The Parson's Daughters Boxed Set: Sweet and Clean Christian Romance - 4 Book Bundle

by Annie Boone

  Her mother raised an eyebrow and looked up at her. She was chopping vegetables that would later be preserved. Nothing went to waste on their little farm, they couldn’t afford to throw anything of use away.

  “What’s the matter, Faith? You seem to have something on your mind,” Helen Barnesdale asked her fidgety daughter.

  “I, um, well. I do. How can you tell?”

  “You’ve been jumpy for a few days, dear. And you won’t look me in the eyes. So what’s going on?”

  Faith took a deep breath and plunged in. “I’m planning to move out west. To California. I’ve been corresponding with a man from San Jose. He’s successful in business and he owns a store. Three of them, I believe. He has proposed marriage to me and I’ve accepted.”

  After she had put all the critical details out there in one breath, she inhaled deeply and leaned on the table. When she got past the initial shock of saying it all at once, she looked over at her mother. Helen was standing there with her eyes wide and an annoyed look on her face.

  “Oh, really? You’ve agreed to marry a man you don’t know? A man who lives across the country? Thousands of miles away from your family? Why would you do such a thing?”

  “Who am I going to find to marry here, Mama? I’m not getting any younger and if I don’t get married soon, I’ll become undesirable to any men who might ever meet me.”

  “It’s not like there are no eligible men around. What about the Thompson boy? Or that man from the Fenzer farm?”

  “Oh, Mama! We’ve talked about Charles Thompson before. He’s only interested in Sarah Carpenter. They’ve been a couple for almost a year now. And Joe Tapper doesn’t work on the Fenzer farm any more. He died, Mama. He was more than 60 years old.”

  “Well, never mind them, then. Faith, it’s not smart or safe to take off across the country to meet a man you only know by letters. Do you have any idea what you’ll be getting into? What if he mistreats you? What if he is just looking for labor? There are too many terrible outcomes to even list!”

  “I’ve been writing to him for more than six months, Mama. His name is Aaron Chapman and he sent me a picture of himself. He’s handsome,” smiled Faith.

  “You don’t know for sure that any photo is really him! That’s not proof of anything, Faith!” exclaimed Helen. She was clearly exasperated and concerned about the safety of her oldest child. Even if that child was a woman, she still felt it was her duty to talk her out of bad ideas.

  Faith was silent for a moment. Then she pulled out a chair and sat down. She folded her hands in her lap and finally looked at her mother. Her eyes welled up and one lone tear escaped and trailed down her smooth cheek.

  “Mama, I don’t expect you to be ecstatically happy about this. I understand your concern. To be honest, I’m a little nervous about it, too. I just know that this is my only chance. Think about it, Mama. You met Daddy in a different time. Before the war it was easier. Or at least that’s what you’ve said before.”

  “That’s true, child, but this is drastic. Don’t you see that?”

  “Of course I see that, but I don’t have the options that were available twenty-four years ago, or even fifteen years ago. I’m just asking you to understand.”

  Helen shook her head in sadness. “I can see that your mind is made up. Nothing I can say will change what you do.”

  “That’s true, Mama. But I don’t want to sever our relationship. I love you with all my heart and your love has sustained me for my whole life. I just need to do this.”

  Faith’s mother stood quietly for a long moment. Then she picked up her knife and began cutting v”egetables again. “Faith, you’ll always be my daughter and I’ll never stop loving you. Ever. You’re also level headed and responsible. I know you’ve pondered this situation from every angle. I trust you to make the right decision for yourself.”

  She hadn’t realized she was holding her breath but when her mother stopped speaking and said he trusted her, she almost fainted from lack of oxygen. She took a deep breath and smiled.

  “One more thing, Mama. And I’m sorry to leave this to the end, but it’s kind of a big thing,” said Faith.

  Ellen cocked her head to one side. “There’s more?” she asked with an almost squeaky voice.

  “I would really love it if you and the girls would come with me.” She took a deep breath again and forged forward to get all her thoughts out on the table since she was on a roll. “We have no real hope of a solid future here and I don’t want to leave the three of you behind. Hope wants to move to Atlanta and I’m afraid she’ll do that on her own. That will leave you and Charity all alone. That can’t happen, Mama.”

  Helen had stopped chopping again and stood looking at her daughter with her jaw dropped in surprise.

  Faith continued trying to convince her mother to make the move with her. “Please, Mama, just think about it. You know as well as I do that things aren’t getting better here. What’s holding us? Nothing!”

  “I’ll think about it, but I make no promises.”

  Faith smiled at her mother and got up to hug her. “Thank you, Mama. That’s all I can ask. Can we talk about it more later? We can think about what will need to happen to make it work.”

  “Don’t get ahead of yourself, Faith. I said I’d think about it. That’s as far as we’ve gotten. You may think that we’d be leaving nothing behind, but that’s not true for me. Remember that your daddy is buried here. All my memories of what my happy family was and is are here. My life has always been here. You must understand that it’s not that easy to just walk away leaving it all behind like none of it ever happened.”

  Faith nodded. “I’m sorry, Ma. I didn’t mean to sound like none of that mattered. I do understand. We can talk when you’re ready. I love you.”

  Helen smiled weakly, wiped her hands on her apron, and headed out to the yard. “I think I need a bit of air. I’ll see you for supper, dear.”

  Well, that went better than I thought it would, thought Faith. At least until I told her I want all of us to go.

  Faith was ready to get on the train. At least mentally ready. She still had all the work to do to get ready to go, but in her mind the decision was made. For her, anyway. As much as she wanted her family to come with her, she wouldn’t let them hold her back. She needed this life altering change more than she could explain. She knew it was really her only hope. As hard as it was to reconcile all that in her mind, she was at peace with her decision.

  She hadn’t really known exactly what to expect when she answered that ad, but something told her that it was a move that would change her life for the better. She hoped it would also change the lives of her sisters and her mother. She had to believe it was a far better option than moving to Atlanta.

  Besides the fact that the little family had no money for a big move on their own anyway, she believed that Atlanta was not the place for her. Of course there would be opportunity there, but there was so much competition for the jobs that were available. She’d heard that the city was thriving since the war, but she was certain that this wasn’t the case for everyone who relocated there in search of a bright and shiny future.

  She was the oldest of three sisters. She was the one who never caused trouble and always made smart choices. At this point in her life she was hoping for a little bit of an adventure. It would be out of character for her, but she was quite optimistic about the chance for something more exciting than the happenings in the tiny little one horse town of Sweetwater Creek, Georgia.

  Her mother had gained independence and strength since her father’s death, but looking for adventure and a fresh start wasn’t important to her. Faith was hoping she would change her mind, but she would have to wait and see about that.

  She thought back to when her father was still with them. Before the war. She remembered her father a little more than her sisters did. She remembered his smile and the joy he took in his family and also in his work. He was a generous and thoughtful man. Being the only parson in th
e area kept him busy. Her mother was a help to him and she supported all he did. She ministered to the women in the church as his partner.

  Faith realized that though her mother stayed busy raising her children and ministering to the women of the community, she relied on her husband for most everything. When he died, she had to learn how to take care of herself and her girls. She had done a remarkable job of it.

  She must have had such a hard time, thought Faith. Daddy had loved her so much. She has spent more than ten years carrying on his work and raising his children. It must have been lonely for her.

  At first, the church helped out as much as they could. Men were scarce. Either they were fighting or they had died in battle like her father. And men were needed to do the hard work of running farms and tending to livestock.

  Actually, there were people in the church who needed more help than the Barnesdale family did. At least her family had a garden, some horses, and a buggy. Their farm wasn’t large so the brawn a man would bring wasn’t needed in their case. Their home was fairly new, warm, and cozy. This was more than many in their area had.

  Still, for as much as Faith’s mother learned, she was still very much afraid of making a mistake. Her girls were grown, but still hadn’t ventured out on their own. Faith was sure her mother knew that things should be different, but she probably just didn’t want to admit it. Change was hard. Especially when drastic, devastating change had been forced on you due to the death of your beloved soulmate.

  Like a plague, the war had left a stain on everyone. Some were worse than others, but everyone was affected in some way. Her family had made great strides in their recovery and had relied on faith from the time Albert Barnesdale joined the Confederate Army as a chaplain. God was still watching over them. Every day.

  Knowing that her mother had given her blessing for her journey to California was a blessing. The uncertainty of whether she could talk the rest of them into coming with her was weighing on her. She wasn’t going to let it get her down.

  At the supper table that night, conversation was shallow. The women focused on small talk about the weather and the neighbors open gate that let the cows out earlier that day. It was quite a sight to see old Mr. Turnipseed trying to herd Bessie and her sisters back into the pasture. Charity had run over to help and the two had finally gotten all three cows back to safety.

  The women were about to rise from the table to clear the dishes and clean the kitchen. Hope stood first and Faith spoke.

  “Hope, do you mind waiting just a minute to clear the table?”

  “Well, no, but I have some sewing to do and I want to get as much done as possible before the sun is completely gone,” she replied.

  “It will only take a minute. I promise,” replied Faith. She looked at the other two, her mother and her youngest sister. “I’ve spoken to each of you three about my plans for my future. You know that in the next few days I’ll be preparing to go to California to meet my betrothed, Aaron Chapman.” She cleared her throat as the others nodded slightly.

  “Yes, Faith. We’re aware,” said Charity. “We support your decision.” She looked to her left and right at the others, nodding her head to get agreement from them.

  “I thank you so much for your support. It means the world to me. It would mean even more to leave this place knowing that you will be putting a plan in place to follow me there. Surely you can’t get ready to leave on such short notice, but you could begin the process right away. Don’t you think so?”

  Faith looked at each one of them for a long few seconds after this last statement.

  “We could,” responded Hope, “if that’s what we determine is best. I don’t think we’ve come to that opinion, though.”

  Helen stood and squeezed Charity’s shoulder, then she moved to Hope and took her hand. She looked at Faith and smiled. “I’ve thought of nothing else today, Faith, since our talk about your plans. I’m broken hearted at the thought of you leaving, but I do want you to find happiness. I sincerely hope that this will give you what you feel you need. I want nothing more than for my girls to be happy and healthy. So, go with the knowledge that the door is always open to you here. We’ll let you go with the knowledge that the door in your new home will always be open to us.”

  Faith nodded her agreement because at the moment she was too emotional to speak. The four women embraced each other in a warm and tearful hug.

  This was as good as she was going to get from her family right now. Knowing that they would keep an open mind was going to have to be good enough. And it was. For now.

  It wasn’t exactly the promise from her mother and sisters she had hoped for, but Faith finished preparations for her journey in high spirits. She was able to pack her trunks and make a few memories with her family in the next week. She had set up her travel arrangements, sent word of her arrival time to Aaron, and now she was almost ready to go.

  The plan was to travel to Atlanta tomorrow morning. Her mother and her sisters were taking her to the train station and they would stay the night in a hotel room and return to Sweetwater Creek the next day. Aaron Chapman had been quite generous and had sent some money for Faith in case she needed it during her journey. She felt that using some of it to pay for a hotel room for her family was a good use of the funds.

  She was nervous as she thought about the big step she was about to take. It struck her that this was out of character for her to move across the continent to meet and marry a man she didn’t really know. The part she had withheld from her family was the part about Aaron Chapman having children. She hadn’t wanted to add that information for fear that they would try to discourage her from doing this. She knew they would think that he was simply trying to find a nurse maid for his children.

  She had actually wondered about that herself, but she put that worry aside as much as possible and decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. She reminded herself that the Bible said that God doesn’t want His people to worry. He will provide peace to those who pray. She had certainly prayed about this decision and she was sure that this was right.

  The supper table talk on Faith’s last night in Sweetwater Creek was silly and fun. Even her mother joined in the teasing.

  “Faith and Aaron, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!” sung Charity.

  “First comes love, then comes marriage!” added Hope. “Then here they come with a baby carriage!”

  Faith blushed, but she laughed so hard she couldn’t catch her breath. Her mother was laughing, too. “Let’s don’t rush the baby carriage part, though. I’m too young to be a grandmother yet!” said Helen.

  There was no sentimental speech or serious discussion about the future tonight. The women were just having fun together. They didn’t know how long it would be before they had the chance to enjoy being together again. They made the most of their last night together.

  The next morning was warm and pleasant and for that, Faith was thankful. She hadn’t wanted to have a sloppy journey in the carriage to the train station on the edge of Atlanta. The carriage was a luxury by some standards, but this particular carriage didn’t ride so well in rutted roads when it rained hard. At least that wasn’t a concern today.

  At the station, Faith hailed a porter to take her trunks. They would be tagged and loaded on the freight car. She kept a smaller valise with her that held two changes of clothes, some toiletries, and other things she would need during the journey. She had a smaller bag that contained her books and writing tablets. She planned to record her experiences in her journal during the train ride. This was a new adventure and she wanted to remember everything.

  She turned to her sisters and her mother after her ticket had been stamped. It was time for her to go to the platform to board.

  “I’m delighted that the ticket is first class. I’ll be traveling in a Pullman car!” said Faith, excitedly. “Now that it’s time to actually go, I’m beside myself with anticipation. I’m eager to be on my way!”

  “Can you believe how ready s
he is to be rid of us, Charity?” Hope said.

  “No, I can’t. But I do know that I’m eager to see her get on that train!” laughed Charity.

  “Well, I am sad and happy all at the same time, Faith,” said her mother. “I’ll miss you terribly, dear. I will look forward to our next meeting. Your father would be very proud of your bravery and your sense of adventure.”

  “Thank you, Mama. I’m glad you think he would be proud.”

  Another round of hugs and Faith was heading to the platform to board the train to take her to the next phase of her life. She boarded and found her compartment easily. She was just getting settled in to write when she felt the train start to move. No turning back now, she thought with a big, bold smile.

  She pondered all of the events that had led to where she was. On this train heading to her future as a wife and step-mother. Hopefully, she would have her own child one day. She started to write her thoughts and dreams as the train made its way out of Georgia. She wasn’t sure what she would use these words for, but she enjoyed documenting this amazing experience. At the very least, she could use the documentation of her trip to help her mother and sisters understand what the trip had been like and what was going on in her life. She would have to be vigilant and always remember to write.

  Since her father taught Faith to read and write, that was all she wanted to do. She wrote stories about virtually everything and tried to learn as much as she could about everything. She was curious about the rest of the world and the people that she’d never have the pleasure to meet. She read everything she could get her hands on.

  She also knew from a very young age that she was going to become a schoolteacher. Not only did she love learning and teaching, she loved children. The wonder in their eyes when they mastered something they once thought was unachievable or when they realized they could read about places they may never get to see made her love every second of teaching.