Lost Love and Shipwrecked: Madeline Pike Finds Hope in the New Land

by Cathy Lynn Bryant

  Madeline was so enjoying the day, she scarcely noticed it had almost passed until the sparkle of the sunset reflecting on the water caught her eye. She was so captivated by the shimmering beauty of it that she began, as she often did, to converse with herself. “How beautiful. I could never tire of God’s magnificent creation.”

  All at once, she heard a voice coming from behind her, saying, “I wholeheartedly agree.”

  Her heart skipped a beat as she whirled around and found Christopher Osgood standing there.

  “I ah . . . I did not see you standing there,” she stammered.

  “I am often overcome myself by the splendor of a sunset,” replied Christopher, attempting to make Madeline feel at ease.

  Madeline’s mind was racing over the embarrassment of having been caught, once again, talking to herself, as well as the excitement at seeing Christopher. She began to question why she was reacting this way. After all, we are just good friends, she thought. Feeling the need to escape the awkwardness of the situation, she said, “Well, I better be running along while there is enough light by which to make my way home. Goodbye Christopher, it was good to see you.”

  With that, she was off with Christopher scarcely able to get out a “goodbye,” before she was too far away to hear him.

  As Madeline was dashing home, she replayed in her mind the entire scene with Christopher. Why had she felt so ill at ease? How stupid she must have seemed to run off so quickly. What must he think of me? she wondered.

  All at once, her thoughts began to shift to when she might see him again. She began to wonder why it had been so many months since she had last seen him. He does not make much of an effort to come to call on me . . . I mean us, she thought, clearly frustrated.

  However, after a few moments of reflection, she began to feel a sense of guilt. After all, it has not been that long since Oliver passed and Christopher is still mourning the loss of Hannah. She was determined not to allow such thoughts to enter her mind again.

  Later that night, Christopher recalled how Maddie had seemed ill at ease with him down by the water. He wondered if it had simply been that she was aware that he had overheard her talking to herself. He wished she had not rushed off so quickly, for he had missed spending time with her in the way that he had on their voyage. “She was such a bright light for everyone on board the ship with her compassionate words and bright smile,” he heard himself say aloud. “What am I doing? Now I am talking to myself. Maddie would laugh if she knew.”

  Much to Elizabeth and Henry’s delight, Mr. Bleasdell finally returned with good news from Colechester. “Elizabeth, the town has made a promise to give us a land grant. It includes a parcel of land in town for a home and another just past the center of town to farm. Moreover, after some weeks in prayer regarding God’s will for us, I am of the opinion that it is His desire that we should remove to Colechester as soon as it can be arranged. I know that it cannot happen overnight, but by this time next year, I hope to be all settled in our own home on our own land,” he said, with excitement in his voice. “As I continue to have obligations in Agamenticus, I shall be off early tomorrow to conclude my business there.”

  Chapter 3

  Awakening of Feelings/John Bailey, a Sad Story/Plans to Move

  * * *

  Upon his return from Agamenticus, Mr. Bleasdell met up with Christopher in town one day. “Christopher, I have news.”

  “What news?” Christopher asked with a quizzical look on his face.

  “Christopher, I have plans to move my family to Colechester,” replied Mr. Bleasdell. “However, as things are not yet arranged, it shall not happen right away. You see, the town has made us the promise of a land grant. Moreover, it is my belief that as a property owner I shall have further opportunity to provide for my family.”

  “I had thought you were to remove to Agamenticus or rather to Bristol as it is now called,” replied Christopher, as he was mulling over the news.

  “Yes, I have property there as well, but I believe Colechester offers more opportunity. Mr. Robert Knight shall purchase my holdings in Bristol, formerly Agamenticus, as soon as he is able.”

  “Shall ah . . . er, I mean to say, will all of you be going?” Christopher asked, with a discomfited expression.

  “If you mean to inquire as to whether or not Madeline will be moving with us, the answer is yes,” Mr. Bleasdell replied with a smile. “You ought to consider doing the same.”

  “Oh, I do not know. After all, I am established here in Ipswich,” remarked Christopher. “However, it will sadden me to part company with you. I cannot conceive of my life here without all of you. You are much the same as family to me.”

  “I shall say no more on the subject under the condition that you at least consider the possibility,” replied Mr. Bleasdell. “But, in the meantime, we should like to see more of you.”

  “To be sure,” replied Christopher.

  The following evening after Christopher had completed his work for the day, he stopped by to call on the Bleasdells.

  “Good evening, Christopher, it is wonderful to see you,” said Elizabeth, leading him by the hand. “Henry and Madeline are out for a little walk at the moment, but we expect them back very soon. Will you stay and dine with us this evening?”

  “I really cannot stay long, but I thank you just the same,” responded Christopher, as he was taking a seat.

  “We have not seen enough of you these days, dear boy. Even on worship day you are out the door before we are able to greet you,” remarked Elizabeth.

  “I have been so busy, I scarcely have time to eat and sleep,” replied Christopher.

  Mr. Bleasdell, Elizabeth, and Christopher conversed for nearly an hour before Henry came bounding into the room with Madeline trailing behind.

  “There is the little man,” said Christopher, with a smile.

  Henry squealed with excitement as he jumped into Christopher’s lap.

  “Maddie, it is good to see you,” said Christopher, glancing in her direction.

  It was not long before everyone in the room noticed something peculiar regarding Madeline. Henry, while they were out for their stroll, had taken up the idea that Madeline seemed a good candidate for a mud fight. Maddie, mortified at seeing Christopher sitting there, scampered quickly from the room. Grasping the situation, Christopher, Elizabeth, and Mr. Bleasdell started to chuckle.

  “I must see to Madeline,” whispered Elizabeth, with a little grin.

  “I should take my leave,” said Christopher, with an understanding nod.

  “Very well, but come again soon,” replied Mr. Bleasdell, as he walked Christopher out.

  The following week, Mr. Bleasdell was met by his friend John Bailey, from the Angel Gabriel, who inquired after his knowledge of Colechester. Mr. Bailey had become legally entangled while residing in Ipswich. Though he had been released from the charges, his reputation had been irreparably damaged. Consequently, he earnestly desired to settle in a new location where he would have the benefit of anonymity and might make a new start.

  Mr. Bleasdell, with compassion for Mr. Bailey, offered to recommend him to the selectmen of Colechester. As he was aware of Mr. Bailey’s situation in Ipswich, as well as the details regarding his lonely life without his beloved who would not venture to cross the ocean, it was his desire to offer him assistance.

  Mr. Bailey traveled with Mr. Bleasdell on his subsequent visit to Colechester. Upon their arrival, Mr. Bleasdell sought to introduce him to the selectmen in hopes of recommending him for a land grant. He was warmly received by the town and his hopes for an offer of property were realized, resulting in great joy for Mr. Bailey. Mr. Bleasdell was pleased as well with the turn of events for Mr. Bailey.

  Upon their return to Ipswich, Mr. Bailey was not long in arranging for his move. He left for Colechester soon after with plans to meet up with Mr. Bleasdell on his next visit. The Bleasdells were very pleased that Mr. Bailey, once again, would be their neighbor when they moved to Colechester. Eliza
beth determined that when they were settled she would not delay in seeking him out, for she had long wished to be of some comfort to the poor man.

  A few months had passed before Christopher visited again with the Bleasdells and Madeline. Madeline came running inside when she spied him coming up the road.

  “Elizabeth,” she said nervously, “Christopher is almost here.”

  “Well, all right,” said Elizabeth. “Go and greet him.”

  “Oh, Elizabeth, I cannot,” grimaced Madeline. “I do not wish for him to know that I saw him approaching.”

  Elizabeth laughed as she opened the door to greet Christopher. “Good day to you, Christopher,” she said, still grinning. “It is so nice of you to call on us.”

  “I’m sorry that I have been so long away. I have not had time for anything other than work these days,” disclosed Christopher.

  “Mr. Bleasdell had kept us informed regarding your work demands,” remarked Elizabeth.

  “Good day to you, Maddie,” said Christopher, with a smile.

  “And to you, Christopher,” said Maddie nervously. “I imagine that I appear a little less soiled than when we last met,” she said, with a giggle.

  Christopher was glad to see that she had regained her sense of humor.

  “Where is the little man?” asked Christopher.

  “He is down for his nap,” replied Elizabeth. “I should not have been surprised if Madeline had required a nap as well. Henry has her going from sunup to sundown.”

  “I do not mind as he is, to me, the dearest boy,” replied Madeline.

  Christopher filled Madeline and the Bleasdells in on all that had been going on since his last visit. They were happy that he had come to call in spite of the little time he had available for visiting.

  “I am sorry to have missed seeing Henry,” said Christopher, “but I cannot stay any longer. I must take my leave, as tomorrow shall be another long day of work.”

  “Do come again, soon,” replied Elizabeth.

  Later that night, once Christopher had gone, Madeline remarked to Elizabeth about the agreeable nature of his visit and how nice it had been to see him. “I am going to retire to my bed now,” said Madeline, with contentment in her voice.

  I fear that there shall very soon be two broken hearts, thought Elizabeth. I am not sure that they comprehend how fast the day of our move is approaching.

  Chapter 4

  The Move and Making New Acquaintances

  * * *

  The weeks flew by and moving day was upon them. As the time had come for Madeline to say her farewells, a sense of sorrow swept over her. She did not want to admit it to herself, but she knew the reason for this feeling. Her heart was heavy as she walked somberly with the Bleasdells into town.

  Elizabeth was beginning to detect that Madeline was not her usual cheery self so she casually strolled up to her and asked, “Are you ill, my dear? You do not seem quite yourself today.”

  Madeline did not wish to reveal her thoughts to Elizabeth, so she said, “I am all right, perhaps just a little weary.”

  Though Elizabeth was unconvinced that her young friend was being truthful, she decided not to press her for more information.

  All and sundry came out to say their farewells to Madeline and the Bleasdells. There were many hugs and tears as well as invitations to return at any time. Madeline, with a desire to be discreet, had been subtly glancing around to see if a tall, wavy brown-haired figure was anywhere in sight. After a while, she began to feel ashamed of herself for fretting over Christopher and whether he would be there to say goodbye.

  While walking back to the little house, the Bleasdells remarked on how they had come to love all of the people in town. “We are going to miss them terribly,” said Elizabeth sadly.

  “Indeed we are,” replied Mr. Bleasdell. “Nevertheless, I am excited about once again becoming a property owner. As such, I shall have influence in this new land. I believe that God has great plans for all of us who have traveled here. It is my desire to do my part to encourage the people to follow after His will.”

  Madeline was extremely quiet as they strolled along. She had quickly glanced back a few times hoping to go unnoticed, especially by Elizabeth. She muttered, “Elizabeth might suspect that it is Christopher I am searching for. What would she think if she knew how I long to see him before we set off for Colechester?”

  Elizabeth, hearing Madeline’s voice, said, “Did you say something, dear?”

  Realizing she had spoken aloud, Madeline gave a hasty reply, “No just talking to myself again.” She and Elizabeth had often joked about the frequent conversations that Madeline had with herself aboard the Angel.

  With the help of their former captain, Robert Andrews, the Bleasdells had procured free passage aboard a shallop heading for Colechester. The captain of the shallop, Theodore Barnes, had heard about the Angel Gabriel’s misfortune and wanted to be of assistance to the travelers. Mr. and Mrs. Bleasdell, with hearts full of gratitude, gave thanks to God that, once again, He had made provision for them; then they loaded up what little they had and were off to Colechester.

  Madeline inquired of Mr. Bleasdell, “What is the distance to Colechester?”

  Mr. Bleasdell replied, “Over land, it is not further than thirteen or fourteen miles.”

  Madeline had not realized that Colechester and Ipswich were so close. “Christopher I . . . ah . . . I meant to say Ipswich will be nearer to us than I thought!” exclaimed Madeline, with an obvious joyful tone to which Mr. Bleasdell and Elizabeth smiled.

  Meanwhile, back at Ipswich, Christopher came scurrying into town to inquire after Mr. and Mrs. Bleasdell and Maddie. He had been detained by a rather chatty fisherman and could not get away. It was not long before he discovered that he had failed to make it there in time. After learning that they had already set off, Christopher felt a deep sense of sadness. Though he attempted to deny his feelings, he was, at that moment, acutely aware of his ever-increasing affections for Maddie.

  Once the passengers had sailed out around Plum Island, it was not long before they reached their destination. With the assistance of some of the gentlemen in town on his previous trips, Mr. Bleasdell had been building a modest home for his family, which he was eager to show them. Making their way to the location of their new home, Elizabeth and Maddie felt a sense of great anticipation. Once they arrived, they stood gazing at their new home with a contented feeling washing over them knowing they were at the place they might finally put down roots.

  “God has truly blessed us,” remarked Mr. Bleasdell.

  Some of the neighbors came to call on the family upon observing their arrival into town. They expressed their delight in having new neighbors and offered to have them come and dine with them once everyone was settled in. After their new acquaintances had departed, Madeline and Elizabeth remarked on how affable the new neighbors seemed to be.

  “I can truly conceive of a life here where making new friends appears to come quite easily,” commented Elizabeth.

  Elizabeth and Mr. Bleasdell were busy arranging their things in the new home while Madeline entertained Henry.

  An idea came to Madeline that she believed would please Henry. “Let’s take a stroll through town and have a look around.”

  Henry’s eyes lit up with excitement, for he was more than willing to join Miss Madeline on her adventure. Madeline whispered to Elizabeth, “I am going to take Henry on a walk. We will return in a little while,” to which Elizabeth gave a smile and a nod.

  Mr. Bleasdell remarked, “Having her here with us has been a Godsend.”

  “Yes, and I believe that it has been good for Madeline to be with us, although this move has been hard for her. Though she will not admit it, there is no doubt but that she shall miss Christopher exceedingly.”

  Henry began to point out the little saltbox-style houses that were stretched out around the circular road leading through town. Next, they came to a little meetinghouse. Madeline explained to Henry as they w
ere passing by, “They make use of the meetinghouse for town business as well as to hold church services. I have been informed that it is the custom to meet there on the Sabbath for worship and on Thursday nights for lectures. Henry, now that your father is a landowner, he will be able to attend town meetings.”

  “What do they do at the meetings?” asked Henry.

  “They make a lot of the decisions for the town. Someday, when you are all grown up you too may attend the meetings,” replied Madeline, with a smile.

  On the far end of the road stood the new church, which was presently under construction. Madeline was overflowing with excitement owing to the realization that many of the people occupying the homes had made similar harrowing journeys to a new homeland in order to serve God in freedom.

  Oh, how I wish that Oliver had lived to experience all of this, she thought. Madeline was abruptly shaken out of her daydream by Henry’s little hand pulling on her dress. “All right, Henry,” she said, with a smile, “we will continue on.”

  Down the road a bit further, Madeline noticed a garrison house that she knew to be the place in which the residents barricade themselves in the event of an Indian attack. However, I think I shall keep that bit of information to myself. I do not think Henry would sleep well tonight if he were made aware of it, thought Madeline.

  Madeline recalled a sad turn of events that Mr. Bleasdell had told her about concerning a plague earlier in the century that had killed many of the members of Pentucket tribe. She then thought about a very kind member of the Abenaki tribe that she had become acquainted with on their journey to Colechester. She remembered being quite impressed with his friendly manner with the captain and the other passengers and that following that experience, she had learned not to fear Indians altogether, though she knew she needed to be cautious.

  While Henry and Madeline were having an enjoyable time conversing about the town, some ladies approached. After introducing themselves, they expressed a desire to include the new members of the town in some upcoming activities.