“I’m glad. I like anything I do with Mary. She’s a fun person. She is convinced she saw buffalo tracks today, and she wants to shoot her first buffalo. She said it’ll feed the entire wagon train, and I told her I’d make jerky from what was left with her.”
“That sounds good to me,” Jed said. “I happen to be a big fan of jerky. You’ll find a lot of it in the back of the wagon, but I’m trying not to use it. We need to be able to still eat when we get to Oregon.”
“I’m doing my best to be very frugal with our food.”
“How’s Mrs. Bolling and the girls doing?”
“Better than I expected at first. Mrs. Bolling is a lot stronger than she looks. The girls are learning to play on the trail and not spend all of their time dreading the walking. It does help that they nap all afternoon every day.” She hid a loud yawn behind her hand. “I can’t believe I’m so tired.”
“Tomorrow’s Sunday,” he said softly. “We’ll have church services right after lunchtime. That way the women can get the laundry washed in the morning, and hopefully it will be dry before nightfall. That’s the plan anyway.”
“What’s your sermon on tomorrow?” she asked.
“Moses in the wilderness. I’m going to compare the meat we’ve been able to kill to manna from heaven.”
“That sounds like something we all need. It should really be enjoyable.” Hannah frowned. “I’m not looking forward to doing the laundry in a river.”
“Well, of course not. I wouldn’t be either, but the trail has hardships for all of us.”
“I do feel like the men’s work is done as soon as the wagons are stopped for the evening. The women keep working until after supper.”
“I think the trail is much harder on you women than it is on men. I don’t deny it. I’m just glad I have you with me. Hannah, I don’t think you understand what you’re coming to mean to me.”
Hannah sighed happily. “I hope I mean as much to you as you’re coming to mean to me.” She’d been facing away from him, but she turned over and kissed him, his arms coming around her. “Let’s just try to be quiet this time.”
Jed nodded, deepening their kiss. If she wanted to stay there to make love, then he was happy to do it.
Sunday ended up being a good day to rest. The oxen needed a rest as much as the humans did. Hannah woke to the sound of the gunshot, and she immediately got a fire started and made coffee. Then she went down to the river to start the huge chore of doing laundry in a river.
Mary joined her soon after she started, and the two of them together scrubbed clothes. Mary sang as she worked, and Hannah sat quietly listening to her friend. “I had no idea you could sing so well,” she said when her friend became quiet.
Mary shrugged. “I don’t like to really sing in front of people, but I do love singing. It’s a mostly private thing. I’m really comfortable around you, so I can sing when it’s just the two of us.”
On both sides of them, there were women up and down the river working on their laundry.
When Mrs. Bolling finished her laundry, she hung it between two wagons to dry, but then she did something that surprised Hannah. “What are you doing?”
Mrs. Bolling simply smiled. “I want to thank you for your generosity. Give me a few minutes and then come see me.”
Mrs. Bolling had been parking her wagon beside her and Jed’s tent every night, because they had become friends. As soon as Hannah finished hanging the clothes, she walked to the other woman’s wagon. Her hand immediately went over her mouth. “What have you done?”
“I brought my bathtub with me, and I filled it after heating some of the water. I want you and Miss Mitchell to have the first two baths because you both have done so much to help me.”
Mrs. Bolling had put the tub between two wagons, and she’d hung sheets to hide the bathtub. “I’ll charge everyone but you two.”
Hannah didn’t need to be told twice. “Bless you, Mrs. Bolling!”
“Please call me Margaret.”
“Then you must call me Hannah.”
“I’d be happy to.” Margaret left the small enclosed area she’d made, and Hannah stripped and got into the tub. She threw her dress over one of the blankets Margaret had hung to make her curtain, and she sank as deep into the water as she could.
Of course, the tub wasn’t as nice as the one Hannah had used back home, but it was a far cry better than the freezing cold river which was her only other option.
She was careful not to take too long in the bath, because she knew Mary would want a turn while the water was still warm, and she needed to cook something for lunch for her husband.
After she’d dried off and gotten dressed, she walked back to her husband feeling like a new woman. “Margaret drew me a bath!” She was practically dancing with joy at the feeling of having all the dirt off her skin.
Jed smiled. “I helped her with the water.”
“Oh, thank you! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. You are the very best of husbands.” She threw herself into his arms and held tight.
Jed laughed. “You’re just happy because you’re clean.” He knew it had bothered her, but there had been nothing he could do about it until that morning.
“That’s a lot of it.”
“I have another surprise…”
“You cannot keep giving me presents!” Hannah protested.
“Oh, this is a present as much for me as it is for you.” He pointed to a deer he had hanging upside down from a tree down by the river. “I thought it might be nice to have a good supper.”
“May I share some with Margaret?” she asked, immediately thinking of her friend.
“You know, you are the very best of wives for a preacher. You always think of others first.”
Hannah shook her head. “Not at all. I thought about how it would taste in a nice thick stew before I thought about my friend.” She pursed her lips. “I’m going to invite Margaret and the girls to eat with us tonight if I may. She drives all day, cooks at night and still minds her children. She’s doing men’s and women’s work every day.”
“Yes, I think you should invite her for supper. It would be good for her and the girls to eat someone else’s cooking for once. Dig deep in the food box, and I have a few potatoes and a few carrots. I didn’t buy a lot, but they’ll help to make a perfect meal for company.”
She stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. “Thank you, Jed.”
She got out the leftovers from the previous night, and for once was able to warm up their noon meal. Both of them ate quietly, and then he found a good place for his sermon. He sat on a rock, and the others crowded around, ready to receive a message about their God.
As Hannah watched him preach, her eyes were filled with love and praise for the man she was married to. His words filled her with hope, and she could see from the faces of the other emigrants that they were filled with hope as well.
After the sermon, several of the men shook his hand and thanked him for preaching. “I’ll share the next meat I get with you, pastor.”
“This morning, I was able to get a deer, so I’m set for tonight. But we’re happy to take any meat you don’t need.” He smiled, obviously thankful that his words had an impact on so many different people there in the camp.
Many of the men went hunting that afternoon, and Jed joined them, hoping to get a couple more deer or anything else that happened along. The more he could help Mrs. Bolling with food, the less Hannah would be worried about the other woman and her family.
Shortly after the men had left for their hunt, Margaret hurried over to Hannah. “I can’t find Sally. She was sleeping in the wagon beside Amanda, but now she’s missing. I need your help!”
Hannah nodded, and she called out to the other women and children who were left in camp. Mary had apparently gone on the hunt with the men, but all of the other women were still there, and they all started searching right away.
Margaret was beside herself with worry, crying hysterically. �
�What if she’s out where the men are hunting? She could be accidentally shot.”
“We’re all looking everywhere, Margaret. I promise you she’ll be found.” Hannah hurried off, looking at all the wagons in the circle. When she’d reached back at the beginning wagon, which was Margaret’s, she looked inside just to be sure the child hadn’t returned when no one was looking.
Sure enough, little Sally was sleeping beside her sister. She called as loud as she could, “I found her!”
The other women came running, and she pointed into the wagon at the two little girls sleeping side by side.
Margaret was the first to arrive by her side, and she was still crying. “I think she’s been there the whole time,” Hannah said calmly, smiling at her friend. She couldn’t imagine what terror would be felt by a mother with a lost child.
Margaret threw her arms around Hannah. “Oh, thank heavens. I thought I’d lost her for good.”
“We’re not going to let that happen,” Hannah said. “That’s why we’re all traveling together.”
The other women reassured her, and soon after, the camp had returned to its usual quiet when the men were away. “I’m fixing a venison stew tonight, and I’m making enough for your family and mine.”
Margaret, who had finally calmed, burst out crying again. “I haven’t done anything to help you, and you and the pastor have been so generous with me and my girls. I feel like I need to do something in return.”
“You heated water for me to take a bath today!” Hannah said. “It was a comfort I didn’t think I’d have until we got to Oregon. How can you say you’ve done nothing for me?”
Margaret smiled. “I did that to thank you, and here you are doing more to thank me. I am so glad this was the wagon train I chose. It’s like having a sister right here with me. You and Mary have both made my life so much easier since the trip started.”
Hannah nodded. “And when you think about it, the trip is still a great deal harder for you than for anyone else. You’re doing men’s and women’s work every day.”
“But that’s because my husband died. I should have to do both.”
“No, you shouldn’t. The Bible says we need to help the widows and orphans, and you and your children are both. We will help you. I’d quote the actual scripture, but I don’t remember where it is. I wish Jed was here!”
Margaret smiled. “Don’t worry about that. Why don’t we cook supper together? I’ll help you chop the vegetables and do whatever else you plan to do while the girls sleep. Maybe this evening I can simply spend some time with my babies and not worry about anything else.”
“That sounds good to me. Are any of the men bringing you meat in exchange for meals yet? Jed said he’d tell everyone you were willing.”
“Not yet. But you and Mary have made sure I had meat if anyone did. I’m sure they will further on down the road.” Margaret looked a bit skeptical about whether she and her girls would actually make it, but Hannah was determined if they could survive that they would.
When the men came back to camp, Hannah’s stew was simmering over the fire. Jed walked over and smiled. “That smells so good!”
“Margaret had some spices we added to the pot,” she said.
“Well, thank you, Margaret! You’re supposed to be resting tonight so that Hannah could cook for you.”
“Well, I’m going to rest and spend time with my girls after I finish helping Hannah with the supper dishes.”
Hannah turned from the fire. “I let you help me cook, but you are not going to help me with the dishes. You spend all the time you can with your girls. You’ll have enough to do tomorrow.”
Margaret looked conflicted for a moment, and then she smiled. “I’m thankful, Hannah.”
“Don’t worry about it. We love the idea of helping you.” Jed smiled at his wife, realizing that she really was the perfect preacher’s wife. The way he had found her was ridiculous. Her step-father had been wanting to all but sell her, which he was sure Hannah didn’t realize. Well, it wasn’t really selling her, because Jed had been paid to take her away.
The stew turned out beautifully, and Margaret made biscuits to go with the meal. When the pastor prayed over the meal, he made sure to mention how thankful he was to be able to share the meal with a special family.
Little Sally looked around her. “What special family?”
Hannah laughed and poked the little girl’s belly. “Your special family. We’re feeling happy that you’re allowing us to eat with you!”
After supper, Hannah shooed Margaret and her girls away. “I will come get the girls in the morning before we start out again.”
“You are such a blessing to me, Hannah. I do hope you know that.”
As Hannah watched the young widow lead her children away, she said to Jed, “I was certain I would be a horrible pastor’s wife. I thought I would make everyone think less of you in the beginning. I think I’m doing all right.”
“You are definitely doing all right. You’re the perfect wife for me in every way. At first, I wondered about your upbringing, because you had obviously had a much more privileged upbringing than most. But I was wrong, because you are better with people and more loving than any pastor’s wife, I’ve ever seen.”
Hannah felt tears pop into her eyes at his words. She was doing something right to get that kind of praise from her husband. He wasn’t one to praise lightly.
When she wrote in her journal, she mentioned how thankful she was for the man she’d married. He truly was the man she needed in her life.
Nine
April Ninth, 1852 –Hannah’s Journal
I don’t know how I went through my entire life without Jed at my side. All of my feelings of aloneness that I’ve had since my father died have disappeared, and I certainly thank God for him every single day of my life.
We are now camped at the Nemaha River, and we have plenty of water and wood here. The stream is as clear and as cold as ice. This area is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. I think if I had my choice, I would live here for the rest of my days, as the beauty is mesmerizing. As difficult as this journey is, I feel like it is making memories that I will treasure for the rest of my life.
I look at the world differently now, wanting to be the best wife I can possibly be. I was thinking about sewing myself a split skirt for this journey, but I’ve decided against it. I want to do all I can to uphold the goodness that is my husband and his reputation.
The days turned into one another as they continued their trek toward Oregon, and every day Hannah fell just a little more in love with the man she married.
The four single men had taken to providing Margaret with meat every night in turn, and they would all eat with her. It seemed to Hannah that Jamie was taken with the sweet woman, but she didn’t say that to Margaret. She knew her friend was still mourning her husband, and it wouldn’t be fair to put notions like that in her head.
Hannah would watch the men bring her the meat they wanted her to cook, and Margaret’s face would always light up, and she would thank them for their kindness to her family. It was obvious the men were all happy to do something for her, because she truly was a wonderful cook.
Every morning when Hannah woke, she would make the coffee, and then get the girls ready for their day of walking. She helped Margaret out in every way she could, but she refused to neglect her husband to do so.
At the end of the day on Saturday, they gathered around to talk about their plans for the next week. Captain Bedwell told them all that they hoped to be at the Platte in another two weeks. “I hope you will all be ready early in the morning and be ready for long, hard days. I do not want us to get behind schedule and miss out on finding our land this year. At this point, we’re following our schedule perfectly. Let’s keep doing so.”
Hannah looked forward to seeing the milestone Platte River. She’d heard so much about it as they’d talked about it a lot on the trail. She turned to Jed who stood beside her and smiled. “We’ve mad
e it two weeks, and we haven’t even died of dysentery.”
“Why would we die of dysentery?” he asked, confused.
“I have no idea, but I’ve heard people are nervous about it.” Hannah hurried off to fix their supper, thankful the next day was Sunday and their day off. She wished they had two storage barrels for water and not just one. Somehow, she felt the need to hoard water.
As soon as she finished making venison steaks with biscuits, she sat back and waited for Jed to return from helping the other men round up the cattle and make sure they were all close by. It was his turn to stand guard for the first half of the night, and she was going to miss having him sleep beside her.
The kittens were doing well, growing more each day. They looked like totally different creatures than the ones he’d handed her back in Independence.
She gave the kittens some of the buttermilk that was left after she’d made butter that day. Of course, making butter on the trail was a million times easier than making it back in Independence. She simply hung her pail of cream under the wagon, and it was butter by noontime. The wagon ride was so bumpy, she felt sorry for people who didn’t get to walk.
When she’d finished with the kittens, got some mending out. Jed had ripped a button off his shirt, and it needed to be fixed, because he only had three shirts with him.
When he joined her, they ate supper together. “Are you worried about standing guard this evening?” she asked. “There haven’t been any Indian sightings have there?”
“We’ve seen a few here and there, but no one has come close enough to the camp to bother us. If you want to give me one of the dresses you’re willing to trade, I’ll keep it with me tonight in case we’re approached by some.”
Hannah nodded. “I’ll make sure you get a dress after supper. Who are you standing guard with?”
Hannah's Hanky (Clover Creek Caravan Book 1) Page 10
