Old Josh, on Marriage

Old Josh never married, and there are reasons for that, and I think at this point, we need to look at them; it is an issue that came up throughout his life, for example, with Sweet-Chili (mother of his two children, and to my knowledge, married by common-law), and Sweet Bessie, and Bessie Ann, and Molly, he even had an eye for Lula the Cook, and Granny Mae.
Perhaps he knew better than anyone, why he never married, the only thing I can do is go back throughout his life and come up with guesses, I mean he did have opportunities: even when he went to New Orleans with Mr. Hightower he had the urge, perhaps not the edge to seek out a wife and got into some trouble—and that ended that episode.
But women were not his main concern, although he liked them. Perchance he felt a simple life, less emotional depression was more important, along with raising his boys. I mean he had a bad experience with Sweet-Chili, and the word marriage seemed never to quite develop thereafter.
But let’s look a little deeper into the head of Josh, his heart, soul, the prospect of bring a wife into his life of poverty and struggling more than he had been, or would have to if acquiring a new wife. Would this not put too much strain on a woman’s love? And although he might have found a good woman, his boys may have not appreciated it, it could have been a thankless job, perhaps a conflict arising, such as one or the other demanding he take sides, and once he did, he would lose the other.
Simplify plays an important part here I think. He was being fed and had shelter, like in the Army—they take care of you, and he and his boys were being cared for.
Each time he set out to marry, he hesitated having a wild moment and so breathlessly, with a glare in his eyes like winter windows, simplicity came first, just like when he acquired his freedom, in 1865, he never left the Hightower Plantation, and he could have with his brother. Why did he not? that is a question that comes up in my head—and may have come up in your head, and it seems to be a relevant element in his life, again but why put so much on simplicity (or call it ease): I think when you have an uncertain childhood, taken out of your environment, lose all you have, if you get things worked out later on, perhaps you want to leave well enough alone.
As I stated in the beginning, conjecture plays a big part in this narration on Josh Jefferson on my part.
He always had this exalted look, as if he had a feeling of being free, even when he wasn’t, maybe because he was unmarried—I call them tears of gratitude: furthermore, his eyes were warm, old eyes but refrain, if he had gotten married, then what? I would not be making this “Interlude II” that is for sure.
Josh never put his boys in the background of his life, they were always up front, if they were behind him, he became disturbed, this in itself required him to be unmarried. And once the boys became men, well, they were much like him, in many ways, as we see Silas being a little on the pale, but romantic side, and wanting thinks simple also. Jordan, whose character is never fully developed in these episodes—perhaps unfairly so—liked staying in the background, working at the store in Ozark, matter of fact, as one can see by reading all of the Episodes on Old Josh, he rarely goes to the Hightower Plantation, and he likes his freedom away from it all, not to say he doesn’t like being with his brother or Josh, he does, he in his own way, likes things simple. And throughout his life he works there, neither one getting married.

I hope this little brief helps you understand Josh, it helps me just to write it.

Written 11-24-2008