A Life Worth Living

by Irene Brand

  “All right,” she agreed. “We’ll get married today before you change your mind. But you don’t have to be concerned about my wealth. Most of my inheritance just went up in flames. I invested almost all of my capital in improving the textile mill. That’s why Father is so angry with me. Thank God, though, that I am insured heavily, so we’ll be able to rebuild. Let’s go.”

  “Go where?”

  “To find Reverend Spencer. I want to take advantage of your proposal before you change your mind.”

  Reverend Spencer was also working in the bucket brigade, and when the last hint of fire was extinguished, Allen and Dora approached him.

  “We want to get married,” Allen said.

  “Now?” the preacher said, and Allen laughed at the amazed expression on his face.

  “Right here and now, if you have your Bible with you,” Dora said. “I’ve been trying for months to get Allen to the altar, and I want to take advantage of his weak moment. He wouldn’t marry me because he thought I was too rich.” She swept her hand toward the destroyed building. “He doesn’t have to worry about that now. It will take all the money I have to start over.”

  Every able-bodied resident of Fairfield was gathered in the area, many of them now reclining on the ground. Dora felt sure that no one else in the whole world had ever had a wedding like theirs, but she also believed that no other group of people would have been more eager to give their blessing to the union between her and Allen.

  It certainly wasn’t the kind of wedding she’d dreamed of since she was a child. In her dreams, she always walked beside her father down a long church aisle to be married. She’d never been able to see the face of the man who waited for her at the altar, but she knew now that it had always been Allen.

  Instead of the garments she’d envisioned in her youth—satin gown, accessories, and a veil that swept the floor behind her as she approached the altar—today her clothes were stained with smoke and grime, as were the pastor’s and all the residents of Fairfield. She knew that her face was as dirty as Allen’s and the others. Her hair, which had been neat and tidy when she’d come to work this morning, straggled around her face. Many of the men lay on the grass exhausted from the extreme heat they’d battled to confine the fire to prevent it from spreading to the rest of the town. It seemed such a suspicious fire, as if the flames had started in more than one area of the mill.

  Reverend Spencer asked her and Allen to join hands, and he took a small Bible from his pocket. Dora hadn’t considered that they would need witnesses until Timothy and Kitty came to stand beside them. A hush settled over the whole area as the pastor began the ritual.

  “Dearly beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of God and in the presence of these witnesses to join this man and this woman in holy matrimony. This honorable estate, instituted of God, was adorned and beautified by the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at the marriage in Cana of Galilee.”

  The pastor continued the brief service, and soon it was time to take their vows. After he asked them to join hands, tears came to Dora’s eyes, and she wasn’t surprised to see that Allen was tearful also. This was more emotion than she’d ever known him to exhibit, and she lifted his hand and kissed it. Reverend Spencer’s next words seemed to sear themselves into Dora’s heart, and she knew she would never forget them or this moment.

  “I charge you both, as you stand in the presence of God, to remember that only love and loyalty will avail as the foundation of a happy and enduring home. If the solemn vows that you are about to make be kept inviolate, and if steadfastly you seek to do the will of your heavenly Father, your life will be full of peace and joy, and the home that you are establishing will remain through every crisis.”

  As the pastor asked, “Who gives this woman and man in marriage?” it suddenly dawned on Dora that they didn’t have anyone to give them away. Nor did they have a ring. She and Allen exchanged puzzled glances, but the problem was solved when the citizens of Fairfield shouted in unison, “We do!” Their words were followed by a tremendous outpouring of praise as the spectators heartily applauded this unusual ceremony. Momentarily, Dora realized that not only were these folks her employees, but they were also her friends. She couldn’t have found this many people in New York who even knew her, let alone be considered as friends.

  “Then I pronounce you man and wife,” the preacher said. “What God has joined together let no man put asunder. Allen, you may kiss your bride.”

  He didn’t have to be prompted a second time, and in spite of the smoky taste on his lips, Dora had never sensed such a warmth of heart and peace of mind. She had at last found her home in Allen.

  After they’d welcomed and received the congratu-lations of their friends and neighbors, with a stupefied expression on his face, Allen said, “We might have been too hasty. Where are we going to live? And what about a honeymoon?”

  Determined to be an obedient wife, rather than to make this decision, Dora said, “I don’t have any preference—your house or mine.”

  “Then why don’t I move in with you for the time being? My farmhouse is rather primitive, and I wouldn’t expect you to live there. Timothy can continue to live on the farm and take care of the livestock.” Motioning toward the damage left by the fire, he added, “We’ll have to postpone a honeymoon. It’s impossible for us to go away now.”

  Dora nodded in agreement. “We’ll start rebuilding tomorrow.” She turned to Reverend Spencer. “Your voice is stronger than mine. Please tell everyone that I have insurance on the mill, and they can start moving the debris tomorrow to get ready for a new structure. Their wages will continue as usual.”

  Allen was among the first men to go into the wreckage of the building, and he was startled to see a body lying among the ashes—a body that had been struck down and pinned beneath a heavy log. Enough of the corpse remained so that it was easy to identify the body of Ted Morgan, which left no doubt that he was the one who’d started the fire. Although it seemed just punishment that he’d perished in the fire he had set to get even with Dora, Allen was still sorry for the man’s misspent life. Morgan had had many good traits, but he’d been destroyed by his desire for revenge.

  Dora had a considerable insurance policy on the property, and since most of the construction work was done by the mill workers, within three months Fairfield Textile Mill was operating again. Timothy took over management of the farm and lived there, while Allen and Dora stayed in the house she owned in Fairfield. Although she had family in New York, the faithful Maude was willing to stay in North Carolina and keep house for them. Dora notified her father of their marriage, but he didn’t respond to the letter.

  Although her father’s rejection hurt, Dora’s heart overflowed with happiness, and Allen suggested that they should take their honeymoon. They asked one of their most capable and trustworthy employees to take over management of the mill for a week, so they could go away for a few days. When he asked Dora where she wanted to go, she said, “Why don’t we go camping in the mountains? And take Kitty and Timothy with us. We’ve talked about such a trip for months. If we wait until we aren’t busy—we never will go.”

  “It won’t be much like a honeymoon if we take anyone with us, but the more I’m around my brother, the more impressed I am of how mature and capable he is. This will give you an opportunity to know him better. I hope he continues to stay with us.”

  Smiling, Dora answered, “I don’t think he’s going anywhere without Kitty, and I figure Mrs. Smith wouldn’t approve of a wedding for another year or so.”

  Allen agreed that this was no doubt true, and a week later the four of them headed northwest. Their destination was a lovely camping spot in a secluded ravine near the Tennessee border. Although Kitty had lived all of her life in North Carolina, this was her first trip to this range of mountains. Allen had hunted in the area several autumns, and he knew enough about the area to guide them to the valley,
where they set up camp. Allen and Timothy erected a tent for Dora and Kitty, but they preferred to sleep in the open.

  On the first night, as soon as the sun eased slowly behind the mountains, they gathered around the campfire while Allen prepared their meal over the fire. He put whole potatoes in the hot ashes where they baked slowly. He had brought biscuits from home, and he turned T-bone steaks in the big skillet. Eating in the open was not a new experience for Dora because she and her father had often camped when they’d explored the mountains of Europe. However, she couldn’t remember anytime that those experiences had compared to this. She doubted that she would ever travel overseas again, although she would like to see more of the American continent.

  As daylight faded and stars twinkled overhead, they were overwhelmed by the beauty of the universe.

  “Tell us about the settlement of this area,” Dora sug-gested to Allen.

  Modestly, he answered, “I’m not the one to ask about that—you should discuss it with Vance the next time we visit them. But I’ll tell you what I know.”

  Dora moved closer, and he put his arm around her. Leaning against a large boulder, Allen said, “The Cherokee, of course, were well-established in these mountains before Europeans ever set foot on this continent, and that would have been sometime around the late 1600s. At first the native settlements were located in the river valleys. At the end of the French and Indian War, European settlers moved into this area. This caused a conflict with the Cherokee, who still held legal title to a great portion of the land. The Cherokee joined the British at the outbreak of the American Revolution, causing American forces to invade Cherokee Territory. Several years later the Cherokee were more or less forced to give control of the Great Smoky Mountains to the United States government.

  “Although most of the natives moved westward along a road that was called the ‘Trail of Tears,’ other Cherokee hid in the mountains to escape forcible removal. They were the remnant who managed to keep their land and make up the eastern band of Cherokees in the Carolinas today.”

  “Why was it called the ‘Trail of Tears’?” Dora asked.

  “That was the name given when the government forced Native American nations from southeastern parts of the United States to move westward into what is now Oklahoma. They suffered from exposure, disease, and starvation before they reached their destination, and thousands of them died.”

  “Kinda sad, isn’t it?” Timothy said.

  Shrugging, Allen said, “That’s what I’ve always thought, but if that hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t have the property I do today. I try not to criticize people of the past for what they’ve done, for who knows what decisions I would have made if I’d been in their shoes?”

  Snuggling closer to him, Dora said, “I know what you would have done—you’d have made an honorable decision.”

  Allen put his arm around her waist. “You’re prejudiced.”

  “That’s true, but I’m looking forward to a long life with you and the people of North Carolina. Although I didn’t know Him then, I realize now that God was guiding me when I decided to visit the Vanderbilts. I’m anticipating many happy years as your wife.”

  epilogue

  The next two years passed quickly as Allen and Dora adjusted slowly to marriage. They were both so self-reliant and independent that it was difficult for them to consider one another before they made decisions. However, as she contemplated the years they’d been together, Dora knew they had done well. They both brought to their union the determination that the marriage would work. As she thought of the months they’d been married, Dora knew they had slowly reached the realization that “two shall become one,” as it was supposed to be.

  The textile mill had prospered under their manage-ment. Fairfield had also increased in population—not so much that it had lost its small-town atmosphere, but enough that it was recognized as one of the most prosperous towns in western North Carolina.

  From the first, Dora and Allen had planned to have children, and they were disappointed when two years passed before Dora finally became pregnant. Allen was surprised when she said one evening, a few weeks before their baby was due: “Would you mind if I turn the management of the mill over to you and become a full-time mother?”

  Allen had hoped that Dora would come to this decision, but he’d been wise enough not to broach the subject. He’d always heard that pregnant women often developed cranky attitudes during their pregnancy, so he tried to be tactful in his response.

  “Well, I don’t know. It would be tough operating without you, but I can see why you would want to take care of the child yourself. I would be happier to know that you’re taking care of our baby rather than some other woman.”

  Allen had always prided himself on being able to cope with any situation without undue concern, but as the day of the birth drew nearer, he was a nervous wreck. Six weeks before the child was to be born, Dora stopped going to the office. And despite the fact that Maude was with Dora, he went home every few hours to be sure she was all right.

  Finally, Dora told him, “You’re making me nervous. The doctor and Maude say that I’m doing great, so please stop fretting about me.”

  “You’re nervous!” he said. “What about me? I can’t keep my mind on anything except you and the baby.”

  Dora didn’t have an easy delivery, and when the birth pains started, she tried to persuade Allen to go back to the office, but he refused and sat beside her hour after hour until the doctor finally told him it would be better for Dora if he would leave.

  “She’s in a lot of pain, which she tries to hide from you, and that will make the delivery more difficult. Why don’t you take a walk? Or even sit on the porch and wait? If you want to help your wife, that’s the best way to do it.”

  Unconvinced, Allen sat on the porch for several hours before Maude came out of the house, carrying a small bundle wrapped in a blanket.

  “You’ve got a sweet little girl, Mr. Allen.”

  Allen jumped up quickly. “How’s Dora?”

  “She came through the delivery like a veteran. She’s sleeping now.”

  Maude handed the baby to him. “Do you want to hold her?”

  Being the oldest child in a large family of children, Allen was no amateur in caring for a child, so he took the baby eagerly. He sat down in a chair and rocked his baby for the first time. When the doctor came to the door and said Dora wanted to see him, he carried the baby into the bedroom and laid her beside his wife.

  Kneeling beside the bed, he kissed her. “How are you?”

  “Sleepy now. The doctor gave me some medicine, so the birth wasn’t too bad. How do you like her?”

  “She’s wonderful—looks just like you must have looked when you were born.”

  She smiled slightly. “I don’t remember that.”

  Although they’d discussed both boy and girl names, they couldn’t agree on any definite choice. “What are we going to name her?” Allen asked.

  “If it’s all right with you, I’d like to give her my mother’s name—Elizabeth Faye.”

  “Elizabeth Faye Bolden,” Allen said. “I like it.”

  ❧

  During their two years of marriage, Dora hadn’t made any contact with her father, nor had he communicated with her. So she was surprised when she received a letter from him not long after Elizabeth’s birth. Apparently he still subscribed to the Asheville newspaper and had read about the baby, or perhaps he had a spy in town who reported what she and Allen were doing. She wouldn’t be at all surprised to learn he was doing that.

  Daughter:

  I know I haven’t been a very good father. Although I haven’t contacted you the past few years, I understand that you have prospered. I kept thinking you would make a failure of the mill and turn to me for help. That hasn’t happened, so it’s obvious you don’t need my help. That makes me angry and happy at the same tim
e. I’m happy because I have a daughter who’s enough like me to make a success of anything you try. On the other hand, it’s not flattering to not be needed. Regardless, I want you to know that I have written a new will that makes you my only heir, and there are no strings attached to it.

  I’m so happy to know that you named the child for my beloved wife. If you and your husband can find it in your heart to forgive me for the past, I’d like to visit you sometime and see my granddaughter. Please let me know your reply.

  Love,

  Your Father

  “What do you think I should do?” Dora asked Allen when she received the letter.

  “I certainly don’t want him to try to take control of Elizabeth’s life, and I wonder if we can trust him.”

  “He may very well try to interfere in her life, but you and I have the upper hand in that situation. Having never known my own grandfather, I wouldn’t want Elizabeth to be deprived of hers. I’d suggest that you make it very plain that the child is ours and that we’ll not allow him to interfere. If he wants to act as a grandparent rather than a guardian, that will be all right.”

  “Will you answer the letter, please?”

  In spite of what they suggested, Allen considered that Mr. Porter would still try to interfere in Elizabeth’s life. He was determined that wouldn’t happen, but he didn’t want to offend the man. He prayed that God would give him the grace to handle the situation in a Christian manner. After a day of indecision, he sat at his office desk and spent an hour or two trying to compose a letter. He wasn’t satisfied with his final draft, but he wrote the message, put it in an envelope, and took it to the post office.

  Dear Mr. Porter:

  You’re welcome to visit us at any time, but we believe it’s only fair to tell you that we will not tolerate any interference from you as far as supporting the child is concerned. Our mill provides us with more than adequate income, and we can provide everything Elizabeth will ever need. What you do with your vast estate upon your death is your affair; however, we will not accept any large gifts of any kind for Elizabeth before she comes of age, when we will no longer have the right to accept or reject anything from you.