In Search Of Love: The Story of A Mail Order Bride (Mail Order Bride Series) (8 page)

James stopped the wagon in front of the white clapboard house.  It was two stories and had a porch, facing the south to avoid the direct sun in the afternoon.  Patrick helped Katerina down from the wagon.  He took her hand and said, “Come meet the family.  James will take care of the horse and he and John will bring your things in.”
“When will we go to our place?” she asked.

Patrick said, “We’ll spend the night here, you can get acquainted and we’ll go on to our place tomorrow.  I left our horse and wagon here, so we’ll go home in it.

“Are you ready for this?  They will love you so don’t be nervous.  By the way, we’re a touching bunch, so be ready to be hugged,” he said.

“I’m ready, let’s do it,” Katerina said.

If Katerina had any doubts about being accepted by Patrick’s family, they were quickly dispelled by the greeting of his mother.

“We are blessed by the Lord.  He brought you safely to us.  Welcome to our family Katerina.  I am Margaret, mother to this young upstart.”  She enveloped Katerina in a big hug.  Then she held her back at arms length and said, “My, aren’t you the pretty one though.”

“May I call you Mama Murphy or Mama Margaret?” she asked.  “Thank you for such a warm welcome.”

“Saints above, she’s polite too.  Patrick, you take care of this one or I’ll take my broom to you,” his mother said.

Patrick’s father hugged her in much the same fashion.  “I am Michael, the father of this clan.  Welcome to Oregon, dear.”

“Thank you.  If I may, I’d like to call you Papa.  My Papa is a special person to me and I think you will be also, “ Katerina said.

Patrick’s two sisters, Mary Margaret, and Martha welcomed her warmly also.

John, the second oldest of the Murphys, said, “Katerina, welcome to Oregon.  If you need help keeping him straight, let me know.  I’ve been doing it all his life and I’ll be glad to pass suggestions to you.  This is my wife, Hannah.  We live on the opposite side of this farm from you.”

Hannah smiled and said, “I’m glad you’re here, Katerina.  Now I’m no longer the newcomer to the family.  You’re going to love it here.”

“Thank you everyone for such a warm welcome,” Katerina said.  “It makes a long and difficult trip easier.  I’m an only child and coming to such a large and warm family is very different.  My Papa is a shoemaker and came to America from Germany, as did my Mama.  I finished the Teaching College in Columbus have been teaching in the Columbus public schools.  I hope to continue teaching here, and I hope to make Patrick happy.”

“If you need any help, let me know,” John said.

In Katerina’s home, the noon meal was the hot meal, whereas in the Murphy home, the evening meal was the big one, needed after a hard day's work in the fields.  For dinner, the family was seated around a large table with Patrick’s father at the head of the table and his mother at the other end.  Katerina was seated next to Patrick and his mother on the other side.

Everyone joined hands, bowed their heads and Patrick’s father gave thanks for the meal they were about to consume and thanks for bringing their new family member to them.  As they ate, there were several conversations going on at the same time.  Margaret told Katerina some funny events in Patrick’s life, as well as his struggles in the nun’s classes.  Katerina told about the hard work she had put into studying.  She did not mention her brilliant record in schools and college and professed a love of children.

“Perhaps you can give us our first grandchild,” his mother said.

“I hope to be a mother,” Katerina said softly.  “It is the dream of my life.”

Margaret patted Katerina’s hand.  “I think my Patrick struck gold,” she said with a smile.

“Why thank you.  That’s very kind of you to say.”  Impulsively, she covered Margaret’s hand with hers
.  What a difference between Margaret and my mother, and I don’t think I’m being disloyal.
 

I’ll help you with the dishes,” Katerina said.

“That’s all right, Mary Margaret and Martha will do them.”

“I’ll help.  It’ll give me a chance to talk to them,” Katerina said.

In the kitchen…

“Tell me about Patrick as a brother,” she asked his sisters as they cleared the dishes.

“Since he was the baby,” Msry Margaret said, “He pretty much got his way.  When I was a girl, Mama didn’t have a chance to spend much time with us.  It was different with Patrick.  He was a good boy, and always knew what he wanted and worked to get it.  That’s why he had his own farm just after he was eighteen, when he filed his claim.”

Martha said, “He was always my friend.  I had no one else to play with but we played together.  He’s still my best friend.”

“You’re lucky to be part of such a loving family.  My mother is not demonstrative.  I know she loved me, but she was always pushing me to study and work hard.  There was no time for boys in my life.  Papa was different.  I was his Liebchen.  That means darling or sweetheart in German.”

“There were no boys my age around here,” Martha said.  “Still aren’t for that matter.”

“I think we are about finished here,” Mary Margaret said.  “Shall we rejoin the grownups?” 

In the living room, a lively discussion was going on about the upcoming national elections.  Patrick reckoned “I might like to be a US Senator some day.  Just think, representing the entire state of Oregon.  That is some heady stuff.”

“Why would you want to be a senator, you would have to live in Washington while the Senate is in session, and besides, no one ever got rich being a senator,” John said.

“What’s the pay for a senator?”  James asked.  “Do you know, Katerina?”

“We had a class discussion about it last session,” Katerina said.  “I believe it was $7,500, but out of that they had to maintain a home back in their home state and also one in Washington.  They do get a per diem for each day the Senate meets, but I doubt it is much.  They can make a lot of money making investments on advice from people seeking to get their vote for some bill.  I’ve read where some senators have been known to sell their vote.  An influential senator’s vote can be valuable.. 

“Would you listen to me?  I sound like I’m in a classroom.  I hate to step on your dream, darling, but you have to hold some statewide office first,  have a recognizable name before the state leaders will nominate you.  It can cost a lot of money to run for office.”

Later…

Nestled in Patrick’s arms, Katerina said, “I really liked your family.  They made me feel comfortable and welcome.  You were very lucky growing up in this kind of atmosphere.  You can feel the love in the room.”

“You certainly made a hit with them.  I think they like you more than they do me,?” he pouted.

“Come here, you,” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck.  “Kiss me and I’ll give you a present.”  After a long, slow and tender kiss, they slowly and quietly made love.

“Tell me about our house,”  she said later.

“It’s a cabin not a house.  It has a large room, with a fireplace, stove and table at one end, a davenport, a chair and a fireplace at the other.  There is a small sleeping loft, and a lean-to storage room.  I told you, compared to your parent’s home, it’s primitive.  I plan to enlarge it, but I’m embarrassed to take you there.”

“I’ll hear no more talk about you being embarrassed by what you have or don’t have.  You have nothing to be ashamed of and as long as you’re there, I’ll be happy.  We can improve as we go.”

“Katerina Murphy, it’s a fine time to say this, but I’ve fallen in love with you already. I think it happened the first time I met you, but seeing you so at ease with my family made me realize it and how proud of you I am,” he said.  He kissed her cheek, pulled back and asked, “Are you crying?  What’s wrong?  Did I say something wrong?”

“Wrong?  No you didn’t say anything wrong. I’ve been waiting and wanting to hear you say that.  The first time we kissed, I felt little sparks shoot through my body.  It made me tingle all over.  Papa told me you were a good man.  I believed him then and I believe it more now.

“I just remembered, Papa gave me a small package and made me promise not to open it until I got to Oregon.  Let’s open it now!” she said.

She went to her valise and got the small package out.  When she opened it, she burst into real tears.  “That dear sweet man,” she said.  “Listen to what he wrote.  “My dear sweet daughter.  Though I deeply regret you leaving, I think it is probably best.  Now you have the chance to spread your wings and fly.  I’ve always been proud of you and everything you’ve done in your life.  I want you to have this token of my love.  Your mother knows nothing of this, so do something nice for yourself and Patrick, and think kindly of your Papa every so often.  Liebchen, know that I’ll always love you.  Papa.”

“Patrick, there’s five hundred dollars in gold pieces here.  He must have been saving it for years, and he gave it to me.  I would send it back, but it would hurt him if I did.  I’m going to save it and use it to buy a train ticket to come visit us when we have our first baby.”

“What a wonderful idea,” Patrick said.  “I can’t think of a better way to pay him back.”

The next morning…

Katarina waved to everyone.  “Goodbye and thank you again,” she said. 

Patrick clucked to the horse and they headed home…

Patrick pulled the wagon in between a barn and a small log cabin.  It was a typical four room cabin with a sleeping loft.  The cabin had two windows and a door facing the front, and another two windows and a door facing back.  The windows were protected by shutters that were closed.  There was a small porch across the back and one the width of the cabin in front.  “Well, this is it, such as it is,” he said. 

“If you don’t stop talking like that, I’m going to tell John I need his help,” Katerina said, almost angrily.

He looked at her strangely. 
What brought that on?
  “I didn’t mean anything, honest, honey.  It was just an expression,” he said. 

“Just an expression or not, I don’t want you putting what we have down.  It’s our home.  Now, are you going to show me in, or do I go in by myself?” she asked.

He took her hand, went to the door and pulled on a latch string.  The door swung open easily and they walked into the darkened interior.  The windows all had bright yellow curtains, something they did not have when he had left.  He swung all of the shutters open to let light in.  The board floor was clean, as was the remainder of the interior.  He took her to the different rooms and the sleeping loft.  There were curtains over the shuttered window at the end of the loft also.  The bed was made, with a coverlet and two pillows showing.

“Patrick, it’s delightful,” she exclaimed. 

“It didn’t look like this when I left, I promise.  I sense the work of my mother and sisters; James and Papa.” 

She turned into his arms.  “We have a home, and I think it’s lovely.  Now, show me the living and cooking rooms.”

There was a green and white Franklin stove on a side wall in the kitchen, with a flue pipe to the outside.  “I bought the stove the year before the grasshoppers hit me.  I couldn’t have afforded it afterwards.  It heats the room nicely in the winter, though in the past, I’ve spent a good bit of the time at Mama’s during the winter and just come over to do what chores there are.  I’ll need to re-caulk the walls now to keep the wind out, it doesn’t get really cold in the winter but it does get chilly.  I’ll also need to check on the roof because it gets damp in the winter.  It’s good for the land, but it can make the humans miserable.

“When I first built the cabin, I had a sod roof.  That was a filthy mess during the rainy season.  It was the main reason I stayed home.  James, John and I put the wood shingle roof on later.  It works pretty good, but can get cracks in it.”

“Forgive me for asking this, but do you cook?  I only saw your mother cook in Columbus, so I don’t know.”

Katerina said, “I cook some.  I’m not the kind of cook your mother is, but I can do basic cooking.  Maybe your mother can help me learn?”

“She’d be thrilled if you asked,” he said.

“Let’s see what we have in here to eat,” she said.

“I’m afraid all you’re going to find are beans and bacon.  It’s what I lived on,” he said.

He was surprised to find someone had laid in a supply of canned food.  They also found glass jars of canned vegetables from his mother’s kitchen, using vegetables from her garden.

Standing in front of this larder, Katerina asked, “Is there no end to the goodness of your family?  Just look at all of this.  It didn’t just happen.  It took some planning.”

“Mama always did take good care of her baby boy,” Patrick said with a laugh.  Come on outside and I’ll show you the rest.”  Leading the way, he took her to the barn, where he showed her the stalls for the milk cow and the horses.  To the side, there was a pen with chickens.  “These weren’t here either,” he said.

“We never had a place for chickens, so you will have to show me how to take care of them, and how to milk the cow, too,” she said.

“I’ll take care of that,” he said. 

“I’m not going to sit around preening, I’m going to help,” she said.

“I’ll take care of the cow and horses, then,” he said.  “You can take care of the chickens.  We’ll grow most of what we eat, but the main crops are wheat and strawberries, so we’ll need to put in a garden.  I’ll get us started on that and you can take care of it.  Mama can help you there too,” he said.

“The fields in that direction are wheat, and strawberries are over on this side,” he pointed out.  “I’ll dig up a spot for a garden closer to the house, but it’s a little late in the year to put in a garden.”

With Oregon’s vast timber resources, firewood was plentiful, so Patrick had built a rack to contain the wood he had split for use.  He would need to begin gathering wood for the winter soon, and to split and stack it.  He brought in some wood for the stove and put it in a rack against the stone chimney.  “I’ll show you how to start a fire,” he said. 

“I know how to do that,” she said.  “I’ve done it many times back home.”  She proceeded to start the fire, and after the stove was heated, prepared her first meal for her husband.

Patrick would have eaten sawdust and pronounced it good.  He didn’t have to do that.  He followed the custom of his family, by holding her hands and saying grace.   The meal, while basic, was good.  After eating, he went to her chair, and kissed her.  “That was good, honey.  Thank you.”

As she cleared the dishes, he said, “I’m going to the barn and do the chores.”

“Wait, she said.  I want to go too.  I want to see what you do.  I’ve got a lot to learn about being a farmer’s wife and I might as well get started.

First, he put some water out for the chickens and tossed corn into the pen.  Next, he went to the well and got two buckets of water, one for the cow and one for the horse.  He put fresh hay out for them, along with some oats for the horse.  From a corner of the cow’s stall, he got a three legged stool and placed it by the cow’s side, sat and began to milk. 

“You want to be careful here.  You don’t get behind her, she will kick.  Also, you don’t put the milk pail where she can kick it.”  As he pulled and squeezed, a steady stream of milk began to flow into the bucket.  From somewhere in the barn, a cat came trotting out.  He directed a stream of milk at the cat, who began lapping it up and licking it from its paws.

“Tell me how, and let me try that,” she said.

He demonstrated, then let her sit on the stool.  Her pulls and tugs produced nothing at first, but under his tutelage she was able to get a small amount.  “Let me finish up.  When she’s full, it’s uncomfortable for her, so let me give her some relief.”  He completed the milking and then took her to the root cellar he and his brothers had created to keep food spoilage to a minimum. 

There was wooden shelving for the food, and the floor was dirt. The roof over the root cellar was made from sod.  “This is really cool in here,” she said.

“It works pretty well.  In the winter, if we have a freeze, I can keep ice for quite a while by storing it in here,” he said.

“I never realized how much I’ve always taken for granted.  I’ve learned a lot already and have not even scratched the surface,” she said.

Back in the house, she said, “I have a question.  How do we bathe?”

He showed her a big tub.  “I put this near the stove, get water from the well and heat it, pour it into the tub, climb in and go at it.  I’ll use the same water you use so we don’t waste it, and then we’ll use it to water the garden.  I try not to waste anything.  I’ll put up a curtain so you can have some privacy while you bathe. 

“There is a hot water bath in town at the barber shop, and I’ll have a hot bath there as a treat occasionally.”

“I wonder if the ladies can use it?”

“You’d certainly be the biggest attraction this town has ever seen,” he said.

“You’re naughty…”