The Widow's Mail Order Husband (Mail Order Brides)

by Susan Leigh Carlton

  After what seemed like hours, Tom could hear Helen exhorting Mary to push. “Push harder! Come on, you can do better than that. Push!”

  Rosa came out, “Senor Tom, get us a pot of hot water. It won’t be much longer now.”

  Then Helen, “Push hard, Mary, push hard. It’s crowning. I have the head. Push Mary.”

  After a long, anguished cry from Mary, Helen said, “I have your baby. Rosa, help me cut the cord. Mary, it’s a boy. You have just given Tom a son!”

  There was a commotion in the yard, as Dr. Williams arrived. He rushed past Tom, went to the kitchen, where he washed up and into the bedroom. “I’m sorry I’m so late. It was one of the most difficult deliveries I’ve ever had.”

  “You’re late darling. The baby just came out. You can do the rest, and I’ll get him cleaned up,” Helen said. “I’ll go tell Tom.”

  After wiping the baby clean, and handing him to Mary, she went to the living room where Tom was pacing back and forth. He looked around anxiously.

  “Mary is all right, Tom, and so is your son. She was a trooper. Congratulations.” She hugged him and said, “In a few minutes, you’ll be able to go in.”

  Chapter 17: Matthew Thomas Hartness

  She was asleep. Her baby was by her side wrapped in a blue cotton blanket. The little rosebud mouth was making sucking motions with its lips. She opened her eyes to see her husband sitting there watching her and the baby. “What are you doing?” she asked, smiling at this man whom she had come to love so much.

  “I’m just watching you and my son and marveling at the miracle of birth. We created him, you and me. It boggles my mind to think of everything that had to go just right for it to happen,” Tom said.

  “It is pretty amazing isn’t it? Is Emily awake? We need to keep her in on this. We don’t want her to feel replaced,” Mary said.

  “I’ll go see,” he said, “but first,..” he leaned over and kissed her. “Thank you. You did this without a doctor. It must have been rough.”

  “It hurt,” she said, “but Helen was wonderful. I can’t see how the doctor could have made it any better.”

  “If there had been complications, it might have made a difference,” he said. “I’ll go check on Emily.”

  Tom came back about ten minutes later with Emily in tow. “Where’s the surprise, Papa?”

  “It’s in the bedroom, sweetheart. Mama has it,” he said.

  When she saw Mary was in bed, she asked, “Mama, are you sick?”

  “No darling, I’m not sick. Come around to the side. I have something to show you. Tom, would you hold her up, please?”

  Tom picked Emily up and held her over the bed. Mary said, “Emily, you have a little brother!”

  “I do?” Emily said. “Where?”

  “Right here,” Mary said. She pulled back the covers to show her.

  “He sure is red,” Emily said.

  Tom and Mary both laughed. “Oooh, that hurts,” Mary said.

  “Where did he come from,” asked Emily.

  “God sent him to us,” Mary said.

  “Can we keep him?” Emily asked.

  “Yes we can keep him. Will you help me take care of him?” Mary asked.

  “Uh huh,” Emily said. “I will, Mama.”

  “Good,” Mary said. “I’m really tired and need to take a nap now.”

  “Come on Papa, let’s go tell Auntie Rosa about our brother.” She led her Papa out to the kitchen.

  Slowly regaining her strength, Mary watched her son at her breasts. As he tugged at the nipple, getting the nourishment he needed to grow, Mary had a feeling of completeness she had never felt. Her love for her husband and stepdaughter knew no bounds, but the feelings for her son were different. A feeling of warmth and contentment settled on her, reenforcing her confidence she had made the right decision to come west.

  She wrote Minerva, telling her of the childbirth, her happiness in her lot and thanking her for showing the path. She resolved to make a visit as soon as she could travel. “I want to share my good fortune with everyone and I especially want to share with you. I want you to meet my family and I want to meet yours,” she said.

  Telling Tom of her wish, he said, “Of course. As soon as you’re ready, we’ll go over and you can have your reunion. I owe her my thanks also.”

  What do we name him…

  “What’s his name?” asked Emily.

  “We haven’t named him yet,” Mary said. “What name do you like?”

  “I like Papa,” Emily replied.

  “I like Papa too, but we already have a Papa, so we’ll have to pick something else,” Mary said. “What do you think, Tom?”

  “I’ve always been partial to Luke or Matthew,” Tom said. “I don’t think I like Thomas, because of Doubting Thomas in the Bible.”

  “I kind of like naming him after his Papa but if you don’t like Thomas, then we could find something else. What about Matthew Lucas, and we could call him either Matt or Luke. Maybe

  Matthew Thomas, and call him Matt?”

  “Matthew Thomas Hartness. I like the sound of it,” Tom said.

  “I think it’s good, it honors the Papa and gives us a nice nickname too. It is a name he can be proud of. Let’s do it,” Mary said.

  * * *

  Two months later…

  Mary, Tom. Emily and Matt were in Dr. Jonah Williams’s office in Grapevine to have Mary and Matt checked by the doctor. He found both to be in robust health. They reported Matt was already sleeping through the night. He was a happy baby, enjoying the attention showered on him by the whole family, including Rosa.

  “He is obviously thriving,” Jonah said. “Considering he chose a time to make his appearance without the benefit of a medical professional, he’s doing well.”

  Jonah’s wife, Helen, who served as his nurse, asked, “What do you mean, without a medical professional? Rosa and I made a great team. I’d say Mary had the best of care available at the time.”

  “Hear! Hear!” said Mary. “I’m glad you were there.”

  Following a return letter from Minerva, the Hartness family hitched up and rode to Bedford for an overnight visit, where Mary was reunited with her old friend from Hagerstown. Tears were in abundance. Mary made the introductions of Emily and Tom, and proudly introduced Matt.

  Likewise, Minerva introduced her daughter and husband Chase. “Chase,” Mary said, “Minerva’s letters about her happiness after coming to Texas encouraged me to take the same steps. Thank you for making my friend so happy. Without her encouragement, I doubt I would have had the nerve to make this move.”

  Chase Barlow was obviously embarrassed to be the center of attention. “Shucks, who wouldn’t be nice to someone like my Minnie?” he asked.

  Chase and Tom bonded immediately and went off to talk cattle and ranching while Mary and Minerva caught up on all that had happened in their lives since they last met. The two women talked long into the night and vowed to visit each other as often as possible.

  On the ride home the next day, Mary said, “It was really nice to see Minerva again. It’s been three years since we’ve seen each other and we picked up right where we left off. When she left Hagerstown, the Zion Church, Ladies Sewing Circle thought she had taken leave of her senses.

  “When she confided in me, I sensed a desperation in her move. I don’t know where she found the nerve to take such a step, but I shall be eternally grateful she did.” She squeezed Tom’s arm and leaned against him. “We are the two luckiest women in the country. When I think about all of the inherent risks in what we did, it frightens me. We definitely had angels on our shoulders.”

  Tom chuckled. “It was desperation that made me put an ad in the paper. I knew Emily needed a mother’s presence beyond Rosa, and I was so blamed lonely, I wasn’t fit company for anyone. I had to do something, and there was no one I could turn to.”

  Chapter 18: Church

  A Sunday morning…

  The family was sitting at the table having brea
kfast, when Mary announced, “I miss church.”

  “What brought that on?” Tom asked.

  “I guess maybe it was the visit to Minerva. We both attended Zion Church every Sunday. It was a big part of our lives. After Joshua was killed, it became my sanctuary. I belonged to two or three circles, and the sewing circle was my primary social activity. They sustained me during my grief. I miss the feeling church gave me.

  “I would like to begin attending church. The Lonesome Dove Church is kind enough to let us use their building for school, I would like to be a part of their congregation,” she said.

  “I sort of lost my religion when God took Caroline,” he said.

  “For me, the loss of Joshua was when I turned to the church and it sustained me,” she said. The Bible says God gives and He takes away. He took Caroline and Joshua, but He brought us together.”

  “We were married there. We went to church frequently back then. Not every week, but frequently. Caroline had friends there. Maw and Paw went there when I was a youngun,” he said.

  “I would like to start going to church, Tom. It would mean a lot to me,” she said.

  “I’m not sure I’m ready for that,” he said.

  “Let me put it another way,” she said. “I’m going to start going to church and I want the children to go also.”

  “Now, Mary, we talked about this before. It’s not safe for you to go running about the country,” Tom said.

  “I go running around the country to the school nearly every day,” she said.

  “And I have a cowboy riding behind to make sure you get there and back home, too.”

  “I didn’t know that,” she said. “I didn’t see him.”

  “You weren’t supposed to see him,” Tom said. “I genuinely worry about you.”

  “Nevertheless, I want to go to church, and I will go,” she said.

  When Sunday came, she began getting Emily and Matt dressed. “What are you doing?” Tom asked.

  “I told you the other day, I’m going to church. You can go with me or have someone ride as a guard. I would prefer you go, but either way, I am going,” she said emphatically.

  “You are the out stubbornest woman I ever knew, Mary Hartness,” he said.

  “But you still love me don’t you, Tom? I don’t ask for much, but I want to do this, with or without your approval.”

  “I’ll go with you,” he said. “I guess one Sunday won’t kill me.”

  “Thank you, It means a lot to me. I will only go the Sundays the circuit preacher is there.”

  In the course of a normal week, Tom usually only saw and talked to his ranch hands. On this Sunday, he met and talked to people he hadn’t seen since they were organizing the school. On the way back home, he said. “I have to admit, I enjoyed that. It was nice seeing some of the folks again.”

  In her normal term of endearment, she reached across and patted his hand. “I enjoyed the music,” she said. “It would be better if they had a piano, though.”

  Going to church once a month would become part of their agenda. Mary made several friends among the congregation and it gave her the opportunity to talk to the parents of her students about their progress or lack thereof.

  At the breakfast table one morning, Mary asked, “Tom, were you baptized?”

  “Yes, Maw had James and me baptized when I was about Emily’s age,” he said.

  “Where was it done?” she asked.

  “They had a service by Grapevine Creek and the preacher dunked us there. He laughed. “I remember thinking, “Maw’s going to be mad at him for getting our clothes wet.”

  Mary’s smile lit the room. “I would like to have the children baptized.”

  “Matt’s too young to be dunked,” he said.

  “They don’t dunk babies. They sprinkle water on their heads. I would like for Emily to be also, but I’ll leave that decision up to you,” she said.

  “She’s your daughter too,” he said.

  “Thank you. It’s important to me. I thought you would say something along those lines. I appreciate it. I’ll make arrangements with the preacher the next time we go, then.”

  Before services, Mary and Tom met with the preacher and expressed their desire to have the children baptized. The preacher said, “Mr. Hartness, Mrs. Hartness, It’s a wonderful idea. We can do it today, just before the close of the regular services..

  “You look confused, I personally don’t do immersion with young children. It tends to scare them on what should be a glorious, memorable day for them. I will simply sprinkle them and recite the ritual. In God’s eye, it is all the same.”

  ‘Thank you, Pastor. I’m grateful. I think baptism is an important rite of the church.,” Mary said.

  “I commend you on your attitude. I presume you were baptized?”

  “Yes, I was baptized into the Lutheran Church back in Maryland when I was a child,” she said.

  Tom said, “I was dunked down at Grapevine Creek.”

  Just before the final hymn, the preacher announced, “There has been a request for a baptismal service for two of our youngsters, The children of Tom and Mary Hartness. At this time, I would extend the invitation to anyone else that would like to be baptized.

  “Would those who wish the sacrament of baptism or christening, please come forward?” Three other sets of parents came forward with their infant children and participated in the service, while the preacher sprinkled water on the heads of the youths. With the baptism over, the services concluded with the final invitational hymn and the closing prayer.

  “Thank you, Tom. This meant a lot to me,” Mary said as they walked from the church.

  “It pains me to admit I was wrong. I enjoyed the service and it was nice seeing some old friends again,” Tom said.

  Chapter 19: Indian Uprisings

  The cowboy was low in the saddle, riding hard and fast. He looked over his shoulder, and was relieved to see he had outdistanced his pursuers. He pounded into the area between the barn and the ranch house on the Lazy H. He pulled up on his horse hard. He was out of the saddle and running toward the house almost before the horse stopped.

  “Hello the house!” he called out. “Hello the house,” he called again. Both Rosa and Mary came to the door.

  “What is it,” she asked.

  “Injun raid,” he said in between gasps for air. His headlong flight had left him short of breath.

  “Where?” the now alarmed Mary asked.

  “The Rocking H,” he said. “It was the Kiowas. They’ve killed three of the hands and two others are wounded. They was chasing after me, but I outrun them.”

  “ Are James and Elizbeth and the children okay?” Mary asked.

  “Miss Elizabeth and the children are okay. Mr. James is one of those hit. I’m to tell Tom and then beat it for town to get the doctor,” he said.

  “You go for the doctor, I’ll find Tom and tell him,” Mary said.

  “Thankee ma’am,” he said. “I’ll just get a drink of water and be on my way.”

  Less than two minutes later, he was on the road to Grapevine, while Mary started toward the corral, hoping to find Tom or one of the hands there.

  She found Sheb, one of the ranch hands there. “Get Tom,” she told him. “The Kiowas raided the Rocking H. Tell him James is hurt, but Elizabeth and the children are okay.”

  Ten minutes, Tom came running into the house. Mary related the details of the event and told him they had gone for the doctor. Tom went out of the room and returned, carrying his rifle and two revolvers. He also had a revolver in a holster on his belt. “Rosa will show you how to shoot this in case they show up here.” He handed one gun to Rosa and the other to Mary. He told Rosa what he wanted her to do and told Mary to listen to Rosa. “She has been through this before, he said.

  “What are you going to do?” she asked.

  “I’m going to see to James, and then we’re going after them,” he said grimly.

  “Tom, please be careful, we love you and need
you,” she said.

  “Rosa,” he said in a choked voice, “You take care of my family, hear?”

  “Si Senor. Vaya con Dios, Senor Tomas,” Rosa said.

  Stuffing two boxes of cartridges into his saddlebags, Tom and all of his ranch hands except one headed for the Rocking H. The man left behind, Case Richards, was a gray haired man who had lived on the Lazy H ranch for over 40 years. He had been involved in several skirmishes with the Comanches and Kiowa Indians. He was charged with the safety of the Lazy H women and children.