Mail Order Barbara

by Elissa Strati

  “My dearest Amelia,” he wrote, and paused, chuckling to himself. She tended to take herself far too seriously as Sister Evangeline, now Mother Superior, and needed to be reminded he was her big brother.

  I have been very troubled since I read your last letter, but I think I may have a solution to both our problems.

  It has come to my attention that a number of the young men in our town are of an age to take a wife and settle down. While there are many lovely young women here, there are far fewer than can accommodate the influx of new citizens.

  From what you told me in your last letter, there probably isn't time for much individual correspondence between these gentlemen and the young women, but there is usually work on a farm for a willing person, and I know a number of the local mothers might well appreciate an extra pair of hands. I doubt there would be much money available but the girls would get room and board and I would ensure that they were well treated. A few of the shopkeepers may also be able to use a willing helper.

  This would also give the young ladies an opportunity to socialize with others their age and perhaps meet their intended grooms. I have in mind, especially, some of the young men coming into town to work on the newly formed Tri Brand ranch.

  I know your girls are all city reared and don’t know the front end of a cow from its rear. They would need to understand, before committing to come west, that this is largely country living here. For those placed on farms, the only time they are likely to get into town is for church services on Sunday. If this will not suit, they still have the option of finding service or one of the other positions for which you train them. I trust you to weed out those who would not thrive in a rural setting.

  I have been working closely with the Reverend Richardson, who is a good and holy man, even if not of the Catholic faith, and who is as eager to conduct this experiment as I. Surely assisting young people to find their ways in faith and to embrace the Holy Sacrament of Marriage can only be a good thing.

  Trusting in the Lord that this may prove to answer the prayer you shared with me,

  I remain,

  Your loving brother,

  Francis

  ~~~

  A broad smile spread across Mother Evangeline’s face as she read her brother’s letter. Even better than she’d hoped! She’d been working with the older girls much as she always had, but the new Board’s policy had put pressure on her she’d not had to cope with before.

  Several of the girls had jobs but had not yet moved out on their own, for reasons of safety. But when she’d suggested the working women could contribute a stipend as rent, she had met with heavy resistance. That’s when she began to suspect another agenda behind trying to clear out as many occupants as possible. She tucked that thought aside to concentrate on her immediate issue.

  CHAPTER 10 – Running the Orphanage

  In their small community the nuns each had overlapping duties, both as a religious order and as a school and orphanage. Today Mother Evangeline would be meeting with her advisory group in their latter capacity.

  She smiled to herself. Her father was president of a not-so-small company and she had grown up hearing of board meetings with his vice presidents and directors. Her awareness of corporate structure had made her an invaluable assistant to Mother Agatha, and still stood her in good stead.

  Before becoming Mother Superior, as the face of the convent to the public, it was she who had welcomed incoming orphans, whether brought by the police, dropped off from hospitals, left on the doorstep, or however they found their way to Our Lady of Mercy. She processed them into the system with great compassion, making each child feel welcome and as if she had found a new home, which, in fact, each had.

  The infants and foundlings were sent straight to the Nursery to be cleaned, fed, clothed, and evaluated for health. The ones who survived the trauma of being abandoned actually had a fair chance of being adopted once their identity was determined, if at all possible.

  While not as comprehensive as the Pinkertons, the sisters had their own network of informants who were aware of what births had occurred and why the mothers might not want to retain their children. In some cases the mother actually came to the back door for her delivery, endeavoring to ensure the best possible life for her infant despite the circumstances of its birth.

  Of course whenever they could the sisters worked to keep the baby with its mother, but times were hard, as they always are for the poor. And not all of the mother were poor, but there were reasons for them not to admit to motherhood.

  An occasional couple might wish to adopt an older child as well, but requests were examined quite closely to ensure that it wasn't merely cheap labor being sought. Life in an orphanage was not ideal, but the sisters did their best to make it a home for their charges.

  ~~~

  Sister Benedicta had always assisted and provided a warm embrace to forlorn newcomers. She had now taken over receiving the children and interfacing with the community.

  ~~~

  To Sister Bridget fell the task of teaching the orphans not just their letters but how to behave. For those going into service, a familiarity with etiquette and manners gave them a leg up on their future careers, even if they would never need to distinguish between an oyster fork and one for fish at their own meals. But they also learned deportment and even dancing.

  The specifics of the education the young ladies received was not generally discussed outside the orphanage, as discretion was also considered part of ladylike behavior, but from its earliest days the system had been modeled on that of exclusive girls’ schools such as had been known by the original founders. Their own experience had been that the really superior household servants knew the details of comportment better than the young hoydens whom they served and, as those servants usually had more influence than parents in a large, well-staffed household, it behooved the Sisters of Mercy to ensure their own pupils would have the best opportunities for success.

  Those girls who showed promise and wished to continue their education past the age of fourteen were integrated into the private academy the Sisters ran for the wealthy families who desired a solid Catholic education for their girls. This had been done for so long no one questioned the fact.

  Besides providing a break from everyday activities, dance lessons also gave exercise and taught grace, as well as the conservation of movement that allowed the best staff to move invisibly behind the scenes even though functioning in plain sight. And the monthly “cotillions” to which the male orphans were invited gave split families another opportunity to stay in touch.

  ~~~

  Sister Frances was head housekeeper. In addition to maintaining linens and supplies, she supervised the training of the girls in the basics of cleaning and housework. The girls were responsible for keeping their own spaces bright and shining while the nuns maintained their own areas, which were separate and private, providing them peace and solitude for prayer and contemplation.

  Various other nuns also taught skills such as cooking and sewing, but these three plus Sister Agatha served Mother Evangeline as her own advisory staff.

  Now she needed input from those advisors, so Mother Evangeline invited Sisters Benedicta, Francis, and Bridget to join her in her study. She also asked Sister Agatha, formerly Mother Agatha, to please offer her counsel as well.

  Before making any plans the notion must be discussed thoroughly. This whole concept was far outside the traditional arrangements usually made for the girls when they came of age.

  CHAPTER 11 – Opportunities

  “Thank you for joining me this morning,” Mother Evangeline greeted her staff. “By now you have all been made aware of this new decree from our Board of Governors. While I am awaiting further advice from the Mother House, I think we need to make contingency plans for our young ladies to ensure their smooth transition into the world outside our doors.

  “Under no circumstances will they be simply abandoned after we have cared for and nurtured them to become the b
est women they can be.”

  There were eleven girls at the orphanage who were either already over sixteen, or about to have birthdays, and become victims of the Board of Governors’ new policy. A few minutes were devoted to grumbling about the idiocy of the new Board, before Sister Benedicta cast her eyes skyward and prayed for their souls.

  “Thank you for reminding us of our duty,” commented Mother Evangeline, dryly. “Yes, we all need to pray on this a great deal. But God also expects us to endeavor on our own behalves and I'm looking to you for your advice on a proposal to allow our young ladies to become, in effect, mail-order brides.”

  There was a stunned silence in the room.

  “Sisters, I’ve asked you here for your intimate counsel on the propriety and feasibility of taking a group of our girls to Kansas to try to find suitable jobs and potential husbands. But not only must we determine whether this is appropriate for our girls, we must determine whether our girls are appropriate for the venture. Have we trained them to cope with such a completely different life from what they now know? Most of them don’t know one end of a cow from another, after all.” She chuckled, remembering her brother’s comment in his letter.

  “Evangeline, I think you’re being a little bit harsh on the girls. I realize we live in a city, but they have seen some animal life. You know full well there are dairy cows in the park and we keep chickens in our own yard.”

  The twinkle in Sister Agatha’s eyes was matched by that in Mother Evangeline’s.

  “Nonetheless, Agatha, we really do need to consider how these young ladies would cope with the countryside. I cannot imagine Gracie, for example, trying to milk a cow.”

  There was a general round of laughter before Sister Benedicta commented wryly that Gracie was an unlikely candidate since she was mooning after Clara’s brother, Jack.

  “If we agree to go forward with the plan, in fairness, we should offer it to each of the girls, but I agree that Gracie is unlikely to be interested unless Jack were to decide he wants to be a cowboy. And he’s doing quite well as a haberdasher’s apprentice right now.”

  There was another round of laughter as they thought of the young dandy Jack had become. He had been a regular attendee of the monthly dances held with the boys from the monastery. At first he and his sister would take time to catch up on each other’s news, but over time Jack’s interest in his sister, while still brotherly and affectionate, was supplanted by the attention he devoted to Gracie.

  Clara didn’t really mind. Gracie had become a good friend and had a loving nature. But while she could manage most chores with competence, she had exhibited no special talents which would make her useful as a servant or shopkeeper’s assistant. Most of the sisters agreed marriage to Jack, now that his wages were sufficient to support a family, would be an ideal outcome for the couple.

  Sister Bridget commented that she did not believe either Kathleen or Maria would be good candidates. They were still at the orphanage because they lacked maturity, and someone setting off on an adventure like this would need to have her wits about her. Both girls had secured decent jobs, one as a waitress in a family café, and the other as a daily help for a growing family.

  “I believe Maria also has a young man courting her,” she added.

  Mother Evangeline ticked those names on her list and scratched a brief note next to each before she looked up.

  “We will need to pursue safe housing arrangements, preferably boarding houses with reliable matrons to provide that option, but I believe each of the girls should be allowed to think about all the choices being presented. Many of them may have no interest whatsoever in leaving this town. It is what they know.

  “And while for some this may be a unique chance to possibly better their lives, it could also prove to be a nightmare of the unknown. We may find that none of them wishes to go.”

  Sister Benedicta nodded her head thoughtfully. “Considering some of their backgrounds, I suspect the sense of adventure has been drummed out of them a bit. But I confess to being intrigued at the possibilities!”

  Sister Frances had remained silent, carefully following the discussion. Now she spoke up.

  “You know, Sisters, I think you are somewhat underestimating our charges. I’ve watched them grow from frightened and timid waifs to poised and self-confident young women under our tutelage. It has been as much for our own convenience as theirs that we’ve allowed some of the older girls to remain with us. Their maturity is a good example for the younger girls.

  “While I do not agree with the extremes to which the Board has gone, I think we need to balance security against complacency. We do rather cocoon the girls.”

  Laughing at the somewhat shocked and then chagrined looks being exchanged, Sister Frances added, “I mollycoddle them myself. So many have overcome such hardships! But look how resilient most of them have become!”

  Sister Bridget nodded. “Yes, even poor Emily has improved immeasurably, although I doubt she’ll ever be able to manage on her own.”

  “At least we have several years before we need worry about that. But will her sister go off without her?” Sister Benedicta spoke with concern.

  Mother Evangeline brought the threads of the conversation to a close. “I would gather we all concur that including my brother’s proposal should be included in the options we discuss with the girls.” Heads nodded in agreement.

  “And your thoughts on whether to approach them as a group or invite them individually?”

  Sister Agatha spoke up.

  “You know, dear, these young ladies will immediately talk to the others as soon as they leave your office. I think it would be best to have them all in at once. I suspect some of them may have ideas which we haven’t even considered.”

  “Thank you, Agatha. That is what I thought too, but wished to have your input on the matter. So we are agreed that all of the eligible young women be ask to join us so we can explain the proposal?” More nods.

  “I suggest,” Sister Benedicta put in, “that we make it a somewhat social occasion and provide tea and cakes. The rumors have been flying around about the Board’s new edicts, and you must know that the girls are somewhat panicked that they will be thrown onto the streets. I think for us to assure them that if they are not part of this group heading west, we will ensure they have proper lodgings and positions and not turn them loose on their own would reassure them greatly.”

  The sisters closed their meeting with a prayer for guidance. The sooner they started the better, so Sister Frances headed to the kitchens to discuss the tea party plan with Sister Beatrice, and Sister Bridget requested and received permission to ask Barbara join her to pen personal invitations to each of the girls.

  CHAPTER 12 – Westward, Ho?

  As Mother Evangeline walked into the room, followed by Sisters Benedicta, Bridget, Frances, and Agatha, the girls dropped into silence.

  “Good evening, my dears,” Mother greeted them. “I'm sure most of you have a pretty good idea why we asked you to join us. And thus you are also aware of the gravity of the situation, which I will clarify in a minute.

  “But first, as is our custom, let us invite The Lord to join us.”

  Hands reached out to grasp one another as heads bowed.

  “Dearest Heavenly Father, please look down upon us and guide us in Your wisdom to the best solution for the situation in which we find ourselves. Please open each girl's heart to her own mind that she may make the best decision for herself and those she loves. We thank You for Your everlasting caring and love.”

  There quickly followed a chorus of “amens” and then the girls looked up again.

  “All right, I know you've all heard the rumors flying about concerning a new edict from the Board of Governors. We will not be discussing the edict directly, but how we will be responding.

  “We,” she glanced around at her fellow sisters, “believe that if you are old enough to be asked to live on your own, then you are old enough to make your own decisions about ho
w you wish to spend the rest of your lives. We have done our best to prepare you for a variety of possibilities ranging from marriage and family to jobs. However, we had intended that you would have additional time to allow nature to take its course and assist you in selecting which option you wished to start with.

  “It is that time which has been taken away so cruelly. There are a rather large number of you who will all be looking to enter the workforce at the same time, and I believe only a few of you are courting at this time. We would like to lay out a few options for you and listen to your own suggestions of ideas to weather this storm.”

  Despite their strict training, a number of the girls could not resist the urge to start twittering to each other. Mother Evangeline paused and stood silent, looking at her audience until it had resumed silence and the young ladies were again giving her their full attention.

  “First of all, we have been talking with local shopkeepers and various houses to determine what positions might be available to you. Anyone who wishes to pursue this course should talk with Sister Benedicta. But we don't expect anyone to make a decision hastily, and wish you to take the time to discuss this subject with each other and with any of the other young ladies in residence who might be able to offer their wisdom to assist you. Each of us is more than ready to listen or answer questions.

  ‘I realize that one or two of you may have other arrangements already in hand. Please share them with me or with any of us so we know that you are properly settled.”

  Here she paused and looked around the room. Mother Evangeline chuckled inwardly at the varied expressions of concern, bemusement, but, most of all, repressed excitement.