A Dream for Tomorrow

by Melody Carlson

  “No, you’re even more beautiful,” Elizabeth insisted. Ignoring the lines on her friend’s face, Elizabeth touched a strand of auburn hair. “Not a bit of gray.”

  “And look at you.” Malinda just shook her head. “You haven’t changed a bit.”

  Elizabeth looked down at her worn and dusty riding outfit and the boots that were now being held together with rawhide strips. “I’m afraid I’m a mess.”

  “A beautiful mess,” Malinda assured her, and they both burst out laughing.

  Just then another girl and a boy came out and shyly joined them, and Malinda, after exclaiming over how much JT had grown, introduced everyone. “This is Emily,” she started with the older girl. “She’ll be fourteen soon. And this is Bart, he’s just a little older than JT. And this is Susannah. She’s nine.”

  “And Todd’s the oldest,” Emily told them, “but he’s working out in the field.”

  “The rest of my family will be here in a couple of hours,” Elizabeth explained. “But I was so excited to see you, I couldn’t wait.”

  “Bart, why don’t you help tend the horses and then show JT around?” Malinda said. “And girls, how about if you go put on some water for tea?”

  “Can we make the cake now?” Emily asked eagerly.

  Malinda chuckled. “Yes, dear, you can make the cake now.” She winked at Elizabeth as the two girls dashed back into the cabin. “They’ve had it all ready for several days now. I told them they couldn’t start it until we saw the whites of your eyes.”

  Elizabeth laughed. “I can hardly believe we’re really here.” And now she remembered something…something sobering. “Oh, Malinda, I’m so sorry about John. I didn’t get your letter until it was too late. I suppose if I had received it back in Kentucky…well, I reckon I wouldn’t be standing here right now.”

  Malinda put her arm around Elizabeth’s shoulders as they strolled through the yard. “I’m so glad it missed you. And I couldn’t be happier that you’re here. Oh my—I have missed you so much! So I take it that you did get my letter then—the one where I warned you not to come?”

  Elizabeth nodded. “But we were well on our way.”

  “I wrote that letter in such a frenzy, Elizabeth.” She sighed. “I can’t even remember what I said.”

  “You sounded very distraught. There were Indian uprisings…and you hadn’t been without John for very long.”

  “Let’s take a walk around the place so we can talk.”

  “I’d love that.”

  Malinda showed her the improvements she and John had made over the past eight years. And truly, it was impressive. But Malinda explained how the pioneers helped each other. “And as you can see, there is no shortage of timber.”

  “And there’s a lumber mill at Empire City.”

  “Yes, things are changing fast.” She looked toward the south. “Do you want to see the parcel of land that John had picked out for you and James?”

  “No one’s claimed it yet?”

  “It’s still waiting for you.”

  As they walked, Malinda explained about how the past few years had been frightening with a number of Indian battles. “But I’m sure I made it out to be worse than it is. And now it’s been very quiet these past nine months. I’ve been assured that since the military stepped in, the worst of our troubles are over.”

  “That’s a relief.”

  “I hadn’t really intended to hide the truth from you,” Malinda confessed. “But you wrote to me of how my letters cheered you and the children…after James passed on.”

  “Yes, we loved your letters. It helped us pass many a winter evening. And we would reread them again and again.”

  “That’s why I shied away from serious topics. And after you lost James, well, I never dreamed you’d do this.” Malinda shook her head. “I was so shocked when I got your first letter. I couldn’t believe you would take on something so difficult. But then I realized you didn’t know how hard the Oregon Trail truly was. And I had painted such pretty and romanticized pictures of the West. I hope you’ll forgive me.”

  “There’s nothing to forgive. Every word you said about the West is true.” Elizabeth waved her hand. “Look at this land. It’s beautiful!”

  They were standing on a small hill now, looking out on the river and the meadows that seemed to stretch for miles. “See that rise over there to the west?” Malinda used her finger to draw a line. “Across there and to the edge of the river and then on up to the grove of trees?”

  “Yes.” Elizabeth nodded. “It’s all very lovely.”

  “It can be yours.” She waved her hand. “Well, unless you don’t want to claim a whole unit. John had walked it out back when James was alive, back when we thought you were coming…he felt you’d want a full unit. Now that you’re not married you may only want a half. Perhaps that’s all you’ll qualify for. To be honest, I’m not sure how the laws work now. The land was free when we came. But already so much has changed.” She sighed. “Even we have changed.”

  “Not so very much.” Elizabeth smiled happily.

  “But you and I are both widows now. Isn’t it hard to believe?”

  Suddenly Elizabeth felt the desperate need to speak to a confidante. And so without really thinking, almost like she used to do when they were girls, her story poured out. She told Malinda all about Will and his attempts at romance and his hopes for marriage. “But just a few days ago, I made my position clear to him.”

  “Your position?”

  “That I cannot marry him.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I don’t love him, Malinda. I just don’t have those feelings…like I had for James. Like you had for John. I felt sure you would understand.”

  “I’m not so certain I do.” Malinda frowned. “Let me see if I understand this correctly. You have a widower lawyer, and you enjoyed his company, and he and his family have followed you out here—and he wanted to marry you?”

  “Yes,” Elizabeth answered meekly.

  Malinda looked stunned. “And you told him no?”

  Elizabeth merely nodded.

  “Oh, Lizzie, Lizzie, Lizzie.” Malinda shook her head in a dismal way. “I hope you won’t regret this.”

  “I suppose you agree with my mother on this…and you think I’m very foolish.”

  “No. You are not foolish. You are a strong woman with good judgment. I have all faith that you know what you’re doing, my dear friend. And to think you made it all the way out here. And, my goodness, how many people did you entice to come along with you?”

  Elizabeth chuckled. “I did not entice them. We simply spoke fondly of this Promised Land that you had written to us about, and well, it seemed that people were listening.” Now she began to tell Malinda about the Bostonians. “Lavinia and Hugh plan to open a mercantile.”

  “A mercantile?” Malinda clapped her hands. “Oh, Elizabeth, that’s wonderful!”

  “They were waiting for a shipment of goods that they wanted to bring with them, but we think they should be here within the week.”

  “You are a miracle worker. And tell me, who else have you brought to our frontier land?”

  “Mrs. Taylor.” Elizabeth quickly explained how they had adopted the widow. “And she wants to teach school.”

  “That would be lovely. I had been teaching at our tiny school of only six children, counting my own four. But after John passed…well, I lost interest. The children will have some catching up to do.”

  “And there will be plenty of children.” Now Elizabeth told about the other families traveling the Applegate Trail.

  “Oh, my! We may become a township yet.”

  Elizabeth laughed. “We are going to populate this region, Malinda. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “Mind? I’m thrilled. We need settlers.” She waved her hand again. “Look at all this land just waiting for folks to come live here. When will the folks on the Applegate Trail arrive?”

  “I’m not sure. I think I heard the middle of
October, although I hope it’s sooner. And I hope they’re not having any troubles because there’s someone…” She was about to tell Malinda about Eli but stopped herself. Already she appeared foolish for turning down Will Bramford. She didn’t want to seem like a silly schoolgirl—not at this stage of life.

  “What is it?” Malinda demanded. “There is a glint in your eyes, Elizabeth Anne. A glint that tells me something is going on.”

  “Oh, it’s nothing.” Elizabeth looked back over the land. “I can’t wait to see my livestock partaking of this luscious—”

  “Lizzie.” Malinda turned her back around. “I know you. And I know that look. You better tell me the truth. Is there someone special who’s traveling on the Applegate Trail right now?”

  Despite her resolve not to act like a schoolgirl, Elizabeth giggled. Then she linked her arm into Malinda’s. “Shouldn’t we get back to the house now?”

  “Come on, Lizzie. I’ve known you since we were smaller than Susannah and Ruth. Out with it. Who is on the Applegate Trail right now? I will venture to guess that it’s a man. And it must be a man that your friend Will is not terribly pleased over. Am I right?”

  “No one…well, besides James…but no one else has ever known me as well as you do, Malinda.”

  “Tell me everything,” Malinda insisted as they walked back.

  And so Elizabeth obliged her. She even told her about the kiss. “I was completely shocked…but at the same time I wasn’t.”

  “I can’t wait to meet this Eli.”

  “You might not get the chance.”

  “But you said he was coming—”

  “He was guiding them on the Applegate Trail. But that doesn’t mean he’ll come all the way out here. In fact, I would be surprised if he did. For all I know he could have plans to guide another group on up to the Willamette Valley. I heard mention that settlers are flocking there like fleas on a dog.”

  “Oh, I suspect your Eli will come by here,” Malinda said.

  Now Elizabeth spoke very frankly and honestly, explaining how Eli was not a marrying man. “He loves his life on the trail…I fear he loves his freedom even more than he loves me.”

  “But he does love you?”

  Elizabeth shrugged. “I’m not even sure of that. But there were moments when I felt that he did.”

  “Well, he did kiss you.” Malinda nodded firmly. “That’s almost like saying he loves you.”

  “Or simply toying with my affections.” Elizabeth laughed, but she could hear the hollowness to it. Then, as they neared the house, Elizabeth made Malinda swear to secrecy in regard to Eli.

  “Quite frankly, it’s doubtful that anything will ever come of it,” she said finally, “but now you know…that is the reason I had to disappoint Will.”

  “Poor Will.” She made a tsk-tsk sound.

  Elizabeth gave her old friend a furtive glance. Was it possible that Malinda might be a good match for Will Bramford? Yet in the same instant, Elizabeth remembered that Malinda had not been widowed for a full year yet. Elizabeth remembered how long it took her to even consider remarrying. Surely this was much too early for Malinda as well. However, she had also noticed that Malinda wasn’t wearing black.

  “Have you been unable to find widow’s weeds out here in the wilderness?” Elizabeth asked quietly.

  “Oh, certainly, I had them. Mrs. Levine saw to that—you’ll meet her soon. But when the heat of summer came and it had been more than six months, I put that ghastly woolen black dress away.”

  “I see.” Elizabeth wasn’t going to admit to her that she’d worn black for years.

  “Besides, there’s far too much to be done around here without worrying about such conventions. This is the West, Elizabeth. Life is different here. You’ll see.”

  Elizabeth just nodded. “I’m sure I’ve had a good sampling of that already on the Oregon Trail.”

  Malinda laughed. “Yes, of course, you have. Sometimes I forget the hardships of the trail myself. I suppose it’s a bit like giving birth—horrible when you’re in the midst of it, but after it’s over with, you put it all behind you.”

  Now Elizabeth laughed. “I never thought of it in that way, but I think you’ve gotten it just right.” Already, she was beginning to forget the hardships and deprivations of crossing the country in a wagon and on foot. It truly was not so much different from how she’d felt after the pain of giving birth followed by the joy of holding her newborn baby in her arms. One did tend to forget the difficulties…in time.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Malinda’s farm became an even busier place when the Prescotts and Bramfords arrived. But by then, Elizabeth had already parked her own wagon as well as her livestock on the unit of land John had picked out for them. After walking the boundaries and studying the soil and the river, her parents had decided to take the unit west of her. And Matthew and Jess had their eye on the unit to the south. But Elizabeth was happy to remain on the land that abutted Malinda’s.

  It was surprising how quickly everyone made up their minds about claiming units. Perhaps it was because they saw the natural beauty of the land, or perhaps it was because they were concerned about the families still coming on the Applegate Trail.

  The Prescotts and Bramfords decided to claim three and a half units. Because some of their children were eighteen or older, they were able to make more claims. But all the property they’d decided upon was to the east and, to Elizabeth’s relief, a good distance from her land.

  However, she was somewhat surprised when Lavinia and Hugh hired some local men to help them put up a small building, right next to the church, to contain the mercantile. And when other settlers in these parts heard the news, the Prescotts were already in business.

  “Perhaps we should have brought goods to sell instead of livestock,” Elizabeth teased her father one evening as they gathered outside of his tent for a family meal. Although Malinda had offered to share her home with Elizabeth’s family, they were all determined to get cabins up—if it was possible. Already, Jess and Matthew had made good progress. Because of the news that Jess was with child, everyone in the family had been eager to help them get a small cabin built.

  “If the weather turns bad, we’ll move in with Malinda,” Elizabeth had told her parents. Malinda had made it clear that Elizabeth and the children were more than welcome in their home. And she’d even offered the same to Asa and Clara, but Asa seemed determined to get a cabin up. “Even if it’s just one room,” he told Elizabeth. “Your mother said as long as it doesn’t have wheels on it, she will be happy.”

  One week after the Bostonians had arrived, everyone gathered at Malinda’s barn for an evening of music and food and getting acquainted with the neighboring settlers. It was the first time they’d all been together like this—simply for fun—since their days on the wagon train. Of course, Elizabeth felt slightly uneasy around Will. And she couldn’t help but notice he was much more serious and taciturn than before. Was it because of her? Finally, she could stand it no longer, and despite her sensibilities, she grabbed hold of Malinda’s hand. “Come with me,” she said. “I want you to meet someone.”

  “I thought I knew everyone here,” Malinda said.

  “Maybe so.” Elizabeth continued walking Malinda across the room to where Will was sitting alone on a crate. “Excuse me,” she told him in an overly loud voice. “But I would like you to meet Malinda.”

  “We’ve already met,” Will told her in a cool tone.

  “Yes. Well, maybe you met her. But you don’t really know her.” She made a very stiff smile. “Malinda is my very best friend. She is smart and interesting and fun to talk with.” She gave Will a determined look. “A lot like you.” Now she turned to Malinda. “Will is smart and interesting and fun to talk with.”

  “Yes, but I—”

  Elizabeth interrupted Malinda. “And I hope you two will enjoy getting acquainted.” Then, just like that, Elizabeth turned and walked away. She couldn’t help but chuckle as she hurried
back to where her mother and father were standing, probably watching the whole thing.

  “So much for social conventions,” she said as she joined them. “Malinda said that the rules changed out here in the West.”

  “It looked to me like you were foisting your oldest and dearest friend upon the poor man that you recently jilted,” Clara whispered in Elizabeth’s ear.

  Elizabeth frowned. “Really, Mother. ‘Jilted’ is a very strong word.”

  Clara’s lips curled into a smile. “You know what I mean. Besides, didn’t you just insinuate that social conventions were out of style here in the West?”

  “Look,” Elizabeth said quietly. “They are actually talking.”

  “And unless I’m mistaken,” Asa added, “they are enjoying it.”

  All through the valley, Elizabeth could hear the twang of axes as her family and friends felled trees to use for their cabins. Elizabeth was the only one who had made no progress in building. However, she had chosen what she felt was the best site for a home, marking it off with stones and hoping that eventually, after her parents and brother finished their cabins, they might be able to help on hers. Brady, Asa, Matthew, and even JT were taking turns on the two cabins—one day at one and one day at the next—and they were already beginning to look habitable. Or nearly. There was still much to be done. But it amazed Elizabeth how quickly it was going with all of them working together.

  As she walked to Malinda’s, she wondered if it might perhaps be best if she and the children did plan to winter with her. As Malinda had said, she had plenty of room. Ruth could share the girls’ bedroom with Emily and Susannah, JT could bunk with the boys in the loft, and Elizabeth could sleep with Malinda. It would be cozy but nice.

  Even Mrs. Taylor had found lodging. Ironically, it was with Mrs. Levine, a pioneer widow with four grown sons. Mrs. Levine had been here longer than anyone and was actively lobbying for a school and post office. When she learned that Mrs. Taylor hoped to teach settlers’ children, she immediately invited her into her home. And Mrs. Levine had been pleased as punch to learn that Prescotts’ Mercantile would soon open for business.