by Emily Woods
“Let’s go then, boys. We won’t sit in our usual pew today. We will sit quietly in the back of the church. Do you understand?” Julia asked her nephews matter-of-factly. She knew that she would not be welcomed in their usual second-row pew; the scandal with her brother-in-law was surely public news by now, and in her dowdy frock, Julia did not want to bring any more attention to herself in front of the fine families of the church congregation. She and the boys would slip into the dark corners of the church’s last aisles, and as the choir sang the final hymn, they would tiptoe out of the church, unseen and unnoticed.
Several weeks passed, and Julia begrudgingly settled into her new life as a ward of the church. She had no choice but to accept her new life, and for the sake of her nephews, she did her best to be cheerful. Julia had always been good-natured. When her parents were alive, they had relied on Julia’s even temper and soft personality to counter Addilyn’s dramatic, rambunctious spirit.
Mark, conversely, had adored Addilyn’s boldness and pugnacity.
“My wife is a firecracker!” Mark would say adoringly as Addilyn’s loud laugh rang through the mansion.
Julia had never quite trusted her brother-in-law. Mark had been unfailingly kind to Julia. He had taken her in when she had nowhere else to go, he gave her a monthly allowance to use at her disposal, and he spared no expense when it came to ensuring Julia had the finest dresses and accessories to show off when she went out and about.
There was a dark side about Mark though, and Addilyn had turned a blind eye to it when she had accepted his marriage proposal. Mark lavished money and sweet words on his wife and sister-in-law, but he could also be cruel. Julia remembered a time she had heard crying from her sister’s bedroom. Julia had sprinted up the magnificent staircase and into the bedroom to find Addilyn pinned against the wall, Mark holding her there by her thin shoulders.
“Don’t you ever look at a man like that again! You are my wife!” Mark had roared as Addilyn quivered in fear.
“I was only saying good morning to the butler, Mark! It meant nothing! You know that!” Addilyn insisted, her dark eyes wide in terror.
Julia had rushed to her sister’s side and shoved Mark away.
“Leave her alone!” Julia shouted. “Get off of her!”
Mark had turned on his heel and strode out of the room. Addilyn had said nothing, but collapsed into Julia’s arms.
“What happened?” Julia asked her sister. Addilyn had shaken her head, unable to speak. The incident was never discussed, and everyone in the household went about their daily lives as if Mark’s uncontrollable wrath had never shown itself in the bedroom.
Now, as Julia pondered her new existence as a penniless caretaker of two little boys, she was grateful for what she had, and she strove to forget the luxurious life she had taken for granted.
Julia knew things could be much worse; she could be dead like her sister and parents, or Mark could have left her all alone in the world and taken the boys. She had a roof over her head, food to eat, and the support of the reverend and his wife. While her life was vastly different than her days of dancing, sewing, and promenading around the town on the arm of Charleston’s wealthiest young men, Julia consciously worked to see the best in her situation.
One day, while the boys played in the lush courtyard of the church grounds under Julia’s watchful eye, Reverend Alsip walked over and joined her on the narrow wooden bench where she had been sitting.
“Good afternoon, Julia!” Reverend Alsip greeted Julia merrily.
“Well, good afternoon, Reverend Alsip!” Julia replied. They were both silent for a moment, taking in the sight of Danny and Timmy running around the flower-filled courtyard.
“They are quite a pair, Julia,” said the Reverend. Julia nodded in agreement.
“They never run out of energy! I suppose their mother, my sister, and I were like that too when we were little girls. I can hardly imagine how our poor mother, or our dear nannies, kept up with us!”
Reverend Alsip chuckled.
“Caring for two small children is quite a feat. How are you faring, Julia? I can only imagine this situation with your brother-in-law has taken a toll on you.”
Julia closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She ran a hand through her long, dark hair.
“It is a struggle,” she admitted. “Caring for the boys is something I never imagined I would have to do. I was educated by tutors and cared for by nannies as a child, and the boys have had the same life, at least until now. I am trying to see God’s plan for the boys and me and we walk through this difficult situation, but it is difficult.”
Reverend Alsip reached for Julia’s hand. He gave it a gentle squeeze.
“I have been praying for the three of you,” Reverend Alsip said quietly as a soft wind shook the large, thick leaves of the palm trees dotting the courtyard. “You have nowhere to go and no money to survive on. Much as I would like to give you the charity of the church for as long as you need, we will have to make other arrangements for you and the boys soon, Julia.”
Julia nodded. She understood that the tiny room that she and the boys shared was typically reserved for beggars and the mentally ill, and she and the boys could not take from the church forever.
“I know,” Julia said as tears formed in her eyes. “We are so grateful for your support. We are no longer one of the fine families of the church, but I hope you know how thankful we have been for its help.”
Reverend Alsip gave Julia’s hand another gentle squeeze.
“There are no ‘fine families’ in the eyes of God, Julia,” he said kindly. “God made us special and unique, and in His eyes, there are only the faithful and the faithless. You are a woman of deep faith, Julia, and I know that He has plans for you that outweigh any plans you could dream of for yourself!”
Julia chuckled as Danny did a somersault, landing upright and grinning at Timmy as he rose from the ground.
“I don’t know what kind of plans He has for me, Reverend Alsip,” Julia said, looking down at her feet as her countenance shifted into a serious look. “I was going to marry a wealthy, powerful man from a good family and have a comfortable life. I was going to host teas, and wear my best dresses to the theater, and stroll alongside the banks of the Wando River with my friends as we chatted about our social events and naughty children. Now, there is nothing for me. I have nothing.”
Reverend Alsip turned to face Julia. He reached for her free hand, looking her straight in the eyes.
“Julia,” he began. “You mustn’t let your former life ruin the good things in your present life. You have the boys, you have your health, and you have the love of the Lord in your heart. You will rise from this circumstance, Julia, I promise you! You and the boys will be happy and safe. I just know it! God takes care of His children.”
Julia bowed her head.
“Thank you,” Julia whispered as the boys screamed joyfully in the distance. “Thank you.”
The next day, Reverend Alsip invited Julia and the boys to share dinner with he and his wife. Julia washed the boys’ faces and dressed them in the least shabby of the second-hand outfits she had been given by the church.
“Be on your best behavior, please!” Julia pleaded. The boys nodded earnestly at their young aunt. They knew that Julia was their caretaker now, and they could hear the exhaustion in her voice.
Julia, Danny, and Timmy enjoyed the meal. Reverend Alsip chatted about the next week’s sermon, and his wife recounted amusing stories about the boys’ childhoods that she remembered. As Julia looked around the table toward the end of the meal, her stomach and heart were full.
“You may have wondered why we asked you here for dinner tonight, Julia,” Reverend Alsip said as everyone leaned back, their bellies filled to the brim with the delicious meal. “I have some news I would like to share with you, Julia. I have been praying fervently for your future, and for the future of the boys, and I believe the Lord has shown me a way for you all to move forward in your futures toge
ther!”
Julia’s eyes grew large with excitement. She trusted Reverend Alsip with her life, and surely his counsel would be helpful.
“What is it, Reverend Alsip?” Julia asked, clapping her hands together like a little girl.
Reverend Alsip’s wife smiled warmly.
“Julia, I don’t know if you know this, but I am not originally from Charleston,” the reverend’s wife said sweetly. “I moved here as a young woman to attend boarding school. I met my husband here and stayed. I am not a city girl, though. I grew up in a small town in rural California! The town is called Pinecone, and it is tiny, but lovely. The people there are kind, and it is a place of fond memories for me!”
Julia cocked her head to the side, confused at what the reverend’s wife was talking about.
“That sounds very nice,” Julia said, doing her best to sound interested in the story.
The reverend’s wife beamed at the boys.
“Have you two ever heard stories of cowboys out in the wild west?”
The boys nodded eagerly, their faces lighting up.
“Cowboys are tough and brave!”
“Cowboys wear big hats and fight people!”
The reverend’s wife laughed.
“Exactly,” she said. “You boys have heard stories! Well, the stories are real. Out in California, there are towns filled with cowboys, but in these towns, there is a scarcity of nice ladies for them to marry and start families with!”
Julia’s heart began pounding. Where was the reverend’s wife going with this story? Reverend Alsip saw the confusion on Julia’s face, and his own face broke into a grin.
“Julia, when these fellows want to find a wife, they place advertisements describing themselves and their ideal bride in the newspapers here on the East Coast,” said the reverend gleefully. “As I was reading the newspaper last night, I found an advertisement! The advertisement was for a fellow from my wife’s hometown! He proclaims to be a good man, a man of God, and from the sound of his advertisement, I think he could be a good match for you!”
Julia was quiet. A match for her? Marriage? Julia knew that she would marry someday, but in the depths of her heart, she was still holding out hope that she would somehow be wed to one of the city’s fine, wealthy young men. Reverend Alsip thought it to be a good idea to send her and the boys to California to meet a stranger?
As if she were reading Julia’s mind, the reverend’s wife chimed in.
“I know, it sounds absolutely farcical, Julia,” she said gently. “My own life was the result of one of these marriages! My great-grandmother traveled to Pinecone decades ago to marry my great-grandfather, and my family was started and settled in California because of a marriage advertisement! Julia, my husband and I have prayed about this together, and we truly think that God is speaking to us! What are the chances that we would find a marriage advertisement placed from the town where I spent my girlhood? It simply must be the work of the Lord!”
Sensing Julia’s apprehension, Reverend Alsip shooed the boys away from the table.
“Danny, Timmy, please go play outside,” Reverend Alsip said as the boys rose from their seats at the table. The boys dashed outside, giggling and jumping along the way. The reverend leaned in toward Julia.
“Julia,” he said softly. “You must trust my word as a man of God. My wife and I have prayed and prayed and prayed over this marriage advertisement, and given the circumstances, we truly believe that this is His plan for you.”
Julia looked down at her empty dinner plate. She thought back to Addilyn’s courtship with Mark. Mark had showered Addilyn with trinkets, and their evenings were spent riding in Mark’s ornate carriages and attending balls together. Mark had proposed to Addilyn with a sparkling five-carat emerald imported from Africa, and their extravagant wedding had been the social event of the season. Julia glanced at her bare ring finger and sighed. She had been raised to aspire to money, power, and elegance, but now, as the reverend and his wife revealed their plan for Julia, she knew all hope of returning to her former life was now dead.
“We know that it isn’t something done by fine ladies, Julia,” the reverend’s wife said soothingly as Julia’s eyes filled with tears. “You have to trust in the Lord. Write to this man and answer his correspondence! Perhaps things will fall into place, just as the Lord intended. Perhaps you will be surprised by the magnitude of His power and His perfect planning!”
Dear Mr. Creek,
I write to you from Charleston, South Carolina. It is a hot day here; the sky is an unforgettable blue, the color of the shallowest depths of the sea as it reaches the shoreline. There is no breeze, and I am quite unhappy with myself for neglecting to bring a fan with me to the park, the place I am composing this letter.
Mr. Creek, at the urging of my beloved reverend, along with his dear wife, I am writing to express my interest in the marriage advertisement you posted several weeks ago. According to your advertisement, you are a hard-working, loyal, faithful man of God, and that is exactly the sort of man I am seeking as a husband.
I am a young woman with limited means, but I am well-educated, well-spoken, and a woman of God. I grew up in a fine family of Charleston, but I am open to the notion of living a more modest, rustic existence in California. I am also a hard worker, just like you; I was the best dancer in my class as I prepared for my debutante ball, and my tutors always commended me for my work ethic.
Mr. Creek, I have been charged with raising my two young nephews. They are without a mother and father, and they would be accompanying me to Pinecone.
If you are interested in corresponding with me, please do not hesitate to reply. I am praying for you, and praying for this match, and I do hope you will give my letter your deepest consideration.
Respectfully,
Julia Hendricks
Only four weeks later, a tattered yellowed envelope addressed to Julia arrived at the church. She tore open the paper and began to read.
Dear Miss Hendricks,
It is with pleasure that I received your letter. Your words brought a smile to my face, and everyone here who knows me knows that my smile is my truest form of showin’ off my feelings. Julia, you seem like a real nice gal; you love the Lord, you say you are a hard worker, and you are taking care of children that are not your own! That takes a lot of work and effort, and from your letter, I think that we could get along real well.
Julia, life in Pinecone is very simple. It seems like you are used to a real good way of living, but out here, we ain’t got fancy things or fancy places to go. We do have a school for the children, a church to worship in, and my best friend and his wife own a pretty little inn. Pinecone is quiet, but this is a real good place to raise children and have a family; my best friend, the fella who owns the inn, enjoys life here with his wife and children, and he ain’t never thought about leaving.
Julia, with all of that said, I want you to know that I have been praying for a wife, and I think that my prayin’ has paid off. I could use someone like you as a wife, someone who works hard, loves the Lord, and can keep me in line!
Please consider this a proposal, Julia. I am enclosing enough money in this letter for you to purchase one-way tickets to Pinecone.
It is a long journey by train, and I will be praying for you and the boys as you travel here. I ain’t scared or nervous; I have been prayin’, and I know that the Lord has His hands in this marriage of ours.
If you could write to me along the way, that would be real nice. I will post some letters to the train stations near Pinecone in hopes that you receive them on your way.
I am real happy, Julia. Please know that you are in my prayers.
Sincerely,
Mr. Jackson Creek
Julia’s hands shook as she read each line. Jackson Creek had invited her to join in Pinecone, California! He seemed good-natured, and as Julia reread the letter, she felt her heart begin to pound heavily in her chest.
“He sent for me,” Julia whispered to herself. “H
e asked me to come, and he has welcomed the boys as well! Perhaps the reverend and his wife were correct after all. Perhaps this is God’s plan for my path…”
3
“You look absolutely breathtaking!”
Julia spun around and saw Anna staring at her. Julia gave Anna a shy smile. The two had met the previous evening, Julia’s first night in Pinecone, and Julia was pleased to have found another woman from the East as she settled into the reality of her new life in California.
“You look even better in your wedding gown than I did! With my blonde hair and light eyes, I looked washed out, but with your dark hair and dark eyes, you look like a princess!”
Julia looked down at herself and smiled. It had been a whirlwind of a month—she and the boys had taken the train across the country to Pinecone, and now, less than twenty-four hours after her arrival in the West, it was her wedding day! Julia looked at her reflection in the mirror of Anna’s sewing room, and in spite of her excitement, she noticed her eyes looked nervous. Anna noticed Julia’s apprehensive face as well.
“Don’t be nervous. I married Jed only hours after my arrival in California, and we could not be happier! Trust me, I know it sounds absolutely mad to respond to a stranger’s marriage advertisement, but the Lord works in mysterious ways, Julia. Truly, it will all work out well. Jackson is a good man. He and Jed are the best of friends! I know he is simply bursting at the seams that you are here, and we will have so much fun together here in Pinecone!”
Julia’s lips turned up into a smile. Anna had been so kind to her. Anna and Jed had welcomed Julia and the boys into the Pinecone Inn with open arms, and Julia had enjoyed spending the evening before her wedding getting to know her husband-to-be’s closest friend. Anna had even offered to look after the boys tonight, Julia’s wedding night.
“I am just trying to take everything in,” Julia confessed to Anna as she adjusted her white skirts. “Everything has happened so quickly!”