Not Titled Yet

Story that I am working on. Side note: It's supposed to sound a little off. The view is from someone.... southernish.





Once upon a time Magdalene gave birth to a baby boy and the town rejoiced. Well, that is how it was supposed to go. But Magdalene Harrison did not get her happy ending as she had wished. You see.... or should I say it all started? It all started when Magdalene was born, I guess. Her father was a Harrison, of the Biloxi Harrisons. Of course it was originally Harris but Franklin Harris, Magdalene's great grandfather, didn't think it sounded dignified enough. Poor Miss Magdalene must of sent him rolling his grave. Anyway, her father was Richard Montgomery Harrison of Biloxi, Mississippi and her mother was Victoria Pershing. I believe Victoria once told me her father was a General, but he never came around.


The day Magdalene was born was a good one. Richard and Victoria had been trying to have a baby for nearly six years. So the only thing that could have made that day better is if that baby had been a boy. But when Victoria was handed that baby, all wrapped up in one of her best linen, she couldn't have been happier. Richard took it all in stride. I assume it was because he knew now that Victoria could have children. For awhile there were whispers around that she couldn't and that Richard had married wrong. So a daughter didn't come out bad in the end.


Magdalene was given her grandmother's name on her father's side. She was Magdalene Virginia Pershing Harrison and the name fit her well. She was born with hair the color of a chestnut horse, rich and brown-red, eyes the color of autumn oak leaves. By the time she was walking her hair hung to her shoulders in bright little ringlets. She made her momma proud.


When Magdalene was four her mother gave her a sister, Margaret. Richard blamed Victoria for birthing another girl and the distance grew. But Miss Magdalene dressed her up like a doll and pushed her around in her pram. Margaret nearly died of exposure when Magdalene pushed her out the door and her momma couldn't find her. If it wouldn't have been for a surprise visit from the neighbor that baby wouldn't have made it.


Victoria gave birth to a set of twins, a boy and a girl, only a year later. Richard promptly named the boy after himself. Victoria called the baby girl Olivia. Olivia was born small and she stayed that way. Those twins marked the end of Victoria's baby birthing days. After they came along you'd have to look good and hard to find Victoria and Richard closer than I could spit. Some people gossiped that Victoria became depressed after the twins were born. But I knew that Victoria loved them babies and the real reason was because she had caught Richard doing something unspeakable.



Magdalene grew up with very little attention from her parents. Truth speaking, the only person who paid her real mind was the horse-master. Richard raised carriage horses along his plantation. Well bred, high headed and quick stepping horses that pulled dignitaries to balls and what not. Magdalene spent most of her days brushing the horses. Her mother hated her eldest spending time with horses instead of practicing her needle work. Her father ignored everything that didn't have to do with his business or his son.



When Magdalene was thirteen a mare went into foal. Magdalene had snuck out of her window and down the side of the veranda to stay and watch. The mare gave birth to a colt. On his face sat the marking of a bird in flight. For Magdalene it was love at first sight. For the foal just wanted to suckle.

I like it so far! A little off beat, but fun to read :)

Good job, keep going!

Chapter 1:

I was born from a Drover and a young Spaniard girl he took one night on his way through. I was as unwanted as unwanted could get. The moment I stopped nursing off my mama she left. Just sat me on a chair, on a store front, and walked away. I don't remember those days. It was said that someone saw her do it. I climbed off the chair and started to waggle my way to the horses tied up when a stranger snatched me up. That stranger was a Ms Lydia Dowery. She knew my mama and she saw her leave me. Ms Lydia had ever intention of taking me back but my momma was never heard from again. Ms Lydia didn't even recall my name.

At first her husband, Mr Joseph Dowery, was adamant that I be taken to an orphanage. Ms Lydia had never had kids and she told him this would be her only chance. So they took me in.

For years we lived on the edge of a town. My job was to take in the carriage and stock horses that belonged to passerbys. Feed them, bed them and put them away dry. I wasn't a day over six when pa gave me the job.

That was the year a man came searching. He was looking for someone who knew how to care for horses. How to train them. He was to met someone at the hotel. With him he had brought a stunning grey English horse of about two years old. Word got around that he would hire the man he had come for if he could saddle and ride that horse in two days.

The horse was called Tempeter and I bedded him well. He rewarded me by blowing dust from the stall front into my hair. He was nice to look at and I had to be called in to eat dinner from wanting to stay with him.

The next morning the man came from the hotel. He stood upright and carried himself like a proper Englishmen. A short man followed him in carrying his tack. Behind him came the Master from Oleander Manor.

The man took the colt out into our turn out. He had the short man hold him while he put the saddle on. As soon as he tugged the belly strap up the horse burst into a rear so high I thought he would topple. The man took the lead rope from the short man and pulled the horse down. With a snort the horse stood. As soon as he stood the man went after him with the whip. Lash after lash, blow after blow. The horse backed away from him blindly but without relent. Tempeter pulled back to where I was standing. I could see the fear in his eyes. He didn't understand, he just wanted to get away.

The man let him stand again. He shook all over. The shorter man brought out a bridle. The horse started away and the man raised the whip. My pa hollered from the water pump. It was the voice he used when he meant something.

Everyone stopped. My pa came in the pin and took the lead away from the Englishman. With a flick of his wrist he planted that man on the ground. The man stood looking astonished and pride hurt. Wiping of his trousers he looked at my pa.

"Excuse me sire!" He squelched.

My pa turned to the man who had stood silently all the while. "I'll have you take your business elsewhere. There will be none of this in my yard."

And that is how my father became the horsemaster for Oleander Manor and one Richard Montgomery Harrison.

Pretty interesting so far.

So wait, those are 2 different stories?

Nope the first is a prologue of sorts. They'll connect. I'll post another section tonight or tomorrow : )

I was figuring the boy is the one that marries Magdeline, which I would assume her father would not approve of, since he is the son of a "mere" horsemaster. But I shall wait and see where you go with it!

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The day we moved into the original plantation house was the day I met Magdalene. She watched us curiously, legs swinging from the edge of a Sycamore tree. All I saw was violet drapes of skirt, petticoat and two black penny boots. For a minute I sat there starring up at them boots waiting for them to come down. Pa hollered for me so I shrugged and drug my Ma's rocker toward the house.

The owner of the boots snickered. I felt my face grow hot but I didn't stop. I heard laughing and I turned around.

"Ya got somefin to laugh about up der?" I hollered.

She laughed again. "No. No. You keep on pulling that chair. Go on your Pa must'nt wait long for you."

My jaw dropped. What'd she mean? Hastily I grabbed the rocker and pulled it into the house. Running back outside I grabbed the lowest branch on that Sycamore tree and I started to climb it.

"What are you doing?" She yelped.

"I'm going to come up der and find out what yer laughing bout." I exclaimed.

Just as I reached the branch she was on my shirt snagged. Cussing, I pulled myself onto the branch. My ma was going to yell at me for that hole. The boot's owner started laughing harder.

"What you laughing at? You got some sorta problem?" I snapped.

"The look on your face.." She blurted as she laughed some more.

"There ain't nothing funny." I insisted.

She shut up and looked at me. Then she started laughing again. I crunched my face together. My pa told me to never hit anyone but I was right close to it. My fists balled. Then her mama hollered for her. She stopped laughing and looked back at the house. Without saying a word to me she grabbed the branch, swung down and landed on the ground. Then, to add insult, she skipped away.

I looked at the distance from me to the ground and choose to climb back the way I had come. Which snagged my shirt again. When I reached the ground I heard my pa holler for me again. They were walking over to the new house, the one that had been recently built. Ma waved me over with a frown. I must of had dirt smeared down the front of me. Hanging my head I followed them to where the Harrisons stood.

"Mr. Harrison, this is my wife Lydia and this is Franky." Pa said.

"Hello." The man said. "This is my wife Victoria and our children. The youngest are Ricky and Olivia, this is Margaret and my oldest is Magdalene."

My eyes shot up to hers. She looked totally bored by everything. Our parents started talking about grown up things and soon enough they shooed us all away. Magdalene immediately started toward the stables. I was inclined to follow.

She walked right in and straight to Tempester's stall. The big gray stuck out his dumb head and let out a big mouth full of water. It splashed and speckled the bottom of the girl's dress. She giggled and patted the horse's nose.

"Won't your ma get mad at you fer gettin all dirty?" I had to ask.

She startled but didn't turn toward me. "My mama doesn't notice all that much. Does she Temper?"

"Ohhh.." I sighed as I walked up to her.

"Isn't he grand?" She asked, looking at me.

"Yes. I think he is just about the grandest horse I've seen." I agreed.

She grew silent as she stroke the horse's nose. I stood there watching the horse nearly nap as she petted him. But I wasn't the quiet type.

"Why'd you laugh at me?" I asked.

"Because you are wearing boy clothes." She said simply.

"Ohhh.." I said, blushing. "I can't clean stalls in a dress."

She smiled. "You even have a boy's name."

"It's short fer Frances." I exclaimed, feeling even more embarrassed.

She didn't look at me. "You can call me Maggie."

I smiled. "Call me Franky?"

"Sure." She said and she skipped away.

So it's a girl? Oh, my. And Franky?Please? It sounded like a guy at first,a nd I liked it that way. WOulda been cute, and you coulda gone far witht that. Oh well, its your story! :)

I have it written two different ways. One with the teller a boy and one with it a girl. I'll write in the boy section tonight and you can tell me which is better.