March 5, 1845, Wednesday.

Jim Tanner woke up and moved a couple of dogs which had been sharing body heat. He didn't feel any different. But today he was of legal age.

Yesterday, James K Polk had been sworn in as the 11th president of the United States. Jim wasn't there, of course. That took place in Washington, DC. The politicians were probably still sleeping off the celebration.

On February 28th, Congress had approved the annexation of Texas. The news had reached Brookville by way of a stagecoach passenger who was looking forward to the expansion. Jim wasn't so sure it was a good idea. The United States had already gotten bigger this year: Florida had become the 27th state, as well.

'Adding swamps and deserts,' he thought as he broke the ice off some rainwater to wash his face.

Among the things Jim didn't know about at that specific moment in time:

• The Maori and the British were about to go to war in New Zealand.
• In January, Elizabeth Barrett had received her first love letter from Robert Browning.
• A remarkable poem had just been published in New York. It was called 'The Raven'.
• In the British Museum, a drunken visitor had just smashed a first-century vase. It was going to take months to put back together.

Jim also had no idea that in Leipzig, Felix Mendelssohn was about to premiere a violin concerto. He might have been interested in hearing that. But it is questionable that he would have cared, had he known, that Englishman Stephen Perry was in the process of patenting the rubber band, which in future years would be referred to by everybody in Pittsburgh as a 'gum band'.

What Jim was interested in was that the chickens hadn't laid any eggs, alas, but still needed to be fed. The cow was still giving milk, which was good. He fed Myrtle while Mrs Gallagher milked her, and went into the kitchen for a cup of coffee and a biscuit.

To his surprise, Cherry was there. She grinned.

'Happy birthday, Jim,' she said, and handed him a slim wooden box. He opened it.

It contained a handmade flute.

'Like Wa-Sha-Xnend's,' he said, a little awed.

Cherry shrugged. 'A souvenir to remember Brookville by,' was her comment.

Mrs Gallagher handed Jim her gift, just as welcome. A new coat: leather on the outside, sheepskin on the inside. 'We can't send you off to Pittsburgh with just that old matchcoat,' she sniffed. 'What would people think? Jim, we're going to miss you,' and she broke down in tears.

Cherry hugged Mrs Gallagher. 'Don't you worry, Jim's not goin' yet. He'll be here until the spring flood, won't you, Jim?'

Jim nodded. 'Sure will. But thank you both! I will treasure these gifts. It means a lot, really.'

To keep things from becoming any more awkward, Jim swallowed his coffee, grabbed a biscuit, and escaped up the street to the post office to do some work.

When the stage arrived, it contained two surprise passengers: Wells and Young. They were happy to see Jim.

'Hello, our young friend! How are you this fine day?' Jim opined that he was doing well, thank you, although a cloudy day with snow on the ground was a stretch to be described as 'fine'.

'How are you two doing?' Jim wanted to know. 'And what happened to your medicine wagon?'

'Alas, it met with a fatal accident in Coudersport,' was the answer. 'The horse tripped over the headwaters of the Allegheny, all 15 feet of it, and the wagon broke an axle. It was only fit for scrap after that. But,' Wells brightened, 'no matter. We have found ourselves going in a new musical direction, and it's more lucrative than we had ever imagined!'

Proudly, he handed Jim a flyer for the new 'tour'.

Wells & Young, Temperance Singers

All the Latest Temperance Songs Performed with Grace and Dignity!

Singing Our Way to a New Mode of Life!

Sobriety Is Our Watchword!!

Jim was confused. 'I thought you were goin' to do jokes, sketches, and songs?'

Young said, 'We did that for a while. But the market was rather, er, saturated. It was difficult to compete with the larger companies, particularly in the big cities. The minstrel shows are still doing the biggest business there.'

'But then,' said Wells, 'We happened to hear the Hutchinsons. They have joi de vivre!'

'They have verve!' added his partner.

'And they make money!' said both in unison.

Jim scratched his head. 'With Temperance songs?'

Wells laughed. 'Not here, of course. Temperance songs ain't goin' to sell in the backcountry. But in the bigger places, it's all the rage! Come around the back – we don't want to annoy the saloon crowd – and we'll give you a sample.'

Out behind the stable, Wells & Young rendered the Hutchinson Family song, 'Cold Water':

All hail! yes friends of temperance,

Who're gather here to night, sirs,

To celebrate the praises of

Cold water, pure and bright, sirs.

We welcome you with joyful hearts

Each generous son and daughter,

For here's the place of all, to shout

The praises of cold water.

Oh! cold water, pure cold water,

Raise the shout, send it out,

Shout for pure cold water.

'Oh, my,' said Jim. 'Well, you've certainly changed direction since I saw you last.'

'And all due to you, my boy, and your friend George,' said Wells earnestly. 'We decided to improve ourselves. And when we found out it paid! Why, you wouldn't believe! Most places, we don't even have to rent theatres. The churches are glad to have us as long as we sing Temperance and Social Betterment. And they take up offerings to speed us along in the good work!'

'We're eating better these days, too,' said Young. 'Those church people feed us.'

'I'm glad it's workin' out for y'uns,' said Jim. 'I wish you the best in the world, I do. Just please don't sing that song on Main Street. It's my birthday, and I don't want to end up in a fist fight on my birthday.'

Wells & Young congratulated Jim and wished him many happy returns.

'There's only one thing we need,' said Young. 'You, er, wouldn't know a good, discreet place for a couple of thirsty fellows to get a real drink, would you?'

Dmitri Gheorgheni