He then pressed his lips against her forehead. “After we get some rest, we need to finish the conversation we started earlier.”
Unable to sleep, Ruth arrived at the church a few hours before her workday started. She knocked on the door, and a church member answered and led her to the hidden stairs behind the church. They walked down the steps, and Ruth pushed the door open, entering the secret room. Surprisingly, the couple was awake, but the boys and the conductor were sleeping. She nodded toward the couple who were sitting up on their pallets. “Hello, I didn’t get a chance to introduce myself earlier. My name is Ruth.”
“Hello, Ruth.” The man greeted her and introduced himself and his wife.
His wife rubbed her belly. “I’s two months pregnant,” she announced.
Ruth raised her eyebrows. She’d heard that pregnant women usually could not make the trip because it was too difficult for them. She figured since this woman was only two months pregnant, she wasn’t as fragile as a woman who was further along with a pregnancy.
“I hope your baby is born free. I have faith it will happen.”
The woman bopped her head. “Thank you.”
She removed her herbs, and over the next hour, she showed them the different herbs she was providing to them. She told them to sniff each one so that they could identify them. “Drink the echinacea each day as a tea. If you can’t find water, then chew it. It’ll help you to stay healthy.” Once she was finished telling about the herbs, she focused on telling them about her life. “I just want you to know how the Lord has guided me from Maryland to Philadelphia as a manumitted slave. I work now and receive wages, and I want you to know that it’s possible for you to get a job too. I prayed for this every day, and I wants you to pray for freedom and hope for a better life.” She took a deep breath as she began telling them about the events that led up to her journeying to Philadelphia.
Chapter 8
Two days. Joseph didn’t know if he could last another day like this. Mother had not spoken to him, not one word since she’d found him holding Ruth’s hand. He was also worried about his sermon. Tomorrow he’d be presenting his sermon to the church, and his stomach had been tied up in terrible knots.
He’d been fasting, asking the Lord for guidance regarding his mother’s attitude, his feelings for Ruth, and his sermon. He’d noticed Ruth’s dark eyes on him, as if she were questioning his silence. He figured she’d say something when she was ready. They’d never finished their conversation they’d started during their special supper. He just found everything so overwhelming. He couldn’t focus on his mother’s caustic attitude, his feelings for Ruth, and his sermon at the same time. So he decided he needed to concentrate solely on his sermon for now.
He’d been happy to discover the runaways had left late last night for their next stop. He continued to pray for them whenever they crossed his mind. Lord, please help them to find freedom.
As he put out the fire at the end of the workday, Ruth approached him. “Joseph? You okay?”
He took her hand. “No.” He lowered his voice. “I’ve never seen Mother so angry for such a long time.”
“She is upset. I can tell.” Pausing, she stared at him for a few seconds. “Your sermon is tomorrow, right?”
He nodded.
“I’ve been praying for you. I hope you do well.”
He nodded and hugged her. “Thank you, Ruth.” He studied her as she left, still recalling they needed to sit down and talk. Well, after his sermon was over, and after Mother cooled down, then he’d speak with Ruth. He pulled out his pocket watch. Mother would probably be leaving to go home soon. Well, he didn’t want to delay speaking with her any longer.
He knocked on her office door. “Mother. I need to speak with you.”
Even though she didn’t respond, he opened the door. Surprisingly, she wasn’t going over the numbers. She sat in her chair and stared out the window. Tears coursed down her sunken cheeks. He pressed his handkerchief into her hands. “Mother, when was the last time you’ve eaten?”
She shrugged, refusing to look at him. Mother could be so impossible when she got into one of her moods. He went up front and found a few pieces of Ruth’s bread. He buttered them and poured a large cup of water. He returned with the small meal. “Eat, Mother. Then we can speak about what’s troubling you.”
She stared at the plate for a long time, almost as if she’d never seen a plate of bread before. She then bit into the bread and sipped the water. Once she’d finished eating, he closed the shutter on the window and sat on a chair in front of her. “Mother, my affections for Ruth should not upset you like this.”
“Affections?” She spat the word as if it left a bad taste in her mouth. “I saw you looking at that dreadful girl when she first came into our bakery. I never should have hired her. I’m firing her on Monday.”
His heart skipped, and he narrowed his eyes. “No, you aren’t. Mother, I know how much you love money. Our coffers have greatly increased since Ruth’s employ. Father would be ashamed of you right now.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Don’t talk to me about your father.”
“Mother, we must talk about Father. You’ve not been yourself since he died. You don’t eat half the time. You cry every night. I know you miss Father, and you are sad, but don’t let your sour attitude cloud your judgment.”
He closed his eyes. Lord, help me to say the right words. “Even if you were to fire Ruth, it won’t solve anything. I’m going to ask Ruth to court me.”
“No.” Her voice echoed in the small room.
“Mother, is this what you want? To be alone?”
“What do you mean?”
“I hate working in our bakery. I’d be happier if I never baked another loaf of bread in my life.”
She pressed her bony hands together, sobbing. “Joseph…”
“I want to be pastor at my new church.” He then explained that Cyrus was retiring. “If they like my sermon, I may be voted into the pastorship, Lord willing.”
She shook her head, the red kerchief on her head bopping. “Joseph, you are not thinking clearly. That girl put these horrid ideas in your head. She told you to become a pastor. I’ll bet she even convinced you to join the abolitionist movement.”
“That girl has a name, Mother. It’s Ruth, and you’d better learn to say it. As far as the movement, I joined myself. I feel called to help others find freedom. I started doing this shortly before I met Ruth.” He paused and licked his lips. “I felt unfulfilled at our old church, so I joined another and became involved in the movement.”
“Son, just give them some money for the cause. You can help that way.”
“Mother, no.”
She grabbed his hand, tears streaming from her eyes. “I hear that kind of work is dangerous. What if a slave catcher comes and pulls a weapon on you while you’re helping those runaways? Son, I’ve already lost your daddy. I don’t want to lose you too.”
His heart thumped as he pulled his mother into his arms. “Mother, I’m sorry.” He’d never stopped to think how this would affect her. Mother always wanted to act tough and in control. Well, she needed to understand she couldn’t control everything. “I promise I’ll be careful.” He released her. Hopefully, she wasn’t still angry. He may as well be honest with her about everything. He was tired of hiding things from her, hoping to keep her from one of her moods. “I want to help people. I was talking to Cyrus about this the other day, and he said I was already pastoring and did not know it.”
She frowned. “You were talking to Cyrus about what?”
He sighed. “Pastoring. When you make your trips to the bank each week, I let some beggars into the bakery. I feed them, but I also talk to them about the Bible and salvation. Mother, they have questions, and I can’t answer them all, but I want them to know that God is watching out for them. I want them to have faith. Can you understand that?”
She gasped. “You’ve been letting homeless bums into our bakery? Do the customers see them
?” She actually looked as if she were in pain and was about to cry again.
“I take them into the back.”
“Into this office?” She screeched the words as if she were having a fit.
“No, Mother, into the room where we keep our extra supplies.”
Well, he didn’t want to upset her further. He feared she might faint if she realized how much bread and milk he gave away each week.
“Son, if I can’t change your mind about the movement and pastoring, then please listen to my reasoning about Ruth. She’ll never fit into our world. She’s not the right woman for you. She’s poor, and she talks like an uneducated slave.”
“Because she was a slave.”
She cried again. “Oh my…she was a slave?” Her hands shook, and Joseph rushed to get her more water.
“Mother, calm down. Don’t make yourself sick with worry.”
She dropped the cup of water and it spilled onto the floor. Joseph mopped up the mess with a towel. “Ruth’s a manumitted slave. She’s free now and is trying to make a fresh start. Your negative attitude toward her is not helpful. Ruth is a sweet, lovely, God-fearing girl, and you’d see that if you’d just give her a chance.” It proved galling and embarrassing that his mother would not learn to accept Ruth.
“But Joseph. What about Francine? She’s more your type of girl. Just give her a chance. She’s beautiful, rich, upper-class…”
“Mother, I can’t control my feelings. I don’t love Francine.” There was something about Francine that bothered him. He didn’t trust her, and the thought of spending more time with her made him uneasy.
“Oh, you love that dreadful girl Ruth?”
He gritted his teeth. No way could he continue to speak with Mother when she was like this. Besides, he needed to go over his sermon a few more times before he spoke to the church tomorrow. He turned and left the office.
Ruth sat in the front pew of the church. She’d gotten up early, wanting to make sure she got a seat in the front so that she could hear Joseph. Miss Tilley had still been eating breakfast when Ruth left for the church. Ruth had been too nervous to eat. She’d been up half the night, praying Joseph’s sermon would make an impact on the congregation.
She’d also spent the night thinking about their supper that had been interrupted right after the runaways arrived. Since they’d assisted the runaways, Joseph had been so quiet. He’d seemed like he had a lot on his mind, and she knew he had a lot to handle with his mother’s moodiness as well as preparing his sermon. Miss Tilley had encouraged her to speak with Joseph tomorrow. If his sermon was well accepted by the congregation, then he might be in a better mood to talk.
Heaven help her, she was still unsure about Joseph’s feelings toward her. Sure, they’d shared a candlelit supper, but she still had Thomas on her mind. However, she finally admitted to herself that her thoughts of Thomas weren’t as strong since she’d become involved with the abolitionist movement and had spent more time with Joseph. She found herself admiring Joseph so often, craving his company.
Were these feelings about Joseph God’s way of nudging her to see that she may not want to be alone for the rest of her life?
The murmuring from the crowd snapped into her thoughts. She gazed around the sea of folks who were waiting to hear Joseph speak. She scanned the crowd and didn’t spot Elizabeth. She hoped Joseph had finally told his mom about his pastoral endeavors. However, if he did tell his mother about his plans, she could imagine Elizabeth not supporting her son. She’d probably be distressed and refuse to hear Joseph preach.
What a rough life, living with Elizabeth Adams.
Ruth smiled when Joseph walked up to the podium. He looked so handsome in his brown suit and polished shoes. He clutched his black Bible in his large hands. He placed it on the podium and then looked directly into the audience. He looked directly at her. His hazel eyes sparkled as he gave her a small, nervous smile. “Good morning,” he greeted them.
“Good morning.”
“Let’s start with a word of prayer.” He paused for a few seconds. “Lord, please be with me as I deliver the first sermon of my life. Please open up the ears of this congregation; allow them to understand my words. Help them to find spiritual guidance from my sermon. Please, Lord, continue to be with the runaways as they travel to Canada. Please allow them to arrive safely at their destination. Amen.”
“Amen,” the congregation murmured.
“Most of you know that I’m a baker. I recently lost my father, and I run the bakery with my mother. Every day we bake bread, and that bread brings sustenance to all those who purchase it. They may eat it for breakfast, dinner, or supper. Well, after you eat that bread, you’re going to get hungry again. But God’s Word is just like that bread…except it’s bread from which we’ll never grow hungry again.” He lifted his Bible and flipped the pages. “Please turn with me to…”
Ruth listened, transfixed by Joseph’s strong, confident voice. He continued his moving sermon. Once he was finished, the entire congregation clapped. Ruth scanned the crowd, noticing some of the church members cried, their brown cheeks stained with salty tears.
Joseph smiled before bowing his head and closing with another prayer.
Ruth grinned. She ached to go up to the podium and tell Joseph just how proud she was that he’d written such a moving sermon. The congregation had barely started to leave when Francine strolled into the sanctuary. She wore a yellow dress, and her dark curls bounced against the fabric. “Joseph.” She cooed his name as if she were a bird calling out to her mate.
His light brown skin reddened as he turned toward Francine. The rest of the congregation stopped and stared—Francine proved a beautiful sight. She looked so glorious that Ruth could imagine the men aching to stare at her all day.
“Joseph.” She spoke his name again, and he appeared speechless as he patiently stood at the podium. Francine soon stood beside him. She then looked out at the audience, toying with his lapel. “You can’t go without announcing our betrothal to your church.” She then kissed him on the mouth.
Ruth’s heart sped up, and she rushed from the church. She heard Miss Tilley’s voice over the drone of the audience, calling out to her, but she just couldn’t stay. Tears of shame rushed down her face.
Chapter 9
Joseph banged on the door. The door squeaked as it was swung open. Miss Tilley’s eyes widened behind her spectacles. “Joseph. You were just here an hour ago.”
“Ruth still isn’t here?”
“No. I already told you if she showed up that I’d let her know you were here.”
But if Miss Tilley told Ruth he’d been here, that still wouldn’t make things better. He needed to talk to her. He didn’t want to wait until tomorrow when she showed up to work at the bakery. It’d been two hours since Francine had pulled that terrible shenanigan. “Miss Tilley, you’ve known me for a long time. You know I am not engaged to Francine. That woman is nothing but trouble, and she fabricated that whole encounter this morning.” He wouldn’t be surprised if Mother had schemed with Francine too. After he’d unsuccessfully tried to find Ruth, he’d gone to his house. Mother had not been there. Her absence proved disturbing since she always rushed home after church for Sunday dinner. He had to wonder if Mother was with Francine right now, trying to come up with another scheme to hurt Ruth.
Miss Tilley touched his arm. “I know you’re not engaged to Francine, but now you’ve got to convince Ruth.” She paused and leaned against the doorframe. “You know, since you were here earlier, I’ve been thinking…”
“Yes?” He’d take any advice he could get. All he wanted to do was fix things with Ruth.
“Ruth once told me she’ll sometimes go for a walk in Fairmount Park on Sunday afternoons. You might find her there.” She threw her hands up in the air. “I apologize for not thinking about this earlier. But—”
He patted her shoulder. “Thank you. Don’t apologize. I’m grateful for your help.” He rushed down the steps. He needed to g
et there as soon as possible. His Sunday shoes clomped against the cobbled street as he rushed toward the park. Sweat beaded on his forehead and rolled down his face. He could imagine Mother’s reprimands about his running down the street on a Sunday afternoon. Mother needed to realize protocol was not always relative to the situation at hand. Sometimes, when you needed to get something done, you must do all that was within your power to make it happen, even if you broke a few social rules. Winded, he rounded the corner and approached the park. Lord, I need Your help. Please help Ruth to understand she doesn’t need to live her life alone. Please, Lord, be with her as she listens to what I have to say.
He rushed into the park. Flowers bloomed and the sun shone on the bright green grass. He slowed to a walk as soon as he spotted Ruth. She sat on a bench, staring up at the sky. The breeze blew, and the leaves of the maple tree danced in the warm spring breeze. He focused on Ruth, and she looked toward him. Their eyes locked like two pieces of a puzzle. “Ruth, please don’t run away.”
Thankfully, she stayed right on the park bench. Good. Now all he needed to do was rectify everything. He approached the bench and noticed Ruth’s red eyes and tearstained cheeks. Well, looked like he had some explaining to do. Now they could continue the conversation they’d started days ago.
Ruth eyed Joseph as he plopped onto the bench beside her. He’d obviously been running. Sweat clung to his face, and she noticed his strong, muscular arms beneath his sweaty shirt. His mouth mashed down as if he were angry. Well, he’d told her not to run away, so she wouldn’t. She’d listen to his words.
“Ruth, I’m sorry.” He reached over as if he wanted to take her hand, but then he pulled his hand back.
She figured he didn’t want to make her angry. Well, she was mighty angry, so angry she didn’t know what to say.
“I’m not engaged to Francine.”
The Underground Railroad Brides Collection: 9 Couples Navigate the Road to Freedom Before the Civil War Page 27
