#grace tate

So Charley and Isaac decided it was time to add another room in the front. With the children getting older and a new baby on the way, it seemed like a good time.

After a few months of hard work, it was finished.

But just as he was laying the final board, Charley was like, "You know what? Let's make the kitchen its own room."

And Isaac was like, "Alright sounds good."

So they did that. More counters were added and walls were built around them, to give Grace (and now Rose too) more space to cook. What had once been Isaac's "bedroom" was turned into a hallway, so his bed was moved into the former nursery, now known as the Boys' Room, with Rose and Sophia moving to the Girls' Room at the front of the house.

Sharon also wrote a letter to her Grandmother Grace Tate, who she lovingly called "Nannie." The letter was auctioned at Heritage Auctions in November, 2010 by one of Sharon's cousins and sold for $1,434.

—

"Dear Nannie, I had a few clippings from various newspapers in London and thought you'd like to have them — since there [sic] my first. The pictures are bad but there [sic] special since I waited so long for this to happen.

I must say all of this is very exciting but to my surprise very dull. The only thing I can think about is how soon can I get home to my little things & Jay. I'm already counting the seconds.

We're on location in France now and will go back to London in two weeks and then home in a month & a half — I hope. Well I had better close now — I hope to see you in San Pedro when I return.

All my love, Sharon XXX."

Do not proceed if you're not comfortable with this topic - I'll provide a short summary at the start of tomorrow's episode.

An excerpt from Grace Tate's diary, dated May 10, 1759:

I have been teaching Rose some of the aspects of a good Wife, including baking and cross-stitching. Baking she proves quite good at, but she still has a way to go with the Other. Still, Rosie is a fast learner, or she would be if she didn't get distracted so often. I say, the only time she's focused on something is playing with Xan or during Charley's reading lessons.

I do wish we could send her to school, but, alas, the schoolhouse is no place for a good Girl. But I shall not envy Xan when Rose finds out that he will be attending school next term or the one after.

I can feel the Baby moving around right now. Oh, Diary, I shan't say any of this to Charley so as not to worry him, but I feel something is terribly wrong. None of the other Children have felt like this, and every day I am more nauseous and weak. Even when I had Rose, which felt so horrible at the time, is nothing compared to now. I fear something bad will happen during the birth. I don't know what I shall do if the Baby does not make it, if we lose another child. All I can do is pray that it will be safe and healthy.

She paced back and forth, back and forth. If she kept that up she would pace a line into the floor, thought Rose. Not even five and she was already a master of sarcasm.

But Grace had a good reason to worry, one she was keeping from her children. It had been three weeks, and Isaac wasn't back.

A flurry of doubts settled in her head. She tried to push them away, but found she could not. But - what if there was a reason he wasn't back?

A knock sounded at the door. Grace jumped, then rushed to unlock it.

And there was Isaac. And an arm was wrapped around his shoulder. An arm that connected to a body, as so many are.

"Charley!" she exclaimed, running towards him and pulling him into a tight hug.

"Grace," said Charley. "Oh, how I've missed you."

Then he collapsed.

~~~

Grace stayed at Charley's bedside for every minute, except for preparing a simple meal each morning for the children and Isaac, none of whom could cook to save their lives.

But other than that, she sat with her husband as he recovered.

Charley was quite weak, but no longer coughing blood, as he had been doing in the camp. The doctor was called in from town, and he expected Charley to make a full recovery. All he needed was a few months of rest.

He wasn't contagious, but still Charley wouldn't allow the children into the bedroom. Everyone obeyed him, but that didn't mean the kids enjoyed it.

Months passed. By and by, Charley felt better. Soon enough he was able to sit up in bed and listen as Grace told him all the Henford news and of the things he had missed.

And soon, Charley was feeling strong enough to... well, let's just say he was feeling better.

In March of 1759, Rose turned five. It was a simple celebration, as Charley was not yet fully well. But now Rose was old enough to help out around the farm, something they were all grateful for.

From Isaac, Rose received a carved dog, from her mother a cross-stitch of her, and from her father a leather-bound journal he had bought the year before for this very occasion.

And Grace had another present, too, one for the whole family - she was with child again!

And Isaac had grown up too - he was no longer the timid child fresh from a Boston orphanage, now he was strong and kind, almost a man.

His eighteenth birthday fell on a Thursday in June, 1758. Grace had baked a cake - one with real, store-bought flour, not the flour they made themselves. Everyone gathered round as he blew out candles, cheering, even little Sophia, who was only excited because the others were.

"Happy birthday, Isey!" Rose shouted.

Xan added, "Yeah!"

Isaac scooped them both up in his arms.

"I may be all grown up now but I still know how to play!" He pretended to almost drop them and the toddlers screeched. Sophia, feeling left out, hooked her tiny arms onto Isaac's leg and laughed.

Just then, a knock was heard at the door.

Who can that be? Grace wondered as she went to open it, leaving the children behind with their brother. The Mulligans were out of town visiting relations, and her mother always sent word ahead. Could it be one of the shop owners? But she hadn't bought anything...

When she opened the door, she gasped.

She looks very similar to Rose, as they have the same blonde hair and brown eyes. (I don't think any Tates will ever have brown hair at this rate)

Sophia rolled the Fussy trait, which is,,, great. Rose and Xan aren't so happy to let their sister into their little friendship, so Sophie spends a lot of time with her mother, and is the closest to her out of the siblings.

I wish I may have told you in person, but I am with child. This Babe will be expected at the close of the year, and I hope you'll be home soon to meet it. Xan is ecstatic, Rose less so. I am glad the two of them are so close, especially as soon I shall be busy with their baby brother or sister. But I am terribly excited for the fourth child of ours.

The next few months flew by. Grace now had not one, but two small children to look after in addition to being pregnant. Even with the help of her mother, Jenny, and Isaac, it was difficult.

(It did pain Grace quite much to see Isaac playing with Xan as Charley once had with Alex, but she kept it to herself. No one needed to know.)

The baby was expected in mid-November, but on October the thirteenth (don't worry, it was on a Wednesday), he water suddenly broke.

After a bit of chaos where it was discovered that Isaac did not know what direction the midwife lived in, Sophia Isabel Tate was born.