by Emily Woods
Michael prayed each night for his children, hoping that his pleas to the Lord would remedy the situation, but with every passing day, his heart sank further and further as his offsprings’ words and actions became even worse. “Lord,” Michael would whisper each evening as he knelt beside his bed. “Lord, please teach me to be a good father to these children. I never expected to raise my children alone, but show me the Godly, loving way to do it. I want to do right by them and raise them to love You, but they are giving me more and more trouble each day. Please, Lord, show me how to love like You love, and please give me the patience and strength to do right by my children.”
“Papa!”
Michael turned to see Johnny, his oldest son, march into the kitchen. Johnny was thirteen-years old and the spitting image of his deceased mother; Michael’s broken heart skipped a beat each time he looked into his oldest son’s eyes, and he could hardly stand to be around the child sometimes. Still, Michael loved his son dearly, and with Johnny on the precipice of manhood, Michael wanted to show him how to be a good, faithful, loving, Godly man.
“Papa, I don’t want to do my schoolwork. I want to go play outside with Jimmy,” Johnny whined as he stomped into the small kitchen.
Michael’s shoulders sagged. “You have to do your schoolwork, son,” Michael ordered as Johnny scowled at him. “We are lucky that the war did not put an end to the schoolhouse in this town, and you are blessed to have the opportunity to receive an education. When I was a boy, my Mama taught me reading, writing, and arithmetic at the kitchen table each night! I didn’t have a schoolhouse to go to.”
Johnny frowned. “I don’t like school,” he moaned as Michael closed his eyes.
“You loved school last year, Johnny,” Michael objected as his oldest son stuck out his lip and began to pout like a young child. “You loved bringing home your work to show your Mama! Your teacher said that you had a real aptitude for learning, and that you should consider being a doctor. Don’t you remember when she said that? Your eyes lit up like the stars on a clear night, Johnny!”
Johnny shook his head. “I hate school. It’s awful!”
Michael wrinkled his nose. “Johnny, you know the rules in this house,” he informed his son. “You are to read the Word of God each day, do your chores around here, help with your little brother and sister, and do your schoolwork. If you have done your duties, you may play with your friends. Today, I did not see you reading the Word, doing any chores, helping with your siblings, or finishing your work. You may not play with your friends today, son. You have not obeyed the rules of this house.”
Johnny crossed his arms in front of his skinny body and glared at his father. “I hate you,” he spat venomously as Michael’s jaw dropped. “Mama never made us do any of these things! She let us do whatever we wanted!”
Michael raised an eyebrow at his petulant son. “Is that so?”
Johnny nodded. “Yes! Mama let me play with my friends. She never made me play with the younger children. She always read the Word to me; I didn’t have to read it on my own!”
Michael sighed. He was exhausted from the daily battles with his children, but he knew they needed his guidance and leadership. Their behavior was worsening by the day, and Michael knew that if he did not get them under control soon, he could lose them forever.
“Your Mama did not let you do whatever you wanted,” Michael told his son as Johnny fought back tears. “She was strict, Johnny, and you know that! She had high expectations of you, and she would be ashamed of the way you have behaved since she went to be with the Lord. She would be heartbroken if she knew her oldest son was setting such a poor example for his little brother and little sister! I know I am!”
As soon as Michael spoke, he knew he struck a cord. Johnny began to weep uncontrollably, and Michael’s stomach churned as his son collapsed on the wooden floor. “Oh, son,” Michael said soothingly as he went to collect Johnny in his arms. “I’m sorry, son. You know that your Mama loved you and looks down on you from Heaven. She wants you to be a good boy, and I want you to be a good boy! That’s all!”
Johnny edged away from Michael, avoiding his father’s touch. “Leave me alone,” Johnny wailed as Michael drew closer to him. “Go away! I hate you!”
That night, after getting the children into their nightclothes and off to sleep, Michael broke down while saying his nightly prayers. He clasped his large, long hands together in prayer, his thick, brown beard tickling his thumbs and index finger as he solemnly addressed the Lord. “God,” Michael prayed as his chest tightened. “Please give me guidance, Lord. I am losing my children. When their mother passed away last year in the fever, their hearts were broken, and now, my heart breaks each day as I see them drift further from You.”
Michael thought of his previously sweet, darling children. He remembered their smiles, their laughter, and the way they hugged Michael and his late wife. Michael smiled when he recalled the birth of his youngest son, and the way his older children peppered the newborn with kisses upon meeting their baby brother. Michael’s heart swelled as he recounted the Sundays of his former life, his wife rousing the children from bed and dressing them for church while Michael prepared a feast of a breakfast each week, the kitchen table brimming with meats, vegetables, and even sweet treats.
“I wish I could have those days back,” Michael murmured as the happy memories flashed through his mind. “If only I could have my sweet, loving children back. Please, Lord! Please help me. Please give me what I need to make my family the best it can be….”
2
“Please tell me you aren’t serious! A marriage advertisement? Oh, Hilda! You've got to be joking!” Polly begged her sister.
Hilda grinned, her green eyes sparkling with mischief as she waved a white envelope in front of her sister’s face. “It is not a joke, sister,” Hilda informed her as Polly’s eyes widened. “I thought about what you said a few months ago when we were talking about marriage and men. You were right. I have been a burden to our parents, and I don’t want to be one anymore! Nor do I want to be a maid forever.”
Polly shook her head. “I understand that I was a bit….harsh in our conversation,” she admitted. “I hope you will forgive me for that. But a marriage advertisement? Hilda, those advertisements are a huge risk! Men place those advertisements in the newspapers when they are seeking wives, but sometimes, the couple is incompatible! Can you imagine marrying someone you had never met before your wedding day? It is preposterous!”
Hilda rolled her eyes. “Have you forgotten our own mistress, sister? Miss Ellen’s story of love and redemption is all I need to know that this can work! She married Mr. Davenport because of a marriage advertisement he placed, and they are happily in love!”
Polly scowled. “That must be an exception, Hilda! There is no way that total strangers can meet and be in love! It just doesn’t make sense!”
Hilda frowned. “Well, this life as a single, spinster maid does not make sense for me, Polly! I want to get out of Alabama, I want to find a husband, and I want to be free of the mountains of laundry and housework that the Davenports make us do! Miss Ellen and I were chatting as I helped her dress for church a few weeks ago, and she mentioned the marriage advertisement! I had been praying to our Lord for a sign, and that was it. I went into town, found a newspaper, and answered all of the marriage advertisements I could find! This letter in my hands is the first response! Don’t you want to read it with me?”
Polly bit her bottom lip, and Hilda could see that her sister was curious. “Come on, Polly,” Hilda coaxed her older sister. “Let me read this letter to you! It’s addressed from Chicago! Imagine if some city fellow wanted to marry me, a simple Alabama girl!”
Polly sighed. “You’re anything but simple, sister, but go ahead. Read the letter.”
Hilda tore open the envelope and began to read:
Dear Hilda,
It is with immense pleasure and joy that I respond to your inquiry to my marriage advertisement. My name i
s Michael Copper, and I am a father of three in Chicago, Illinois. I work as an attorney in an office downtown, and I make a good living. I am in good health and good spirits, but most importantly, I follow the Lord.
My wife unexpectedly passed away last year. I had just returned from serving in the army during the war when she became ill, and she perished just before our youngest child’s birthday. It was a devastating blow to my family to lose my wife. As I mentioned, her loss was unexpected, and we are still grieving.
I have three beautiful children who desperately miss their mother. My oldest son is thirteen, my daughter is ten, and my youngest son is just a young boy. They have good hearts, but they have struggled in the wake of their lives changing. I know it was difficult for them when I was gone in the war, and it has been quite the challenge to rein them in as a single father.
As I mentioned in my marriage advertisement, my greatest hope is to find a loving wife and mother for my sweet children. I work long hours at the law firm, and I need someone reliable, intelligent, and caring to manage my household. I employ two servants as well, and I will need someone to watch over them during the day.
The most important thing I am seeking in a wife and a mother for my children is a woman who loves the Lord with all of her heart. My late wife was a devout Christian woman, and my children need that example of Christ’s love in their lives. I am seeking someone who can counsel and love my children, and someone who will serve as a helpmate to me.
Hilda, from your letter, it sounds as though you may be the woman I have been seeking. You mentioned that you are a Christian woman, and you have experience watching over children, as well as managing a household. You are younger than me, but I believe your youth will be something my children will treasure and latch onto.
As for me, I am patient, gentle, and a good man. I study the Word of the Lord daily, and I promise to constantly lead my wife in His word and His ways. I do not expect us to be in love, but I do hope we could grow into love and affection as we get to know each other as man and wife.
Hilda, I have prayed for someone like you to come into my children’s lives. Forgive me for being forward, but I would like to formally propose a match between us. Enclosed in this letter, you will find enough money to purchase a rail ticket from Alabama to Chicago, along with a ruby broach that belong to my mother as a token of my affection for you.
I look forward to your response.
With affection,
Michael Copper
Hilda began to shake. She looked at her sister and saw that Polly looked shocked. Hilda cleared her throat and reread the letter aloud, her voice quivering when she reached the end. “He wants to marry me,” Hilda whispered as she dropped the letter, watching as it silently floated to the floor.
“He wants you to marry him,” Polly murmured, her eyes filling with tears. “Are you going to Chicago, Hilda?”
Hilda solemnly nodded her head up and down. “Yes,” she said breathlessly. “Yes, I am going to Chicago to marry Michael Copper.”
Michael had never planned to place a marriage advertisement. He had always imagined that he would meet his second wife at church, or perhaps through mutual friends. The thought had never crossed his mind until one evening when Kristina started tormenting Johnny at the dinner table.
“Stop that!” Johnny called out as Kristina hit Johnny over the head with a piece of paper.
“Make me! You can’t make me, Johnny. You are not the boss of me!” Kristina taunted, reaching her hand over her head and then bringing it down on Johnny’s arm. “I hit you! I hit you!”
Michael snatched the paper from Kristina’s hand. “That is enough, you two,” Michael ordered his two oldest children. “Kristina! We do not hit. Johnny, you should have just walked away. The pair of you are brother and sister and should watch out for each other, not bother each other!”
Kristina stuck out her tongue at Michael. “You aren’t the boss of me!”
Michael picked Kristina up and carried her upstairs to her room. He gently placed her on her bed and then sat beside her. “You will not speak to me like that,” he said angrily to his daughter. “I am the boss of you. God gave you to me to raise you, and I am not honoring him if I let you behave so terribly. You will sit up here and think about what you did.”
Kristina began to scream, but Michael did not respond. He walked out of her room and back downstairs. Johnny and Francis had left the table, and Michael could hear them hollering in the parlor. Exhausted, Michael sat down at the table, seeing the half-eaten meals on his children’s plates. He picked up the piece of paper that Kristina had been using to hit her brother, and he unfolded it carefully.
“What is this?” Michael asked himself as he smoothed the crinkled paper. “It’s a newspaper.”
Michael leaned back in his chair and began to read. “Marriage advertisements? What is this?”
Carol, Michael’s maid, bustled into the kitchen and began to clear the table. “Oh, are you looking at the marriage advertisements, Mr. Copper?”
Michael raised an eyebrow. “What are these, Carol? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
Carol laughed, her wrinkled face bright with excitement. “Marriage advertisements are common, Mr. Copper! Eligible men place them to seek wives! The men list the qualities they are looking for in a woman, and if a woman is interested, she responds. If the match is a good one, the couple marries!”
Michael’s dark eyes widened. He ran a hand through his brown hair, and his heart began to beat in his chest. “Marriage advertisements,” he whispered. “Perhaps a marriage advertisement could help me find a wife…..”
It was Hilda’s last day in the Davenport household, and as she packed her things in the brown leather valise Miss Ellen had gifted her upon the announcement of her engagement, Hilda’s hands shook with anticipation. On the day Michael Copper had sent her the money for the train ticket, she had gone into town to reserve a spot on the next train bound for Chicago. That had been nearly a month ago, and now, after over three weeks of dreaming of her new life, the day had finally arrived.
“Are you almost ready to leave for the station?” Polly asked as she walked into Hilda’s tiny bedroom. “It is nearly noon, sister, and I do not want you to miss the train to Chicago!”
Hilda smiled nervously at her sister. “I think I am as ready as I will ever be, Polly!”
Polly walked over to her sister and took Hilda into her arms. Hilda melted into her sister’s embrace and began to cry. “I am so happy that the Lord is blessing me with a husband,” Hilda wept as Polly stroked her long strawberry blonde hair. “I am scared, Polly. I have never left home. I have never left the county. I have never left Alabama! What if this is a mistake? What if Michael Copper and I are incompatible, like you said? I have never laid eyes on this man, and now, I am to be his wife and the mother to his three children! What if this is a mistake?”
Polly pulled back and looked into her sister’s green eyes. “You must trust the Lord, Hilda,” Polly instructed her sister. “Forget the things I said before about marriage advertisements. I was wrong to be so fussy about it. Trust the Lord, pray for your husband, and love your new children with all of your heart. You found that marriage advertisement for a reason, sister; the Lord has great plans for You, and His plans are taking you to your new life in Chicago! You will be the wife of an attorney, Hilda! You will be comfortable and well-taken care of, and you will want for nothing. Just trust Him, Hilda. Trust Him.”
“I have news for you, children,” Michael announced one evening as he walked inside of the three-story Brownstone building that he and his family resided in. “Come gather round!”
“I don’t want to,” Francis whined as he trudged into the parlor. “I want to play!”
“Papa, I want to play, too!” Kristina demanded as she stormed into the parlor, her face dark.
Michael shook his head and pointed at the overstuffed couch tucked into the corner. He lit a fire in the marble fireplace, and the glow bri
ghtened the room, casting warm lights on his children’s faces as they stared at him in confusion.
“What is it, Papa?” Johnny asked as he folded his arms across his chest. “What is the news?”
Michael loosened his tie and removed his suit jacket. It had been a long day at the firm. Two of his clients had started shouting at him during a meeting, and Michael was thankful to finally be home. He took a long, deep breath, pulling his shoulders down his back in an effort to relax before announcing Hilda’s impending arrival.
“I have wonderful news for you children,” Michael declared as his children’s eyes widened. “Ever since your mother died, our family has felt incomplete. I know you children miss her dearly, and I want you to know that my heart has ached as I have watched you pine for her.”
Kristina raised an eyebrow, and Michael could see her eyes filling with tears at the mention of her mother. “Why are you talking about Mama?” Kristina asked, her voice shaking.
“I want Mama,” Francis chimed in as he stuck out his lip and began to pout.
Michael pasted a smile on his tired face and smoothed back his brown hair. He inhaled through his nose. “This news will please you greatly, children,” Michael informed his children. “You will have a new mother coming soon! Her name is Hilda, and she is from Alabama, in the south!”
Kristina’s jaw dropped, and she crumpled onto the Persian rug. “No! No!”
Michael gasped. “What is it, Kristina?”
Kristina began kicking her legs and pounding her fists against the floor. “I don’t want a new mother! I don’t want a new mother!”
Seeing his sister’s performance, Francis dropped to the floor and began kicking his own little legs. “No new mother! No new mother!”
Johnny looked down at his siblings. He kept his arms folded in front of his chest, and Michael could see that Johnny was weighing Michael’s words. “Johnny?” Michael gently asked. “Johnny? How do you feel about this news?”
