A Life Worth Living
Page 13
If you’re agreeable to the above stipulations, we will welcome you to our home at any time.
Sincerely,
Allen
Two weeks later when Mr. Porter arrived with boxes of gifts for the child and a repentant attitude, he was welcomed.
“I’m still very hazy on my Bible knowledge,” Dora said, “but doesn’t it say somewhere that, ‘As ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise’?”
“Yes, and it might be one of the most important verses for us to know when we realize our responsibility not only to God, but also to others.”
Although he stayed overnight at the local hotel, Mr. Porter spent most of his time at the house and, as far as they could tell, Dora and Allen believed that he wouldn’t interfere with Elizabeth’s upbringing.
❧
After the birth of the baby and the reconciliation with Mr. Porter, Allen supposed their lives would settle down and they could continue without change for a few years. That didn’t happen. Soon after Elizabeth’s birth, Timothy came into the office one day, which wasn’t unusual, but immediately Allen detected a difference in his brother.
“What’s on your mind?” he asked.
Timothy took off his cap and twisted it in his hands. “Well, as you know,” he started, “when I stopped here to see you, I was on my way to California.”
Allen’s stomach sank. When his brother hesitated, he prompted, “Yes?”
“I’ve liked it here, especially getting to know you and your family.” He hesitated again. “But I’ve never given up the desire to cross the country to California. When I met Kitty and we loved each other, I thought I’d be happy here, but I’m not. It seems like there’s something always over the next hill pulling me westward. Do you understand what I mean?”
Allen extended his hand across the desk, and Timothy grabbed it in a firm grip.
“I know exactly what you mean. It must be a family trait. That’s why I left South Carolina years ago. I wasn’t completely satisfied in Canaan, so I came here. I’ll admit there have been times when I’ve looked westward and wondered what’s over the next mountain, wondering if I’d stopped too soon.”
Timothy smiled. “Then go with us.”
Allen shook his head. “No. I made my choice when I married Dora. We have a good business here and she’s happy. I wouldn’t ask it of her, especially now that she has the baby.”
“I’ll bet she wouldn’t hesitate one minute if you told her you wanted to go to California. She would say, ‘When do we leave?’ and start packing.”
“I know that, but we can’t do it now. It’s isn’t only that we have Elizabeth, but what would we do with the textile mill? No doubt we could sell it, but we pamper our workers. A new owner might not be so generous and lenient as Dora is. You know that a transcontinental railroad already connects the East with California, and someday I intend for us to visit the West Coast, but not now. Do you plan to go on the railroad?”
With a sheepish grin, Timothy shook his head, pulled a sheet of paper from his pocket, and handed it to Allen. It was an ad from an Indiana paper, posted by a man who was organizing a wagon train trip from the Indianapolis area with San Francisco as his destination. “I’ve saved enough money to pay our fare.”
“What does Kitty think about it?”
“Oh, she’s as excited about it as I am, but her mother isn’t.”
Allen nodded. “That’s understandable, but most parents have to deal with that. When will you leave?”
“I figure I’ll have to go in two weeks to get to Indianapolis on time.”
“Probably so. Well, I’m not going to discourage you or encourage you either. You’re old enough to make decisions, but I’ll help all I can. Choose the best wagon on the farm as well as a good team of horses. That will be your wedding present.”
“Thanks. I’ve saved almost all the money you’ve paid me for taking care of the farm, but I’ll probably need all of that to buy supplies.”
After Timothy left the office, Allen sat for a long time, envisioning the trip and the experiences, both good and bad. He knew if he mentioned to Dora that he’d always thought he would like to go to California, she would go with him without a murmur. However, he wouldn’t ask it of her. So a month later, they stood with all the other Fairfield residents and watched Timothy and Kitty drive through town, westward bound.
Although Allen had tried to conceal his thoughts from Dora, he knew he hadn’t succeeded. When the covered wagon passed out of sight and they turned toward their home, Dora said, “Never mind, my dear. As soon as they arrive at their destination and get settled, we’ll go visit them. I’ve always dreamed of seeing California, but right now I’ve found all I want with you.”
He lifted her hand and kissed the palm. “I know what you mean. God was looking after us when He brought both of us to Fairfield.”
About the Author
IRENE BRAND is a lifelong resident of West Virginia, where she lives with her husband, Rod. Irene’s first inspirational romance was published in 1984, and since that time she has had multiple books published. She is the author of four nonfiction books, various devotional materials, and her writings have appeared in numerous historical, religious, and general magazines. Irene became a Christian at the age of eleven and continues to be actively involved in her local church. Before retiring in 1989 to devote full time to freelance writing, Irene taught for twenty-three years in secondary public schools. Many of her books have been inspired while traveling to forty-nine of the United States and twenty-four foreign countries.
Dedication
To Mary Lynn Bechtle,
my longtime friend and faithful reader.
A note from the Author:
I love to hear from my readers! You may correspond with me by writing:
Irene Brand
Author Relations
PO Box 721
Uhrichsville, OH 44683
Author’s Note
With the coming of the Western North Carolina Railroad in 1879, a new day dawned for Asheville, North Carolina. Because of the cool weather in the summer and a moderate winter climate, visitors were drawn to this plateau bordered by the Blue Ridge Mountains on the east and the Great Smoky Mountains on the west. Among the first settlers was George Vanderbilt, who first visited Asheville in 1888. Finding the air mild and invigorating, he enjoyed the scenery and soon made plans to build a summer residence in the area. Intending to replicate the working estates he’d visited in Europe, he commissioned a prominent New York architect to plan a house that featured ideas he’d learned from mansions he’d visited in the Loire Valley, France. He named the estate Biltmore, which included its own village. To make the property self-supporting, he established scientific forestry programs and separate farms for poultry, cattle, hogs, and also a dairy. After Vanderbilt’s death in 1914, the estate was sold to the federal government.