"If you hold something in the air and let it fall, the law of inertia says it should stay there." "But it falls." "Why does it fall?" "Something called..." "Anyone?" "It's gravity." "And gravity should not be..." "If I drop this shoe and this hair comb at the same time, which one will hit the ground first?" "The shoe!" "Miss Thatcher, why didn't the shoe hit first?" "It's heavier." "Remember I said that gravity is the force that pulls things to the earth?" "Well, even though the earth pulls stronger on a heavier object like the shoe, that heavy object is more reluctant to get moving." "So it's a tie?" "That's right, Emily, it's a tie." "Now it's your turn to give it a try." "I want each of you to partner up with a person sitting next to you, get up on a chair, and pick two objects to drop." "But nothing breakable, please." "One..." "There are times when I miss home." "Doing laundry is definitely one of them." "Let me guess, fresh, clean wardrobe in your closet every day of the week, clean, starched, pressed with a big steam iron?" "Yes." "Well, you think life is hard now, wait till winter, when you have to sit in there when the Mercury is below zero." "Then you're really going to miss home." "You get the next house down." "Can I help you, Mr. Spurlock?" "Everything you need to know is on the notice, ma'am." "What is it, Abigail?" ""By order of Henry Gowen," "Executive Director of the Pacific Northwest Mining Company, you are hereby given 14 days advance notice to vacate your company-owned house."" "It's just the widows who are getting these, Abigail." "They're making room for the miners." "How can they do that?" "It's immoral." "And 100% legal." "Oh, I didn't see this coming, but I should have." "Both my children were born in this town." "It's the only home they know." "Now, I don't want to break their hearts, but that company's leaving me no choice." "I wrote a letter to my mama in Lethbridge, asking if we could move in with her." "You did the right thing." "No one can blame you." "May I make a suggestion?" "I've been thinking this over, and perhaps if you pooled your money, you could hire a lawyer to fight this for you." "Little miss princess, you can think about it till the cows come home, but if I gave up what's left of my husband's measly death pension," "I'd have nothin' left to start over with." "I've got no money." "Me neither." "I've got no money for fancy lawyers." "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm not ready to give up." "Mr. Gowen is right." "If the company is recruiting new miners to replace our husbands, then I think it's time for us widows to fade into the background and the new miners to show up." "Boys got the last of the inner shafts cleared of the roof-fall yesterday." " Retimbered, too?" " Almost." "But some of the deeper sections are still blocked." "Shafts 14 and 16 are still closed." "I'm counting on you, Mr. Ansvil." "It's why I named you my new superintendent." "I know, sir, and I'm doin' the best I can." "I just don't have the manpower to clear those shafts any faster." "Well, shouldn't be a worry too much longer." "I've been doing some recruiting." "Help should be on its way soon." "Who in God's name are those men?" "You're recruiting more miners?" "You got 'em." "Respectfully, ladies, is this some kind of joke?" "No joke, Mr. Gowen." "You need workers." "We need roofs over our children's heads." "You lost your husbands in there." "What happens to your children if they lose you?" "Who puts roofs over their heads then?" "Mr. Gowen, we're offering to do this with our eyes open, and we're counting the cost." "We have to try." "Coal valley is our home." "All we're asking for is a chance." "Everybody knows you still have shafts blocked." "You tell us which one you want open." "If we have it cleared and timbered between now and the evictions..." "You get to stay in your homes?" "What happens if you don't?" "We leave quietly." "We'll even give the row houses a proper spring-cleaning before we vacate." "You have two weeks." "As well, none of the men who work for me may help you." "I will not compromise their safety." "Fair enough." "Mr. Ansvil." "Ladies, line up and sign your waiver." "I'm flabbergasted you agreed to this." "We both know they won't last more than a week, Mr. Spurlock." "And in the meantime, perhaps they'll get some of that shaft cleared," "I hope you have a plan for moving these boxes from the front of my building, miss Thatcher." "I'm sorry, are they for me?" "Well, unless they've changed how whiskey is spelled," "I doubt they're mine." "Need some help?" "May I?" "If you wish." "After you." "I can't tell you how thrilled I am to have my collection replaced." "It will be an absolute treasure for my students." "This for your students, too?" "A journal." "I already have so much to write about." "Be sure to mention how your father got me posted here babysitting his daughter instead of chasing pirates and whiskey-runners in Cape Fullerton." "Good morning, children." "Good morning, Miss Thatcher." "Good morning, Miss Thatcher." "So we're back to Cape Fullerton, are we?" "I thought we'd made our peace with that." "We did." "Just don't want you to forget that as long as you're tied to your father's apron strings," "I will be, too." "Good day, miss Thatcher." "Constable." "Children, I have a surprise for you this morning." "Everyone drop off your lunch pails and then gather around these boxes." "What's in 'em?" "Go ahead, see for yourselves." "I've never seen so many fancy dresses." "Are they all yours, Miss Thatcher?" "Uh, that's not the crate I wanted to show you." "Look at all these shoes!" "Okay, let's go find another one, shall we?" "Whoa, look at all these books!" "That ain't no surprise." "Well, sure it is, James." "Thanks to a generous gift, we have books on just about every subject." "And from now on, we'll be able to explore the entire world through reading." "Isn't that exciting?" "No." "Rachel..." "What's wrong?" "I don't want to leave coal valley." "Neither do I." "Everyone, grab a workbook and pencil and then take your seats." "In your best words," "I want you to write a short essay on this topic..." ""Coal valley is my home because..."" "You all have your pit-checks now." "Make sure they go back on the board so we know who's in and who's out of the mine." "Any questions?" "All right." "Ladies, follow me to shaft number 14." "Ladies, this is to keep our homes." "If that canary stops singing for 15 minutes," "I want you high-tailing it out of here." "Too much methane?" "Boom." "Too much c-o-2?" "Boom." "And with those open lamps you got on your heads, too much coal dust..." "We get it, Herbert." "Get to work." "Let's put our lunch boxes here." "Coal Valley is my home..." "Because I can't remember living anywhere else." "My first memory of being here is my daddy jumpin' off the wagon and fallin' to the ground, just on that street out there." "Then..." "He kissed the dirt and thanked the good lord for givin' us a second chance." "That was wonderful, cassandra." "Thank you for sharing." "Gabe, you're next." "Mine's kind of short." "Coal Valley is my home because it's where I got my first kiss." "Probably from yer ma." "No, it's not from my ma." "Fact is, it's from a girl in this here class..." "But I'm too much of a gent to kiss and tell." "And the reason I don't want to leave Coal Valley is 'cause someday I'm gonna marry her." "The end." "Settle down." "Thank you, Gabe." "Rachel, are you ready?" "Don't you need your workbook?" "No, ma'am." "My story's in my heart." "One day, before my daddy went to heaven, he gave me this little piece of coal." "He told to me to think of it as a diamond." "He called it his "pearl of great price."" "I didn't know what that meant." "I said, "it's just a dumb ol' piece of coal."" "He said it was a treasure, just like our town's a treasure for all who live here." "And all treasures worth digging for..." "Always come at a price." "We all know that's true now, don't we?" "Now that some of our mamas are down in that mine, it makes me worried..." "What if something happened to them that happened to our fathers?" "You have every right to be afraid, you all do." "But we mustn't lose hope." "I believe there's a reason for every fear we face, and every hardship we suffer..." "That's to make us all stronger people." "Mr. Gowen, how can you justify allowing those women to walk into that mine?" "Believe me, it wasn't my idea." "Those women go into that mine with their eyes wide open." "But you've prohibited your men from lending a hand." "Of course I did." "My men are the only thing standing between me and a complete shuttering of that mine." "Would you like a drink?" "I'm not going to allow my men's lives to be put in danger for of a bunch of stubborn women." "Who are trying to save their homes." "Constable, you do realize that as an officer of the law, that you cannot take a position on a property dispute one way or the other." "I am aware of the laws." "And should the evictions become necessary, that it will fall on you to enforce them?" "Now, I've been more than generous with these widows." "I've allowed them to stay in company housing rent-free since the mine disaster, when, clearly, according to the contract," "I could have evicted them much sooner." "I'm sure you've done everything you can to take care of them." "I have." "Just like you took every precaution to protect their husbands." "I'm sure you spared no expense when it came to the safety of the men who work for you." "Mr. Gowen." "Good day, Ned." "Good day." "Just wondering if there was any wires for me yet." "Oh, sorry." "No, Constable." "I'll let you know if anything from your command post comes in." "Oh, but you did get another package in the mail." "Pretty heavy." "Is it a book maybe?" "Maybe." "A little light reading?" "Something like that." "Thank you." "I know you're between a rock and a hard place, ladies, but you've got to give it up." "It just ain't worth it." "They're only doing what we would do if we were in their shoes." "Let me help you wash your hands, mama!" "Sorry, baby." "Mama's hands are just a little banged up." "Oh, mama." "Some unkers salve and they'll be just fine, baby." "Miriam?" "Cynthia?" "Uh, take the pot inside." "Okay, I'll be there in a minute." "Thank you so much for thinking of us." "I asked my Timothy what he would think about me going into the mine to help, but he forbade it." "He said it's too dangerous." "The other wives are getting the same from their husbands." "Bringing you something from our kitchens feels so piddling, but we don't know what more we can do." "No, you're doing the right thing, not risking your safety for your own kids' sake." "But we will take all of the potluck and prayer we can get." "Oh!" "I made dinner." "I found a recipe for stew and biscuits." "Oh, well, that's very kind of you, Elizabeth, but I think I would fall asleep in my plate." "I wish there was something I could do to help." "Do my part." "You are doing your part by tending to the children." "I suppose so." "Besides, the children of this town need their teacher more than ever right now." "So let's not hear any more about this, okay?" "You're just everywhere, aren't you?" "It's my job to keep an eye on things." "Isn't there anything more you could be doing rather than just sitting around looking all smug?" "My rules and regulations require that I can't take sides on this issue." "At least not until you have to enforce Mr. Gowen's evictions, right?" "If they become necessary." "Not because I'd take any joy in it, but because the law requires me to." "Well, they won't be necessary." "How can you be so sure?" "These ladies, they've taken on an impossible challenge." "Just because they're women?" "Says the woman who needed a man's help lifting her crates into the saloon." "You think I'm weak." "What I'm saying is, if there was ever a time for you to use those big-city brains to look for another way out of this mess, it's now." "I tried to make a stew tonight and ended up just making a stew of it." "And the biscuits... but my problems are nothing compared with these families." "They have paid such a heavy price to make Coal Valley their home." "And now these brave mothers, going into that dark place to fight for their children, while a mountie sits on his horse doing nothing." "Big-city brains..." "I'm supposed to think of a way out of this?" "Actually..." "Kind of late for school, ain't it?" "Never too late for school." "We're closed, Miss Thatcher." "I'm not here to drink, Mr. Trevoy." "What was that?" "My Noah used to call that "the ghost in the attic."" "It's okay." "Hey, there, little fella." "Come on, chirp." "Chirp for me." "Gas..." "Gas!" "Everybody, get out!" "Hurry!" "Get out of the mine!" "Go!" "Hurry!" "Run!" "Is everyone all right?" "Did everyone make it out?" "That's gonna need to be stitched up, Florence." "I'm sorry." "Mrs. Dort..." "Did you even check this bird before screaming like a banshee to get us out of that mine?" "I swear, that little creature just sat there, staring' at me." "I thought it was dead." "It wasn't makin' a peep." "Well, it's peeping now." "What should we do?" "School's already started." "She drools like a horse." "Maybe that's why the paper's stuck to her head." "Miss Thatcher?" "Miss Thatcher!" "Hi, Rachel." "Oh, my goodness!" "What time is it?" "Oh..." "Oh, dear children," "I am..." "I..." "I-I was trying, but..." "Never mind, it just got very late, and I must have..." "You definitely did." "Oh, my." "What's our first assignment for the day, Miss Thatcher?" "Math?" "Yes." ""Use the kids to help with the research."" "No, actually." "I want each of you to grab a research manual or encyclopedia from the bookshelf and bring it back to your tables." "Why, Miss Thatcher?" "We're going to try to find a way to help the mothers in the mine." "With books?" "Yes!" "Books can be very powerful weapons." "We're going to do a word search." "When you get your book," "I want you to go through it page by page, looking for these words..." ""Home,"" ""house,"" "or "property."" "Seems kind of boring." "Pipe down, James." "If it keeps us off math, who cares?" "Yes, James." "Nobody cares about math right now." "More coffee?" "Please." "Leave it?" "Thank you." ""..." "The domain act..." "Home improvements like painting..."" "Thank you, old farmer, whoever you are." "Afternoon, Miss Thatcher." "Now, if you've come for pencils and paper," "I have them on back order." "No, Mr. Yost." "I'm here for paint and paintbrushes." "Oh, certainly." "What's it for, a class project?" "You might say that." "All right, well, what color do you need?" "Every color that you have." "Pardon me?" "I'd like to buy up all the paint that you have in stock, plus all the brushes and other painting supplies." "Are you sure, ma'am?" "That'll all cost you a pretty penny." "Well, as you can see..." "I have a lot of pennies." "Looks like you want to paint the whole town." "Not the whole town exactly." "And I need it all delivered to the row houses by 8:00 tomorrow morning." "Certainly, uh..." "Why don't you follow me, and we can see how much this will set you back." "Right this way." "Then the company doctor said" "Suzanne Lowry cut a muscle in her leg with that pick axe." "She could be hobbled for a while." "Kate Frazier broke her arm," "Nancy Sanders got a concussion and a nasty gash in her head." "That makes seven of us too injured to go back in." "I should've been more grateful for my Paul." "He was a good provider." "Well, he might have been a first-rate miner, but I'll bet he wouldn't have had a chance changing a diaper." "No." "I guess he wouldn't have." "Hats off to you ladies for stickin' with it." "You've got guts." "Truly." "For what it's worth," "I thought you were all crazy at first, but now I hope you give Mr. Gowen a run for his money." "Thanks, fellas." "That means a lot." "Hello!" "Hello, everyone." "Hello." "Elizabeth, what are you doing here?" "At that first meeting, you told me to keep thinking about this eviction problem, so I did." "Actually, your children and I did." "Well, we're all ears, Miss Thatcher." "How do you feel about painting your houses?" "Ladies, perhaps while we're waiting for Mr. Yost to arrive, we could divide up into groups so we could move from one house to the next?" "What's Mr. Gowen doing here?" "Good morning, ladies." "Miss Thatcher," "I brought the paint that you ordered from the mercantile." "Wait, that can't be all of it." "I bought up all the paint in the store." "Mr. Yost forgot that most of his supply had already been spoken for." "By whom?" "By me." "The company needs the paint." "Needs it for what?" "Maintenance." "The mine will be reopening soon." "The buildings need a fresh coat." "Your refund," "Miss Thatcher." "I should say that if it's the domain act that you were trying to invoke, that is not unknown to the company." "We've had to fend it off before." "But for what it's worth..." "Well, I applaud your ingenuity." "I do." "It would have been a brilliant way to block the evictions." "Ladies," "I admire your pluck." "You do your families proud." "Unfortunately" "I cannot change the terms of our agreement." "That shaft must be cleared in order for you to stay in your homes." "And the timetable still stands." "Mr. Spurlock?" "Now we'll be late for our shift." "Oh, my lord." "What happened?" "Roof pins in the timbers didn't hold." "All that work." "You did this." "Didn't you?" "What?" "No!" "Gowen had you sabotage us!" "This is the company's doing." "They're making it impossible for us to keep our houses!" "Florence..." "They're all against us!" "Florence." "I can't..." "I can't do this no more." "We can start over." "We can do this and still save our homes." "How?" "We've lost a whole week." "We're back to where we started." "You just..." "You've got to have faith, and we have to stick together." "Yes." "Mr. Gowen, he was right." "This is a joke." "There's no such thing as lady miners." "Florence..." "We never should've tried this." "My little Rosaleen's already suffered enough from the loss of her daddy." "I should've just accepted our fate and not burned up what little time we got left." "Ladies," "I beg of you, go home and use what little time you have left to say a proper goodbye." "It's reading hour, Miss Thatcher." "Miss Thatcher?" "What's that?" "It's supposed to be reading hour." "Sorry." "Right." "Are you okay, Miss Thatcher?" "I'm fine, Rachel." "Thank you." "When my mama came home from the mine yesterday, she said we have to leave Coal Valley." "I want you to have this." "I hope it helps you love this place as much as I do." "Boys and girls, you may collect your things." "Until further notice, school is out." "I'm just saying, this isn't the best idea." "I don't have a choice." "My first plan failed." "I know." "Look, I live here now." "This is my community, and the children I teach are terrified about losing their homes." "I have to do something." "Elizabeth, it is too dangerous." "Because I'm a woman?" "Because right now that mine is filled with women." "Yes, I know, and I wish I could stop all of them." "Legally, I can't." "You can't stop me either." "My son, Bradley, said school's being canceled until further notice." "Is that true?" "Yes." "I want to help the lady miners." "Well, you're being paid to teach, not digging coal." "I realize that, but..." "So you need to go back to school and do your job." "I'm sorry you feel that way, Mrs. Ramsey, but Mr. Gowen has given these widows until tomorrow..." "I don't think it's your place to go into the mine..." "Ladies, it seems to me if she's willing to put her community before her own safety, that's something to be commended." "Now, as risky as it is, some of the women in this town are standing together to save their homes." "Now, I'd think the other mothers would understand that, since most of them are married to men who walk into that mine every day." "There but for the grace of God go all of you." "I wish you weren't doing this." "I understand why you are, but just, be careful." "Thank you." "Oof!" "What in the world?" "I know I'm the last person you expected to see here." "Actually, I think the truer statement is, you're the last person you expected to see here." "Maybe so." "But I'm here anyway." "Hand me a chock and mallet." "Got it, right here." "Florence, you're back!" "Well, if little miss princess here can give it her best, so can the rest of us." "What do you mean, "the rest of us?"" "Oh, boy." "This is not gonna make someone happy." "Sir." "I'm not sure how to say this, but all the women are goin' into the mine." "You mean all the widows." "No." "All the women." "What do you mean, when you say "all the women?"" "All the women, in the entire town, and they're planning on working around-the-clock shifts." "When my father saw me off on my journey west, he told me he hoped I would find what God had shaped me for, and then give my whole heart to it." "I thought I already knew what that was." "As a teacher," "I would be a molder of young minds and an encouragement to their mothers and fathers." "But in trying to give my heart to that purpose," "I've learned it's much more than what's in a book." "One sometimes has to go against his or her nature to dig deep into the dark trenches of life..." "One has to be willing to lose everything in order to gain what God has shaped them for." "Because there's a cost to the things that matter most in life, and it's in that sacrifice that we find our true treasure." "I never got to thank you for leaving me that note in the saloon." "You're welcome." "I figured it was the least I could do." "Was it really necessary to leave it on my forehead?" "You were snoring." "I didn't want to wake you." "Please." "I do not snore." "Ladies do not snore." "You're right." "So..." "Have you been writing in that journal?" "Of course." "That's what it's for." "Well, anything about me in there?" "That would be why it's a private journal." "Well, I hope it's not all bad." "You were the one who told me to write that you were forced here by my father to babysit me." "Which is all true, but maybe "forced" is slightly too harsh." "Does "compelled" cover it?" "Still not quite right." ""Manipulated?"" "That's getting closer." "It was a big blow for me not to get my posting in Cape Fullerton." "Chasing pirates and whiskey-runners." "Yeah." "I was really looking forward to that." "A darn shame."