Chapter Seventeen

Sarah arrived home just as the other women were preparing breakfast.

“I don’t know why babies always seem to come in the middle of the night.  I love the miracle of a new birth, but sometimes it is difficult for me to stay awake.  I guess I shouldn’t complain.  I am just glad to have patients.  And I thank God that both mother and baby are doing fine.”

“And look at my payment!” Sarah lifted a burlap sack onto the table.

The others looked eagerly to see what this patient had sent.  Most of Sarah’s patients had a lack of coin, so many paid with supplies or something they could trade at the general store.

“Oh, look! There’s a big jar of pickles and some ham.  There are even four apples.  We can make an apple pie and some ham biscuits to take for our lunch today.”

It had been decided that those who wished would bring a picnic lunch to church with them.  Some of the settlers lived a distance from town and would have a late meal if they had to travel back home before eating.  It was felt that this would also be an opportunity for the townspeople to get to know the newly arrived women.  Mr. Mercer had arrived on Thursday bringing fifty women with him.  The community building was crowded with women of all ages.

The women had met some of the new arrivals at the dance the previous night, but Amanda knew that it would take time before they were familiar with all of the new names.

The four women hurried to eat their breakfast so they could finish their chores and begin preparing lunch.  Sarah went to take a nap, and Beth went out to feed the chickens.

Amanda and Hannah worked together in the kitchen as Amanda began mixing the biscuits. 

“Mandy?” Hannah said tentatively.  “Do you remember when you were saved?”

“Why, yes,” Amanda replied. “I was ten years old.  I had always gone to church, but I was at a revival meeting; and suddenly it seemed that the preacher was speaking straight to me.  I realized that Christ died for me – not just other people.  And the words in the Bible were for me – not just grown-ups.  I felt such a burden in my heart that I went forward to talk to the preacher, and he helped me pray right then that Jesus would come into my heart. It was a wonderful feeling to know that Jesus would forgive all of my sins.  I felt such peace, and I still feel peace about it.  Oh, I sometimes get discouraged, just as others do, and I don’t always do the right thing or have the right attitude, but I know that Jesus is only a prayer away.  And I know that I need to spend time with Him so that I can be right with Him again.  Why do you ask?”  Turning toward Hannah, Amanda was surprised to see tears in her eyes.

“Why, Hannah, what is wrong?  Why are you crying?”

“Oh, Mandy, I know that I told you on the train that I was a Christian.  I really thought I was because I have always gone to church with my family.  And I always tried to do the right thing and not hurt anyone.  I have read my Bible and prayed, but I have never asked Jesus into my heart.  I guess I just thought He was already there because I had always believed in Him.”

“But since I have come here to live and we have been studying the Bible passages each night, I know that I am not really a Christian.  It’s like you said, all of a sudden, everything we read seems to have been written just for me.  Just like last night when we talked about the rich young ruler.  I don’t have a lot of money but I don’t think I have been willing to give everything up for God.  I know that I have not put Christ before everything else.”

“Mandy, will you help me pray so I can have that peace that you have?”

“Of course I will.  And, Hannah, it is the easiest prayer in the world.  All you need to do is tell God that you believe in Him, that you believe Jesus came to earth and died to save you and He rose again.  That He is living right now in heaven with God and that He promised us eternal life if we only believe.  Ask Him to forgive you for all of your wrongs and to send His Holy Spirit to guide you.  And then just ask Him into your heart.”

Amanda prayed with the younger girl, and in just a few minutes, Hannah lifted her head to smile happily through her tears.

“Oh, Mandy, you were right!  It is a feeling of such peace!  I can’t explain it but. . .”

Amanda hugged Hannah and rejoiced with her over her newly found faith in Christ.  When Beth came inside, they shared the news with her, and Beth was overjoyed to know that now Hannah was part of the family of God.

The women continued preparing their noon meal and packed it into a large basket before dressing for church.  Sarah joined them on their walk to the community building.

There was a much larger crowd this week because of the additional women.  It seemed that more men were present as well.  The group greeted their friends and acquaintances as they found seats on the benches.  Amanda was seated between Beth and Hannah this week.  Will and Ben sat with them, next to Beth.  Riley joined them a few minutes later, sitting next to Will.

Pastor Taylor once again opened the service with several well-known songs before leading the group in prayer.

“It does my heart good to look out at all of these happy faces this morning.  It seems that we grow every week.  I have a few announcements but before that, I want to express my thanks to everyone for the help you have given to our family this week.  Estelle is doing a little better, and your help has enabled her to get the rest she needs.  Our families were worried about our coming so far from home to start a new church; but I say that we may have left our family back in Georgia but we have found a new one here in Seattle.”  He smiled warmly at the congregation.

Pastor then made several announcements, included the scheduled town meeting on Tuesday evening.

As Pastor Taylor began his message, Amanda glanced at Riley.  He was listening intently to the pastor, and Amanda reminded herself that she needed to do so as well.

Pastor Taylor had chosen the story of the crucifixion for his sermon topic that day.

“Friends, some of you know this story very well but others of you may have never heard it.  It is my belief that no one is ready to worship until he is aware of the sacrifice that Christ made for each of us.”

Pastor Taylor led them through the days leading up to the death of Christ and the agony of the cross.

“And His friends denied Him.  They were afraid that they too would be imprisoned or killed.  Those that stayed near thought all was lost.  They lost one of the most precious things to each of us – they lost hope!  They lost hope because they lost their faith.  Their frail human minds could not understand that this was God’s plan. They did not fully understand this until the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came to live within them.  They thought that Christ had died a human death – and so He had - but He was not human, He was the Son of God!  Death could not hold Him!  After three days, He rose from the dead.  Can you imagine how His followers felt when they heard the good news?  They were overjoyed!  Jesus spent His final time on earth preparing them for the time that He would return to heaven.’

“Just think about it!  Here were just a few followers, eleven disciples and a few more.  And they were responsible for telling the world about Jesus.  How can we do less?’

“Friends, Jesus died that agonizing death for you – for each one of you.  He left the glory of heaven for you!  He is waiting right now for you to ask Him into your heart!  Won’t you do that today?  We are going to have an invitation today, and I ask you to come forward if you are ready to make a public decision for Christ today.  I will be here to pray with you.  Or if you are not ready, I will meet with you privately.  Friends, this is the most important decision you will ever make!  Don’t put if off!  I would ask you all to stand and bow your heads and pray silently.  Those who need to step forward, won’t you come now?  Please!”

Hannah squeezed Amanda’s hand before slipping out of the row and going forward.  Amanda thanked God for the other girl’s decision.  She prayed that others would also make decisions today. She especially prayed that Riley would see that he needed the Lord in his life.

A short time later, Pastor Taylor asked them all to be seated.  Amanda was glad to see four people with the pastor, but she was sad that Riley was not one of them.

“Friends, won’t you rejoice with me today?  We have four coming today to make personal decisions to have Christ as their Lord and Savior.  Let me share with you who they are.”

The pastor went on to introduce Hannah along with a married couple, the Stevensons, and their son, Joshua.

“I know that everyone will want to greet them and rejoice with them.  You will have time for that as we prepare to eat our meal. I will say grace, and then I would ask the men to come forward to help with moving the tables and benches in preparation for lunch.”

After he led in prayer, many rushed to the four new Christians to express their happiness with their decisions.  With all present helping, the tables were quickly laden with food, and plates were filled in short order.  All present began to eat while visiting with their nieghbors.

Chapter Sixteen

The days seem to speed by, as the women were kept busy with work and daily chores, as well as helping nurse Jacques Dubois and Estelle Taylor.  Several mornings they awakened to find gifts of food on their doorsteps.  They did not think too much about this as the men of the community often left meat and game at their house if they were not at home or if it was very early in the morning.

Almost before Amanda knew it, it was Saturday and time for the weekly get-together.  She had been looking forward to getting out of the house and having fun.  Although busy, she had not forgotten the Indian and the way he had stared at her.  She had not seen him again, and she hoped that she had seen the last of him.  She continued to wear a bonnet anytime she left the cabin and one of the others accompanied her.

The garden was growing with the long days of sunlight, and they would soon have fresh vegetables.  Beth had promised to show Amanda and Hannah how to preserve the food.  Amanda had enjoyed getting to know Hannah better.  Amanda thought the other woman was beautiful with her head full of black curls and her pretty blue eyes that sparkled with life.  Hannah seemed to enjoy living with them as well.  She joined in their nightly Bible study, although she had told the others that she did not wish to lead just yet.  She was always eager to help in any way, and Amanda was glad of her help now that Beth was working.  Sarah had seen several new patients.  It seemed that every day brought someone to see the new doctor.  Sarah thought that many of them came out of curiosity; and indeed she had sent some of the men away when she had determined that they just wanted to meet the women who lived in the small house.

Will and Ben had promised to walk with them to the party.  Amanda had not seen Riley all week, and she was looking forward to seeing him at the party.  Ben had told Riley and some of the other men about the Indian, Maouk, who had frightened Amanda and their advice had been for Amanda to always be accompanied by someone and to cover her hair.  Ben said that some of the men had promised to talk with Chief Seattle about the matter.

Sarah had gone with a settler who lived several miles to the east of town.  His wife was expecting a baby, and he had come for Sarah in order for her to assist with the delivery.

Amanda and the others were ready when Will and Ben came for them, and they walked the short distance to the community building.  Amanda greeted everyone warmly.  She felt happy to be out and was looking forward to having a good time with her friends and neighbors.  Although she had learned much about nursing while helping to care for Jacques and was enjoying his happy personality, she felt she had been cooped up all week.

The band began playing soon after their arrival, and the men eagerly took partners.  They seemed less shy about asking the women to dance this week.  Amanda and the others danced one dance after another, pausing only when the band took a break.  Amanda kept looking for Riley and finally saw him dancing with Beth.  She thought about how handsome Riley was with his dark black hair and brown eyes.  She thought he and Beth must be falling in love.  Riley seemed to always look for Beth and they had no trouble talking like she and Riley did.  Somehow the sight of the two of them gave her an ache in her heart, but she refused to acknowledge it as jealousy.  Indeed, she would never be jealous of her good friend, Beth.  She wished her nothing but happiness.  Maybe she was a little upset because Riley was a non-believer or at the thought of Beth moving out when they had just gotten settled in their new home.  She would surely miss her, but she told herself that they would still live near each other.  There was no need for her to be upset, and she gave herself a stern lecture about her feelings while attempting to carry on conversations with those around her.  But no matter how she tried, she could not get rid of that small ache deep inside.

Amanda hoped that Riley would ask her to dance, but he seemed content to dance with the other women present.  Amanda forced a smile toward the other men, but in truth she did not feel much like smiling.  Somehow her enjoyment of the party had lessened.  She told herself that she probably was just tired from her long week, but she knew the real reason was Riley’s lack of attention.

Feeling a tap on her shoulder, she turned to find Riley standing there.  Suddenly all of her happiness and energy was back as he asked her to dance the next dance.  Amanda smiled up at Riley, but as usual he did not seem to be paying much attention to her.  He seemed to have no trouble laughing and talking with the others present, and she wondered again what he could possibly have against her.

The dance was soon over and, since it was the last dance of the evening, they began cleaning and preparing the room for the church service the next morning.  Many hands made the task go quickly, and they were soon on their way home.  Amanda was surprised to find that once again Riley was beside her on the walk home while Will and Ben walked ahead with Beth and Hannah.

“Mandy, I heard about what happened with Maouk this week.  I hope that you will heed what we all have said.  Don’t go out alone and cover your hair.  I’m surprised that he is bothering you.  I don’t think we have had this type of trouble with any of the Indians since I have lived here.  They usually stay to themselves except when they have something to trade.  I guess he is just fascinated by your hair.  It is an unusual shade of blonde and when the sun shines on it, well, I can see why he thinks it is gold.  It surely sparkles like gold then.”

Amanda was shocked by this long speech from Riley.  It was more than he had ever said to her at one time.  She readily promised to be careful and wear a bonnet.

“You don’t think he would really hurt me, do you?”  Amanda had been praying, and she was trying to trust God for her safety but the thoughts of the Indian still made her nervous.

“Well, like I said, we’ve not had many problems with the Indians before.  I think he would know better than to bother a white woman.  There were a few times before I came up here when there was a threat of an uprising, but things have been quiet since I got here.” 

Riley’s jaw tightened as he continued.  “But he had better leave you alone.  There is going to be a town meeting on Tuesday evening, and I intend to speak to the town leaders then.  Arthur Dendy was one of the first settlers here, and I am sure he will know what to do.  I hope that he or one of the others who know the Indians the best will speak to Chief Seattle.  The Indians need to know that they cannot frighten you or any of the other women.”
By this time, they had reached their home so the women told the men good night after expressing their hopes of seeing them all at church the next morning.

As they prepared for their nightly devotion, Amanda shared with the other two what Riley had said.

“I would like to go to that meeting and ask about the possibility of starting a school.  There are several couples with children and the ones I have talked to are in favor of the town having a school.  I will ask Riley if I can go with him if he comes to church tomorrow.”

“I know how much you love teaching, Mandy.  I hope God will open a way for you to be able to teach.  We will all be praying about it,” said Beth.

It was Beth’s turn to lead in the Bible study for that evening.  Although tired, none of them wanted to give up this comforting nightly routine.

Beth had chosen the passage about the rich young ruler from the book of Luke.

‘And a certain young ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

And Jesus said unto him, Why callest me good?  None is good, save one, that is, God?

Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery.  Do not kill.  Do not Steal.  Do not bear false witness.  Honour thy father and thy mother.

And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.

Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute it unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.

And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.

And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful: he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God?

For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.’ (Luke 18:18-25)

Hannah’s face was troubled.  “I don’t really understand this passage.  It sounds like Jesus expects us to give up all that we have and not have a home or anything.”

“I don’t think that is really what He is saying.  I think He expects us to provide for our families.  But I think He is saying that we must be willing to give it all up for Him, we must be willing to follow Him at all costs. “Beth explained.

“Hannah, I have not shared with you about how I came on this trip west.  Sarah had written Amanda about the idea of her coming out here to settle.  My father had promised that I would marry the local storekeeper.  You saw him that day on the platform in St. Louis when we were leaving.  I wanted to obey my father, but Mr. Zimmerman is not a Christian.  Even if I had loved him, I could not have married him because he is a non-believer.  The Bible warns us against that.  So even if I had loved him, I would have had to give up the idea of marriage to him.  I think that is what Jesus is talking about here.  That we must be willing to give up what we want in order to serve Christ.  The young ruler was not willing so his heart was not right.  Jesus knew that, just as He knows our hearts.”

“My father is also not a Christian and refused to listen to me.  I found out shortly before we left that he had money hidden away.  His love of money was greater that his love for me.”  Beth’s voice shook a little, and Amanda squeezed her hand.  Beth took a deep breath and pulled herself together.

“My mother was ill for a long time before she passed away.  I nursed her all during the long years she was sick.  My father even forced me to give up my schooling in order to stay with her.  Oh, I wanted to stay with her, but I wanted to learn as well,and my mother wanted me to go to school.  She begged my father to let me continue.  He just said we couldn’t afford to hire anyone to stay with her while I was at school.  He even refused to let her get treatment back east.  He said we didn’t have the money, but, Hannah, I saw with my own eyes that he had a lot of money.  Maybe it wasn’t enough, but he should have tried.”

“That’s what Jesus is talking about here.  The rich young ruler loved his money more that he loved the Lord.”

Amanda continued, “Yes, I think so too, Beth.  I think the Lord expects us to work so that we can provide for ourselves and our families.  I don’t believe He would expect us to give everything away so that we were destitute.  We just have to be willing to give Him our all.  Our whole heart and whatever He asks of us, we should do.  I had mixed feelings about Beth leaving without her father’s approval, and I didn’t like not telling the truth about her intention.  I guess I wouldn’t have agreed at all, but I strongly felt the Lord telling me that this was His plan for us.”

Beth agreed. “My father even drove my brother away.  I haven’t seen him in over eight years.  He and my father disagreed over my mother’s treatment.  My brother didn’t know Pa had that money, but he felt that we should sell the farm if necessary to pay for her treatment.’

“I’ve talked with Sarah about this and she has told me that the treatment would not have saved my mother’s life; but it could have given us more time with her as well as lessening her pain and suffering.”

“Oh, Beth, I didn’t know all of this!  I had wondered about that man in St. Louis, but I never thought it would be something like this.  And do you mean, in all these years, you have never heard from your brother?” Hannah asked.

“We received one letter several months after he left and none since then.  I have asked people here and on the trip if they had met a Tom Matthews but no one has ever heard of him.  I pray every day that I will find him, but so far I don’t know where to look!”  Beth broke down into tears, and Amanda held her as she comforted her.

“Beth, I believe that your brother is alive somewhere.  The Lord has perfect timing, and we have to let Him take control.  Trust in Him that one day you will find Tommy again.” 

Beth agreed and, although somewhat subdued, she continued, “Yes, and I have to give up my brother if that is the Lord’s plan.  That is what this passage tells us.  We must put the Lord first in our lives and trust Him to take care of us.   Nothing or no one should be more important to us than Him.  Not even our families.”

Amanda noticed that Hannah seemed quiet as they prepared for bed, and she thought that she must be tired from their long week. She knew she was, and she was asleep almost as soon as her head hit her pillow.

Chapter Fifteen

Riley paused to wipe the moisture from his brow before taking a long drink of cool water.  He had been working steadily since leaving the home of the women after lunch and was ready for a break.  Placing the ladle back into his bucket, he sat down on a log and looked out at the view from the front of his cabin.  His property was high enough above Seattle that he could see a large portion of the Sound but was still secluded from the town.  He had already spent time cutting down trees that blocked his view.  In his opinion this was one of the best things about his property.  A rough road went by his place on the way to the logging camp above, but he could stay here for hours without seeing another person.

Riley looked at the beautiful water below and the beauty of the forest.  He thought about Pastor Taylor’s words that morning.  He could easily believe in God.  The beauty of nature was reason enough to believe in a Creator.  But all of that about being a sinner and Jesus coming to save him?  Riley thought he was a good enough man.  He worked hard, tried to always do the right thing, and to help others.  What more could a man do?  And why would Jesus come to earth to save him?  But he had to admit that Amanda, Beth, Sarah, and the others seemed to have something special.

Reaching into his pack, he pulled out the Bible that Beth had given him earlier.  Turning the pages slowly, he looked for the verses that Pastor Taylor had used that morning in his sermon.  He could not remember the exact verses and gave up after a few minutes and just started at the beginning of Matthew.  Beth had advised him to read in the New Testament for answers about Jesus, although she had told him that she found special verses throughout the Bible that helped her.  Riley read through the first several chapters and put the book aside reluctantly, promising himself that he would read more later that evening.

Standing, he stretched the sore muscles in his back.  Although he worked hard at the sawmill six days a week, he was using different muscles while working on his house.  Picking up his hammer, he looked at the partially finished structure.  He had put the corner posts in the ground and was ready to start on the roof and walls.  It would be hard work by himself, and he thought that he should have asked for Will’s help.

Hearing a shout, he turned to find Will and Ben walking toward him.

“What are you two doing here?” He asked as he went to shake the hands of the two men.

“We were talking and decided that we would come up to see if you could use our help.”

When Riley assured them that he would be glad of any assistance, Will continued, “I don’t really hold with working on Sundays.  I believe that should be a day of rest, but with both of us working at the mill every day, there isn’t much time to help out any other day.  And Ben has his store opened every day but Sunday.  And it’s not too often that we are not having a downpour!”

Will did not add that he and Ben had discussed the possibility of witnessing to Riley while they worked.  Spying the Bible still lying on the log, he thought this was a perfect opportunity for them to begin.

“Have you been reading God’s word?” he asked as he went to pick up the small book.

“Well, yes.  Beth gave me that on the train on the way to San Francisco.  I really haven’t read much of it before, so I thought I would look at it and see what I thought about it.”

“If you have any questions, Ben or I would be happy to talk with you.  Trusting the Lord has gotten me through some hard times, and I don’t know what I would do without Him.”

Ben nodded in agreement.

Seeing that Riley was not ready to discuss this yet, the men asked him what he wanted them to do.  With their help, he soon had the framework in place.

“We ought to plan a house raising!  That way you could get most of the work done in one day, and it would be fun to get everyone together.  We could make a party of it the way they do back east.”  Will told Riley as they prepared to return to the boarding house where he and Will were staying. 

“I think maybe our friend is getting ready to tie the knot!”  Will said jokingly to Ben.  “How about it, Riley?  Have you already picked out who you want for a bride?”

Riley scowled at him.  “I just want a place of my own.  I don’t have any intention of getting married anytime soon.  You can’t trust women anyway!”

“Hey, I was just teasing you, Riley.”  Will looked serious.  “But I hope you aren’t still carrying around that grudge about Susan and Stephen West.”

 If possible, Riley’s expression grew fiercer.  “I don’t want to talk about that!”

“All right, but you know in your heart that all women are not like her.  Why, just look at Sarah, Beth, and Mandy.  I don’t think I have ever seen any more godly women than they are.  I know Susan led you into believing that she was in love with you while seeing Stephen behind your back.  But please don’t let that keep you from making a happy marriage.”

“I said I don’t want to talk about it!”

Will hoped his words were having an effect on his friend, but Riley refused to talk about it and packed up his tools in preparation for their trip back into town.  Ben lived over his store and bid the other two good night as they entered town while Will and Riley returned to the boarding house.

On Monday morning, Amanda arose early in order to fix breakfast and help Beth get ready to go to work. Beth was looking forward to working in the store.

“I hope I will meet some more of the people of the town.  Perhaps I’ll even have an opportunity to invite some of them to church next Sunday.”

Amanda agreed that there should be plenty of chances for Beth to ask others to church while she was working.

“I am going down to the Parker’s to help Sarah and Cora with the injured man.  What did Sarah say his name was again?”

“I think it was Jacques something.”

“Oh, yes, it was Jacques Dubois.  Sarah said he had come from one of the French provinces in Canada.  I am taking some broth over and will help Sarah and Cora bathe him.’

“Beth, I am a little nervous about bathing him.  I’ve never done anything like that.   Do you think it is all right since I’m not married and I’m not a nurse or doctor?”

“Yes, you are a nurse if you are helping nurse him.  Plus Sarah and Cora will be with you.  You can bathe his arms and legs and leave him covered elsewhere and let the two of them handle that.  I don’t have any experience with nursing male patients.  Well, I did help with Joe, but I didn’t have to bathe him.  I guess you should ask Sarah what to do.”

Amanda agreed that she would talk with Sarah but said that she did not think she would feel comfortable bathing Jacques.

After Beth left for work, Amanda prepared the broth to take with her.  She had already started a pot of venison stew for their supper.  The men of the community were taking turns going hunting in order to provide meat for the women at the community home, and usually they also brought something by their cabin.  Amanda was thankful for their generosity.  It would have been so expensive to purchase meat if any were even available and their diets would have been sparse if they were dependent on their garden. 

Amanda carefully carried the pot of broth as she walked the short distance to the Parker home.  She had to pass the general store on her way, and she prayed that Beth was having a good day and that she would enjoy her first day at work.

The Parker home was on the edge of town near the sound.  Amanda smiled as she sniffed the combined odor of the salt water and the spruce trees that surrounded the area.  She thought she would never get tired of her new home’s beauty.

Amanda stiffened as she spied a person stepping out of the forest.  It was the Indian who had been in the woods the day she and Beth were picking the berries, the one who had seemed so fascinated by her hair.  Amanda stared at the man, unable to move, and he stared back without moving.  Amanda was not sure how many minutes had passed before he silently faded into the forest.  Drawing a deep breath, she hurried into the cabin.

Sarah took one look at Amanda’s white face and took her to sit down, pushing her head between her knees and urging her to take deep breaths.  It was several minutes before Amanda was able to tell Sarah what had happened.

Sarah took Amanda’s hands in hers and looked into her eyes.

“Mandy, the Indians live here too.  They have lived here long before we did.  We have to learn to get along with them.  I know you are afraid after what happened the other time, but Riley talked with the man and I am sure it won’t happen again.”

“You wouldn’t say that if you had been there.  He just kept stroking my hair and saying, ‘Gold, gold” over and over again.  I just can’t help but be afraid every time I see him.  And the way he looks at me!  I just can’t explain it.”  Holding her head in her hands, Amanda broke down in tears, and it took more reassurance from Sarah before she as able to pull herself together.

“Mandy, remember, we have to trust in the Lord for our safety.  That doesn’t mean taking foolish chances but He will protect us.  Have you not thought about the fact that Riley just happened to be so close that day?  We will pray about this tonight during our devotion, and we will all be praying for you everyday.  I don’t want you to think you can’t go out in town.  Just don’t go out into the woods by yourself.”

“You don’t have to worry about that!” Amanda said.

Wiping her eyes, she asked Sarah what needed to be done.

“Unfortunately, there is infection in the leg.  Jacques has a fever so he needs to have his face bathed in cool water.  You should try to get him to drink as much water as you can too.  Cora had to go up the sawmill, and I have to go see Estelle Taylor.  I’ll be back in a short while.  Will you be all right by yourself?  You can lock the door behind me.”

Amanda nodded and Sarah showed her what she needed to do for Jacques.

“I imagine he will sleep most of the time.  I have given him some medication to fight the infection and to bring down his temperature.  Hopefully, he is strong enough to fight this off.  I want him to fully recover so that J.T. will know I am really a doctor!”

Amanda looked at Sarah in surprise.  That did not sound like the Sarah she knew.

“Oh, I would want him to recover anyway.  You know I want that for all of my patients, but I just want that J.T. to know that I know what I am doing!”

Sarah left for the Taylor home shortly thereafter.  Amanda locked the door behind her but had to admit she still felt uneasy about the Indian.  Returning to Jacques’ room, she began praying that the Lord would give her the courage she needed in this new land.  It was so different from Virginia and Ohio.  She had heard from Ben and Will that some of the Indians were professing Christians.  They did not practice all that she believed a Christian would, but they had been converted long ago by a visiting priest.  The priest continued on his way and the Indians had been left with a belief in God with no one to lead them in the ways of a new Christian.  Most of the Indians spoke a few words of English, and the long time settlers said they were friendly.  The Indians clung to their old customs and would consider some actions cause for war so everyone was advised to talk with the town leaders before having dealings with them. There had been some occasions of unscrupulous traders selling alcohol to the Indians and that was when there was trouble. 

Amanda bathed Jacques’ face and sat with him.  Every fifteen minutes or so she attempted to get some water or broth into him.  She could tell by his restlessness that he still had a fever.  Many times he uttered words in a language that she assumed to be French.  While she worked, she prayed for his recovery and for her friends.  She prayed for Riley’s salvation.  She was just admitting to herself how important it was to her that Riley know the saving grace of Jesus.  She refused to wonder why that was, she just knew that she wanted him to know the Lord.  She told herself that she would want the same for any of her acquaintances.

Looking at the watch she wore pinned to her dress, she saw that it had been almost two hours since Sarah had left.  She prayed that nothing had happened to her friend, but she knew that Sarah would go wherever she was needed.  Soon she heard a knock at the door and she hurried to answer it.  Pausing to ask who it was, she opened the door to admit Sarah.

‘I’m sorry that I took so long, but Estelle was not feeling too well today. This pregnancy has been hard on her with the trip and trying to make a new home.  I told Pastor Taylor and her that she should have complete bed rest as much as possible.  Pastor Taylor is worried and agreed readily but Estelle thinks she should be helping her husband so that he can win more souls to the Lord.  I had to talk to her for a while before I got her to see that she would not be much help if she lost the baby or if she herself was too ill.  She agreed and I told her that we would help with the house and cooking.  I hate to put so much on you, especially now that Beth is working at the store.  I will try to help all that I can but. . .”

“Don’t worry.  Remember that Hannah is moving in tomorrow.  She will be a big help.  And Beth is not working every day. It won’t be that much trouble to fix a little extra each time we cook.  I think it is our Christian duty to help our pastor’s family all we can, don’t you?” Amanda responded.

“I am sure that others in the church and community will feel the same way.  With everyone working together, it will not be a hardship on anyone.  Perhaps you can organize a way that everyone could sign up to help.”

Amanda stayed a little while longer, but when Cora returned from the mill, she left for home.  She knew she would take some of the stew over to the Taylor home, and she thought she would bake some corn bread to go with it.  She was so busy planning that she did not notice the Indian until he was beside her.

“Hello.”

Amanda was shocked when she saw the Indian and realized that he had spoken to her.  She forced herself to nod at him and return his greeting.  Not knowing what else she could do, she hurried up the hill toward the store.  She had only take a few steps, when she felt his hands tugging at her hair.

“Gold!”

He smiled at her.  Amanda’s stomach turned at the odor of the fish oil with which all the Indians rubbed themselves in order to keep away the bugs.  She jerked her hair away from his hands.

“No!”  She said forcefully.  “Don’t touch my hair!”

Turning, she practically ran up the hill to the general store.  Entering the store, she looked for Beth and went to her.  Looking behind her, she saw that the Indian had also entered the store. 

“Beth, he followed me here!  He touched my hair!  Oh, what can I do?” Amanda whispered to Beth.

With a quick glance, Beth knew she needed to get Amanda out of the room.  She led her to the back of the store and into the storage room.  There was a small table and two chairs.  Ben lived in quarters upstairs but he ate his lunch and some of his other meals down here so that he didn’t have to leave the store.  Beth brought Amanda a cup of tea and told her to stay there while she let Ben know what was happening.

Beth was back in a few seconds.

“He’s gone.  Ben knows about that day in the woods.  I guess Riley told him.  Ben waited on him as soon as he saw him and sent him on his way.  The Indians don’t come in here too often, but they do trade for some of their supplies here.  Oh, Mandy, I am so sorry that you were so frightened again.”

Amanda told Beth about seeing the Indian that morning on the way to the Parker’s.

“I feel like he is following me and watching me all the time.  I thought he had gone back to wherever he lives this morning but, as soon as I left the Parker’s, he was right beside me before I knew what was happening.  And he grabbed my hair again and said, ‘Gold!’ just like before!” Amanda shivered as she thought of the man’s hands on her.

“You just sit here and rest for a few minutes.  I will ask Ben if I can walk home with you.  It is about time for me to leave anyway.  I have a few supplies to get.  Was there anything special you needed or did you just come in to get away from the Indian?”

Amanda told Beth that she had planned to stop in and see how she liked her job but that she did not need any supplies.  She shared the news about Estelle Taylor and, as she expected, Beth was eager to help.  Beth gathered the supplies they needed and told Ben that she would see him later.

Amanda and Beth walked home quickly, but Amanda could not help looking over her shoulder several times as they walked.  Arriving home, they found Hannah who had brought a few of her things over.  Will had agreed to help her move the rest on the next day.

Amanda went to change her clothes, and Beth told Hannah what had happened.

“I don’t know why this Indian seems to have singled Mandy out.  It may have something to do with her blonde hair.  I guess we might be fascinated by it if we had never seen blonde hair before.  I plan to tell the men and see what they advise.  Right now the best thing we can do is for one of us to try to always be with her and not let her go out alone.  I am going to advise her to cover her hair with a bonnet.  That might help too.”

Beth explained to Hannah about Estelle and the other girl readily agreed to help.

“Mandy and I can go over every day to help with the household chores, and it won’t be much trouble to prepare some extra when we cook.  I will be glad to help.  I am so glad there is a church here, aren’t you?  I feel that we should do all we can to support our pastor and his family.”

Beth began preparing some cornbread to go with the stew.  She asked Hannah to join them for lunch as Amanda returned to the room.  Although still pale, Beth thought that Amanda was handling this situation better than the first one.  She prayed that the man would leave Amanda alone.

After lunch, Beth and Amanda paid a visit to Estelle Taylor.  Estelle told them that she did not want to be a burden to anyone, but they assured her that it was no trouble to do a few chores for her.  Gathering the dirty clothes, they bundled them up and promised to have them back by the next day.  They had brought some of the stew and cornbread.  Amanda promised that one of them would come over everyday.

“I am sure that once word gets around that you must have bed rest, everyone in the church and probably others in town will want to do their part.  And you may have the opportunity to witness to them while they help you out!”  Beth smiled at the older woman.

Estelle thanked them again and again.  Beth and Amanda asked her if they could pray with her before they left.  Mr. Taylor came in just as they were preparing to leave.

“We can’t thank you enough for your offer to help.  I am not too good with household duties.  I was raised with five sisters, and they never let me do anything in the house.  I trust the Lord will help me to learn.  Perhaps this is meant as a learning experience for me. I pray that the Lord will give us a healthy baby, and I am willing to do all I can to help dear Estelle.” He smiled at his wife tenderly.

The women told him that they were glad to help and looked on the opportunity to serve them as a blessing.

“One of us will come everyday.  We will just prepare a little extra each day and all you will have to do is heat it up.  I am sure others will be willing to do their part too.  As you say, the Lord will watch over us and provide for us.”

Upon arriving back at their house, the two women were surprised to find two large salmon wrapped in leaves on their doorstep.

“I guess one of the men brought it by while we were out.  Let’s bake it for our supper,” said Beth.

The rest of the day was spent washing and ironing their clothes along with those of the Taylors.  Although tired, they were glad to have the task behind them.  Sarah returned home in time for the evening meal, and they shared the details of their visit with the Taylors as well as the incident with the Indian.

The women had started the habit of having a short Bible study each evening before retiring.  They each took a turn leading the discussion of a Bible passage.  They shared concerns and had a time of prayer.  Beth and Sarah both prayed for Amanda’s safety and for her to have courage.  Amanda was glad to have two friends such as these to join her on this adventure to a new land and knew that God was with them as well.

Chapter Fourteen

The next morning the women rose early in order to begin their preparation for church and lunch.  They were eating breakfast when Sarah returned home.  One glance told them both that their friend was very upset as well as extremely tired.  Amanda had never seen the usually calm Sarah so disturbed.

“What’s wrong, Sarah?  Is the man that was hurt all right?” Amanda asked.

“Yes, he will be fine, though no thanks to that J.T.!”  Sarah took a cup from the shelf but then set it down on the counter so hard that Amanda was afraid it would shatter.

With wide eyes, she looked at Beth before asking, “What did this J.T. do that has you so upset?”

Sarah stomped back and forth across the room before saying hotly. “He just makes me want to scream! I wish you could have seen him.  Here is a man in his employ who was in danger of bleeding to death.  And that’s not even considering the danger of infection!  And this –- this – person tells me to get out, that he doesn’t allow women in his camp!  He even went so far as to say if he was going to let a woman in, it wouldn’t be a pretty little thing like me!  Can you imagine?  A pretty little thing!  And here I am almost six feet tall and no one has ever called me pretty!”

“What happened?” Beth wanted to know.

Sarah had a determined look on her face.

“I told him that he would not keep me from saving a life even if he was too stupid to know what was best!  And I stood right up to him and looked him in the eye and told him I would have him charged with murder if the man died, and he refused to let me treat him.  I told him he would have to stop me because I was doing what I was trained to do!”

Amanda and Beth were speechless.  While Amanda could imagine her friend standing up to anyone, she was surprised that this J.T. had made her so angry.  Amanda had seen many insult Sarah and try to intimidate her, but she had never seen Sarah back down and she had never seen Sarah get angry about it.  Usually Sarah just went ahead and did what she thought was best in her determined way, never paying any attention to the other person.

“Did he let you treat him?”

Sarah snorted. “Yes, finally after Mr. Parker talked with him.  I was surprised that his cabin was fairly clean, and he had cleaned the wound and tried to stop the bleeding.  It took thirty-five stitches to close it, and I just hope gangrene does not set in.  Mr. Parker and I sat with him all night, and we brought him back to Mr. Parker’s house this morning.  They have a spare bed, and Mrs. Parker will help care for him.’

“Beth, I will need for you to help some with his care.  For all that Cora Parker has a good heart, I am not too sure about her nursing ability.  I am glad he is in town.  It will be much easier for me to take care of him.  And I surely would not want to have to fight that J.T. every time I needed to check on him!”

“What happened with J.T.?  Did he thank you for helping the man?”

Sarah laughed a bitter laugh. “Hardly!  He just seemed glad to get us out!  He was up at the crack of dawn and practically pushed us out the door!  I did tell him to send for me if any of the men needed doctoring, but he just snarled at me that he didn’t allow women in his camp.  I told him not to think of me as a woman but as a doctor.  Then he said, ‘Not much chance of that!’ I don’t know what he meant by that!”

Beth told Sarah to sit down while she fixed her some breakfast.  The other two women told Sarah that they were having company for lunch and both urged the older woman to get some rest.  Sarah ate her breakfast and agreed to lie down if they would promise to wake her in time for church.  She did not want to miss the first service.

After Sarah went into the bedroom, Amanda told Beth, “I have never seen Sarah so angry!  That J.T. must really be something!”

“Yes, Riley told us a little about him.  He said he never comes into town, and he is a difficult person to work for.  You know, Mack said something about him at the dance, but I didn’t imagine he was as bad as this!”

“Let’s get busy with lunch so everything will be ready when we come back from church.  Do you think Riley will come this morning?”

“I don’t know, but I hope so.  I have been praying for some way to witness to him.  He is a good man, but he needs the Lord in his life.  I know!  Let’s pray right now that he will come and that he will have an open heart to hear the message this morning.  We should pray for Mr. Taylor too.”

Both women bowed their heads and prayed for the service that morning and that many would hear the good news of Jesus and take the step of giving their hearts to the Lord.  They prayed especially for Riley and Mr. Taylor.  Rising from the table, they began preparing the meal.

Later, they woke Sarah as they dressed for the service.  A short walk and they were entering the community building.  Amanda noticed that, while there were fewer people present than at the party, there was still a large crowd.  Mr. and Mrs. Taylor stood at the door, greeting all who entered.

The three made their way to the front and found several seats together.  Will and Ben joined them, sitting on the opposite end from Amanda.  Amanda glanced around the room for Riley but did not see him anywhere as Mr. Taylor walked to the front of the room.

“I would like to welcome everyone this morning.  I know that some of you have been praying for a church here, and my wife and I have been praying for a place such as this to serve God.  I feel all of our prayers have been answered.  I don’t know everyone’s name yet, but God knows each of you; and I trust that, in time, I will learn all of you.  We don’t have a piano, but I think we will be able to sing some of our old favorites.  Let’s stand as we sing, Shall We Gather At the River?”

Everyone stood and began singing, and Amanda and her friends sang along.  The song had just begun when Amanda felt someone come to stand beside her.  Looking up, she saw that Riley was next to her.  He did not look very comfortable, but Amanda’s heart was filled with joy to see him at church.  She prayed that his heart would be open to the message.

After singing several songs, Mr. Taylor asked everyone to be seated.

“I thought a lot about what I should talk about today.  I know that some of you are Christians, but I feel certain that some of you are not. It may even be that some of you have no interest in the Word of God but are here to see some of these lovely young women again.  But for whatever reason you are here this morning, I felt that I had to share on this first Sunday the way to become a Christian.’

“There is only one way to become a Christian and that is through Jesus Christ the Son of God.  The Bible says in the Gospel of John, in Chapter 14:

‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’

“Many people think they could never be a Christian because they could never be good enough.  That is true, no one can be good enough to win eternal salvation.  We can not be saved by works or deeds.  That means no matter how much we help others, how much money we give to the church, how much time we spend praying and going to church, we can never be saved by doing good things’

‘No one of us, and I include myself in this, can ever deserve God’s mercy.  I am so thankful that my deserving has nothing to do with my salvation.  Because I could not earn it.  I do not deserve it yet I have it because of God’s wonderful plan of salvation’

“We will talk more each week about the stories of the Bible – how God made the world and all that is in it.   How He sent His Son to earth to save us from eternal damnation.  But today, my message is a simple one. It is as simple as A – B – C.  That’s all you have to know to become a Christian.  That stands for three simple little verses from the Bible that tell you how to be saved.’

“The first one is A –

‘All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.’ Romans 3:23

“All people, everyone, have sinned.  There is no perfect person in all of time to have lived on this earth, except one, Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  All the rest of us have sinned.  I know that some have more sin than others.  It is so easy to point to others and say, ‘look at him.  He has done a lot worse things than I have.’  That may be true, but that person has to stand before God on Judgement Day and account for his sins and you have to stand before Him and account for yours.  God will not be asking you about the other man’s sins, only yours.  So that is the first thing, you have to admit that you have sin.’

“The second verse is the B –‘

‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved. ‘ Acts 17:31

“What does that mean?  It simply means that you believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He came to the earth to save YOU from your sins.  Believe that He is ABLE to save you.’

“Now for the C – and for some people, this is the hardest part!’

‘That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.’ Romans 10:9

“And the Bible says in Luke:

‘Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God.’ Luke 12:8

“Now what do these two verses mean?  They aren’t really so difficult to understand.  First, you have to admit that you have sin, that Jesus can save you from that sin, and that Jesus dies on the cross to save YOU, and then was raised from the dead, just as we shall be raised from an earthly death to eternal life.  Then you must confess this before men, not just in your heart, although that is the place to start.  You must be willing to stand before anyone and proclaim that you are a servant of the Lord’s.  I know that I am proud to be able to do so and many of you are also.  But some people do not want to claim the Lord publicly.  They fear they will be ridiculed and some of their old friends will shun them.  That is possible but I can promise you that all you leave behind in your old life will be surpassed a hundred times by all the blessings that the Lord will pour down on you and the others who serve Him.’

“I am not going to have an invitation this morning.  I want you to think about all I have said today.  Read your Bible and, if you don’t have one, I have some that I will be glad to lend.  Pray about this decision.  You will make no other decision that is more important than this one.  My door is always open for those who have questions or who would like to pray with me.  We will be praying that those who need to make a decision will do so.  I urge you to come to me or to others that you know are Christians and ask us what the Lord has done for us”

“Let us pray.’

“Lord, we know that You are with us this morning.  You are always with us no matter where we are.  You have promised never to forsake us.  Lord, we pray that those who need to make a decision will do so.  Help them to understand that they need You just as we all need You.  We know there is no hope without You, that You are the truth and the vine.  Lord, we cannot imagine what it must have been like for You to leave the glory of heaven and come down to earth and take one of our weak earthly bodies and to do so as the weakest of us, a newborn baby.  You suffered and died an agonizing death on the cross, and it was for each of us present today.  It was so that all people would have a chance of salvation.  Lord, we just pray that You will speak to each heart and make us all willing to serve You in any way that You need us.  Give us the opportunity to share You with others.  Lord, we ask your blessing on this little church and congregation.  May it grow and serve You for many years.  Let us be a witness to this settlement.  Lord, we ask that You bless each of us as we travel back to our homes this morning and be with us through the coming week and bring us back safely next week.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, Amen.”

Everyone stood and began to talk with their friends and neighbors.  Riley and the other men introduced the women to more of the townspeople, but the group soon left for the women’s home.  Ben, Riley, and Hannah joined them.

Upon entering the house, Beth directed the men to bring in one of the benches from the front room, and the women soon had the meal on the table.  There was a stew with vegetables and beef, corn bread, and beans followed by a berry pie.

Beth asked Ben to lead in prayer and, after he blessed the food, the group began eating.  It was a congenial group and there was much laughter and talking as they enjoyed the simple meal.

“I enjoyed Pastor Taylor’s sermon.  I am so happy that we have a church here.  His message was simple but to the point. I hope that all present were as moved as I was,” Beth said.

“Yes,” said Sarah.  “I had never heard that A –B – C illustration before but it really is that simple, isn’t it?”

Ben and Will shared that they both had been raised in Christian homes and had made the decision to follow Christ as young teenagers.  Amanda noticed that Riley looked uncomfortable.  She hoped that he was thinking of the sermon, but she changed the subject and started talking about the weather.

Riley left as soon as the meal was over, saying he needed to work on his house.  Ben and Will moved the bench back into the sitting room, and the women invited them to visit while they washed the few dishes. Amanda was aware that Beth wanted to talk with Ben about the job, so she asked Will if he would like to look at their garden.  Sarah took Hannah into the bedroom to show her the room and ask if she would like to move in with them while Ben and Beth talked in the front room.

Amanda told Will that Beth had plans to have some chickens, and Will was able to tell her what preparations they needed to make.  He offered to make a simple coop in exchange for some of the eggs.  Amanda told him that she would ask the others about it, but she felt sure they would agree.

Will and Ben left soon, and the four women gathered around the kitchen table once again with a pot of tea.

“I am so glad you asked me to move in with you.  The community building is nice, but it is going to be so crowded when the other women come and there is no privacy,” said Hannah.

“I’m not sure how much privacy you will have here sharing the room with the three of us but at least it won’t be as bad as there, I guess.  Fifty women in that building would be crowded,” said Sarah.  “We share the chores here, though Amanda and Beth do most of them.  I hope that I will be too busy with my work to have time to do much housework.”

“I have good news.  Ben said he needed some help in the store.  With all of these women moving to town, he expects to be even busier. I hope to start a business as a seamtress as well.  I will do all I can to help but I will be working on Monday mornings and all day on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.  I will be able to buy some of our supplies.  Should we make up some sort of division of chores?’

The women agreed and spent some time making out lists and agreeing to assist each other with chores.  Amanda and Hannah would take over most of the daily chores.  Beth would help on the days she was not working, and all would help with dishes and laundry.  Hannah told them that she planned to move in on Tuesday.