Louvina Clunes and Ayla
El Dorado County 1950 - The Library, Goats and Old Friends
If you have had enough of murder, mayhem, the apocalypse and existential crises in your reading for now, come take a six-minute journey to Riles Crossing where those things don't happen. This is Chapter 19 of Bartle Clunes, wherein the two Clunes women begin their new business, The Daughters of Zeus Dairy, by buying a couple of goats. They meet up with a few other denizens of the California foothills in the library and on the road.
NOTE: The novel, Bartle Clunes, is found in his own archive at the top of the home page. Click here. If you are new, you can start here: Intro to Bartle Clunes .
El Dorado County, California - 1950
Ayla and Louvina drove down to the Placerville library Wednesday morning on their way to pick up the goats. Bartle had gone over to his studio to start planning for the July gallery event. He was already feeling the pressure of his first one-man show, and did not mind admitting it to anyone who’d listen.
An oblique band of winter sun shone thinly through the narrow front window, at the old library, sparkling with floating motes of dust. The rooms smelled, not surprisingly, like old flaking paper, mucilage and beeswax polish. It was a very quiet, no-nonsense kind of library, staffed by two elderly women who might have been sisters.
Ayla and Louvina found the two books they were looking for: Emerson's 'Guide to Raising Dairy Goats', and Mary Blowster's 'Making Soap At Home for Fun and Profit'. And, just for good measure, Louvina took Lucille Depp's 'The Home Economist's Book of Cheese Making'. Then she wandered over to browse the history section to find something more entertaining.
Young Ayla went to speak to the reference librarian. “May I help you?” the woman asked, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose and patting her faded hair that, frankly, looked like small puffs of blue cotton-candy.
“Yes, thank you. Um...I want to find the names of publishers who specialize in books on natural history — plant identification, animals, minerals, anything like that.”
“Tell me your purpose, and I can find exactly what it is you need.”
“I am a ... a ... well, I am a science illustrator,” Ayla said, trying on the fancy label, “and I want to submit my nature drawings and paintings for publication. I thought maybe you could point me in the best direction.”
“I'm sure I can. Please sit down. I will be right back.”
The librarian returned with a large reference book and pointed out the addresses for both the University Press in Berkeley and John Black and Sons. “These might be two good places to start, and you might want to jot down these other six as well,” she said, pointing further down the column. “But remember,” she advised, “you must submit your work to only one publishing house at a time, and enclose a large stamped envelope so they will return the material to you. If you like, I can loan you a book that has sample query letters, and that will help you follow correct protocol.”
Ayla was not sure what 'query' and 'protocol' meant, but she jotted down the addresses and thanked the woman politely for her help and advice.
On the way down the walk as they were leaving, they ran into the two Rider sisters – the twins, Rose and Ruth, who lived alone on the south side of Riles Crossing. Folks referred to them as the “spinsters”, though they couldn’t have been more than twenty-five years old. They were rather unfortunate when it came to physical beauty, but they were both sweet as can be and very kind.
“Hello, girls,” said Louvina. “Haven’t seen you two in a dog’s age. How are you doing? Are you still taking in quilting? Still baking bread?”
“Why, we’re both quite well, thank you, Louvina,” said Rose. “ Yes,we both have quilts waiting for us to get working on. And I made banana breads this morning early. We just came down here to the library on the bus.”
“We come twice a month,” said Ruth. “And we always visit an old school friend over on River Street while we are here. Make a day of it.”
Louvina introduced Ayla to these old friends, and said, “Well, you two have fun in there — behave yourselves now! And pick out something other than those trashy romance novels, you hear! Bring home something educational for a change,” she teased. “I am sure you have read every Zane Gray, every Myrtle Reed, Ralph Connor, and Jean Stratton Porter this library owns by now!”
Both girls giggled a protest. Louvina knew they studied everything from botany to geography to history. They were odd girls, maybe, but they were not lacking when it came to educational pursuits..
At Hansen’s Farm over in Clarksville, the two Clunes women met and talked to several milk goats and chose two that seemed friendly and gentle, and Mrs. Hansen ran the goats up on stands for the women to practice on. One was an amiable white Saanan three-year-old, the other was a brown and tan Nubian, nearly five, with the sweetest face. Both Ayla and Louvina had no trouble adjusting their milking techniques to the docile creatures and agreed to a price of $20 for both. It was a big investment for them in the year 1950, but they were absolutely ready to launch this new enterprise together.
Driving home in the truck, the goats secured safely in the back, Louvina slowed down and said, “Oh look! There’s old Eizer Griggs. I haven’t seen him lately.”
“I’ve met him before,” said Ayla, “over at the General Store and Hardware… kind of an unusual old man.”
Louvina tootled the horn and came to a stop. Eizer stepped back off the road and took off his cap. “How are you, Eizer?” she said, “I don't think I ever saw you walking so far over here on this side of the Crossing. Can I offer you a lift today?”
“Nah, thank you, Louvina,” he growled. “I’m doing fine, enjoying the walk. You got goats, I see. Fine animals. Useful!”
“Yes, we do! A new adventure for us. Glad to see you looking so well on this beautiful day. You take care of yourself,” she said, and she drove on.
A mile or so later, Ayla said, “Louvina, I’d like to name our goats Melpomene and Thalia, if that is okay with you.”
Louvina chuckled at the reference, and said, “Perfect! Then we’ll have to name our enterprise “The Daughters of Zeus Dairy.”
“Oh yes! Good idea!” Ayla said. After a couple of minutes, she added, “But.... then … I don’t know … if it is The Daughters of Zeus, does that mean we’ll need seven more goats?”
The first printing of Barle Clunes has sold out! Thank you, 🍁Leaves readers! I have just received another small run of books. Bartle Clunes will remain on line in the archive to read for free, however, if you would like a paper copy for your bookshelf or to give as a gift, send me an email. They can be ordered only from me, personally. bassanois@cruzio.com. They are $20 - which is simply my cost. Free shipping in the US.
Such a delight, Sharron! I'm RIGHT THERE in the story. Thank you for a delicious read. xxx
Can't wait to get my own copy!