Page 31 - Life's Outtakes 8

the farm payments.
But with all of these worries, the thought of the

young mother trying to give birth and possibly losing
her life became Liza’s overriding concern.

She turned to her oldest son. “David, Mr.
Winthrop’s horses are exhausted. Please unhitch them
and hitch ours to his wagon while I get my things ready
to go.”

By the time she had everything packed, the wagon
was ready. As she climbed up beside Mr. Winthrop,
she took David’s hand. “Take care of things here, and
try to harvest what you can.”

David nodded. “We’ll be okay, Mother.”
Mr. Winthrop pushed the horses hard, but it was
still a few hours before they arrived at his home. When
Liza entered the room where Mrs. Winthrop was
laboring to give birth to the baby, she could tell
immediately that the situation was desperate. The
additional time it had taken for her to get there had
stressed both the mother and the baby.
She worked skillfully and quickly, and within an
hour, the baby was born. But the ordeal was a long way
from being over. The baby’s heartbeat was erratic, and

26