Santa Fe Mail Order Brides Box Set Page 6

  He bowed his head in prayer and everyone at the simple wooden table followed his lead.

  “Heavenly Father, I want to offer my thanks for the blessings that you have brought to my family and friends. As I sit here tonight, Lord, I know that it is through your goodness and your love that we have the food on this table, the clothes on our backs, and the shelter over our heads. Lord, thank you for showing us your mercy and we humbly beg for your guidance in the new century. In Jesus’s name, amen.”

  He considered himself a lucky man, blessed in every sense of the word. His boys were all alive and healthy – Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Matthew had just been married that Sunday to a God-fearing woman named Grace.

  Grace sat in her wheeled chair beside her husband Matthew at the table and beamed with happiness. Eli was thankful for Grace; she was beautiful and loved his son very much. It seemed like a bad dream that Grace had almost been killed in an accident only a month before.

  Eli prayed that God would heal her if that was his will. Looking at his son and daughter-in-law, murmuring softly to each other and smiling, he knew that what mattered most was that God had spared her. He trusted God and knew there was a purpose for all of his Heavenly Father’s decisions, even if that purpose was not apparent to his servants.

  Eli was thankful for the friends who joined them around the table, Walter Mathers, the owner of the local newspaper, and his lovely wife Ingrid, who had brought over most of the food for the dinner. There was Mrs. Cecelia Baker from Philadelphia, who ran the boarding house. He looked at Cecelia, or Cece, as she was known, and he smiled warmly.

  Jack Trenton and his wife Delilah were seated by Cece. Delilah and Grace had become inseparable. Delilah was expecting, and even though she and Jack had nearly lost their house and business to fire a month ago, they were still happy and thankful to be alive.

  It was in that fire that Grace had been injured. Delilah had confided to Eli that she knew she would never be able to return Grace’s health to her, but she vowed to do anything in her power to make Grace’s life easier. Now the two young wives were as close as sisters.

  The fire blazed in the stone fireplace, a roasted chicken with all the trimmings was on the table, and despite the bitter cold outside, everyone around the table was warm and knew they had found a place where they truly belonged. Yes, Eli thought to himself, there was much to look forward to in the coming century. He smiled at his guests and joined the lively conversations that were already in progress.

  “Pa, make ‘em stop,” said Mark, who seemed to be exasperated about something.

  “Come on now, it’s your turn,” teased Matthew.

  “Why do I have to, Luke is old enough, he ought to if he’s so keen on the notion,” answered Mark.

  “Well maybe I oughtta. Then you’d be lookin’ mighty funny with Matt hitched and then me. People ‘round here might think there’s something the matter with you,” Luke joined in, as he reached for the bowl of potatoes.

  “Never can tell, it might be me. I may be fifteen but I’m sure I could pass for older,” joked John.

  Eli tried not to laugh at the antics of his sons. He knew they were high spirited and could get a little rambunctious, but they never meant any harm.

  “Boys, come on now, your brother ain’t ready yet. Ya’ll behave like you got some sense.”

  “Yes sir,” they murmured. Grace couldn’t help but giggle, even her new husband Matthew, who was twenty-four, looked like a schoolboy who had just been scolded. She smiled at Eli.

  Eli returned her smile and then found himself looking across the table at Cece. She had covered her mouth with her hand, trying not to laugh. It was funny, although probably not to Mark.

  “The new year and the new century is nearly here, what should we hope for?” he asked, to change the subject.

  “Good health,” said Walter Mathers.

  “Plenty of food,” said his youngest son.

  “Happiness,” answered Grace.

  Eli found his eyes once again drifting to Cece at the mention of happiness. Cece met his gaze and then demurely turned away. He thought she might have blushed.

  “For Mark to find a wife!” said Luke mischievously.

  “Pa!” yelled Mark.

  The whole table erupted into laughter, and Eli could not stop himself this time. He reached over and patted Mark’s hand. Mark rolled his eyes and started laughing, too. Eli couldn’t have hoped for a better New Year’s.

  Chapter Two

  January 1, 1900

  T he next morning, Eli was up before the sun. It was a bitterly cold morning and he stoked the embers in the fireplace. He added more wood and before too long, he had a good strong fire going. He warmed his hands and went to the stove.

  He lit the kindling and the wood in the belly of the cast iron stove and fixed coffee in the pot. In just a few minutes, he would have a fresh cup of strong coffee. On a morning like this one, he needed it. He was sitting in his favorite rocking chair by the fire when he was joined by Mark.

  Eli was not accustomed to the boys being up this early in the winter, when there was no harvesting or tilling to be done. He looked at his boy and realized that Mark had become a young man. Eli could not account for where the years had gone.

  “Morning, Pa.” Mark sat down at the fire and warmed his hands.

  “Morning, son.” Eli could tell by the look on his son’s face that something was on his mind. He waited patiently; he knew Mark took his time when it came to such things.

  The coffee was soon ready and Eli got up and fixed himself and Mark a cup. He walked over to Mark and handed him a steaming mug.

  “Thanks, Pa.”

  Eli drank the bitter liquid and enjoyed the warmth of each sip. He stayed quiet and waited for Mark. He didn’t have to wait long.

  “Pa, do you think Matt, Luke and John were right, that I oughtta see about getting me a wife?”

  “I don’t know, son. That’s a big decision and not to be taken lightly. You are the only one who can answer that question. Have you prayed about it?”

  “Yes, I have, and I think I got an answer.”

  “Well then, if God gave you an answer, it’s best to do as He commands.”

  Mark looked serious. “I thought I would ride over to town and visit Mrs. Baker. She helped Matt write his ad, I reckon she might help me with mine. She could send it back East to that paper where she’s from, maybe find a good woman for me.”

  “That seems sensible.”

  “Pa, just don’t tell no one yet. I ain’t ready for everyone to know, just in case no one answers my letter.”

  “Mark, you know how I feel about secrets in this house, but I reckon you’ll tell your brothers when you are ready. You’re a good Christian man. If you prayed about this, and God put it in your heart to do it, then I have no doubt it will be done according to His will.”

  “Thank you, Pa. I am ready and I have faith God will send me a good woman.”

  “I am sure he will, son.”

  Eli drank his coffee and thought about the man Mark had become. He was quiet and much more serious than his older brother, Matthew. He enjoyed hunting and fishing, but he seemed to be more shy and reserved than his brothers. Eli understood why Mark would not want to tell anyone what he was doing. He admired the courage it must have taken for him to even consider putting a letter in the paper asking for a girl to come west.

  He thought about how happy Matthew was with Grace, and now it was Mark’s turn. He still missed his dear, departed Janet, but through God’s grace, he was healing. And with that, his thoughts immediately drifted to Cece.

  Chapter Three

  February 1, 1900

  H ope Schmidt was desperate. She sat at the kitchen table in her two-room apartment in Philadelphia, put her head down, and wept silent tears. Her two-year-old son Albert was in the other room sleeping, and she did not want to wake him.

  She looked up and wiped her tears on the threadbare sleeve of her plain black dress. On the table l
ay a few coins and a pile of crumpled dollars. That was all the money she had in this world. Hope did not know what to do, and she was in despair.

  She was all alone in this world and her son depended on her. Jacob, her husband, had died back in September and left her and Albert with almost nothing. Jacob had been a drunk and a gambler, so there was never much money to begin with, and now there was even less.

  Hope’s parents were also gone, and her nearest relative was a sister who lived in Chicago. She had not heard from her in over a year, so Hope did not want to write to her now. Jacob’s drinking and gambling had meant the young family had moved around a lot, mostly to avoid paying rent they owed, so she had no friends.

  She considered her alternatives and none of them were good. At twenty-two, she still had her looks but that was about it. Hope was able to read a little and do some math, but other than that she had no skills. She thought about trying to find work, but she couldn’t leave Albert alone and there was no one to take care of him.

  After Jacob’s funeral, she remembered being approached by a man Jacob owed money to, a Mr. Stockton. He had presented her with an offer of employment in one of his establishments for gentlemen, but she had refused to even think about that sort of thing. She looked at the money on the table and started crying once again. What if that was the only choice she had to keep her and Albert off the street?

  She was at the end of her rope – she needed guidance, and she needed a friend, and she had no place to turn for either. She hung her head and cried, and she prayed for help. It had been far too long since she had been to church, but she had nothing left. In desperation, she whispered a quiet prayer to God.

  Later that night, after a meager dinner of stale bread and watery potato soup, Hope tucked Albert into his bed. In February, the temperature in the tiny apartment dropped like a rock as soon as the coal burned out. Wrapped in a shawl, she crawled into her own bed and pulled the covers up. There was very little coal left, so she piled all the quilts she had on Albert’s bed. She shivered all through the night and hardly slept a wink. Finally, exhaustion took over, and she drifted off for a few hours before dawn.

  Dawn’s light came in the cracked window and Hope climbed out of bed. Her bones were stiff with cold and she could see her breath. She wrapped the shawl tightly around her shoulders and walked to Albert’s bed. He was still asleep and was warm enough under all his quilts. Hope leaned down and kissed his forehead.

  She placed a few pieces of coal in the stove and lit them. She wanted the apartment to be warm for Albert when he woke. She put a kettle of water on the top of the stove for tea, and warmed her hands. They tingled as warmth returned to her frozen fingers. Her thoughts went back to Jacob’s funeral and that horrid Mr. Stockton, but she remembered something else from that day.

  There had been someone else who approached her, a kind older woman. Hope never knew her name or why she was at Jacob’s funeral, but had never given it much thought, until now. The woman had told her about a Baptist church downtown that sometimes gave help and food to widows and orphans.

  Hope poured the hot water into a small teapot and felt like a fog was lifting. She was going to go to that church and take Albert with her. She couldn’t afford a carriage, so she would have to walk and carry him most of the way. Still, something told her she would not regret it. She felt as though she was being led to do this, and she calmly sipped her tea.

  Chapter Four

  February 2, 1900

  H ope and Albert walked into the First Baptist Church at the corner of Arch and Broad Streets. The journey had taken over an hour, and Hope had carried Albert most of the way. Now they were both tired and cold. She just wanted to sit down and get warm. The door had been unlocked, and the sanctuary of the church was welcoming and empty on this Friday morning. Hope sat down in a pew and prayed.

  She prayed that the Lord would guide her, and she tried to ignore a twinge of guilt. She had not been to church for over year, and yet here she was – in a church – asking for help. She felt like a hypocrite. But looking down at her son, she knew she would do anything to keep him safe, and she knew God would understand that.

  Albert leaned against his mother and sat quietly as she bowed her head. Hope was unaware that her quiet prayers were being heard. “Dear Lord, I know that I have not prayed in a while, please forgive me. But I am desperate, Lord, my husband is dead and my son and I have no money. We are entirely in your hands; please help us, amen.”

  “Amen,” said Albert as he looked up at his mother.

  Pastor Kerr Tupper walked in to the sanctuary, as was his custom during the day. In the winter, homeless and poor people would come in from time to time to seek shelter from the bitter cold. He welcomed them to stay as long as they liked, and he always had a blanket or a basket of food to give them. Today, his heart was moved by the sight of the frail young woman and her tow-headed son. They were both dressed in clothes little better than rags, and their shoes had holes in them. The prayer she had spoken nearly broke his heart.

  “Ma’am, I’m Pastor Tupper. I want to welcome you to the First Baptist Church.”

  “Hello Pastor, my name is Hope Schmidt, and this is my boy, Albert.”

  Pastor Tupper looked at the young woman and was amazed by how beautiful she was, despite her frailty and her threadbare clothes. She had light blonde hair and bright blue eyes, and her son Albert looked just like her. He could see that her eyes were red from crying, and dark circles surrounded her lovely eyes. He knew she had been suffering, and he knew the Lord had sent her to his church so he could help her.

  “I am a widower and I hate to eat alone. I was hoping you might join me in the rectory for lunch?” he asked, hoping she was not too prideful. “Young man, my housekeeper bakes the best cake, I bet you would like some.” He smiled and tousled the boy’s blond hair.

  Albert looked up at him and smiled. “Mama!” he exclaimed happily.

  Hope couldn’t say no, even if she had wanted to; a free meal was hard to come by. “Thank you, Pastor,” she said quietly.

  Mrs. Kemp served the Pastor and his guests beef stew, fresh bread, and slices of lemon cake. Pastor Tupper and Hope spoke while Albert ate everything on his plate and asked for more. Hope looked at her boy and felt her heart ache for him. She wished they had food like this all the time.

  During lunch, Pastor Tupper asked Hope questions about Albert’s father and her family. She found herself telling him all about her life, her late husband and his drinking and gambling problems. She told the Pastor how desperate she was. Hope was normally shy around strangers, so she surprised herself by telling this kind old minister everything – she even told him about how she had prayed for guidance and God had brought her to his church.

  After lunch, Pastor Tupper invited her and Albert into his office. She sat down on a chair and Albert curled up on a settee by the fireplace and quickly drifted off to sleep. Hope looked out the window behind the pastor’s desk and watched the snow beginning to fall, and then looked down at her shoes. The walk back to her cold apartment was going to be awful, she thought, as she looked at all the holes in the shoe leather.

  “Mrs. Schmidt, I am going to give to give you some money for coal, and my housekeeper is packing you a basket to take home with you. I also want to give you something to think about. You seem like a good woman, and even though you have not attended church for some time, I believe you to be a Christian. It took a lot of courage for you to walk into this church today. What impressed me about you is that you did not immediately ask for anything, but you sat down to pray. I believe that God led you here for a reason, and I believe I know what that reason is.” He reached into the top desk drawer and pulled out a letter. He handed the letter to her and kindly asked, “Can you read, or would you like me to read it to you?”

  “I can read a little,” she said with a quiet voice, as she opened the letter.

  It took a little while, but she soon figured out what the letter said.

  Bride Want
ed: Hard-working, God-fearing Christian

  Man, twenty-two years of age, in search of a woman

  in possession of strong morals and faith.

  “Pastor Tupper, I don’t understand.”

  “Mrs. Schmidt, I know that you have only just lost your husband a few months back, but I wonder if you might consider traveling to Santa Fe to meet this bright young man. He is the son of the Baptist minister; he does not drink or gamble. He needs a wife, and you would be with good people in that town.”

  “But sir, I don’t even know him.”

  “Of course you don’t have to marry him if you don’t want to. There is a boarding house there, run by a decent, God-fearing woman I know from here in Philadelphia. You and Albert could stay there as long as you liked until you made a decision.”

  “That does sound nice, but I have no money to buy a ticket and I barely have enough money to eat, much less pay rent at a boarding house. And what about Albert?”

  “Don’t let that worry you; if you decide you want to go, there will be money for your ticket and a place to stay when you get there. I am sure that any man who is a good Christian will gladly take care of you and your son. I have arranged for my carriage to take you home. Just pray about it.”

  Hope thanked the pastor for his kindness. She returned home and spent the rest of the day huddled by the small coal stove in the kitchen. Albert played with some blocks his father had given him when times were a little better. As she watched her son playing, she knew she could not stay in Philadelphia. There was nothing here for her, and no one to take care of her and her son. She decided that her choice was either to become destitute, or to take a chance on this minister’s son from Santa Fe.