Hannah Saves Samuel (Wanted: Wives In The West 1) (2 page)

Beatrice Reynolds sat scowling during the Pastor’s meeting. “I will
not
be a part of this plan to lure young women to this town for the purpose of romance!” she said. Her husband, Otis, a thin man compared to his wife, sat cowering beside her, hat in hand. He knew better than to disagree with her. She was outspoken and nobody wanted to suffer her wrath if they disagreed with her. Beatrice ran the Threads and Top Hats fashion store downtown. She came from a very wealthy family and speculation was that they had paid Otis a hefty sum to take her off their hands.

“Well, I think it’s a wonderful idea, Pastor!” said Margaret Marshall. “Caleb and I would be honored to usher in a generation of fine, upstanding citizens. We have to do
something
to get these young men in line, and nothing would work better than a family.”

The pastor smiled as several others in the group murmured and nodded their head in agreement. Beatrice Reynolds grabbed Otis by the hand and left the meeting in a huff. The Marshalls stood up and shook the Pastor’s hand. “So … when does the first girl arrive and can we be her chaperones?”

Caleb and Margaret Marshall had been two of the first members of Littlejohn’s congregation. It was Caleb who helped bring most of the reputable commerce to the sleepy town of Fort Worth back then. For a long time, it had been ridiculed as nothing more than Panther City, a nickname it earned when someone reported seeing a panther sleeping right in the middle of town – a town so boring even wildlife wasn’t spooked. Unfortunately, when the solid businesses came, trouble followed, and the city itself had a tough time turning its back on the revenue brought in from fines and fees that these establishments generated.

Caleb and Margaret met when Margaret moved there with her family and worked as a young nurse. She’d seen her fair share of damage done in the Acre, helping Doc Springer remove bullets after shootouts, treat patients who had one too many of Charlie Everman’s Tarantula Juice mixtures, or take care of cowboys suffering from wounds during an Indian attack or disease acquired along the Chisolm Trail. She was happy to quit nursing once she married Caleb, and together, they had one child, a son, who had since set off as a cattle driver himself.

The week that Pastor Littlejohn got inspired, he gathered Samuel and four other single men for a photograph in front of the church for the ad. He wanted to make sure the women knew this was a Christian journey. When he ran it, he, too noticed the faraway look on Samuel’s face. Time was of the utmost concern.

The other men had been happy to hear of the pastor’s plan. But Samuel hadn’t said anything. He’d simply shaken his head and showed up at the agreed upon time. When anyone spoke to him, he would display a polite smile, but it was obvious that his heart wasn’t in it.

Now, four weeks later, the plan was paying off. Pastor Littlejohn and his wife sat up into the night reading through the replies. “I think you need to read this one,” Mabel said, passing the letter and photograph to Stanley. The woman in the picture was delightful. She looked young and happy – very well kempt. He would never have known how much turmoil she was in just by looking at the photo.

Dear Pastor Littlejohn,

It is through the guidance of the Lord that I write to you today. I have prayed for an opportunity to find a loving, God-fearing husband whose side I can be at forevermore.

I write to you with urgency, as my loving Pa has passed away and I will soon be left without a place to go once my Ma and my six-year-old sister, Jenny, move into tight quarters with my Aunt Agnes in Savannah. I’m not only looking for a husband, but for a family-oriented community that I can contribute to as well.

I like to think I’ll be a fine wife for the right man. As long as he has a heart that turns to Christ and promises to honor and love me as much as I will him, I’ll be happy. I’m a hard worker and have plenty of homesteading experience. I’m also not afraid of the pioneer life and helping out around the ranch, doing man’s work, if needed.

Ever your friend,

Hannah Browning

“I feel like she’s the one for Samuel,” Mabel said as Stanley laid the letter down and looked at her, smiling. “He needs a loving woman who is committed to him and to our Lord.”

Stanley set the rest of the letters aside, and reached over to put the flame out on the oil lamp. “We’ll send her a train ticket tomorrow,” Stanley said, drifting off to sleep with a satisfied smile on his face.

…

Hannah ran home from the post office as fast as she could. She hadn’t waited to go to the magnolia tree the day the reply came. She’d ripped it open right when the postmaster handed it to her, letting out a squeal as she rushed off to give her ma the good news. “You don’t have to worry about me anymore!” she said, gathering up her ma and Jenny in her arms and giving them a big hug as she danced in front of the hearth.

“What are you going on about?” Ma asked, looking at Hannah as if she were crazy. Hannah had always been fiercely independent, always doing things her own way. It drove Ma insane trying to keep her grounded when her Pa had encouraged her with her wild dreams and high hopes.

“I’m going to Texas!” Hannah said. “I answered a Hearts and Hands ad for Christian women to help settle Fort Worth, right where the Chisolm Trail begins. I’m going to stay with a couple from the church and work for them and hopefully meet my future husband!”

“Hannah, you can’t go out West all by yourself!” Ma said.

“Oh, I won’t be alone,” Hannah declared. “Well, just on the train. But Caleb and Margaret Marshall are my chaperones for the trip.” She handed her ma the reply.

Dear Ms. Browning,

It is with sincere pleasure that my wife, Margaret, and I welcome the opportunity to host you in Ft. Worth, Texas as a potential life partner for one of the fine young men in our congregation.

Enclosed, please find the railway ticket for your trip. We look forward to meeting you, having you stay at our home, and giving you employment on our ranch.

May God keep you safe in your travels!

Sincerely,

Caleb Marshall

Ma shook her head in disbelief. “Hannah, I know it’s dangerous out in Texas. I’ve heard about those Chisolm Trail towns, too. There are all sorts of bad seeds out there” she said. “But I also know me and your pa gave you a good head on your shoulders. I only wish I had the means to support all three of us. I trust you to do what’s right.”

“Thanks, Ma,” Hannah said softly. “Then my mind’s made up. I’ve prayed every night for an opportunity like this – for guidance from the Lord on how I can be less of a burden to you and Jenny. This is my destiny, and I’m leaving in two days.”

Hannah wasn’t as confident as she made it look in front of her family. She was nervous. Not about the train ride or drunks in the saloons, because she knew she wouldn’t frequent those places. She was more worried about being accepted by the community. What if they didn’t like her? What if the other girls coming to Texas were prettier than her, smarter, more skilled, or friendlier?

Hannah’s ma knew her headstrong daughter had always done what she wanted to. This would be no different. All she could do was mend some of her clothes, help her pack for the trip, and pray that her daughter would find happiness through the church’s efforts.

The train’s engineer stood on the platform greeting passengers. Hannah and her mother embraced as Jenny squeezed in between them. “I want to go, too!” she pouted. Hannah lifted her up and gave her a big hug.

“Texas isn’t ready for the likes of you, Miss Jenny!” said Hannah. “But maybe someday soon I’ll send you and Ma a train ticket and you can come out and visit me. Would you like that?”

Jenny cracked a smile and hugged Hannah goodbye. The whistle blew and Hannah knew it was time to leave her life behind and find out what the Lord had in store for her. “I’ll write you every week,” she promised, waving to Ma from the train window.

The locomotive pulled away from the platform and Hannah opened her Bible, where she had neatly tucked away the letter from the Marshalls as well as the original ad Pastor Littlejohn ran in the Hearts and Hands publication.

As the miles passed, she closed her eyes and imagined what the man with the distant stare would do when she arrived. Would he already be spoken for? Would he take one look at her and walk away, uninterested? She had memorized the way he looked in the picture with his brown hair trimmed neatly beneath his cowboy hat. He was clean-shaven with a strong-looking face—the only one in the group without a mustache, and the youngest one, too. She couldn’t see his eyes, since they looked away, but he was certainly handsome.

Hannah blushed and tucked the picture back into her Bible. She had to get her mind off of herself and back onto the example Pa had set – serving others. It was important to make a good impression on the congregation for giving her a chance at a new life and being a beacon of hope when there was nowhere else to go. She began to daydream about new friendships she would form, how life would be with the Marshalls, a way to repay the kindness of the Littlejohns for choosing her, and what it would be like to someday tell her own children the tale of how she met their father and started life over in Fort Worth, Texas.

…

When the train pulled into Fort Worth, Hannah felt her stomach do somersaults. What if she had made the wrong decision? No. In Isaiah 40:31, it says,
but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint
. The Lord was giving her wings to fly and she refused to go into this feeling weak and worried. Renewed with hope and strength, Hannah stood up, gathered her belongings, and stepped out onto the platform to meet the Marshalls.

A yellow haze filled the sky, a result of the thirsty summer dirt roads being stirred up amid dozens of horse hooves and wagon wheels. Texas felt hotter than Georgia, but the humidity wasn’t quite as bad. For a frontier town, there sure was a lot of activity going on. Horses lined the platform, tied to a hitching post. Hannah spotted her hosts waving at her a few feet away.

Caleb and Margaret Marshall were a lovely couple. Sincere smiles never left their faces as they welcomed Hannah into the fold and treated her just like a long lost relative. “How was your trip?” Margaret inquired. “My, you must be exhausted, traveling all the way from Georgia! We’ll go straight home and have a wonderful supper before you get rested.”

The meal was incredible. They had outdone themselves with home fried chicken, collard greens and corn bread. Hannah hadn’t eaten like that in over a year, since her ma had quit tending to suppertime. They chatted about her life back home, her education and experience with homesteading. She told them about her family, and all the cute things her sister Jenny did around the house. Suddenly, Hannah was overcome with drowsiness. Margaret noticed her eyelids drooping and said, “Hannah, we’re so happy you’re here with us. But you must go rest up now. We’ll talk more in the morning.” Hannah agreed, feeling very content with her new life so far.

She hadn’t asked about the man in the ad with the faraway eyes, and no mention of marriage had come up with the Marshalls. But every so often, she’d notice them exchange a quick glance with a smile between them when she mentioned something about her love of the Lord and her dream of settling down in Texas permanently.

Caleb and Margaret discussed how excited they were to see the two together. “They’ll make such a handsome pair,” said Margaret. “They’re so different physically—Samuel, tall, dark hair and eyes, strong as a bull and tan as a leather hide—and Hannah, petite, blonde hair, blue eyes, and skin as soft and white as a dove! But both of them have the Lord in their hearts.”

Hannah woke the next morning to the sound of voices in the other room. There was a second male voice that didn’t belong to Caleb. She heard a knock at the door and Margaret summoned her to breakfast. “Be right there,” Hannah replied. She cracked the door open a bit and saw a man standing next to Caleb with his back to her. He had his cowboy hat in his hand, but even without it, he towered over her host.

Hearing the door creak open, the man turned around and met Hannah’s gaze through the small opening. “It’s him!” she whispered quietly. The stranger’s chiseled face was burned into her mind. She’d stared at the picture the whole way here, but this time, his eyes were not wandering, but locked with hers. They were green, like the beautiful, rolling hills she had seen on her way here—something she had wondered about when looking at the photograph before.