The Widow Finds Love (Mail Order Bride Series) (3 page)

Friday was the day Sarah usually went to the general store for things her family needed.  It was also the day she got her mail at the town post office, also housed in the store.  The only mail she had that day was an envelope with a return address of Kansas City.

In the envelope was a reminder from the editor of the rules the paper followed, that included no revelation of her name or address.  She had three responses to her ad.  One was from a miner in Montana, who said “If you provide me with a grubstake, I will make both of us rich in six months.”

Another was from a rancher in Montana, with no children.  “I am interested in correspondence and matrimony, and am forty three years old.  My wife died last year and I am lonely.”  He went on to say, “I have had no success in the gold fields, and have taken to ranching and am now homesteading 640 acres.  My small herd is gradually increasing.  I live outside Helena, and I hope to hear from you.”

The third letter was from Reference number 2624.  “I am a a poor dirt farmer in Texas.  I have a section of land and raise cotton.  My farm is outside of Marshall, Texas.  I am a widower and am looking for a helpmate and companion, with matrimony a possibility.”  The letter intrigued her, primarily due to his being a farmer and raising cotton.  It was a life to which she was accustomed and did not involve a trek all of the way across the country.

In his letter he said, “I am twenty seven years old and was raised on a cotton farm in Alabama.  I am five feet ten inches tall.  I have no idea how much I weigh, but I am thin.  My nine year old daughter and I were left alone when my wife died of pneumonia.  My daughter needs a mother and I would like to have a wife and companion.

“It seems we share common interests and I would like to correspond further, if agreeable to you.”

He has a legible handwriting, and the spelling is correct, so it would seem he has some education,
Sarah thought. 
Of the three answers I got, I like this one best.  I’m going to answer him.

“Dear Number 2624, I was pleased to receive your answer to my ad, and I take pen in hand to give you more information about us.  I both read and write.  We are living with my parents after we lost our farm for what was said to be back taxes.  My father raises cotton, as we did on our farm.  My husband was killed in 1862 in the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia.  Both his brothers were also killed.  I have both planted and picked cotton.  I also raised the vegetables on our table and took care of the chickens and our cow until we lost the farm.

“We are members of the local Baptist Church.  Are you a man of faith?  My daughter has been the source of solace to me as well as a major helpmate.  She has also picked cotton as a five year old.

“What is your daughter like?  I would so like to hear more about you, your daughter and your farm.  I look forward to hearing from you again. (s
) Reference 2920”

It had been three weeks since she had mailed her answer to reference number 2624.  Estimating a week for her letter to get to Kansas City, then another week to make it to Texas and the same amount of time for the return, she shouldn’t expect another letter for at least another week. 

The post office had a letter for her from the newspaper.  It contained two more responses to her ad.  One came from a man who had migrated to Sacremento via the Oregon Trail.  His original home had been Illinois, but the lure of the gold fields brought him to Montana.  He wrote: “I read with interest your ad.  I am thirty years old and never married.  I have a homestead farm in the San Joaquin Valley near Sacremento, California.  After two years in the gold fields with no success, I returned to farming and now raise citrus.  I am interested in a companion with a possibility of marriage.  The other letter was from a cattle grower in Colorado.  She thought,
Texas is a lot closer to Carolina
, she thought. 
I think I’ll wait and see if I hear back from Number 2624.

Ten days later, she received a letter containing a reply from the Texas farmer.  “Dear Number 2920, A slow response and I apologize.  I was busy getting the last of the cotton to the gin.  It has been a good year for cotton this year.  The demand has been high and with more stage coaches coming to Marshall, it has brought more buyers.  Marshall is now a major crossroads, and is the county seat.  My daughter is a dark haired beauty just as her mother was.  She is having trouble coping with our loss.  I don’t know what I would have done had my sister not helped so much.  I love my daughter, but I just don’t know how to comfort her.  She was a Mama’s girl.  Laughter has gone missing from our home.  My farm is a section of land, that  is 160 acres.  Our house is a nice size, built with the help of family and neighbors.  We had hoped for a big family before Ruth took sick. 

In answer to your question about faith, Ruth always insisted on church for Cassie.  We are members of the First Baptist Church in Marshall.   

We have two milk cows, and two horses and a mule, and chickens.  Cassie helps with the chickens by gathering the eggs every morning before school.  I take her to school and pick her up afterwards, unless she is going to my sister, Suzy’s, to play with her children.  I’m not much of a cook, so we eat with Susy and Arhur frequently.  They’ve been a real blessing to us.  I look forward to hearing from you.  I hope this gets out on the next stage.  Sincerely, (s) Number 2624.”

It was close to Christmas when Sarah received 2624’s latest letter, describing his daughter, the farm and his dream of a big family. 
It sounds as if he has shattered dreams the same as I do.  I think he is the kind of man I would like.
 

“Dear 2920.  That seems a strange way to address someone, doesn’t it?  So impersonal, but I suppose that is the intent.  We are getting ready for Christmas here.  When I was a little girl, “Mama always made Christmas a big thing.  She decorated the house every year.  Papa would go out into the woods and find a nice cedar tree and Mama and I would decorate it.  She would make strings of popcorn balls to drape over it.  It was always so exciting for me.  One year, they really splurged and bought a doll for me.  It was the only store bought doll I ever had.  I’m trying to fix it up for Rebecca for her Christmas.  I’m making a new dress for it.  I hope she gets as much pleasure from it as I did. 

“Will you be having Christmas with your sister and her family?  As an only child, it was always just us.  John had a big family, so after we married, family was always around, especially Christmas.

“I feel so sorry for his parents, I’m going to see if Mama will have them here for Christmas.  Please take note, with this letter, I’m authorizing the editor to release my name and address to you.  I anxiously look forward to more correspondence.  Sincerely, (s) Sarah Hutchison.”

The first thing
Sarah noticed about the letter was the handwriting on the envelope.  It wasn’t the same as the previous letters.  The postmark was different.  It was from Marshall, Texas.  Pleased, she opened the envelope and began to read the letter inside.

“Dear Sarah,” it began.  “It is nice to have a name for the letters, as it makes it seem so much more personal.  I had to find an atlas to look up Yorkville.  South Carolina is an unfamiliar part of the country to me, as I’ve never been further east than Alabama.  I think some of my ancestors came through that area as they migrated from Virginia through South Carolina and Georgia into Alabama, with me ultimately winding up in Texas.  My name is Clint Thomas, and I was named after my father.

“Christmas was a big thing for Ruth and she tried to make it special for Cassie.  In my family, it was another day.  With my sister’s help, I’m trying to make it special for Cassie.  I know it’s going to be a sad time for her, since it will be the first since Ruth passed, and the hurt is still there, even though she doesn’t talk about it.

“Giving your doll to your daughter seems like such a great idea.  I’m sure she will treasure it, just as you did.  I hope you have the opportunity to share Christmas with some younger people.  With your late husband’s parents, they have so many memories from Christmas past, it will be difficult for them to find any joy in the holidays.  My mother lives with my sister, Suzy and her husband, Arthur.  I know her mind is crowded with thoughts of my father at this time of year.  I hope she can find room for Cassie.

“Please write soon.  I have come to really look forward to your letters.  Now that we can correspond directly, the reduced interval between will be nice, provided you wish to continue writing.  Sincerely, (s) Clint Thomas, General Delivery, Marshall, Texas.”

A week past Christmas brought Sarah the latest letter from Clint. 
This is a lonely man with a daughter he cares for and has no idea about how to help her through the grief of losing her mother.  Losing a mother would be very difficult for a young girl.  I think it would be more difficult than losing her father.
  She began to write.

“Dear Clint,  I hope Christmas went well for you and Cassie.  How did you get through it all?  I hope you were able to make the holiday pleasant for her?  Our Christmas here was rather somber, although Rebecca and I did go to a Christmas Eve service with my parents.  The music was nice to hear, but the congregation was sparse.  The relief from the end of the war was obvious and there was an air of people wanting to get on with their life. 

“My gift of the doll was well received by Rebecca, whom she has named Lizzie.  I was able to get two dresses made from some old remnants I had, so she has a change of clothes for Lizzie.  I was pleased she liked it.

“What was Cassie’s Christmas like? 

“Do you have Indians in your area?  Are they peaceful?  In our area, we have the Catawba tribe, but they are peaceful.  I don’t even recall any problems with Indians in the past.

“Mama and Papa gave me a new dress, the first one I’ve had since John went to war.  It is a print with blue and yellow flowers.  Mama says a new dress always makes her feel better.  I hope it works for me too.

“When do you put your seeds in the ground?  Here in Yorkville, it is generally around the middle of March.  I would imagine you get after it earlier than that.

“You have not mentioned it, but were you in the war?  In our area, it seems as if everyone under the age of forty-five was involved.  Luckily, there were no battles around here and we saw no Yankees.  For that, we are grateful.  News of what happened at other places is being told by those returning home.  I wonder how those people endured what was thrust upon them? 

“The Bible says we will not be given anything we can’t overcome, but sometimes, that doesn’t seem true.  How in the world do parents survive losses such as the Hutchison’s had.  Sometimes, it causes me to doubt my faith.  I must go help Mama prepare our evening meal.  Write soon.  (s) Sarah Hutchison”

* * *

“Papa, why did Mama have to die?” asked Cassie.  “I miss her.

“I miss her too.  I guess Jesus thought he needed her more than we did,” he answered, as his eyes became moist with tears. 

“Am I ever going to get a new Mama?” she asked. 

“I’m trying, honey, I really am.  There just aren’t any good ones around here that are not married.  We will have a new one, soon, I hope.”

“I hope so too, Papa.  We need one real bad.”

I’m going to have to do something about this.  The sooner, the better.  I’m going to ask Sarah if she would like to meet. 

“Dear Sarah, It was a sad Christmas around here.  Suzy did her best, but it just isn’t the same.  She gave Cassie a new dress, and I ordered a doll from the mail order catalog.  She was excited about it and plays with it.

“Sarah, I would like to suggest we meet.  Through our letters, I feel I have gotten to know you as well as possible on paper.  If you are agreeable, I will provide transportation for you and Rebecca to come to Marshall for a visit.  If you think we could make a go of it as a family, we could be married immediately.  If you prefer to take longer to decide, Suzy will let you stay at their place until you decide. 

“If you decide we are not compatible, then I will provide return transportation.  I realize the girls will be a big part of the decision.  My Cassie is a nice little girl, and has good manners.  She is sad though.  She just told me how much she misses her Mama and wanted to know if we could get a new one.  It nearly broke my heart.  I think you will like her, she is such a loving girl.

“Please consider my proposal and respond soonest.  Until then, I remain, Sincerely yours, Clint.”