Carrie, Elizabeth’s little sister, had been born with her legs twisted. As she grew, she had learned to walk with crutches, but she was never able to run and play with the other children. She spent many of her days sitting in the schoolhouse watching out the window, or reading a book on the steps. Unlike the other nine year olds, she had never once run or jumped in her whole life.
This did not change her cheerful outlook. Young Carrie was a joy to everyone she came in contact with, and she and her sister were incredibly close. They would walk side by side and talk about how their days had gone, and what they were looking forward to doing that evening.
Sometimes Benjamin Shaw would join them. He worked at the saw mill just down the street from the schoolhouse, and he and Elizabeth had been lifelong friends. Over the years, the two had fallen in love; they planned on marrying one day. Benjamin adored the whole family, and they all loved him greatly. It would be a wonderful day when the two of them were wed. Carrie made her sister promise that they would live in a house that wasn’t too far away, and that she would still come and walk her home from school every day.
“Of course I will,” Elizabeth told her. “This is my favorite part of the whole day. I don’t know what I would do without it.” The two girls reached home just as their father drove up in the wagon.
Carrie called out to him and hurried to the barn to watch him unhitch the horses and put them up for the night. Elizabeth stood and watched her sister hobble on the crutches towards the barn. It was a difficult thing to see a girl so beautiful have to struggle so much. Usually, Elizabeth didn’t notice her sister’s crutches at all. They were just a part of her and she walked so easily with them. It wasn’t something that she even thought about--until times like this. Most little girls would have run to the barn, opening the door effortlessly. Carrie, on the other hand, had to struggle to keep her herself balanced on one crutch, all the while fidgeting with the door knob. The simplest everyday tasks required so much extra effort because of her condition. Elizabeth sighed to herself and turned towards the house. She wished there was something she could do for her sister.
Elizabeth cheerfully greeted her mother when she walked into the kitchen. Mrs. Ryder was bent over the stove stirring a stew that she had put together for dinner; she looked up and smiled at her oldest daughter as she entered. Maggie, the baby in the family, crawled over to Elizabeth and put her hands up to be held.
“How was your day, dear?” her mother asked as Elizabeth picked up her baby sister.
“It was alright. Mrs. Hornsby is showing me how to pin up collars so they lay flat after they’ve been sewn. Soon enough, I’ll be able to help you make Father’s shirts.”
Mrs. Ryder smiled. “And how was Ben’s day? Did you see him today?” Elizabeth blushed at the mention of her beau.
“He stopped by and brought me a handful of daisies that he picked by the mill.” Mrs. Ryder did not have to look up to hear the smile that was in her daughter’s voice. “Carrie seemed to be struggling a little bit as we were walking home, though.” The smile had faded out of her voice as she spoke; when her mother looked over at her, Elizabeth was thoughtfully watching out the window.
She continued, “In the paper, they were talking about this doctor up in New York State. They say that he can perform an operation that fixes legs like Carrie’s. Mother, do you think…”
Elizabeth stopped talking as she saw her mother shaking her head. “You know we would do anything to help your sister, but operations just cost too much money. They will turn us away in a heartbeat without even looking at her when they find out that we can’t pay. I’m sorry Lizzy, but that’s just the way this world works.” Elizabeth could tell that this was something she had pondered before. There wasn’t a tone of finality in her mother’s voice, just one of sorrow. No matter how desperately she wanted her daughter to have this operation, she just had to accept the fact that they didn’t have the money.
Elizabeth leaned forward and raised her finger to retort, but quickly retreated when she suddenly heard voices outside the door. Her eyes widened. She shot her mother a knowing glance as Carrie and Pa shuffled their way inside. She knew that Carrie wouldn’t have minded them discussing her condition, but instead wanted to shield her from the thought that there was anything wrong with her.
The family had a hearty meal together, then the youngest two daughters went up to the loft to play with their dolls. Elizabeth remained downstairs to drink coffee with her parents and discuss the news. It was a common thing for them to do in the evening: Mr. John Ryder would read the newspaper to Elizabeth and Mrs. Ryder as they worked on their sewing for the evening. Tonight, as John was skimming the paper for an interesting article to read, he saw the article that Elizabeth had mentioned to her mother earlier that evening.
“Mary,” he said to his wife, “what do you think of this?”
“You know they will charge us far too much money for that, John,” Mrs. Ryder replied gently. “Of course, if we had the money, we would do it for Carrie in a heartbeat. That’s such a long way to travel only to be turned away, and it would break little Carrie’s heart to get her hopes up and then tell her she can’t be fixed.”
John had a look of disappointment on his face as he turned the page and began reading a story about a farmer up north. He, too, knew that their ability to fix Carrie’s legs was just a dream. Seeing her following her sister down the road every morning made him wish that he could do that for her more than anything.
The next morning, the two girls got ready for their day in town. Elizabeth braided Carrie’s hair in a long, brown braid down the center of her back. Carrie had thick, dark hair exactly like Elizabeth’s. Many people said they could be twins if it wasn’t for the ten years that separated them.
There was a light rap at the door, and Ben burst in.
“Good morning, m’ladies!” he announced as he tipped his hat to Mrs. Ryder. “I was wondering if I might have the honor of giving two lovely ladies a ride into town.” He turned and gave Elizabeth a light kiss on the cheek.
“Oh Ben!” Carrie laughed as she picked up her crutches and did a little curtsy. “We would be delighted if you were to join us.”
They waved and said goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. Ryder as they boarded the carriage. The three of them joked and laughed all the way into town. Elizabeth loved to see her sister smile. Ben stopped the carriage in the middle of the road between the schoolhouse and Mrs. Hornsby’s.
“Thanks Ben!” Carrie called out behind her as she hobbled towards the schoolhouse.
“She is so cheerful today. How are you, my love?” Ben asked as he turned toward Elizabeth.
“Oh, I’m alright. I saw an ad about a doctor who might be able to help her, but I’m afraid we just can’t do it. I don’t know. I wish there was something I could do, but my mother is right—without the money, they’ll just turn us away.”
“Don’t worry, sweetheart,” said Ben, kissing her on the forehead. “You’ll think of something. Besides, she really does seem to be happy as she is, you know? Why worry her when she isn’t worried herself?”
Elizabeth got out of the carriage and watched as Ben rode away. He did have a good point. She looked toward the schoolhouse before going into Mrs. Hornsby’s. Maybe Ben was right; maybe she should just put this silly notion out of her brain and let her sister enjoy her life as it is.
She certainly already did--that was for sure.
Chapter 2
It was a long day for Elizabeth. There were a lot of shirts that needed mending, and Mrs. Hornsby was trying to teach her how to stay on top of things while keeping track of the new orders that were coming in. Elizabeth’s head was spinning by the time the day was over.
She was glad to see her sister’s happy little face coming out of the schoolhouse. Elizabeth was tired, and didn’t have much to say during their walk home. Her sister didn’t seem to notice as she was too busy talking about all of the kids that were going to be leaving school in the coming weeks.
“They’re
all going west with their families to find gold! Isn’t that something? Imagine if you were standing there looking in a creek and all of the sudden you were rich!” Carrie couldn’t imagine how someone’s life could change so suddenly.
Elizabeth couldn’t believe how her sister could stay so happy for other people when her daily life was such a struggle. It just didn’t make any sense to her. If the roles were reversed, Elizabeth felt she would be hateful to all of the kids running past her, telling her they were going to be rich while she struggled to even take the next step. Carrie never ceased to amaze her.
When they got home, their mother was already putting dinner on the table.
“How was your day?” she asked them both as Elizabeth helped Carrie out of her shawl.
Carrie immediately started chatting about arithmetic and how she was having a hard time with her multiplication tables. When she finished, she took Maggie to wash her hands for dinner.
“Where’s Father?” Elizabeth asked, pulling the potatoes out of the oven.
“He went over to the McNeil’s barn to help them with calving,” she said. “He’ll be back later this evening. Would you mind setting out the pitcher for us?”
Elizabeth went to the cellar and pulled out the bucket of milk from that morning. It stayed nice and cool underground with the vegetables and a few other things her mother kept down there. She carefully poured the milk into the dinner pitcher, then set out their four mugs with the pitcher in the middle of the table.
Her mother said grace for the meal and they ate. It wasn’t until after dark that Mr. Ryder came home; the two youngest girls were in bed asleep, but Elizabeth and her mother were up waiting for his return.
“Mary, Elizabeth--we are going to California!” he announced as he walked in. “Are you out of your mind?” Mary looked at her husband in disbelief. He seemed to be so energetic and happy that Elizabeth and her mother exchanged a look; they didn’t know what to make of it. He was normally such a quiet man; to see him so loud and cheerful meant that there had to be some sort of plan in the works.
“No, now listen to me. Tonight, Craig told me that he received word that his brother had struck it rich when he went there last month. Now, he and Anna are going. There’s gold in those hills, Mary--gold!”
“Now, what do you need gold for? We already have everything we need. It’s dangerous, John. There are thieves, robbers and claim jumpers out there--and Carrie has school.” Mary seemed to have already formed her opinion on the matter, until John said the one thing powerful enough to change her mind.
“We need money for Carrie. If we just get a few ounces, it will be enough to pay for her surgery and then some! We’ll never have to worry about making the bills again. Now, what do you think of that?!”
Mary paused with her needlework in mid-air. That was something she hadn’t thought of, and now that he’d put it that way, it really did seem to make sense.
Elizabeth jumped from her chair. “She could be better by Christmas!” she cried.
“And what a Christmas gift that would be to all of us!” said John. “We’ll start packing our bags tomorrow, and be on the trail by the end of the week.” He slapped his knee and poured himself a cup of coffee.
“And what about Elizabeth?” Mrs. Ryder asked softly.
“What do you mean? She’ll be coming, same as the rest of us.” John seemed to be genuinely puzzled at the thought of anything else.
“And Ben?”
Elizabeth envisioned running down the path to Ben’s house and knocking feverishly at his door. The moment he arrived to greet her, she would blurt out the news that her family had found a way to help Carrie once and for all.
Her excitement quickly turned to sorrow when the reality of the situation took hold: Ben wasn’t joining them on their journey. She had no idea how long the trip would take or what obstacles they would encounter along the way. She knew he would be right here at home waiting for her, no matter how long it took, but her heart felt torn in two. The very solution to her family’s greatest concern meant leaving her one true love behind.
Her father didn’t say anything for a few minutes. He looked down into his mug and seemed to be thinking hard, then he finally looked at her.
“You are a grown woman. I wouldn’t want you to leave us so soon, but the choice is up to you. You have my permission to stay here with Ben if you want, but I would really rather you came with the rest of your family.”
Elizabeth looked at the floor. She felt absolutely sick as a giant knot formed in her stomach. The thought of leaving Ben behind was absolutely crushing, but she couldn’t split up the family. She had promised her sister that she would always be there for her--no matter what--and she had meant it. Now was her chance to prove it.
“I’m sure Ben will understand. It doesn’t have to be forever anyway. I mean, after we get the money we can come back, right?” She looked at her mother, forcing a smile despite the tears in her eyes.
“Oh honey, I’m sure Ben would come after you if it came down to it,” her mother said, putting her arm around Elizabeth’s shoulders.
“I’m sure of it!” her father chimed in. Elizabeth smiled.
“Then that settles it,” she said.
Chapter 3
The next day, Elizabeth had a talk with Mrs. Hornsby. She thanked her for her patience and her time, but explained that she was going to be moving with her family out to California. Mrs. Hornsby seemed to take the news pretty well, even though Elizabeth had to explain it to her several times.
Then came the hard part: talking to Ben. She walked down to the saw mill and saw him over by the big pieces of lumber, running the logs over the saw and turning them into flat boards. To Elizabeth, the job looked like a lot of fun, and she thought Ben looked really handsome working hard.
Ben’s eyes lit up and a huge grin spread across his face like a sunrise the moment he saw Elizabeth. With her, she carried a wooden basket covered ever so carefully with a red and white checked towel. Inside, she had packed a pair of apples and her signature cast iron baked corn bread that was still warm from the stove--it was his absolute favorite.
They sat together on a nearby log and shared the treats Elizabeth had packed. After catching up on the day’s events, Ben reached out and placed his hand ever so gently on Elizabeth’s. “Thank you so much for walking all this way to see me and for packing such a lovely meal for us to share.” Tears quickly welled up in her eyes and she began to sob. Ben leaned forward and clasped his other hand around hers.
“What’s wrong, dear? Why are you crying?” he asked.
“Oh, Ben…my heart feels as though it’s torn in two right now.”
“Tell me what’s the matter,” said Ben. “I’m here for you and always will be.”
Trying to compose herself to the best of her ability, Elizabeth raised her right hand to her heart and said, “You’ve heard the news about gold being discovered in San Francisco? Well, we had a family meeting and Pa decided it’d be best to make the trip out there and find out for ourselves. If we strike it rich, we can head back east all the way to New York City to pay for an operation for Carrie. A doctor there offers surgery that’s quite expensive, but will be the answer to my family’s prayers. When all is said and done, Carrie will never have to rely on those crutches again. She’ll be able to run through the fields and play like all the other kids her age.”
She started sobbing again, saying, “I’m so thrilled by this prospect, but I’ll be gone for such a long, long time. I can’t possibly imagine not being with you every day--I’m not sure how I’ll manage.” Ben embraced her as she cried softly.
“Darling, there’s no need to worry. I’ll follow you wherever you go,” he said. “I have a contract for the next four months saying I’m going to stay here and work, but after I fulfill my duties, I’m going to follow you faster than a hound chases a bunny.”
Elizabeth laughed and rested her head on his shoulder. “I wish you could come now, or that I could stay here an
d we could go out there together.”
“Your sisters and mother are going to need you while your Pa is out splashing around in the river,” Ben said, taking a bite of his apple. “I’ll write to you. Every day.”
Elizabeth looked at him. “Every day?” she asked him incredulously.
“Yup. I might forget to tell you something if I don’t. Will you write me back?” He tossed the apple core into the brush and looked up at her with his beautiful brown eyes.
“Every day,” she said as she leaned over and kissed him. Elizabeth felt much better after they spoke, and by the time lunch was over, her sister was ready to head home with her.
Carrie left school early in order to ensure there was enough time to get packed for the big trip ahead. Elizabeth and her parents agreed it was best to keep the true purpose of their trip secret from Carrie. As positive and carefree as she was, they didn’t want to get her hopes up in the event that no gold was to be found. Instead, they emphasized that many of her friends would be making the journey along with their families and that it seemed like a fun adventure for their family to embark on.
Even Maggie could sense the excitement in the air. She clapped her hands and carried things around from one trunk to the next. Mary tried to keep track of the things that Maggie was moving around so she didn’t misplace anything in her rush to get it all packed. “I think we should try to travel lightly,” she told her husband that night.
“Whatever you think, my love,” he replied. He had been in town all day, selling off a few things they knew they weren’t going to need anymore, and buying a new wagon with the money he made. The wagon was high and small, but there was enough room for all of the girls to sit in the back while their parents sat in the front seat. If they stacked the trunks in first, all of the girls could sit around them and put their feet on the floor. It was almost like a tiny train car, Elizabeth thought.
Friday morning, they were all ready to go. Ben dropped by to bid Elizabeth farewell. Elizabeth didn’t think it was going to be nearly as hard as it was to tell him goodbye, but as soon as he said those words to her, she burst into tears and clung to him. “I can’t do this--I can’t leave you!” she sobbed as she hugged him.
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