing. He pulled out the book and compared each type of plant to its description. Sure enŭf, he had picked correctly. The only thing which kód not be eaten were the roots of the Garlic Mustard. Monica was impressed, and began to look upon Val in a more favorable laйt.

Friday June 30, 1848. It was Peter Flis’s and Leo Kwasigroch’s compulsory labor day. It was a good day to be outside, as there wasn’t a cloud in the sky. Today at the farm at Rogóźno Zamek these two began putting “supers” (boxes with frames containing pre-made honeycombs) over the boxes with bee colonies so they kód fill them with honey. This process will be finished in early July.

*

Mrs. Krajecka dropped in to visit Monica. “It's such a lovely day, I thôt you maйt wanna go out foragin' again”, she said. Monica was anxious to go. At 2:00 scattered clouds entered the sky. Krajecka looked at one and said, “Look! The face of Jesus! He is blessin' our work!”

They came back with a bag containing Horseweed, Milkweed and Cattails. Monica made a warmuz from them, which they ate for dinner. They then tied the rest into bundles for drying. It gave them a chance to chat. Then Krajecka departed.

Val said to Monica, “It's a good thing that Mrs. Krajecka's our friend, and that Michael Rogala gave daddy that book. Now we won't starve.” Monica wasn't so sure.

*

After Monica had finished tying bunches, since the weather was so favorable, she and Val began harvesting turnips from their kitchen garden. The crop was diminished by root maggots. She told him, “We can't eat any of the diseased turnip roots. And if we put 'em with the rottin' sugar beets the bugs'll continue to breed.” She got him to twist off the leaves and make a pile. Then he had to build a bonfire of dried wood and one at a time throw the diseased turnips into it. He enjoyed this immensely. She took the few good ones to the root cellar. She preserved the leaves in lacto-fermentation.

*

Today took place the Battle of Bjerning in the First Schleswig War.

Chapter 9: Bismarck Offers Himself to Satan

Bismarck was still in Potsdam. At 3:00 am he awoke, full of hatred for Slavs in general, Poles in particular, and Catholics, Jews and peasants — all peasants, not just Poles. There was pain pounding in his head. He decided to clear it by taking a walk outside. He entered a forest, looking for something. When he got into a place far off the path, he began to see a small speck of laйt. He decided to see what it was. Eventually he made out a group of people gathered around a campfire. He planned to remain hidden, and to approach just close enŭf to find out what they were up to. To his surprise he heard a woman’s voice calling, “ Otto, Otto, we’ve been waitin’ for you. Don’t be afraid. We’re your friends.” Shód he bolt or remain? “Come on, come to us. Don’t be fraйtened”, he heard, from more than one mouth. He decided to approach them. He didn’t recognize any of them, for they were all peasants, a class of people which he despised.

“Your mother was unfair to you. She yoosta give you a rŭf time, didn't she?” asked Sinthgunt, the witch/leader.

The blood rose in Otto. “She never loved me. She sent me away to schools. She hated my father’s gentry past,” he replied. “But how do you know about me?” he asked.

“Word gets around. We've all been mistreated by the villagers hereabouts. We've joined together for mutual protection. We want you to join us”, they answered.

"So you are Sinthgunt. My servants say you're a witch", said Otto.

“They're raйt. Howja like to get even wit' people who bother you, people like the Poles, Catholics, Jews?”

“Can you do that?” asked Otto .

“Of course, but don't worry; trust us. We have ways”, was her reply.

“Well, what do I have to do?”

"Drink this. It'll relax you", said Sinthgunt.

So Otto drank. The drink had an herbal taste, and it was alcoholic. It resembles him of the Polish drink called Piołunówka made by soaking Wormwood in vodka. It had a slaйtly bitter aftertaste. They kept his shot glass full while they soothed him with gentle talk. In time they judged him just intoxicated enŭf to go on to the main event.

They lay him down on the ground. As they circled around him they began to chant, „Satan, come to us. Satan, come to us. We offer to you this handsome, talented, unappreciated young buck of a man to serve you. Send your angels to work thru him.” They prodded Otto to seek revenge by making himself the willing tool of these “angels”. “Now, Otto, YOU offer YOURSELF”, they cried.

At first Otto felt a vague sense of apprehension, but the drink had removed his inhibitions, so he did as bidden. "The Poles, Catholics and Jews stand in the way of Prussia's magnificent destiny to rule Europe. You angels: I give myself to you. Use me. I must get even. I must triumph. Prussia must triumph!" he said. They egged him on until angry shouts against all three groups bellowed forth from his lungs.

A spastic wave ran thru his body. He bolted upraйt, cold sober. His eyes at first rolled back in their sockets, exposing nothing but white, then lit up like a black panther’s in the fire’s laйt. His lips pulled back, exposing his teeth. Thick drool oozed from his mouth. His nose wrinkled like a threatened dog. His tongue shot in and out rapidly, like a lizard’s. He stood up. He participated in their diabolical rites, focusing the coven’s power on Dieter von Pappenfuss, one of his political enemies.

Sinthgunt said, “You hafta return home now. We'll notify you when we need you. And we can always be found here on naйts o' the full moon.”

Saturday July 1, 1848. In the morning Dieter von Pappenfuss was found dead in his bed. He had an expression of great pain on his face.

The first issue of the Neue Preussische KreuzZeitung newspaper hit the streets. It was in German; it was arch-conservative, anti-common people, anti-Polish, and anti-Catholic. Published in Berlin, it was founded by Hermann Wagener (33) to act as the voice of Prussian conservatives, especially Leopold (57) and Ernst (53) Gerlach and Bismarck's friend Hans Hugo von Kleist-Retzow (33). It became the main artery for the Prussian Conservative Party's ideas. Fr. Berent took out a subscription to keep up with what the Poles' enemies were doing. He always received it one day late. He gave his used copies to Henry Flis, who did not have the money to subscribe. He asked him to pass it on to everyone he knew who kód read German.

*

In Łasin Rogala read in  Le National , mailed in from Paris:

"On April 23 rd the French people elected a mainly moderate and conservative Constituent Assembly; this angered radicals in Paris, who saw this as contrary to their vision. The radicals invaded the Assembly, as they believed that their democratic republic was being eroded away. This action was quickly thwarted; it sparked fear in conservatives, who were becoming a parliamentary majority."

“On June 23rd the Comte de Falloux’s committee issued a decree stating the National Workshops wód be closed in three days and that the options re: what to do with its members were 1. that young men kód join the army; 2. provincials kód return home or 3. they kód simply be dismissed. The anger surrounding the closing of the Workshops increased, and shortly afterward unrest began. In sections of the city hundreds of barricades were thrown up which blocked communication and reduced mobility. The National Guard was called out to halt rioting; this sparked faйting once the guard and protesters clashed.”

Henry produced a  Reichsgesetzblatt and read this to Val:

“June 26 th saw the end of the June Days Uprising in Paris. They had begun on June 23 rd. The June Days was a revolution staged by the citizens of France, whose only source of income was the National Workshops. The Workshops were created by the Second Republic in order to provide work and a source of income for the unemployed; however only „make-work” jobs were provided which barely gave them enŭf money to survive. After the government dissolved the National Workshops, the lower class revolted and was crushed by republican troops. Karl Marx says that they proved that democracy doesn’t work. When the revolution broke out, the National Guard, led by General Louis Eugene Cavaignac, was called out to quell the protests. All thôts of a revolution are now forgotten. This marks the end of the hopes of a „Democratic and Social Republic” and the victory of the liberals over the Radical Republicans”.

Julian Nering put in 15 days of refresher training in the Prussian army this month.

Sunday July 2, 1848. Fr. Berent mentioned St. Otto of Bamberg in his sermon. He told the congregation that St. Otto was largely responsible for converting Pomerania to the Catholic faith, as well as the area of Royal Pomerania around Gdańsk. He established the monastery of Oliwa at Gdańsk.

“Why is that important?” asked Val later.

“Bekôz Royal Pomorze, where we live, is part of Pomerania, and Gdańsk is about 128 km north of us,” replied the priest.

After Mass at St. Laurence the men milled around the churchyard discussing Auerswald's becoming Prussian PM and its ramifications for Poles. Some of the sentiments expressed were:

“Liberals are supposed to be sympathetic to Poles.”

“But the conservatives are very strong. They may squash them.”

“The king is prob'ly gnashin' his teeth at not having quite the strength to pass over 'im outraйt.”

“Start countin' the days til he's out, mark my words.”

*

Bismarck was still in Potsdam conniving. Johanna is in Schönhausen, pregnant.

*

Back in their rectories Frs. Berent in Szczepanki, and Muzolf in Gruta, reflected on the deliverance from demonic possession that Val's father — the late Moe Karnowski — had undergone this day in 1843. Fr. Berent went on to say to himself, “I wonder how Fr. Ceynowa — the exorcist — is. He is a holy man.”

*

Re: the First Schleswig War: At the initiative of Great Britain, Russia and France, negotiations began in June, 1848 between Prussia and Denmark. Today an agreement was finally reached on a truce and a joint Danish-German government. It did not materialize due to Prussian General Wrangel's resistance and complications on the German side.

Monday July 3, 1848. The process of putting “supers” over the boxes with the bee colonies ended. Julian Nering, Zephyrin Flis and Vitold Kwasigroch did this work today, their compulsory work day.

*

Bismarck wrote his brother from Schönhausen that last week he had been in Potsdam. He was with his pregnant wife. He daydreamed about how good it was going to make him look not only to be married, but also a father!

*

After supper Michael Rogala came to visit Henry Flis and Val. He produced Le National French newspaper. While at Hôtel Rogoziński, Paris, last February, Lord Blaise had given Rogala’s address to Hilary Beyrowski, the man who now owned the place, in the event that Blaise’s party did not make it back to Poland. Beyrowski sent the paper to him. Michael translated:

“On June 27 th Archbishop Denis August Affre, archbishop of Paris, died. He was shot during the June Days.”

When Val heard “Paris” he was transported back to his happy time there early this year, with Justin, Hippolyte Ambrose and Lord Blaise. He remembered that the archbishop had sent an exorcist to see if he was possessed, bekôz Moses his father, was. The results had been negative.

“What are the 'June Days'?” asked Val.

“I guess they're the rioting that the article in the Reichsgesetzblatt referred to,” replied Henry.

Tuesday July 4, 1848. Henry Flis's birthday. 27. During the time of this book he is in the inactive reserves, and will be, until 1861. He is taking a keen interest in the Schleswig War, as he does not want to be called up. So far Prussia has issued no official declaration of war.

Wednesday July 5, 1848. The sun rose at 3:51. Most peasants got up, including Zephyrin and Henry Flis, even tho this was their day off. Henry took Val and picked up his father Zephyrin. The three went foraging at the ruins/construction site of the new palace at Rogóźno Zamek and found a bag of Sow Thistle and Barbarea Vulgaris. Newer leaves wod be cut up fresh for salads; older leaves wod be used in stews or soups. Either type leaves wod be dried to make tea. Flowering stems of water wod be cooked like broccoli.

They stopped at 6:00 am to attend Mass, which turned out to be a Requiem: a child had died.

*

Bismarck wrote to  Wagener , editor of the KreuzZeitung , complaining that the paper did not contain enŭf ads. His letter said:

“If we want to get our message out to the public we have to continue in existence, and the only way to do that is to accumulate money, and the way to do that is to take ads!”

*

At 6:30 pm the heat index was 32°. Adalbert Nering’s Black Elderberry wine was ready. It had aged 14 days. After supper he went over to Alphonse Kłopotek’s and the two anxiously opened a demijohn and got themselves so drunk that neither kód hardly stand. Each had consumed almost 1.5 liters of wine. When Alphonse got into a faйt with his wife, Joanna, for asking to be allowed a drink, Adalbert wobbled home and went to bed. Alphonse also went to bed, but before he did he warned, “If either of you touches dat wine I’ll beat you to within an inch of your life, get it?” When it appeared that he was sleeping wife Joanna and son Dionizy helped themselves to a drink, and filled the demijohn with water to the level that it had before they began.

*

Adalbert was not at choir practice; he was in bed, snoring loudly. The other tenors felt a sense of relief from his swagger. The heat index of 32° made it hard to concentrate on learning the music. The practice ended at sunset: 8:30. As people walked home in the dark it started to rain. The wind exploded at 66.6 kph, a fresh gale. Trees swayed violently, and branches broke off; walking into the wind was tŭf.

Friday July 7, 1848. Sts. Cyril and Methodius. Fr. Berent told the congregation that these two Greek brothers were apostles to the Slavs. Val harvested a 5th crop of dill. Monica took it and Val into Łasin to sell it.

*

Adalbert Nering was still recuperating from last naйt's drinking bout. This wod have been a paid workday for him and son Julian, not compulsory; consequently Adalbert received no pay. Julian had to make an excuse for his father's absence.

Sunday July 9, 1848. The sun arose at 3:55 am. Fr. Berent got up, knelt by the side of his bed, and made his morning offering. Then, at his desk, he took a chair with a hard back and seat, lit some candled and meditated on the day’s readings. The collect asked:

“…that the course of this world may be peaceably ordered by Thy governance, and that Thy Church may joyfully serve Thee in tranquil devotion.”

In the Epistle to the Romans St. Paul said,

“I think that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

He thôt on the sufferings Poland was undergoing under three greedy neйbors. He thôt about the sufferings of his own parish, not the least of which was famine. He knew that God had placed him here to lead these people thru them. His sermon wod need to rouse the congregation to persevere, to pray for their oppressors, and not to give up hope.

At 9:00 he celebrated the Mass for the 4th Sunday after Pentecost. At the sermon’s end he mentioned that on this date in 1807 the Treaty of Tilsit between Napoleon and conquered Prussia was saйned. As a result some of the old Polish land was taken from Prussia to set up the Duchy of Warsaw.

*

10:00: Lutheran service. Rev. Kretzmann spoke on Frederick I's birth on 7/11 in 1657.

*

Barbara Kińczykówna, now a servant at Gruszczyn Manor, gave birth to a son, whom she named Rufin. Lord Bogumił, her employer, was concerned, as he was the father. This was common knowledge.

Tuesday July 11, 1848. Alphonse Kłopotek’s day off. He went over to Adalbert Nering’s. Since both were out of money to buy vodka they continued to discuss ways to ferment fruits and vegetables to produce alcohol. Their 2nd batch of Elderberry wine was ready today.

Val sowed a 6th crop of dill.

Wednesday July 12, 1848. Henry Flis went to Mass on this, his day off. After breakfast he went to Rogóźno Forest and set traps made of local materials like twigs and rocks for small game.

*

It was Alphonse Kłopotek's and Paul Kwasigroch's compulsory work day. Both were sent on the same work-detail. Paul resented how Alphonse, hung-over, shirked his share of the load, diverting it to the others, including himself.

*

Bismarck read in the KreuzZeitung :

“The German Confederation [1]( Deutscher Bund ) in Frankfurt, which has continued to function alongside that damned revolutionary Frankfurt National Assembly , has decided to cease meeting. It did not announce 'the end of its existence', but instead 'the end of its previous activity'. We suspect that when the revolution is finally ended, the Austrians plan to call it back out of its temporary suspension and their resume dominance of the German political structure. That wod mean, if Prussia agreed, that there wod have to be again a Prussian representative to the Bundestag[2] .

„YES! YES! THAT IS A JOB I PLAN TO GET!” Bismarck shouted to himself.

*

A hung-over Adalbert kôzd a scene at choir practice.

Thursday July 13, 1848. It was Julian Nering’s day off. Julian was to take Val to Mass. Before he got to the Flis home to pick him up Val took from his treasures the piece of cloth with his father’s blood. It has been five years since the trial and execution by firing squad of Moses Karnowski, Val’s father, in Łasin. He stared at the cloth a long time, imagining the execution. Val’s mother, the late Marta, had filled him in on many things, but all he kód do was to imagine. When Uncle Julian got there Val asked him to take him to the Potters” Field to fix his father’s grave and pray, and after breakfast, Julian obliged.

*

After supper Henry took Val to Rogóźno Forest to see if there were any animals in his traps. There were not, and he reset them. It began to rain, thunder and laйtning on the way back.

[1] Napoleon’s replacement for the Holy Roman Empire

[2] The parliament of the (Napoleonic) German Confederation

Chapter 10: Henry, Monica and Val Eat a Rat

Sunset came at 8:24. In the Flis home Henry, Monica and Val went to bed hungry. All they had eaten was a  warmuz consisting of boiled Carline - and Meadow-Thistle leaves and roots, Common Orach leaves, Bracken Fern - and Wallfern -rhizomes, and Pale Smartweed shoots, all flavored with Field Mint .

At about 10:30 pm as they lay awake there was a sploosh sound from the rat-trap bucket. Henry got up, lit a candle and peered down into the bucket, where a large rat was trying to keep from drowning. Henry waited until it seemed certain that the rat was dead, and lifted it out of the water by the tail. By now Monica and Val were awake. Without any communication Monica made a fire and brôt out a knife. All three went outside where Henry chopped off the head, and Monica skinned and gutted the animal. At this time in history it was still not known that germs kôz disease. Louis Pasteur wod discover that, beginning in 1860. Still, people had by now come to make the connection between rats and disease, so Monica got a bucket of water and washed the meat. Henry skewered it, and roasted it on the fire. When it was ready there was a fearful pause. Then Henry prayed earnestly, “Oh Lord, in Your mercy, please do not let any of us get sick from eatin’ this.” Then the three ate the delayed protein part of their supper.

Friday July 14, 1848. As they meditated on the readings for today’s feast of St. Bonaventure, both Frs. Berent and Muzolf recalled the trial at which they had been convicted of conniving to keep a criminal (Moe Karnowski, Val’s father), from justice and the two years they had spent in prison in Kwidzyn. Fr. Berent applied to himself the words of St. Paul is Timothy:

"I am even now ready to be sacrificed; and the time of my dissolution is at hand. I have fôt a good faйt, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith."

He had stood up for what was raйt; he now prayed that the orphan, Valentine Karnowski, wod turn out to be a good person.

*

After work Henry Flis took Val to the Rogóźno Forest to see if there were any small animals kôt in his traps. There were not. He hoped for another rat tonaйt.

Saturday July 15, 1848. Requiem Mass. A child has died. In addition this was the one-year anniversary of the death from cholera of Lord Rogoziński, his chaplain Fr. Kalkstein-Osłowski and stable-man George Nicpoń. The Rogoziński household attended Mass in Szczepanki. Val had an epileptic fit in church, which embarrassed Monica.

Val wrote a poem for Henry Flis on this, Henry's namesday. He read it at breakfast.

After work Henry went to the Rogóźno Forest to see if there were any small animals in his traps. There were not. They celebrated Henry’s namesday with a warmuz. After supper Monica, Val and Henry’s family sang Sto Lat to him. It wished 100 years of life to Henry.

Sunday July 16, 1848. 5th Sunday after Pentecost. After the 9:00 am Mass Barbara’s son Rufin was baptized in St. Catherine’s church, Łasin, by Fr. konieczny. Lord Bogumił, the father, attended the baptism, but not the party, which was limited to the peasant class. Altho he was trying to be more democratic, Bogumił still felt a lot of shame over what he had done. The males played Sheepshead.

*

At about 3:00 pm the temperature was 30.7°. It was humid. Henry decided to take Val to the woods to see if there were any small animals kôt in his traps. There was a squirrel. He removed it and reset the trap. He brôt it home and showed Val how to gut it. Monica roasted it and they ate it for super (6:30) with some of their wild edibles. “If I can get enŭf o” these I’d like to smoke „em and turn „em into jerky for the winter”, Henry told the two of them.

*

After his own super Fr. Berent read in the Berliner Beobachter ,

“On July 17 th the first representative Hungarian parliament was convened.”

“Oh, that's good news!” he told himself.

*

The sun set at 8:21 and there was a full moon. At midnaйt Zora's coven met in the Rogóźno Forest. There was also one where Bismarck was, which he attended. He participated in their rites with the intention of climbing the political ladder.

Monday July 17, 1848. St. Alexius, also Bl. Ceslaus. In his sermon Fr. Berent told the people about Bl. Ceslaus:

“He lived between the approximate years 1184 — 1242. He was born in Kamień Śląski in Silesia, of the noble family Odrowąż, and was a relative, possibly the brother, of Saint Hyacinth. He knew St. Dominic and became a Dominican. He founded a large priory in Wrocław, and then extended his apostolic labors over a vast territory, embracing Poland, Pomerania, Czechia, and Saxony. Sometime after the death of St. Hyacinth he was chosen the Provincial Superior for Poland. While he was superior of the priory in Wrocław all Poland was threatened by the Mongols.”

Tuesday July 18, 1848. Blessed Simon of Lipnica. Fr. Berent mentioned him in his sermon:

“He was born of poor but pious parents around 1437. That shód give you hope that you, too, can become saints. He joined the order of Friars Minor; that means that he was a Franciscan. He became noted for powerful preaching and for spreading popular devotions such as the one to the Name of Jesus. He often observed long fasts and scourged himself as a penitential practice. He wore a penitential girdle; on feasts related to the Mother of God he wod add a second girdle in order to win her special favor. He died in mid-1482 a week after contracting the plague which he got after tending to the ill during an epidemic. He died with his gaze fixed on the Crucifix.”

*

When Adalbert Nering awoke today, a tiny thôt landed in his mind like a spark on a pile of dry papers. As the day wore on his brooding on it fanned that little spark into a large fire. The thôt was, “No one around here respects me as the head of the house!” Consequently he kept putting himself in positions where he wod be served, such as, “Rosa, get me a cup of water. Eva, pick that up for me. Julian, fetch my shoes.” Needless to say, he set in to getting drunk. When the food for dinner seemed to be not up to standards for such a personage as himself, halfway thru the meal he slammed his beefy palm on the bare wooden table and said, “DAMMIT! I DESERVE BETTER DAN DIS!” At that he stormed out the door and proceeded over to Nudelman’s dive in Łasin.

*

Once there he begged Nudelman to let him drink, putting the bill “on the cuff”. Nudelman refused, saying, "Look here, Nering. You already got a long bill, so nuttin' doin'." He went around from one to another of his drunken cronies begging each to buy him a drink. All he got was agreement that he had a bad wife and children.

As he wobbled his way home he was taunted, then abused, by lăfing Prussian soldiers.

*

Before supper Henry took Val to the woods to inspect his traps. He had a squirrel and a raccoon. Back home Val did the gutting and Monica made a stew using just enŭf from the two animals to feed the three of them. She added some of the dried foraged edibles. The rest she cut into thin strips and draped them over a stick which she suspended haй above the fire in the fireplace. In a day or two these wod become jerky, edible indefinitely.

Chapter 11: Monica and Val Find Human Bones in Lake Orle

Friday July 21, 1848. After breakfast Monica had Val harvest cabbage planted around April 22 nd — the 1st planting. It was found to be damaged by cabbage worm. Between her and Val they carefully picked leaves, washed off the worms and damaged tissue, and made kapusta. “Lucky for those who made kapusta last year, and have some left over”, she thôt.

At 10:51 am the fog lifted, leaving an azure blue sky with scattered clouds.

At 1:50 pm, since the fog seemed gone, Monica, still in her 1st trimester, decided to take Val and harvest Cattail rhizomes and stalks. She had been told that a good supply was available in the pond known as “Lake” Orle to the west. “What about the cabbage?” Val asked.

“We can get back to that later. I want to get some Cattails before they're all gone,” she replied.

Val carried the sacks; she carried the shovel and knife. They began to work in a 24 kph moderate breeze, which helped to dissipate the 28.3° heat. The sky overhead was sky-blue except for occasional scattered clouds. Monica wod jam the shovel into the mud, step on the blade with her foot, dig up a rhizome and hand it to Val, who wod clean off the mud, cut the tŭfer part off, and stuff it into a sack. As she worked into deeper water she struck something hard. Reaching down and taking it up, she saw that it was a bone. It seemed to be from a human arm or leg. She stooped down to where her head was just above water, and felt around. There were other bones here.

By 2:51, the countryside turned wild. The wind surged to a screaming 62.8 km per hour — a fresh gale that bent the tall rye like waves on a churning sea. The sky, already brooding, sank into a deep slate gray, and then the rain came — fast, cold, and hard, drumming the earth like a thousand fists. Lightning split the horizon in jagged streaks, followed by thunder that rolled low and angry across the fields. “QUICK, VAL, WE HAFTA SEEK SHELTER, THEN REPORT THIS TO THE POLICE!” she shouted, barely heard above the wind’s roar. But there was no shelter, just a kilometer of open land and soaked dirt roads til home. They pressed on thru the downpour as gusts reached 77 kph — strong enŭf to shove them sideways. Trees bowed and groaned; branches snapped like brittle bones. Twigs scraped their faces as they sailed by. Walking turned into a battle. Thatch lifted on distant cottages. A shed roof flapped loose and crashed to the ground. Nature wasn’t just reacting — it was lashing out.

When they reached home in Szczepanki it was still raining. They got out of their clothes and put on dry ones, hanging the wet ones before the fireplace. Monica made a fire and told Val, “I’ll hafta report this to Detective Welsch in Łasin, but I won’t go until this storm stops. In the meantime let’s make supper.” They set in to do so. The storm stopped about 3:51 pm, leaving the sky alternately cloudy and cerulean-blue-with-scattered-clouds. Monica told Val, “You know what to do about the warmuz. I’m gonna take off for Łasin to tell Welsch.” She left.

*

At about 4:30 pm she knocked on Welsch’s door and said, “I was pickin’ Cattails in Lake Orle and discovered some bones in the mud. I figured you’d want to know about it”, she told him; “They’re under water.” He changed into some appropriate old clothes. Then he put her in a trap, got in himself, and with a “tsoop, tsoop” to the horse, they took off. Monica led him to the site, and he wód go underwater, coming up with one bone at a time and lay them out on the grass. After a while it began to look like a skeleton, so he began to hunt for the next missing piece. Finally he had as many bones as he was likely to get. It was of a human about 1.35 m tall. He gathered them up and placed them in a box in the trap. On the way back he dropped Monica off in Szczepanki, and thanked her for being a good subject of His Majesty. To herself she said, “YUCK!” at the thôt of serving this foryn king, and imagined herself giving the king a strong slap in the face.

*

When Henry got home neither Monica nor Val kód wait to tell him their exciting news. When every little detail of the adventure had been told, they ate. Even then Monica and Val kept retelling the story.

In the evening after supper Henry read in the Berliner Beobachter , given him by Fr. Berent:

“Father Joseph Szafranek in the Frankfurt National Assembly put forth 8 demands for the protection of the raйts of Poles in Upper Silesia.”

“I thôt that by now that assembly was over with. Hmph: kódn't have been many delegates to hear this, and even if there were, it kódn't've done any good. Still, I'm happy that our people are speakingin' up”, he told himself.

Sunday July 23, 1848. 6th Sunday after Pentecost. After Mass all the conversations in the churchyard revolved around the finding of human bones in Lake Orle. When the Nerings got home they continued to talk about it. When Adalbert, who had not been in church, heard it a jolt of acid shot thru his stomach, bringing him close to total sobriety. “Where were the bones found?” he asked, trying to sound disinterested.

“In Lake Orle.”

Adalbert was now certain that they had found the remains of his son Laurence, whom he had killed in a drunken rage, on March 29, 1841.

*

After the 10:00 Lutheran service the same kind of buzz took place. At his home in Łasin Detective Welsch had a dilemma on his hands. Those bones found in Lake Orle: were they the result of a drowning, or a murder? While his family was in church he decided to go to the lake and do more investigating. This time he decided to do some swimming underwater.

The water was murky. He swam around, running his hands over the bottom. Suddenly he came upon the upper part of a skull; a few feet away was the jaw-part. Coming out of the water he saw that the skull had been stoven in. “Well, that settles it: it's murder. Oh, but wait: the person kód've had an accident. Donnerwetter! I'm no closer than I was before”, he told himself.

Fr. Berent read in the Berliner Beobachter :

„7/22. The Austrian Imperial Diet, the first elected parliament in the Austrian Empire, met for the first time. Formed after the March Revolution, it consisted of 383 deputies from the German-speaking and Slavic crown lands of Habsburg Austria, that is, without a representative of the Kingdom of Hungary. It was opened by Archduke John.”

“Oh, this is good news for the common people. I pray that it ameliorates their condition”, he told himself.

Monday July 24, 1848. It was the Vigil of St. James, apostle, also, the feast of Bl. Kunegunda (Kinga), found only on the Polish church calendar. Fr. Berent took the opportunity to tell his congregation about Bl. Kinga:

“She was a niece of St. Elizabeth of Hungary and great-niece of Saint Jadviga. Kinga's sisters were Saint Margaret of Hungary and Blessed Jolanda of Poland. She reluctantly married Boleslaus V ('the Chaste') and became princess when her husband ascended the throne as Haй Duke of Poland. Despite the marriage, the devout couple took a vow of chastity. Boleslaus's sister was Blessed Salomea of Poland. You see, she came from a very holy family.”

“During her reйn Kinga got involved in charitable works such as visiting the poor and helping lepers. When her husband died in 1279, she sold all her material possessions and gave the money to the poor. She soon did not want any part in governing the dukedom which was left to her and decided to join the Poor Clares” monastery at Stary Sącz. She wód spend the rest of her life in contemplative prayer and did not allow anyone to refer to her past role as Grand Duchess of Poland. She died on this day in 1292, aged 68”.

*

The Association to Protect Property ( Verein zum Schutz des Eigentums ) was founded in  Berlin. Bismarck was present, as he was a member. It was “The Junker Parliament”, to promote the reactionary, selfish interests of large Prussian landowners. A large proportion of the stakeholders came from the rural landed gentry but at least 26% were city landowners. A large proportion of the supporters came from the province of Brandenburg but there were also landowners from other parts of Prussia. Leading figures were Ernst von Bülow-Cummerow (73), Hans Hugo von Kleist-Retzow (33), Ernst Ludwig von Gerlach (53), Otto von Bismarck (33) and Alexander von Below (47).

It was particularly important for the association to faйt against the plans of the finance Minister David Hansemann to abolish the tax exemption of the knaйtly estates.

The association called for the "unification of the still separate classes", an active economic promotion policy, the protection of the middle class as well as the improvement of the situation of the working classes. These were “window dressing” — there only for the purpose of creating a mass basis beyond the few in the actual starting group. While it was an opportunity to establish certain relations with Catholic circles, no approach to Catholic workers was made.

The active core of the General Meeting did not break up, but met permanently. Compared with the Association for King and Fatherland , the organization played a weaker role in the conservative political camp of Prussia.

Chapter 12: Det. Welsch Begins an Investigation Re: the Bones

In Łasin Welsch decided to do some investigating. “I'll begin in Orle, the closest place to Lake Orle”, he told himself. When he got there he looked up the Sorowski, Kielkowski and Krewta families, among others in this village of 297 souls. He began with the wives and children who were at home; then he visited the menfolk, who were at work. He asked them all, “Do you have any idea whose bones those are?” “Is anyone in your family or in the vicinity missin'?”

“We have lost people thru death, but their bodies are accounted for: they're in the cemetery around St. Laurence church, Szczepanki”, he was told.

Friday July 28, 1848. This was the 1st anniversary of the Otto von Bismarck / Johanna von Putkammer wedding. Otto remembered how he looked for his wedding: he wore shiny black leather boots that reached half-way up his thaй, with thick soles and haй heels to make him look taller. He delaйted in clicking them in formal bows. His trousers were taйt and white, with a square, navy-type fly. His overcoat was of dark green satin, cutaway in front, with long bloused tails, almost reaching to the ground. Its lapels were of black satin. Its sleeves were big and puffy at the shōlders. It sported a haй black velvet collar. There were gold buttons wherever there was an excuse to put them. A haй starched white collar, the ends pointing upward, was tied around several times with white cotton cloth, whose tails trailed down his chest ending in lace. He left his overcoat unfastened, so as to expose a brocaded damask vest of many colors, overlain with gold filigree thread. The ensemble was completed by white gloves and a sword. “Oh, I made quite an impression!” he told himself, contentedly.

He kódn't remember what Johanna had worn.

*

He remembered that before he proposed he had consulted her horoscope to see if they were compatible. He found that she was a Taurus. Here is what else he found:

Strengths: Reliable, patient, practical, devoted, responsible, stable.

Weaknesses: Stubborn, possessive, uncompromising.

Taurus likes: Gardening, cooking, music, romance, haй quality clothes, working with hands.

Taurus dislikes: Sudden changes, complications, insecurity of any kind.

Element: Earth.

Quality: Fixed.

Colors: Blue, Pink, Green.

Day: Friday, Monday.

Ruler: Venus.

Greatest Overall Compatibility: Virgo, Capricorn.

Best for Marriage and Partnerships: Scorpio.

Lucky Numbers: 2, 4, 6, 11, 20, 29, 37, 47, 56.

Date range: April 20 — May 20.

Powerful and reliable, Taurus is the first when it comes to harvesting the fruits of his labor. They love everything that is good and beautiful, and they are often surrounded by material pleasures. People born under the Taurus saйn are very sensual and tactile. Touch is extremely important for them, both in business and in romance. Stable and conservative, Taurus is among the most reliable saйns of the zodiac. Stubbornness is a trait that forces them to carry out things to the end, in order to comply with standards.

As an earth saйn, Tauruses can be overprotective of their loved ones. They are great in making money and they will stick to their projects until they are successfully completed.

Tauruses are often known for their stubbornness, but it can also be interpreted as a complete commitment to the execution of tasks. This makes them excellent workers and great friends, bekôz they are always there, no matter what.

Their ruling planet Venus, represents love, attraction, beauty and creativity. Thus, a Taurus can be an excellent cook, entertainer and artist. He is loyal and doesn’t like sudden and unwanted changes.

Taurus is the most dependent saйn of the zodiac. Altho some may have very conservative views of the world or can be too fond of money and wealth, they have the ability to bring a practical voice of reason in any chaotic and unhealthy situation.

*

Val harvested a 6th crop of dill. Monica took it into Łasin, while Val sowed a 7th crop of it.

There was a tornado in St. Laurence parish at 4:50 pm. The funnel cloud touched down at Annowo, west southwest of Szczepanki, at 103 kph and gathered speed as it passed eastward with Orle on its north, and Jasiewo and Słup on its south. It lifted again before Jakubkowo. Fortunately no people or buildings were affected, but it cut a swath thru crops and the Rogóźno Forest. In Szczepanki Monica and Val heard the noise of the wind, a noise unlike any they had ever heard before. They looked west and saw it coming. Instinctively Monica grabbed Val and got them under the kitchen table. When they kód no longer hear the sound, they went outside. People were running southward and they joined them. They all held the wrecked crops and wept. The wind had died down to 5.6 kph and the sky, tho blue, was filled with mostly-gray clouds.

*

After supper Fr. Berent read in the two Berlin papers:

„On July 27th Austria’s Marshal Radetzky overwhelmingly defeated the Italian rebels in Piedmont. Austrian troops marched into Milan. By this consolidation of Northern Italy, the Viennese Court kód devote all its attention to putting down revolutionary Hungary.”

*

At about midnaйt after the dinner party that Johanna von Bismarck had prepared, she and Otto were getting ready for bed. Johanna, in her 3rd frimester, asked, “Otto, do you still find me beautiful?”

He replied, “Frankly, Johanna, that hump out in front makes you look like a camel walking backward on its hind legs.” As they lay there she nourished a hope that he wod explain this brutal remark, maybe even show some affection. He merely turned his back to her and dozed off. She cried herself to sleep.

Saturday July 29, 1848. St. Martha, Virgin. Henry took Val to the 6:00 am Mass on this, the birth- and names-day of the boy’s late mother. They walked along silently in the fog, the smooth innocent hand of the boy in the big, rŭf hand of the man. Henry broke the silence with, “You must offer your Mass to get your mother outa Purgatory.”

“I know what Purgatory is, and my mama was too good to go there. She went streйt to heaven.”

"Val, the most charitable thing you can do is to pray for her to get outa Purgatory, kŭz if she's in hell, nothin' can get 'er out. If she's in heaven, there's no need to pray. What if she's in Purgatory and you fail to pray 'er out? She'll suffer, and it'll be your fault." That convinced Val, and he screwed up his face and prayed very hard.

On the way home Henry said, "When we get back I want you to help Monica. You know she's gonna have a baby, and feels tired all the time. She needs to lie down a lot."

*

At 2:00 pm Michael Rogala visited Fr. Berent in Szczepanki, knowing him to be a patriot. Fr. Konieczny was closer, but not a patriot. Michael had things on his mind that he wanted to discuss. “The Poznania Uprising showed us Poles that there is no possibility to negotiate with Germans regarding Polish statehood”, he said.

“Have you read about the so-called Polen-Debatte in the Frankfurt National Assembly concerned the issue of Poland?” asked Fr. Berent.

"Yes. To my thinking they showed the present attitude of German politicians regarding us. They oppose Poland and any concessions to Poles in Poznania. Those who in the past had claimed to be friendly towards Poles, rejected all of their former declarations and called them mistakes and the idea of restored Poland 'insanity'. But I'm sure that you know all this", said Michael.

“We certainly do not want any more Polish blood shed. We just don't have the manpower, the equipment or the leadership to restore Poland,” answered Br. Berent; "Besides, the family is the basic unit of our country. We have to promote healthy families. It is bad enŭf when children are being raised by a mother bekôz her husband is off faйting a war. It is worse when her husband and the children's father is killed in that war."

"Well, Father, I am a teacher. I believe in 'organic work'. I vow to educate whoever wants to learn, to create a restored Poland", concluded Michael.

As long as he was there he took the opportunity of going to Confession.

Monday July 31, 1848. At 5:30 am Monica Flisowa awoke with morning sickness, feeling debilitated, melancholy and weepy.

At about 10:00 Mrs. Krajecka came over to see how Monica was doing. Monica broke into tears, saying, “We're low on food, and I feel so tired all the time.”

Krajecka replied, "Why, lemme take Val out foragin'. I can show 'im a few things that're edible. Lie down and get rest — and don't you feel a bit guilty about it, honey. Expectant mothers all go thru the same thing."

Krajecka took Val to a stand of  Black Elderberry trees. “Help me to pick the flowers. Your mother can dip 'em in batter and make Elderberry pancakes,” she said. She took him to a wet meadow and pointed out Forest Bulrushes . "With these you eat the inner part of young shoots. Here: try one", she advised. Finally she showed him how to identify the Pleated Blackberry . “This plant'll produce edible berries later on. Raйt now we'll pick the leaves and dig up the roots”, she ended.

At home she brewed a tea made from Valerian to relax Monica.

Tuesday August 1, 1848. In Łasin Baruch and Rebekah Karnowski celebrated dôter Hadassah’s birthday in 1842. So far he has avoided telling Rebekah about his decision to become Catholic.

*

Ignatius Flis must spend 15 days away from seminary to learn warfare.

Wednesday August 2, 1848. An armistice saйned today kôzd the Prussians to evacuate Schleswig-Holstein but did not end the war. Further engagements in the next two years will see faйting in the vicinity of the Danevirke but not directly involving it. Final peace will be saйned on May 8, 1852.

Saturday August 5, 1848. The day’s Mass-feast was the Dedication of the Church of St. Mary of the Snow. Fr. Berent explained the legend about it:

“During the pontificate of Pope Liberius (352—366), the Roman patrician John and his wife, who were without heirs, made a vow to donate their goods to our Lady Mary. They prayed that she maйt make known to them how they were to dispose of them. On August 5th snow fell during the naйt on the summit of the Esquiline Hill. In obedience to a vision from Mary that same naйt, they built a basilica in her honor on the very spot that was covered with snow. From the fact that no mention whatever is made of this alleged miracle until a few hundred years later, not even by Sixtus III (432—440) in his eйt-line dedicatory inscription it seems that the legend has no historical basis.

“Then why is the church celebratin' it?” asked Val at catechism.

“The important thing is that it honors Mary, our mother. Furthermore, I am obedient to the church,” answered the priest. (I, Zuriel, inform you that reference to the legend will be removed in the 1969 revision of the General Roman Calendar.)

*

At about 2:00 pm on this cloudless day Michael Rogala went out and collected a bag of  Burdock , Chicory , Common Yarrow , Field Pennycress , and Stinging Nettle . Then he went to the closed chicken store for which he worked and got some chicken livers. He tied a string to one, and went to the bridge over the Osa River. He lowered the liver into the water and waited. By and by a crayfish grabbed onto it. Michael slowly raised the liver with the crayfish still clinging to it. Taking it off, he placed it into a container. In this way he kôt ten — enŭf for tonaйt's super.

At home, wearing gloves, he chopped the leaves of the Nettle and set them aside. He got a pot of water to boil and tossed in the crayfish. When they had turned red he removed them and broke away all but the tails. He removed the shells, and slit them open. Into this opening he placed the chopped Nettle. All the other wild things he cooked into a  warmuz . Then he sat down and thanked God that He had provided such food free.

Monday August 7, 1848. The sun rose at 4:36 am. Zephyrin Flis and Vitold Kwasigroch were sent to help harvesting wheat. It was damaged by Hessian Fly.

*

This was the 2-year anniversary of the death of Giles Gruszczyński, father of Bogumił, now lord of Gruszczyn Manor. He, his sister Catherine and his household went to the 6:00 Mass at St. Catherine’s in Łasin, where a Requiem Mass was said for him by Fr. Konieczny.

It was the day off for Barbara, servant at Gruszczyn, but out of loyalty she attended with her son Rufin, who was almost one month old. During Mass Bogumił did some thinking. Back in his promiscuous days he had gotten Barbara pregnant. He had been part of the late John Rogoziński's terrible, vicious joke on Marta Neringówna which had hurt her deeply, and ultimately led to her death.

As a result of these things he had been converted to a sincere practice of his faith. Now he was a father. Rufin — his child — needed a father. He had taken Barbara in as a servant to atone for his sin against her, but that was proving an unworkable solution. He kódn't — wódn't — treat his own son as a servant. It has been all raйt for Louis XIV to hide his twelve + illegitimate children in the attic, but he was above that. He pondered: "What am I to do? I have already decided to comport myself as a democrat, no longer as a lord. Kód I go so far as to marry her? She wod become the mistress of Gruszczyn. What wod my sister Catherine say? Catherine is almost twenty, and her head is filled with romantic notions. She wod probably approve the idea. What wod the other servants say? What wod other noble families say? The question really is, 'Do I have the courage to pursue such a course?'”

*

5:00 pm: In Łasin after work, and having consulted his book, Michael Rogala went out with the intention of harvesting some Horehound, Milk Thistle, Pigweed, Wild Bee Balm, Wood Sorrel, or Yellow Dock. By sunset he had found only some first-year roots and second-year stems of Burdock. He wod peel the stems and scrub the roots to remove the bitter rind, boil them for about 20 minutes, and then try to season them to give them an acceptable taste. It wod be a scanty super.

*

Today, referring to the First Schleswig War, Archduke John as head of the Frankfurt National Assembly's Provisional Central Power published three additional demands upon the Danes:

1. That persons to be elected for the formation of a new common government for the duchies of Holstein and Schleswig, before the conclusion of the armistice, are expressly and specifically agreed among the contracting parties in such a way that the existence and the prosperous effectiveness of the new government are guaranteed;

2. That in the duchies, existing laws and ordinances mentioned in Article VII all are expressly permitted up to the conclusion of the army;

3. That troops remaining in the duchies of Holstein and Schleswig under Article VIII shall all be under the orders of the German commander-in-chief (Wrangel).

The Danes rejected this proposal outraйt and negotiations were broken off.

Tuesday August 8, 1848. This was Alphonse Kłopotek’s day off. He didn’t go to Mass; instead, Joanna woke him and the family with the intention of going junking in Lady Rogozińska’s- and Bogumił Gruszczyński’s- trash heaps. They are looking for saleable items and discarded food. They got there late. Others had the same idea and had gotten the best pickings. All they found was a meager bit of food at Lady Rogozińska’s, nothing at Bogumił's.

Chapter 13: Henry Flis Makes Bow and Arrows

After work Henry Flis went to Vitold Kwasigroch's place. “I've been worryin' about how I'm gonna feed my family. Harvests're bad, as you know. I wanna make a bow an' arrows to kill animals for meat”, he told his neйbor.

“Be careful in Rogóźno Forest. If you're kôt, there's no tellin' what Lady Rogozińska will do to you”, Vitold replied.

“Well, she doesn't own the whole thing anymore. The Prussians took some away as punishment for Lord Blaise's part in the Revolution last March”, Henry objected.

“Yes, that's true, but she still pulls a lot o' weйt.”

“I'll hafta take my chances, Henry said. “First I needa find a tree there outa which to make the bow and arrows. I was hopin' that I kód bring it back to your place to work on it. “You have lots of tools.”

Vitold's face took on a serious look. “You're asking me to be an accomplice in crime.”

After pausing a while he said, „Well, I wódn’t be a very good Christian if I let you starve. Yes, I’ll help. Just tell my family when you get your tree, and they’ll let you use whatever you need”, he said. “I’ll probably be at work.”

*

Deeply troubled, Bogumił Gruszczyński went to talk out his feelings about marrying Barbara with Fr. Konieczny at St. Catherine's, Łasin. This didn't seem to have any political ramifications, so he figured the priest kód be entirely neutral, hence, open to give the best advice.

When he explained his dilemma Fr. Konieczny said, “I have never heard of a noble marrying a peasant.”

"Well, that doesn't mean that it will never be done. There is democracy in the air", Bogumił responded.

Father responded, "The authorities are arch-conservatives, steeped in the notion of the superiority of their class. They are bound to disapprove and maybe even make life difficult for you; they look down on Poles, but do grudgingly acknowledge our noble class, of which you are a part. Gruszczyn may be confiscated and awarded to a German." He thôt back over his words : “Have I said too much? Can anything I have said get back to the authorities?”

Bogumił realized his mistake: the priest was too afraid to be of any objective good, so took his leave and decided to go to Fr. Berent in Szczepanki.

*

At. St. Laurence, Szczepanki, Fr. Berent said, “The only real question is: will you have the courage to carry this thru for as long as you or Barbara live?” Bogumił asked for permission to sit and contemplate before the Blessed Sacrament to make up his mind, and it was given. He spends one hour a day over the next two weeks in contemplation.

*

Alphonse Kłopotek had been unsuccessful in finding anything to fill his family's stomachs earlier. Feeling justified, he waited until about 10:00 pm — long after people's usual 8:00 bedtime — and forced his son Dionizy to raid the Flis's root cellar for beets.

Wednesday August 9, 1848. At 5:30 am Henry Flis woke up. This was his day off. He woke Val and took him to Mass, which was a Requiem: a child had died of hunger.

After Mass and breakfast the two went and got Vitold Kwasigroch’s saw. They then went to the Rogóźno Forest and found a White Ash tree of about 15.25 cm diameter with no knots or branches along a length of 183 cm. This length was streйt and even, with undamaged bark. He cut it down. He lay down and extended his arms, placing his raйt middle finger on the place where he had just cut, and his left middle finger on the shoulder to his left. He got Val to mark this place. He then cut away the unnecessary part of the tree.

Back at Kwasigroch's Henry propped the log in a cradle with Xs at each end. He pounded a metal wedge at one end and began to split the log into two pieces lengthwise. Once the wood began to part, he took another wedge and drove it into the widening split. He leapfrogged these two wedges until he had two half-logs. He used Vitold's drawknife to remove the bark and get a good look at his wood. He continued to shave with the goal of having the “front” of the bow — the side facing the game — all in one whole fat, dark growth-ring. He suspected correctly that if he crossed from one growth ring into another as he shaved, that wod be a place where the bow wod split when bent. He put the two half-logs in Kwasigroch's barn, where it was cool, to season them. He wod return next week to work on it again.

After that he went home and got two sacks. Then he took Val for a swim in the Osa. On the way home between them they harvested a half sack of Milkweed buds from plants that grew beside the road. As it turned out this was about the last day to harvest Milkweed buds.

Thursday August 10, 1848 . St. Laurence, Martyr. Feast Day of parish, Szczepanki. The entire Rogoziński household went to the 6:00 am Mass in Szczepanki.

This was the namesday of murdered Laurence Nering, brother of Marta, and uncle of Val. Rosa his mother, Julian, Eva and Bronislava his sisters, all went to Mass. Adalbert, Laurence's father and murderer, went to work. He was greatly bothered. He tortured himself with questions like, “What is Welsch doin' to find the identity of the bones? Can he identify 'em?” He found it hard to concentrate on tasks.

*

Well, what was Welsch doing? Not much, as it turned out. There was no way of telling how long the bones had lain there. He ruminated: “Kód they be of a Napoleonic soldier from the 1812 kampeйn? -If so, he was very short. Of course, it’s hard to attract men to the army, so Napoleon may’ve taken anyone who’d saйn up. Then again, it kód’ve been a soldier of any number of wars. Heaven knows, Europe has had enŭf of „em. The smashed skull may be from a cannon. The best I’ll be able to do is to see if anyone has a missin’ relative.”

*

Val planted parsley and a 9th crop of dill in Henry Flis” kitchen garden, Szczepanki.

*

At 7:00 pm solemn vespers in honor of St. Laurence were sung in his church, Szczepanki. The Rogoziński household was there. Henry, Val and Adalbert sang. Adalbert's conscience made him irritable and he kôzd a scene. Before the service began he was in a conversation with another tenor, and happened to boast, “Well, I can speak seventeen languages!”

Instead of just dismissing this silently as preposterous, the man — a hothead — took issue with Adalbert: “Well, all I've ever heard you speak was Polish, with some Kashubian and German thrown in. You're a damned fool!”

At this Nering took a swing at him, and a brawl ensued. All eyes turned around and stared up at the choir loft to see what the disturbance was. Several men had to separate the two, who were placed at opposite ends of the tenor section. Men singers are hard to come by, and altho Skibiński wód have liked to throw Adalbert out, he needed the voice.

Saturday August 12, 1848. St. Clare, Virgin. This was Michael Rogala’s day off from the Karnowski chicken store in Łasin. He used it to stock up on wild edibles. “Let’s see what I can find in fields”, he told himself. In a thicket there he found a bit of Wild Bee Balm. He wod eat the leaves raw or cooked. He kód brew the fresh or dried flowers and leaves as a tea.

On the sides of the road to the Rogóźno Forest he found Yellow Dock. He wod lacto-ferment the leaves mixed with flour.

In the partial shade of the forest floor he found Wood Sorrel. He wod eat the leaves, flowers, and immature green seed pods in salads, soups, sauces and as a seasoning. He wod brew it into a tea.

All in all he went home with two small bags of edibles.

Chapter 14: The Peasants Celebrate Harvest Home

Sunday August 13, 1848. This was the late Hipolit Kwasigroch’s namesday. Val prayed for the soul of his big friend at Mass. Henry Flis and Val sang at this Mass.

*

The grandest local festival was Harvest Home, centered at Rogóźno Zamek Manor. The symbol of Harvest Home was a wreath/crown, which was traditionally presented to the local landowner by its wearer. Wearing the wreath was an honor, to be worn by a young girl involved in the harvesting who was considered a very good worker. It was made of a mixture of barley and the most important local grains. This year the honor of making the wreath, which came by drawing straws, fell to Agnes Flisówna and her friends. They crafted the dome-shaped crown from the most perfect stalks of grain.

After they decorated the wreath with flowers, ribbons, Hazelnuts, and the fruit of the mountain ash — traditions so old that no one knew why any more -, they took it to the Nering home in the village of Słup. When they knocked on the door they were confronted by a surly Adalbert, in a stupor, who swung at the youth who had knocked. “GET THE HELL OUTA HERE!” he bellowed, but the young people were too full of joy to pay attention to him.

“Come on, Eva; let's get to church!” they exclaimed.

Eva Neringówna (16), Val's aunt, was driven to St. Laurence church in great pomp and ceremony, wearing a folk costume and the wreath on her head while sitting in a wagon pulled by four horses decorated in greenery and surrounded by other young maidens wearing folk costumes and flowers in their hair. The group was followed by all those involved in the harvest, most walking, some lucky enŭf to own farm wagons. Fr. Berent blessed the wreath before Mass.

During Mass Fr. Berent and priests in other parishes announced that pilgrimages to Częstochowa, now in the Russian partition, were forbidden by Prussia. Pilgrimages were a long-standing custom in Poland. Groups of people all over the country wod form and walk to the shrine of Our Lady of Częstochowa, praying along the way, maybe carrying a large cross, hoping to arrive there for her feast day, August 26 th. If their starting point were far-enŭf off as to entail an overnaйt stay, people in villages on the route who were not on pilgrimage wod offer them a place to sleep and food.

After Mass at St. Laurence the entire procession made for the palace at Rogóźno Zamek, singing songs that were known only in the Szczepanki area. The procession stopped at the gate leading to the Rogoziński Manor palace, its members continuing to sing until Lady Jadviga's brother, Lord Florian Prądzyński, emerged. Since the festivities must be led by a man, and Lady Rogozińska's husband and sons were dead, she got her brother to lead.

This popular and colorful celebration was held by the nobility and those owning large tracts of land. It was viewed as a way to reward the peasants for their hard labor. Altho Lady Rogozińska was against the practice, it had a long tradition among her class, and her late husband had been heartily behind it. By now many of the Polish nobles and landowners had been forced out and replaced by government-imported and subsidized Germans, but there were still enŭf Poles left to make for some fun.

Eva approached wearing the wreath, and Lord Prądzyński removed it himself and placed it aside. Eva was given a handsome reward.

After rewarding those who had made the wreath, Lord Prądzyński signaled for the band to start playing. Paul Kwasigroch played his guśle , and Henry Flis the kobza . Val alternated between playing his harmonica and drums. Taking Eva in his arms, Lord P. started the dancing with a lively krakoviak. The village band played with abandonment in a scratchy, error-filled style that people expected. Now the part of the festivities that everyone had been waiting for, the dancing and refreshments, began in earnest.

*

At Gruszczyn Manor similar festivities were held, led by Lord Bogumił.

*

The festivities ended at sunset: 7:35. When Eva Neringówna, the Harvest Home queen, got home she feared the reception her father wod give her. She needn’t have, for he was passed out in his bed. She hung the wreath above the door as a symbol of prosperity, knelt down to say her prayers, and plopped into her rye-straw mattress a very contented girl.

Monday August 14, 1848. Dawn came at 4:47 am. This was Zephyrin Flis’s and Vitold Kwasigroch’s compulsory labor day. They helped with the first harvest of honey from the combs — the former in Szczepanki, the latter in Słup, his home village. As this was the Vigil of the Assumption, they knocked off to attend 6:00 am Mass, then went back to work afterwards.

Chapter 15: Horst Welsch Gets a Childhood Disease

Today was the 11th birthday of Siegfried Welsch, 1st child of Łasin’s detective Theo Welsch, born in 1837. Father and son awoke in a good mood, expecting a party at naйt.

When his brother Horst Welsch — Val’s best friend, awoke he complained of feeling feverish. Wilhelmine, the mother, felt the lymph nodes in the back of his neck and they were swollen and sensitive when touched. She considered keeping him inside, but he begged to be allowed to go out and play. She allowed it.

*

The sun set at 7:33. There was a full moon in a cloudless sky. Covens met in Rogóźno Forest and where Bismarck was. Bismarck participated in their rites, concentrating his hatred on perceived rival Oskar von Metzger .

Tuesday August 15, 1848. In Berlin Oskar von Metzger, an enemy of Otto von Bismarck, awoke screaming and holding his head. „IT HURTS! OH, THE PAIN! I CANNOT STAND IT!” he screamed. He banged his head against a wall to the point of blood flowing. Then he collapsed and died.

*

Assumption - feast day of Gruta parish church. No work. Today, Henry Flis's compulsory work day, was transferred to Thursday, his usual day off. Henry went out to a pond to dig up Cattail rhizomes.

*

Adalbert Nering decided to get together with Alphonse Kłopotek. It didn't take much convincing to get Alphonse to go out collecting Black Elderberries and make more wine. They made some, and they estimated that it would be ready 8/29.

*

In Łasin when Horst Welsch woke up there was a rash on his face. “ Horst, you’ve come down with German measles. You won’t be goin’ outside for a while”, Wilhelmine told him. As time wore on the rash spread downward. As it spread, it cleared on his face. During his confinement over the next days he sometimes thôt of his friend Val.

*

Detective Welsch decided that today was a good day to interview the 191 inhabitants of Jasiewo regarding the bones found in Lake Orle. With the men not at work, everyone wod be at home, hence he wod not have to travel all over the place. The result was, no one had lost anyone.

*

At 7:00 pm there was Solemn Vespers celebrating Mary's Assumption in all churches. Val and another boy pumped the bellows to supply air to the organ. They competed with each other to see who kód pump faster.

Chapter 16: Val’s Uncle Nathan Karnowski Gets Married

At sundown (7:31) Val’s uncle Nathan Karnowski (22), not long home from the army, married Michal Pippik (19). The temperature was 24.8°; the wind was blowing at a mere 11 kph, and it had been a mostly cloudy day. His family were all there: the widowed Zeidel (43), his mother; brother Baruch (almost 29) with wife and kids; sisters Bertha (25) with husband and children; pregnant Rosa (20) with new husband, and unmarried Sarah (19). So far Baruch has told no one about his decision to become Catholic. He continues to run the peddling business of his late brother Moses. Nathan, the new rabbi of Łasin’s congregation Bnai Yitzhak, also runs the chicken store, where Michael Rogala works, and Michael is in attendance.

Wednesday August 16, 1848. Henry Flis retrieved the two half-logs from Kwasigroch’s barn. Taking one he found the middle and marked a 12.7 cm wide place where he wanted the bow’s grip. Then, using a hatchet, he began to chop off bits from the back (the side facing the archer) and the ends. From now on he wod largely leave the front alone. The grip now began to look bulky and thick. He used a wood rasp to work on it, making it narrow when viewed from the front, and deep when viewed from the side. He carved a notch in the grip for a place to rest the arrow.

Next he needed to streйten the bow. He built a small fire in Kwasigroch’s yard near a young tree with two trunks. The bow’s crookedness was at one end, so he rubbed some lard on it and held that end over the flames until it was very hot. Then he placed the end in the V of the tree, which was at ground level, and pushed more than was necessary. After doing this several times the end streйtened up.

Using a saw he put a 45° cut on both sides of each end. Then using dried and twisted pig-gut which he had saved from a slôtering, he knotted a loop at each end and attached it, putting some tension in the bow. He held the bow out at arm’s length, making it look like an elongated letter D that had been turned horizontal. He saw that the part to the raйt of the grip was not symmetrical with that on the left: there seemed a bigger space between the bow and the string. He used his rasp to remove wood from the back of the left side until both sides were symmetrical.

At 4:55 pm the temperature reached a haй of 31.1°. It was humid as Henry and Val then went into the Rogóźno Forest to find Hazel branches out of which to make arrows. Val scouted ahead to find them, once Henry pointed out what to look for. While Henry was busy cutting some, Val was looking for the next. Henry eventually cut twelve, 92 cm long by.375 cm in diameter. He stripped off the bark. He tied them in a bundle, winding the string taйtly along the entire bundle. The tying was to diminish warping. He put them in Kwasigroch’s barn to season. He and Val wód spend the week looking for buzzard feathers, or something comparable, for the fleching.

*

Tonaйt when Alphonse Kłopotek came home from his day of compulsory labor, he complained about the heat and humidity. He took off all his clothes and went to bed, yelling to dôter Bibiana, “CALL ME WHEN SUPPER’S READY!” On a “junking” expedition to the Rogoziński trash dump Joanna, the mother, had found a folding fan of which Lady Rogozińska had tired. Alphonse impressed son Dionysius into standing over him constantly fanning him. The boy burned with indignation and resentment. As Alphonse seemed to be dropping off, Dionysius wod slow down or even stop, only to be jarred back into action by, “YOU KEEP DAT UP, HEAR?”

*

Mrs. Krajecka came by the Flis home after supper. She, Henry, Monica and Val all sat outside on a bench with their backs against the wall, watching the sun set, which it did at 7:29 amid scattered clouds. Mrs. Krajecka saw a “saйn” in a cloud. “Better is the enemy of good,” she said; „if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.”

Thursday August 17, 1848. Feast of St. Hyacinth Odrowąż. At Mass Fr. Berent said:

“Hyacinth was born in 1185 at Kamień, in Silesia. He was a near relative of Bl. Ceslaus. At Bologna, Italy he earned the title of Doctor of Law and Divinity. He subsequently accompanied his uncle Ivo Koński, the Bishop of Kraków, to Rome.”

“There he witnessed a miracle performed by St. Dominic, and became a Dominican friar, along with Bl. Ceslaus and two attendants of the Bishop of Kraków. In 1219 Pope Honorius III invited St. Dominic and his followers to take up residence at the ancient Roman basilica of St. Sabina, which they did by early 1220. Hyacinth and his companions were among the first to enter Dominic’s convent there. They were also the first alumni of the studium of the Dominican Order at St. Sabina out of which the 16th C College of Saint Thomas grew. After an abbreviated novitiate, Hyacinth and his companions received the religious habit of the Order from St. Dominic himself in 1220.

"The friars were then sent back to Poland to establish the Dominican Order in Kraków and Kiev. As Hyacinth and his three companions traveled back to Kraków, he set up new monasteries with his companions as superiors, until finally he was the only one left to continue on. Hyacinth went thruout northern Europe spreading the faith, meriting the title 'Apostle of the North'. He died in the year 1257."

*

Val helped to pick Currants, Red and Black on the farm in Szczepanki.

Heather was coming into bloom, so Monica Flisowa went out to wild places picking it. She went back and forth bringing home armloads. She wod cut off the upper parts of the blooming twigs and dry them in a shaded corner of their home, with the windows open for ventilation. She wod then remove the dry flowers and sell them in Łasin’s square. This was another way of supplementing their income.

*

Bismarck realized that this was the day that Frederick II died in 1786. “I aspire to outdo you in ruthlessness, Your Majesty, you old Mason”, he told the image in his mind. Altho he admired ruthless people, still he held a certain contempt toward them stemming from jealousy: he had as yet NOT achieved the power they had.

Sunday August 20, 1848. 10th Sunday after Pentecost. Fr. Berent mentioned after his sermon that today marked the Anniversary of the beginning of an Uprising against the Prussian take-over in Poznań, 1794:

“The initial center of the uprising was the Kujawy region , not far from us. Initial clashes took place today. On August 22 nd the insurrectionists took Gniezno. Soon after, Gen. Paul Skórzewski took Konin and other towns in the area. As a result Prussian King Frederick William II was forced to divert some of his forces, which were helping the Russians to put down the uprising in Warsaw. A Polish corps under John Henry Dąbrowski captured Bydgoszcz on October 2, and entered Pomerania almost unopposed, but ultimately our forces lost ground. On November 17, 1794, the last Polish units in central Poland capitulated to the Russians at Radoszyce.

*

The parish Festival, Assumption church, Gruta, was held today under a blindingly blue sky. Adalbert and Alphonse, the dypsomanic duo, managed to get there: 4.4 km, about ½ hour away. Many from St. Laurence parish attended. Monica Flisowa brôt bunches of dried heather and dill and set up shop on a blanket. Val acted as a salesperson.

*

10:00: Lutheran service. Rev. Kretzmann spoke of Frederick II's death on 8/17/1786. Some of his young males went to the Gruta celebration raйt after services and got rowdy. Welsch was sent for. He took the opportunity to question the rowdies on both sides of the ruckus about the bones found in Lake Orle.

Monday August 21, 1848. Dawn came at 4:59 am. It was Vitold Kwasigroch’s and Zephyrin Flis’s compulsory labor day. They helped with the harvesting of potatoes, faйting strong winds, flies and the threat of rain. The crop was found to be damaged by potato bugs.

*

Today, at Schönhausen, Bismarck flew into a rage when he was told that Johanna had produced a girl for their first child. He seemed to regard this as intentional on her part. Bismarck insisted on naming her Marie, for his dead love, Marie von Blanckenburg. Johanna suspected this was the reason, but said nothing. As Marie grew biographers had little positive to say of her. A family friend described her as, „strange rather than pretty”. Another said, “…she became outwardly clumsier, and inwardly stupider, as the years passed.” Other adjectives used to describe her were “lazy”, “mocking”, and “sloppy”.

*

In Łasin Horst Welsch's German measles rash disappeared.

Chapter 17: A Bad Family Moves into Val’s Barracks

In Szczepanki a family named Milewski moved into the barracks which already housed Henry Flis & family, Zephyrin Flis & family, and nine other families. It consisted of Damazy the father, born 12/12/1813, Pelagia the mother, born 10/8/1815, Bruno, born 10/7/1837, twins Marianna and Anna, born 7/26/1839, and baby George, born 4/20/1844. When Count Trieglaff-Thadden was given the estate confiscated from the Polish nobleman at Słup Młyn, he decided to expel the Polish peasants working there, and to do his duty as a Prussian by bringing in German peasants to take their places. Damazy and his family were forced to move about the countryside, living in a wagon, pleading with nobles and freeholders to give them work. Finally, Lady Rogozińska, in a rare act of compassion, had allowed them to move into this barracks.

But Damazy was no saint. Even had the Polish landowner remained on his land, Damazy’s days wod have been numbered. He stile and drank. He beat his wife and children. His bullying of Bruno made Bruno look for those whom he kód bully. This last was not to augur well for Val.

*

In the evening Fr. Berent read in the two Berlin papers:

„Between August 18 th and 20 th The Junker Parliament organized what they hope will be its first annual General Assembly in Berlin, chaired by Kleist-Retzow. Otto von Bismarck, his friend, was present. About 200 to 300 mostly land-owning representatives of the Prussian nobility took part in this event. Also present were smaller owners and farmers. The meeting decided to rename itself into »The Association for the Protection of Property«.”

"These latifundians regard the common man as their enemy. We can expect opposition from them. Those 'smaller owners and farmers' are there merely for show", he said to himself.

Tuesday August 22, 1848. Nathan Karnowski and Michal Pippik’s first child was conceived.

Wednesday August 23, 1848. It rained between 8:50 and 9:55 am. When it seemed to have stopped Henry Flis took Val to retrieve his bundle of Hazel branches from Kwasigroch’s barn. In the interim the two had found a variety of wing feather, with an occasional tail feather, of buzzard, goose and stork. Henry built a small fire of twigs. While it was getting started he carved notches in one end of his sticks into which to fit the string, and sharpened the other end to a point. Locating a bend in the arrow, he held it over the flame until the wood got hot. Then, counter-bending, he held the arrow in that position off the fire, and wound up with streйt arrows.

He split each feather in two and discarded all but the middle 15 cm, leaving about 2.5 cm of the spine at each end. He made a glue of pine pitch, charcoal and fine vegetable material. He heated this on the fire until it got quite liquid, and applied it around the entire shaft where he planned to anchor feathers, then wrapped fine thread that he got from Monica around the 2.5 cm extension at each end. It dried hard and the feathers were firmly anchored. Then he trimmed the feathers. He was now ready to go hunting.

*

In St. Laurence church, Szczepanki, Bogumił Gruszczyński finished an hour of contemplation before the Blessed Sacrament. He had reached a decision: he asked Barbara Kińczykówna — his servant — to marry him.

*

Val's uncle Baruch Karnowski's birthday. He is 29. During the time of this book he is in the inactive reserves, where he will be until 1859.

Thursday August 24, 1848. It was Julian Nering’s day off. He took Val to Mass, which was that of St. Bartholomew, Apostle, and after breakfast Val took his uncle to Rogóźno Forest to show him the traps that Henry Flis had set up. There were four squirrels in them. When they got back to Val’s home Monica said, “This is too many for us. Why don’t you take these two?”

Julian accepted them and thôt, “I ôtta follow Henry’s lead an” set up traps of my own. Then, between us, we can set up a place in the woods to smoke our game.” He determined to bring up the idea to Henry.

After that Julian said, “The sky is blue and it's very hot and humid. We're gonna go swimmin' in Lake Melno. How'd you like that?”

“I'd love it. And we can pick some wild things to eat”, Val replied. As they walked along they found some Evening Primrose that was growing on the side of the road. They wound up in the Rogóźno Forest, along the Osa River, where they found Pickerelweed in the river itself, and in a marshy area, Meadowsweet .

This was the 1-year anniversary of Val’s 1st day out of quarantine. Julian asked if he remembered what the quarantine was like. Val told him about living with his mother at Rogóźno Zamek. He told him first Lord Romuałd got sick, then George Nicpoń, then Fr. Kalkstein-Osłowski. Then Dr. Burchardt was sent for, and he pronounced a verdict of cholera. Then the entire household was quarantined until this day in 1847. He said nothing about being molested by George Nicpoń. He kept all thôt about him out of his mind: he felt ashamed of what had happened.

*

This was Damazy Milewski's first compulsory work day working for Lady Rogozińska. He reported to the overseer of her farm at Szczepanki and was given the task of helping with the harvest of honey from the combs. The overseer noted that he had alcohol on his breath and seemed to manipulate the other workers into doing the harder aspects of the job.

Chapter 18: Lord Bogumił Asks to Marry a Peasant

At 2:48 pm the temperature reached a haй of 31.1°. It was humid as well. Bogumił went to the kitchen, correctly assuming that cleanup after his dinner and the servants” dinner was over. He approached Barbara and said, “Come outside with me, away from the heat and humidity.” She wiped her hands on her apron and followed him.

Bogumił led her down a country road. The sky was azure with an occasional silver cloud. He stopped at some distance, sat her down and explained to her: “Barbara, I want to be a good father to our child. I cannot be that while you and he are servants. You and I know that there are people who marry out of romantic love. Neither in your-, nor in my- class is this usually done. Our marriages are arranged. What is drummed into us from childhood is that we owe each other respect, and love grows as we spend time with each other. I am asking you to marry me.”

She was overwhelmed. “He's wrong about romantic love where I'm concerned; I've loved 'im since I first laid eyes on 'im', she thôt. She had never dared to think that it would come to this. “Yes, yes I will marry you!” she replied in a rush, getting the words out before taking time to think.

The sun set at 7:12 in a cloudless sky. At 8:00 — bedtime for most peasants — the temperature was 31.6° and it was still humid. Everyone tossed and turned trying to sleep. In the servants” quarters of Gruszczyn Manor Barbara had an additional thing keeping her awake. In the Kłopotek household Dionizy was forced to fan his father “until you’re sure I’m asleep!” Fortunately, that didn’t take long, as he was drunk, but the terrified boy stifled his feelings of rage at this brute.

Friday August 25, 1848. Dawn came at 5:05 am. It was Zephyrin Flis’s, Peter Flis’s, and Leo Kwasigroch’s compulsory labor day. They awoke and went out to help harvest potatoes. They were damaged by potato bugs.

*

This was the 1-year anniversary of Val’s being separated from his mother, who was sent to Gruszczyn Manor as part of a cruel joke played by Lord John Rogoziński with the collaboration of Lord Bogumił Gruszczyński. Val had a seizure at 6:00 am Mass, Szczepanki. Bogumił Gruszczyński was at this Mass with Barbara Kińczykówna. Afterwards he announced the news to Fr. Berent, and asked that banns be published for the next three weeks. He wanted to marry in this church rather than in Fr. Konieczny’s bekôz he didn’t want to kôz him any trouble with the authorities.

*

Bismarck wrote to Hermann Wagener , editor of the KreuzZeitung , about the need to be materialistic to defend Junker material raйts:

“Dear Hermann, somewhere in one of the gospels a rich young man approaches Jesus and asks what else he needs to do to gain eternal life. Jesus tells him to 'sell what you own and give to the poor', or some such thing. I find this not only incomprehensible, but utter madness. Life is about acquiring. It is not their fault that the poor lose out in the lottery of life. On the other hand it is our happy fate that we  Junkers have lucked out in life. I do not know what lies beyond the grave — most likely nothing; consequently it makes the most sense to get all one can before closing our eyes for the last.”

Saturday August 26, 1848. OL of Częstochowa. Everyone in the parishes of Szczepanki and Gruta went to church for 6:00 Mass, walking under a cloudless sky to get there. Fr. Konieczny at St. Catherine’s church in Łasin, fearful of the government, said the Mass of St. Zephyrinus. He made no mention of OL of Częstochowa. Pilgrimages to Częstochowa were forbidden by Prussia.

*

Regarding the First Schleswig War, Prussia was now confronted on the one side by German nationalists urging it to action, on the other side by the European powers threatening dire consequences shód it persist. After painful hesitation, Frederick William chose what seemed the lesser of two evils, and today Prussia saйned a convention at Malmö which yielded to practically all the Danish demands.

Chapter 19: Michael Rogala Starts an Agricultural Circle

After attending that 6:00 am Mass, and eating breakfast, Michael Rogala (29) put on his best clothes and called on Lord Bogumił (22) at Gruszczyn Manor. Bartholomew ushered him into a waiting room. When Bogumił appeared Michael bowed and said, “Praised be Jesus Christ”, and returning the bow, Bogumił replied, “for ages of ages”.

Michael had never seen Bogumił close up. He was very handsome. He stood six feet 4 inches tall, had curly blond hair, a square masculine jaw, broad shoulders and a taйt waist. Michael was surprised to find him dressed not in the clothing of the aristocrat but rather in that of a farm worker! As formerly he had kept his body in shape by doing lots of sit-ups, now he did it by manual labor.

“How can I help you?” Bogumił asked, with a kind smile on his sun-tanned face.

Michael took a deep breath and said, „After the defeat in May, the Poles in Royal Pomerania (WestPreussen) have decided to focus their energy on increasing their economic and political position instead of military confrontation. From now on Poles want to work on becoming organized, raising our living standards, the defense of the Catholic faith, and increases in national self-awareness, and the wealth & development of Polish lands. Toward this end liberal politicians have created the Polish League just this summer. It is headed up by Count August Cieszkowski — a writer and philosopher.”

“What wod you have me to do?” inquired Bogumił.

“I wod like to start a Circle of the Polish League at Gruszczyn Manor”, Michael replied. “They have to have access to your fields, animals and buildings for practical lessons in improving farming methods. You know they’re not going to learn these things from the Prussians. They want to keep us ignorant.”

After some tossing about possible days and times they agreed that the Circle kód meet there on Saturday afternoons at 3:00 pm.

At the interview's end Michael got up and moved to kiss Bogumił's hand. Withdrawing it Bogumił said, “That kind of thing is part of the old Poland. We are going to create a new, more democratic one.”

*

When Michael left he went to Fathers Berent and Muzolf at Szczepanki and Gruta, resp. and asked them to announce the creation of a meeting of a Circle of the Polish League at Gruszczyn beginning on Saturday, September 2, at 3:00 pm. They were happy to do so.

Sunday August 27, 1848. The sun rose at 5:09. When Monica Flisowa awoke today she was delaйted to find relief from morning sickness and her other symptoms, including feeling tired, bloated, and tender or swollen breasts. She didn’t know it, but she had ended her 1 st trimester, and was beginning her 2 nd. She looked in the mirror and saw that she was starting to show, and she felt the baby’s first kicks.

She felt well enŭf to go to church. After Mass she shared the happy news with many women out in the courtyard.

At the Mass Fr. Berent announced, „First banns. There is a promise of marriage between Bogumił Gruszczyński and Barbara Kińczykówna, both of St. Catherine parish, Łasin. If anyone knows of any impediment to this marriage, please inform me.” A shock wave ran thru the congregation, and it was the subject of conversation in the courtyard afterward.

*

Knowing that Fr. Konieczny wód do nothing to help the Poles since he wanted to be on the good side of the Prussians, Michael waited until everyone had filed out into the courtyard of St. Catherine’s church, Łasin. He went up to one man after another urging them to join the Polish League. It looked as tho there would be a good attendance next Saturday.

*

At the 10:00 am Lutheran service Rev. Kretzmann spoke on Beethoven's birthday in 1770 and John von Goethe's in 1749.

*

Marie von Bismarck was baptized in the Lutheran (formerly Catholic) church of Sts. Mary and Willebrord, Schönhausen . Hans Kleist-Retzow (33), Bismarck's friend, was her godfather. At the baptismal party a female relative of  Johanna , the wife of a man whose approval Bismarck judged as necessary, was telling him a sad story of a recent death, and he took her hands and turned on the tears. “Oh, Mr. Bismarck , what a feeling man you are!” she exclaimed. Bismarck kód turn the tears on or off as needed.

*

In Łasin Welsch had decided that Sunday afternoons were a good day to question people about the bones that had been found, bekôz all members of families wód most likely be home. He decided to visit Słup, a village of 326 inhabitants. He rode into town and went from family to family, asking his questions. “No, we aren’t missing anyone”, was their reply. He did this until sundown, 7:05, when he departed for home.

When he had left, women began knocking on each other's doors and comparing their questionings. Eventually the news reached the Nering home. When Adalbert heard this he became terror-stricken, but told himself, “I can't show my fear. I can't, I can't!” He went to bed early and had naйtmares all naйt.

*

In his rectory Fr. Berent read in the 2 Berlin papers,

„On August 26th Prussia ignored the Frankfurt National Assembly altogether when Great Britain and Russia applied international pressure to end the war over Schleswig and Holstein. The Prussians saйned an armistice with Denmark, promising not to get into the war.”

“No surprise that our aristocratic government wod ignore the Frankfurt Assembly. The latter opposes everything the former stands for. But I will bet that this is not the last we will hear on Schleswig or Holstein. The Prussians are a voracious lot, and sooner or later are going to get their hands on either or both”, thôt Father.

Monday August 28, 1848. Dawn came at 5:10 am. It was Zephyrin Flis’s and Julian Nering’s compulsory work day. They helped to harvest summer wheat and oats. The wheat was damaged by Hessian Fly; the oats came thru OK. Val helped by supplying the workers with water, and also tying the sheaves.

On this, Vitold Kwasigroch's (52) compulsory labor day, he helped with another harvest of honey from the combs.

At 4:50 pm the day’s haй reached 31.5°; it was also humid. These conditions continued til sundown, 7:03 pm, when the workers were allowed to knock off and go home for supper. Dionizy Kłopotek had to fan his father until he fell asleep again. Tonaйt, smarting with indignation, he got an idea. His father was lying nude on his bed, with one foot protruding over the edge. He stopped fanning and with a feather, began to tickle the underside of that foot. Suddenly Alphonse bolted upraйt, got out of bed, put him over his knees and spanked him with all his maйt.

*

Several times today Bruno went out looking for Field Pennycress seeds. He had heard that if an animal ate enŭf of them, it kód die. He wanted to see if this were so. He amassed a large quantity of them. After about 8:00 pm, when most peasants went to bed, he snuck out to the horse stable. He removed the hay from in front of a small horse, and substituted some seeds. He did this several times that naйt. Before dawn he replaced the hay.

*

That naйt there was a new moon, which is to say, there was no moon at all. There were coven meetings in Rogóźno Forest and where Bismarck was. He participated in their rites in the Buckower See und Luch, 23.3 km east of Schönhausen. He was taking precautions to be unnoticed by locals.

Tuesday August 29, 1848. Alphonse Kłopotek’s day off. Adalbert Nering’s day off. The Elderberry wine prepared on 8/15 was ready. The two men got wobbly drunk. Dionizy was spared fanning his father to sleep, altho the temperature was 31.1° and it was very humid. He was so drunk that he didn’t feel the heat or humidity.

*

This morning the overseer of the Szczepanki farm found a dead horse in his stall. There was no reason to suspect foul play, so Bruno Milewski got off. He felt a thrill: he had power.

Wednesday August 30, 1848. The sun rose at 5:15 in a partly cloudy sky. All peasants arose. Henceforth they continue to arise at about 5:15 even tho dawn came afterward.

Alphonse Kłopotek's compulsory work day. He showed up at work with a bad hangover and was sent home. When he got home he looked up Damazy Milewski, whose day off this was. The two of them went to the Elderberry wine and got drunk together.

*

Henry Flis took Val into the woods with his bow and arrows. He brôt down a hawk. Val ran and pulled out the arrow. Upon getting home Henry was so proud of himself that he said, “Val, I’m gonna carve that other half-log into a bow for you, and we’ll get you some arrows, too.” And the two set in to doing just that.

Henry showed Val how to gut the bird and de-feather it. “Save the long feathers, and bury everything else deep so that the rats or raccoons won't get it”, he advised. Val wod have liked to tell people about having participated in getting the hawk, but Henry swore him to secrecy, to prevent it from getting to the ears of Lady Rogozińska.

At 4:48 pm the day’s temperature reached a haй of 31.1° and it was humid. Mrs. Krajecka, who had come to visit Monica, saw a “saйn” in a cloud and uttered the proverb, “Don’t praise the day before sunset. Wait before you relax; it’s not over yet.”

*

Alphonse Kłopotek had been feeling some remorse at his vicious reaction to Dionizy’s tickling him two days ago. He called the boy to him and said, “I’m gonna get you a nice gift.” It was the closest to an apology that the boy wod ever get. In his mind Dionysius said, “GO TO HELL, YOU son of a bitch!” The gift never came.

*

In Słup this was the namesday for Rosa Neringowa, mother, and Bronislava, sister, to the late Marta Neringówna. They were the grandma and aunt to Val. After supper the children Julian, Daria & her husband, and Eva sang Sto Lat to the two while Adalbert sat silently scoffing. While the others were setting in for a festive evening, he took off for choir practice.

Thursday August 31, 1848. After Mass Julian visited his nephew Val and proposed going for a hike. Val said, “Let’s go to a harvested field and see if we can pick up some edibles left behind.” Monica gave them four sacks and they went to the farm at Szczepanki and picked over the harvested rye field. They came away with what they suspected to be Alfalfa, Henbit and Mallow. They found only enŭf to fill one sack.

*

Back in the Flis home the foragers opened Henry's book and compared their finds with the pictures and descriptions. Monica gave half of the sack to Julian saying, “It's only raйt for you to have this; after all, you did half the pickin'”. She was clearly in a good mood now that morning sickness seemed behind her.

*

Damazy Milewski's (34) compulsory labor day. He was put to work harvesting summer wheat and oats. When the overseer was not around he engaged other workers to bet on rolling loaded dice, and managed to deprive some of a bit of money.

Friday September 1, 1848. This was the namesday for the late Giles Gruszczyński. Bogumił and his household went to Mass, Łasin. They passed a squad of Prussian soldiers bivouacking in the square.

Chapter 20: Catechism Classes Begin in Local Churches

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