“Dear Patrick, How pleased I was to learn your name and where you live. My name is Katerina Hauser. As you can tell, I have a German heritage. My father and his family came from Germany in 1848 after the uprising started in their area. He is a shoemaker and we live above the shop in Columbus, Ohio.
“I shall get the atlas and see if I can find Oregon City. Is the countryside beautiful? What does it look like? I’ve never even seen a mountain. Do you have a view of the mountains? I’m so anxious to look at an atlas.
“I think I told you my hair is blonde and my eyes are blue. What color is your hair? Your eyes? I have so many questions and so little knowledge about the west.
“I have a good class of eighteen students this term. They are so refreshing and so eager to learn, it inspires me to work harder. I really enjoy teaching.
“I can hardly wait for your next letter. Sincerely, Katerina Hauser.” Since we don’t have to go through the paper anymore, maybe we can speed this exchange up some…
Chapter 5: The Correspondence Intensifies
Katerina Hauser… What a nice name. It is different from any I’ve heard. It's probably the German version for Katherine or Kathleen. I like it. She mentions her Papa but never says anything about her mother. Wonder why? Now that I think about it, I’ve never mentioned my mother in my letters. Just that they are farmers. I’m going to change that. Lord knows, they’re important to me. Patrick sat reflecting on his past letters and what he said in return. Maybe she’s just hesitant to get too personal in a letter.
“Dear Katerina, At last, another letter. I realize things are quicker now that we have each other’s address, but the time seems to stand still for me between your letters.
I believe I mentioned that my family lives on the next farm over. Papa comes from a long line of farmers back in Ireland. In 1848, there was a serious problem with the potato crop caused by potato blight It devastated the crops for several years and was horrible for poor people, who depended on the potato for a living as well as their own food, Papa tells of people starving. During the third year, my Papa, Michael, and Mother, Margaret, could take it no longer. They didn’t have much, but their friends and relatives scraped together enough for passage to America. After a tornado wiped out the crop, our house and all the buildings. Papa decided it was time to get away from areas where tornados were an annual event, and the rest you know. We’re all farmers and have the typical Irish love for the land, so farming is what we do. My oldest brother lives on the farm he will inherit some day. My other brother lives close by, homesteading the same as me. Both my youngest sisters live at home.
There are no ladies my age around that I know of, so I live alone. We’re a close family, so we get together frequently. Since I’m the baby of the family, I get all of the teasing, but it’s done in a good way. I guess I give as well as I get, so I have no complaint. At least, when we get together, I get something to eat besides beans, the main staple of my diet. Once in a while, when I go to Oregon City for supplies, I’ll treat myself to a meal in the café there, but Mama’s cooking is way better.
I’ve just about run out if things to say, but I would like to hear more about you and your family. Until then, I am, Sincerely Yours, Patrick Murphy.” There, I’ll get this in the mail tomorrow and bury myself in work so the time until an answer passes more quickly.
Two more letters passed each direction. In the sixth letter, Patrick said, “Katerina, after reading each of your letters, multiple times, I feel as if I know you already. I would like to propose we meet. I’ve talked with both my mother and Papa about it and both said, “Go for it.” So here I am, hat in hand, and asking that you consider meeting. What do you think?”
The request was not unexpected. However, it put her on the horns of a dilemma, She had not spoken to either her father or mother about it. It was an awfully big step. To consider leaving a job she loved, her Papa, whom she adored and her Mama whom she loved but could barely tolerate her intrusive ways, was an enormous decision for her.
It was time, “Papa, could I talk to you about something important?” she asked.
He turned away from the last, and said, “Of course, Liebchen. I always have time for you. What’s troubling you.”
“I promised I wouldn’t leave, but, I’ve been corresponding with a young man. He wants us to meet.”
“I’m not surprised. It’s time you had a man in your life. Is this someone you met at school?” he asked.
“No, I’ve never met him. He put an advertisement in a newspaper and I answered the ad. He was looking for a wife. Papa, he lives in Oregon, and is a farmer,” she said, in a rush. “Would you read the letters? I have six. It might give you an idea about him.”
“Does your Mama know about this?” he asked, and took the letters.
“No, I don’t think so. She’s been in my room going through my things and she found the paper, but I don’t think she’s seen any except the first letter. I think I have them well hidden now. I told her if she went through my mail again, I would have her arrested for interfering with the US Mail.”
“Can you do that?” he asked.
“I don’t know. I was just trying to frighten her. I would never do such a thing anyway. What do you think about our meeting?” she asked.
“How would such a meeting take place?”
“As I understand it,” she said, “and in all I’ve read, the lady travels to the man’s town and they meet. If everything is okay, and they both agree, they get married.”
“Married? My little girl married to a stranger? That is a big decision. In the old country, parents would arrange a marriage, but usually the couple knew each other. How are you going to answer?”
“I haven’t totally decided yet, but I’m thinking about agreeing to meet, but I would not marry until I was sure about him. School will be over in another month. I could go then without leaving the children.”
“I’ll read the letters and then we’ll talk more about this. Is that agreeable to you?” he asked.
“Yes, Papa, that is exactly what I hoped you would do,” she said.
The next afternoon…
“He seems to be a really nice man. If what he says is true, then he is a hard worker, and he has a strong loving family. Unfortunately, you have no way of knowing he is what he says he is. For a young woman, especially a beautiful young woman such as yourself, inexperienced in the ways of the world, such an undertaking on your part would be extremely dangerous. Traveling unaccompanied all of the way to Oregon, would in my opinion, be risking your life. I don’t suppose it would be likely he could come here? Why should it be the young lady taking that big a risk?”
“Why don’t I ask him, Papa?” she asked.
“Good idea,” he said. “I have a feeling it will not be agreeable to him. If he is as poor as he says, then the cost of him coming here would be beyond his means. It would mean a ticket both ways for him and one way for you. I have a little savings hidden from your mother. I could pay your fare if he would agree. I also have the feeling if you travel to Oregon, either way, I would never see you again and that would break my heart.”
“I will write and ask him. I would be frightened to undertake such a journey. If he doesn’t understand, then he isn’t the man I make him out to be,” she said.
She sat by the window and collected her thoughts and began to write…
Chapter 6: A Counter Proposal
“Dear Patrick, Thank you for your prompt reply to my last letter. I would like to meet you. As I said, I feel as if I know you already, but it would be nice to be able to put a face to the name. I have discussed this with my Papa, and it’s his opinion it would be too dangerous for a young woman to travel unescorted to a destination as far away as Oregon. I agree with him and would be most apprehensive about such a trip. Would you come to Columbus?
I do understand and appreciate the logic in my coming to you, since I would be seeing where you live and meet your family. I also understand the added expense of you
r travel. Such understanding does not allay my fear of the danger involved in my traveling alone. I anxiously await your reply. Sincerely, Katerina Hauser”
After he read the letter, Patrick thought, I haven’t thought of any of the risks a woman traveling unescorted would encounter on a trip. It’s asking a lot to ask a lady to leave her home and travel 2,000 miles to meet a stranger. It makes more sense for her to come here and see everything. I know she would love the country. I don’t know how to answer this. It would be expensive for me to travel there and back and her ticket. I have the money, but it would take all of my reserves. I guess I need to talk to Mama again.
Patrick found his mother in the kitchen. “Mama,” Patrick began, “I asked the girl I’ve been writing if she would agree to meet. I got this answer today, and I’m not sure what to do.” He gave her the letter.
She pulled a chair out from the table and read the letter. “It’s a very nice letter,” she said. “She has nice handwriting, too.”
“I know all that, what do you think,” he asked.
“I agree with what she is saying. I wouldn’t want your sisters traveling even to Portland by themselves, let alone across the country. She is a grown woman, though. What did you say? She’s 23? Patrick, I would worry about you going that far, She would have to be desperate to do it.”
“That’s what I think, too,” he said. “She’s correct about the expense, too. It would cost twice as much for me to go there as it would for her to come here. It would cost about $150 from Chicago to Oregon City. Double that for my round trip and the total would be nearly $500. Mama, I can’t afford it. I could pay her way here, but the entire thing, it simply can’t be done. I guess it’s a bad idea all around.”
“I don’t know what to tell you. She sounds like a real level headed girl. She’s not Catholic is she? That isn’t unusual around here, since we migrated from different parts of the country anyway.”
“We could take care of the farm if you decide to go. We could also help some on the price. I’d have to talk to your Papa about it,” she said.
“I’ll talk to Papa before I go back home,” he said.
“I think that’s a good idea,” his mother said.
Later…
“Papa, I’ve exchanged several letters with the lady I told you about and I suggested we meet. When I did that, I expected she would come here, and if everything was OK, we’d get married. She answered back that her Papa thought it was too dangerous for a lady to travel unescorted. She suggested I come to Ohio, but that’s too expensive.”
“I agree with her Papa, I would never allow one of your sisters to do that,” his father said.
“I’m just going to tell her it’s too expensive for me to go there and back,” Patrick said.
“You do understand, when you tell her that, it’s the same as you telling her she’s not worth the price of a ticket,” his father said.
“But I would pay her way here,” Patrick said.
“And she says it’s too dangerous. And it is.”
“You’re not being a lot of help here, Papa.”
“Truth hurts sometimes, son. You have a problem. If you think of a way we can help let us know.”
“I’m just going to tell her the truth. I can’t afford it.
“Dear Katerina, I understand your concern about traveling alone. It is well founded. For what it is worth, my Papa agrees too, he said he would never let one of my sisters travel alone.
As my ad said, I’m a poor dirt farmer and I simply don’t have the money to travel to Ohio and back. I apologize, but it is what it is. I won’t trouble you further. Sincerely, Patrick Murphy”
He sealed the letter and mailed it.
A week later, it was delivered to Katerina. When she read it, her eyes filled with tears. She went downstairs, and handed the letter to her father, her eyes brimming with her tears.
He read the letter and handed it back. “I’m sorry, Liebchen. I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t something this abrupt. I guess it’s a good thing you didn’t go out there. If he gives up this easily, it probably would not have worked out. I don’t like to see you hurt, though.”
“Dear Patrick, I received your letter and it is certainly not what I expected. It is a good thing I didn’t make the trip, since things would probably not have worked out for us. I’m sorry for that. Thank you for your past letters. Sincerely, Katerina Hauser”
Katerina immersed herself in her school work. She began spending more of her time helping the students that were struggling with school. “If I’m to teach the rest of my life, then I’m going to be the best,” she resolved.
Chapter 7: Problems To Resolve
Eight days later…
In town for fencing material, Patrick checked and found he had received a letter from Katerina. He had not expected an answer, but here it was. She was surprised by my letter and disappointed. All I did was explain the situation, and promised I wouldn’t bother her anymore. I was honest with her. Why is she upset?
“What did you decide about Katerina?” asked his mother.
“I need to talk to you about it,” he said. “I told her I understood her concern about traveling alone, and I couldn’t afford a trip to Ohio and back, so I wouldn’t bother her anymore.”
“I certainly hope you didn’t say it that way,” his mother exclaimed.
“Why?” he asked. “It was the truth. I was being honest.”
“Don’t you understand at all?” she asked. “You told her, not in so many words, but you told her it was all right for her to risk the dangers of traveling, but since you didn’t have the money to go to her, you were writing off any future you might have had together. You put a price on her and on your potential relationship. I don’t blame her for being upset. I would consider the whole idea a mistake, just as she did.”
“That wasn’t what I meant,” he protested.
“Patrick, in a relationship, there are things you say, and things you imply. It’s simply reading between the lines. It’s not actually there, but in fact is understood. This girl is educated. I thought she sounded like a very nice girl. What if she is really the love of your life and you just wrote her off? Wouldn’t that be a sad thing?
“What did Papa say when you talked to him?” she asked.
Silent for a few seconds, Patrick said, “He told me about the same thing you just said. He told me if I could think of any way you could help to let him know.”
“Have you thought of anything?” she asked.
“No, I guess I haven’t. I tried to be honest, but in this case, I guess I was too honest,” he said.
“You still don’t understand. It was not a matter of being honest was wrong. It was without thought for her feelings and just quitting. I never thought of you as a quitter. You went out and got your farm without any help from anyone. You’re making it work. You could have quit after the grasshoppers, but you didn’t. Is having a wife not as important as overcoming the grasshoppers? She may not be the right person for you, but then again, she may be. If not her, who? You haven’t had a girlfriend for many years. Have you met any in Oregon City you would marry? Can you continue to live alone as you have been? You need to look at as many options as you can. When you figure something out, talk to your Papa. What you do is up to you, but do it right, and you didn’t do this right.”
“Thanks Mama. I guess I really messed this up. I don’t know whether she would welcome anything more from me, but I’m going to try.”
“Good,” she said.
After checking with a ticketing agent for the railroad, Patrick learned by traveling coach class, he could save a considerable amount. By traveling coach and returning Pullman he would be able to make the trip for under $300, including his meals and other incidental expenses. His next move was to see if Katerina was still willing to meet. It was time for another letter…
“Dear Katerina, I am writing to apologize for the tone of my last letter. I was simply trying to explain my circumstance
s and to spare you further trouble. Both my mother and father have told me what I did was unacceptable and rude. I don’t apologize for my financial situation, that is beyond my control. I do apologize for the way I explained it.
If you would still be agreeable to meet, I will try to work out the ways and means of my traveling to Columbus. It may take some time, but I’m sure I can make it work. Will you give me that chance? Sincerely, (s) Patrick Murphy”
He mailed the letter and settled back for the two week delay until he might receive an answer.
Columbus…
The carrier delivered the mail, and it was still in the box when Katerina returned from school. With no expectations, she took it in the house and laid it on the table. Glancing at the return addresses, she saw one was Oregon City. I wonder what this is about? she mused.
In Search Of Love: The Story of A Mail Order Bride (Mail Order Bride Series) Page 3
