"Reading Henry"

"Reading Henry"
From	A Christmas to Remember
French title	"Le secret de Henri"
Author	Sarah Ellis
Setting	Near Kamloops, British Columbia
Timeline	December 1888
Preceded by	"When War Hits Home"
Followed by	"The Daft Days of Christmas"

Weddings are lovely! I remembered the comical pretend wedding at the mill last year where all the men dressed as women and I got to be the minister. This wedding was not comical except for the very end, and that is when the secret of our present was revealed.

—Flora Rutherford

"Reading Henry" is a short story published in the anthology, A Christmas to Remember. Authored by Sarah Ellis, the story follows Ellis's heroine Flora Rutherford from Days of Toil and Tears. It was also published in French under the title, "Le secret de Henri."

Preface

"Flora longed for a family of her own after living in an orphanage for almost ten years. She found one with her aunt and uncle, though she spent long hours at the woollen mill, where the work was sometimes dangerous. When that danger strikes close to home, it is time for yet one more move, and trying to get along with new relatives."

Plot

Now living in British Columbia, Flora Rutherford is looking forward to the upcoming wedding of her teacher Miss McPhee to Mr. Sutherland, who works in a store in nearby Kamloops. She is sad that Miss McPhee will no longer teach after marriage, noting that married women worked at the mill back in Almonte. Flora tries to talk to her cousin Henry about the wedding, but he stays silent "as usual." On December 12, she remembers uncle James's accident at the mill occurred exactly a year prior. Flora wonders if James and aunt Janet remember, but are just choosing not to say anything. Later, uncle Wilfred asks Flora to help Henry with his sums. When they sit down together, Henry snaps at her.

Flora later asks her Janet about Henry. She tells her of a similar situation that she went through with a woman at work. In order to work cordially together, Janet simply began "pretend[ing]" that they were friends and it worked. Flora takes Janet's suggestion and continues talking to Henry over the following days, though he remains silent the entire time. A couple days later, she attends tea hosted by Miss McPhee for her female students and their mothers to view her wedding presents. The next day, Flora starts to think about giving Miss McPhee a gift, but nothing feels right. Instead of bothering Janet or aunt Nellie, she consults Henry. However, once again, he does not appear to be paying attention.

Christmas passes pleasantly. The children are given two gifts to share, a puppy and a small cart made by Wilfred. Nellie presents Flora with a mandolin and promises to teach her to play. The next day, Henry speaks to Flora of his own accord to tell her that he has an idea for Miss McPhee's present. Flora later realizes that Henry dislikes accepting help as he would rather give it. Miss McPhee's wedding takes place on December 29. Henry and Joe David unharness the horses from the carriage carrying the newlywed couple. He then calls for Flora to help as the boys with Wilfred's and James's help pull the carriage. The couple laugh all the way to their new home. Henry later says he got the idea from his father's toy cart.

Characters

See also: List of Days of Toil and Tears characters

Main

• Flora Rutherford, the niece of James and Janet who arrived in British Columbia some months earlier in 1888. She was still adjusting to her new surroundings and new family members. Flora was unable to befriend her cousin Henry at first, so she ended up pretending that they were friends already. She eventually won him over this way.

Supporting

• Henry Duncan was Flora's cousin and classmate. He was very unfriendly to Flora, which seemed to turn into outright hatred. She, however, began to pretend that they were friends and talked to him even though he answered her questions sparingly. His attitude towards Flora gradually thawed and he even helped her think of a surprise for Miss McPhee's wedding day.
• James and Janet Duncan ("Uncle" and "Auntie") were the uncle and aunt of Flora. A year prior, James had an accident at the mill in Almonte. Not long after, he, Janet, and Flora came to live with his brother in British Columbia. Janet gave birth to their daughter, Sadie, towards the end of 1888. James worked on the ranch with his brother and his temper had improved since his accident.
• Mrs. Sutherland (née McPhee) was Flora's teacher. In early December 1888, she announced to the class that she was going to be married on December 29. Henry, along with James, Wilfred, Flora, and others, gave the young couple a surprise by pulling their carriage to their new home.
• Wilfred "Wilf" and Nellie Duncan ("Uncle" and "Auntie") were James's brother and sister-in-law. They had five children, including Henry and Martha. Wilfred was concerned about his children's education, leading him to lecture Henry at times. For Christmas, Nellie gave Flora her mandolin.

Minor

• Bertha and Joe David were two of Flora's classmates. She was excited about Miss McPhee getting married, while Joe helped Henry with the surprise for Miss McPhee.
• Dr. and Mrs. Jenkins, a married couple who Miss McPhee boarded with while she was teaching.
• Martha Duncan was Flora's cousin and one of Wilfred and Nellie's five children. She attended the local school with Flora and her brother Henry.
• Mr. and Mrs. McPhee were the parents of Miss McPhee and her two sisters who live in Ontario. They gave Mr. Sutherland permission to marry their daughter, despite being sad that she would live so far away.
• Ollie was a cowhand who worked on Wilfred's ranch. He had an ability to "read the range."
• Sadie Duncan was the infant daughter of James and Janet.
• Mr. Sutherland, the fiancé and later husband of Miss McPhee. He owned a feed and tack store in Kamloops.

Editions

"Reading Henry"
English eSingle
9781443124225
(December 2012)

"Le secret de Henri"
French eSingle
(December 2012)