The stone wall is easy enough to follow. Getting over it is another matter. The Whitaker children know the stile well. It stands where the path crosses the wall, with its wooden steps on one side and the open meadow on the other.
On chapel mornings, the older children go first. One climbs over. Then another. Then another. The younger ones wait their turn, watching carefully and holding their Sunday clothes out of the mud.
James is usually ready to lend a hand. But even with help, a stile can be tricky when everyone is dressed for chapel instead of a walk across a muddy field. One child gets a shoe caught. Another needs an extra hand. And there is always the danger of stepping where you shouldn’t.
Especially when you’re carrying something important. A Bible, for instance. Nobody wants to explain to Mother how the family Bible ended up face-down in a puddle. So the children cross carefully, one at a time, until everyone is safely over. Then they gather themselves, brush off the mud, and continue along the path. The chapel bell won’t wait forever.
Can You Get Across?
Have you ever climbed over a stile? It looks simple. Until you’re carrying something, wearing your best clothes, and trying not to step in the mud.
Some parts of the journey are easier when you help one another.
Own a Piece of 1885 → | Peckles-Wood Shire Map →
The Illustrator’s Vision—The maps and illustrations of Peckles-Wood Shire are inspired by the real landscapes, places, and traditions of Victorian Northumberland. Created for The Chronicles of Peckles-Wood Shire, they blend historical research with imagination to bring the world of Broken Sanctuary to life and invite young explorers to step into the Whitaker family’s adventure of 1885.
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