Alone on the Oregon Trail

by Vanessa Carvo

  Meredith and I also made her curtains and bed coverings for the baby’s’ bed. It was a wonderful way to spend the days and as I watched Autumn grown, I realized she was now turning eight years old.

  She looked like me, but she acted more like Mattie at that age, full of spunk and grit. She was full of energy like Mattie, but she lacked the bitterness, of which we were grateful. Watching Autumn, we got a clear picture of what Mattie would have been like if it was not for the trauma that had come into her tiny life.

  For eight months Mattie was gone with her schooling and we looked forward to her return, being sure that she would be home when Meredith would go into labor. Grayson chose to pick her up himself and he and Cambell rode to town to meet the coach as it rolled into town.

  Kate stayed with Meredith, eventually bringing back to our home by buggy. Kate had grown to be family and you would never have known that she was not my sister by our closeness.

  I needed Kate like I needed each family member. I sometimes worried myself into a froth, wondering if Kate was lacking anything, such as falling in love with someone to make her life complete. After having a heart to heart with her, she quickly set me straight that she was perfectly content with spending her life just as it was and besides between Meredith and me, she would be very busy being an Aunt to so many fine babies.

  At her last remark, I brought my eyes slowly to hers, questioning what she had just said, and she looked at me ever intently and replied “Mrs. Love, did you really think that you could hide it from me?”

  We both busted out laughing. Yes! I was indeed expecting my second child and I had not even told Grayson yet. I did not want to spoil anything for Meredith who would be having her child very soon and I was going to hold off a little while longer. We sat and kept our secret very quiet, making plans for my future child number two and we held hands like school girls, knowing something that no one else knew.

  The Love family would be bubbling with babies and joy and Kate would be involved with them all for the rest of her life, if this was her desire.

  Mattie was home and she went to work immediately planning the birth of her sister’s baby. She went around gathering everything that would be needed to bring the baby into the world, and she had some new ideas and techniques that would make the birthing a success one and full of joy.

  She had learned many new things and she just had to convince the Doc that the new ways would prove to be very successful in the birth, as well as with mother and child bonding.

  Doc was slow to come around because he was of the old school and they spent afternoons debating which way was best. It was a pleasure to watch my little girl present her evidence so gracefully and confidently and we would just have to wait and see which techniques would win out when the time would come.

  I informed the Doc that I too, was expecting, but would like to keep it hushed for now, so that we could all concentrate of Meredith’s condition and her baby’s arrival, and he shook his head, promising to be a part of the conspiracy. I did, though, decide to tell Grayson while we were alone one night and his eyes lit up just as much as they lit up when I told him of Autumn’s coming.

  He agreed that we would surprise Meredith and Mattie with the news as soon as Meredith had her child.

  The ninth month rolled around, and a week followed; and Mattie began to get nervous and excited as well. Meredith was itching to have the baby and she would listen closely to Mattie as she would explain to her how most babies would run about two weeks over the due date and that this would be a good thing, giving the baby all kinds of extra time to be ready to open its eyes to a new world.

  It was sweet listening to Mattie as she would calm Meredith down. I found myself listening very closely as well, taking every word as precious gold to my ears. My daughter Mattie had grown into a very smart young woman and I wondered what we would do when she would be the one giving birth, and then figured that she would find a way to give orders and deliver her own child.

  One morning, which put Meredith at two weeks and one day over, she let out a hoot and holler, announcing that her water had broken and the baby was on the way. We all gathered into her room and everyone fell into their positions and this time Doc was not going to miss out.

  He happened to be visiting and was already present. So, it was Doc Alder and Doc Mattie, side by side as they prepared to assist one another in the first birth. Teacher and student set out on a mission, to share the delivery of a baby and ready to receive the joy of watching life come into the world.

  We assisted the two doctors as best we could and then we stepped out of the way. As we stood back at the back of the room, we watched an amazing woman take control of the situation as she brought her first nephew into the world.

  While we stood by and watched Mattie walk over and lay little Caleb into Meredith’s arms, you could see again a healing take place within Mattie. This was baby number two that she was able to be a part of its life, and death in birth was beginning to fade rapidly from her mind.

  The two sisters asked for time to be alone and as I walked out the door, I winked to Mattie, giving her every ounce of support. Then I thought to myself, “What a wonderful time to share my secret.”

  I walked over to them both as they sat with beautiful Caleb in their arms and I told Mattie that between Meredith and me, she would get plenty of experience as a baby doctor. Neither of them got it at first, but when they studied my face a little more and then looked over at their beaming father, they caught on.

  Meredith began giggling and Mattie jumped up and down, excited that she in a matter of months would be bringing baby number three into Loves’ Landing.

  Chapter Fifteen

  (Love Landed on Brooklyn’s Bridge)

  With the birth of Meredith and Cambell’s baby, Caleb John; life was sweetly filling our days. Caleb was doing very well getting to know his aunts as well as Kate. As I watched Kate with him, I quickly knew what my name would be for my next child.

  It would be Natelli Kate, Natelli in memory of Nathaniel and Kate for, of course, Kate. Our family had many pleasures in names and people we loved left wonderful memories, so carrying on family names became very important to us all.

  I did not know what I would do if I happened to have a boy, but I would deal with that when the time came.

  Month after month, my abdomen grew and as Autumn looked on, she grew more excited as the time came. Little Caleb was up and crawling around, getting himself into mischief just as we expected a boy would do. And, by the time my last month drew near, I looked forward to the end of my pregnancy.

  I began thinking over my life since I had come to this sweet family of love and I realized just how much had changed for us all. When I arrived, a small girl child was beside herself with grief, a father was distraught with his hands tied and a sister was being cut off by a sister she loved so much.

  Now, here we are today with mighty salvation from the Lord. Now, we have a small girl child grown into a lovely well-balanced woman delivering babies, a father with nothing but joy set in stone in his eyes and a sister showered in love by the once neglectful sister.

  What joy filled my heart as I looked at Mattie, knowing that this child once saw death in her heart each day, as she held onto guilt that never belonged to her in the first place. It strengthens my faith more each day as I see the miracles the Lord preformed in the household.

  Nathaniel still comes into my mind, even today, but I have let go of the heartache I felt over his passing. I now think of him as at peace, merely sleeping and waiting on the Lord. Heaven shall be a marvelous place when we will be reunited with our past loved ones.

  With Nathaniel, Caleb and Margaret, this will be such joy to the heart, to see them again. What a family builds, they love; and what they love, they build. The three that we miss are as much a part of that love as we are.

  My bridges I have crossed have been many indeed, and I am sure there will be more in my future. My heart is full with joy, knowing that the ha
rdest bridges to cross were the ones I have already crossed.

  Love was strengthened at Loves’ Landing with each child we added, and with each event in our lives, we all became closer to one another and closer to Christ Jesus. Our hearts in one accord, we always faced every trial before us, knowing the ways of the Lord.

  Kneeling in prayer and sometimes crying out for mercy, we stayed with the Lord. As my time approached for the birth of my second child, I lifted up praise to God for His touch in our lives and I asked for strength and stronger faith.

  I asked for my child to come to us, healthy and whole and above all that God’s will be done. Rising to my feet, I felt a twinge in my stomach and I took myself over to the chair and sat down, and fairly quickly I realized that my time had come. I calmly rose to my feet, walked into the kitchen and patted Mattie on the shoulder, telling her that I was in need of a doctor and did she know where I could find one.

  This shot her instantly to her feet and within minutes she was leading me back to the bedroom, calling out for Meredith, Kate and Grayson. As they all came filing in, one after another; they each had linens in their hands and pails of water.

  They all knew by the sound of that voice that it was time for another Love to be born.

  It was coming on evening time, and I knew that the birthing could last until morning, but Mattie disagreed and said that second babies come much faster than the first, and that we may be looking at this baby’s face in a matter of thirty minutes or so.

  I had not had much pain, so I really didn’t believe that would be the case. As things turned out, Doc Mattie knew what she was talking about and exactly thirty five minutes later, I was face to face with a blonde-headed little baby girl.

  As Mattie delivered her all alone, this is when I knew how fortunate we were to have such a daughter. There was not another doctor there with her and she handled it with such brilliance and grace.

  She walked over and laid my baby into my arms and a bond formed, not only between my baby and myself, but between life and Mattie. This was yet another chance for her to see, hear and touch life with her own hands and I saw tears run down her face and rest upon that stretched smile.

  After she placed the baby in my arms, I asked for Kate to come to my side and I handed the baby to her and told her “Meet Natelli Kate.”

  “You mean you’re naming her after me?”

  “Well, why would I not name her after my family?”

  What a day of halleluiahs! We were in heaven again, welcoming more love into our family, and we were with family.

  Oh, as the days went by, how the love blossomed and each of became happily aware of the showers of blessings God gave. The former and the latter rain fell as He promises. You could see everything prosper as He touched us with His mighty hand.

  A life of luxury came to us each day as we thanked Him many times a day. Let me tell you, out here on the prairies, your days meet the nights with wind and with calm. We were well satisfied with what God was doing in our lives and we had our moments when our trials and tribulations would once again stare us face to face. With each trial came a renewed faith.

  Kate has stayed with us just as she said she would and she is such a dear blessing to me. She still does not show any lack for any certain thing as she tends to her tasks each day, filling our lives with her faith and her hope.

  Meredith by now has given Grayson and I six beautiful grand babies to have and to hold, until death do we part and it is such a blessing to be able to be a mother and a grandmother to such young children.

  It keeps me young in heart and strong in faith. Cambell has his own business now in the marketing of animals. He is known all over Nebraska for his ability to sell anyone’s stock for a high price and he receives many blessings of his own for his hard work and traveling.

  He assures everyone that there will be no losses as they hand their animals over to him as he travels, finding just the right sales to enter them into. He’s home often and dedicates every minute that he is, to my beautiful Meredith.

  Mattie, what can I say about Mattie? She has grown into a very well know Doctor and specializes in delivering babies. She travels as well, and has delivered so many that she cannot keep count.

  As we had told her, Meredith and I will always be here to add to her count, and to remind her just how wonderful it is to have her in our life. I have been thinking lately that it would be wonderful to see her settle down and have one of her own, but then again, she would have to settle down long enough to meet the man of her dreams and it does not look like that will happen for a while.

  One never knows what God’s plans are in one’s life and she may be looking at a child’s eyes that look back at her and call her mommy, before much longer.

  We have had several storms, some of which passed us by and others that brought destruction upon our property, but the Lord held us in His hands as the storm passed through.

  Crops have failed and crops have prospered. The Lord provided the way and we never went without. Sickness has come and went, leaving us at the merciful feet of the Savior, crying out for salvation of our dearly loved Kate.

  She nearly died from a fever that swept through and it lasted days on end. She came out of a coma months later and after much prayer, she awoke to no damage to her brain or body. We were terrified that we might lose her and as we waited for her to wake up to us, we worried that she would not be the same Kate, but as we sat around her one Sabbath morning, she opened her eyes asking to see the smallest child around, so she could hold them again.

  That smallest child had been born while she was in a coma, so when we handed her our third child, Grace Brooklyn, her eyes danced with delight and without saying a word, she took the baby in her arms and at once began singing sweet songs in her ear.

  Kate had come through one of the worst fevers known to the prairies. She had been in town, taking care of some orphans at a temporary clinic and while she was there, she had come down with a yellow fever that killed most.

  The good Lord blessed us again and brought her back to us and she would again, be up in no time caring for the newest edition to Loves’ Landing.

  So, there were many bridges for me to cross as I struggled with so many blessings. Days of sunshine and days of snow covered housetops brought to us pleasures and pains. As we crossed each bridge, our faith was made even stronger. The Lord looks down upon those who wait on the Lord, and come what may; He sees to it, that He will get you through each trial. He never promised to take us out of the trouble, but He promises to get us through each trial.

  Autumn is so close behind the winter, and winter is just around the corner of the coming spring. I guess it depends on our attitudes as we face each season. What blessings we may have known in spring may become strangers in the land of winter if we are not careful to always look to God.

  God says ‘My people perish due to a lack of knowledge’, and I would have to say that is so true. We meet people now and then that have no idea what God can do for them and they struggle time and time again as they watch their own hearts harden, when all they would need to get through each sadness, or hardship is love for God.

  They lack knowledge of God and until they know of Him, how could they love Him? It is our duty as Christians, as followers of Christ to spread the news of Christ. It is our pleasure to do so here on the prairies.

  I sometimes wonder how people in New York City are, that I once knew. When I lived among the hustle and bustle, I never came across those who loved the Lord and New York City is a big place.

  When I left there with Nathaniel, we knew that we would never return and I can honestly say that I have never missed it. The prairies give something the cities cannot. The prairie gives us stillness and in that stillness and silence we can hear God as He speaks to us.

  We can register His voice, and we can once again lean our ear His way, in seeking truth.

  Love lands where love is found and here we have a sign that hangs above our land that reads ‘Lov
es’ Landing’ and below is written ‘For those who love the Lord’, and this is how we live.

  I would welcome you to hang a sign above your homestead like this and see what the Lord can do for you. Love lands where love is found and where the Lord finds love for His Son, the Lord leaves love from His Son.

  In us, we all have a house that is empty in the beginning. As we seek and as we find the Lord, that house in us becomes filled up with the fullness of the Lord. As we reach out to get to know the Lord, our house becomes full.

  As time goes on, if we decide to no longer seek the Lord and know Him, then the house becomes empty again.

  This is when our house becomes at risk of filling up with other things and these things lead us to self-lust. Jesus even teaches us this with the verses that speak of the demon that finds a house empty and then it leaves to go and get seven of his demon brothers.

  They then come back to that house and they take up their homestead there, making it harder than ever to remove the evil that never belonged there. What a shame it is that so many do not seek the good Lord and as their house, which represents their heart in the scriptures, begins to fill up with the evil things in life, they fall further and further away from the things of God.

  Our home here at Loves’ Landing is built on the love not only of God, but the love for God. God loves and we come by that easily, but it is when God knows of the love in a home for Him, that brings endurance and renewed faith.

  I would not trade the faith my children have in God for anything the world could offer.

  It is the eyes of a child that knows God, which can speak to a lost soul and I have seen it repeatedly, in my children and grandchildren.

  A child knows God best and that is why the Lord teaches us to come to Him as a child.

  Chapter Sixteen

  (Building Loves’ Bridge)

  Growing up on Loves’ Landing had requirements and they came with being a Love. Grace, being our latest addition to the family, was surrounded by a Love and love at every turning point. She became quite spoiled, if I have to say so myself.