Beth was eager to see Riley’s new home. This was the farthest she had come from the town and the beautiful scenery awed her. Although only a little over a mile from town, the property was secluded enough to seem as if it were miles from anywhere.
“Riley, it is so beautiful up here! I know you will love living up here.”
Beth hopped down from the wagon as Riley pulled to a stop.
“Go on inside and take a look while I see to the horses,” Riley said.
The house was similar to the one in which the four women lived in town. There were four large rooms. The front two rooms had a fireplace between them. Riley explained that one of the back rooms would be used a kitchen and the other could be used for storage or another bedroom. Riley had built a lean-to shelter on the side that could be used for a shelter for a horse or cow. Riley joined Beth inside and showed her the root cellar and the loft. The house had a steep roof so that there was enough room in the loft so that Beth could stand upright. Riley explained that there was room to hang wet clothes if it was raining.
“Riley, you have thought of everything!”
“Riley, you have thought of everything!”
“I still need to get a cook stove and some furniture but it is almost ready for me to move in. What do you think?”
Beth sensed that Riley was asking her more than if she liked the house.
“Riley, I think you have done a wonderful job. Everything looks fine. I am sure you will enjoy living here.”
“But do you think a woman would like it?”
Beth looked a little puzzled by that statement.
“Riley, I am a woman, and I like it. What do you mean?”
Riley looked sheepish. “I guess I didn’t explain very well. I meant if I ever decided to get married. Do you think a woman could be happy here? Especially a city woman.”
Beth chose her next words carefully. Had she somehow misread the way Riley felt about her?
“Riley, I think a woman who loved her husband would be happy wherever he was. Why are you asking me this? I have to be honest and say that I don’t think you are talking about me.”
Riley’s face turned red as he stammered, “Oh, Beth, I am sorry. I think a lot of you as a friend but. . . “
“Riley, I didn’t mean to embarrass you. I think of you as a friend too. Can you tell me if you have someone special in mind?”
“Well, maybe we had just better wait on that. There’s something else I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Let’s go back outside. There are some logs out front where we can sit down.”
Beth agreed and soon they were sitting on the logs and gazing at the sound below. Beth caught her breath at the beauty of the scene.
“Riley, this is such a gorgeous view! I could sit here and look at it all day!”
Making herself turn back toward Riley, she asked, “What did you want to talk to me about?”
Riley pulled the small Bible from his pocket.
“Do you remember when you gave me this on the train?”
“Why, yes. A good friend, Sarah’s brother, Joe, gave it to me. He wanted me to use it to witness to someone here. Have you been reading it?”
“Yes, and I have some questions about it. Remember when Pastor Taylor led the first service in the church? He preached on those verses that he called the A B C verses. He said that is all that a person has to do to be saved. But, Beth, why does a person have to be saved? I can believe in God. Look at all the beauty around us. I have to believe someone created it. Nothing this beautiful could just happen. But I try to be a good person. I try to be honest in my dealings with others. I don’t lie or hurt others. Why do I need to be saved?” Riley continued, “And look at Hannah. It seemed to me that she was as good as anyone could be, but then she decided she needed to be saved. Why?”
“Riley, it is just as Pastor Taylor said. ‘All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.’(Romans 3:23) Hannah was raised in a church just as Mandy, Sarah, and I were. The difference was that each of us made a decision to follow Christ at an early age. Hannah had never made that decision. She believed but she had not taken the next step – total obedience to God. That means putting God first in everything we do.”
“Riley, I too have tried to be good. I always wanted to do what my parents asked, and yet I knew I needed to be saved. One day my mother and I were reading some verses, and it was as if I suddenly understood that I needed Christ in my heart. I can’t imagine life without Him near me and helping me day by day. Oh, I have never been tempted to steal or kill anyone. But I am tempted to be cross or to not apologize when I have wronged someone. I have gone to church for all of my life so naturally I have always believed in God and that Jesus is His Son. I even believed that He died on the cross and rose again after three days. I had heard these stories all of my life. I never doubted them. But I had not asked Christ into my heart.”
“Riley, may I see the Bible? I want to show you a special passage that means so much to me. It’s from John 14. Here, let me read it to you:
‘Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.’
Jesus goes on to tell his disciples:
‘I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also; and from henceforth ye know Him. And have seen him.’
“Riley, you say you believe in God. Here Jesus is telling his disciples that if they believe in God, they should also believe in Him. He also tells them that the only way to the Father or God is through Jesus. Let’s look back a few chapters to the verse that says it all –
‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.’
(John 3:16)
“When my mother became ill, she began talking with me about asking Christ into my heart. I think she knew that she would not get well, and she wanted me to become a Christian before she passed away. We read many verses together, and each one just seemed to point out to me that I needed to make that decision.
“Riley, that was the most important decision I have ever made or ever will make. It is more important than whom I marry or what type of work I do or where I live. When my mother died, I don’t think I could have gone on if I had not had the hope of eternal life and the faith that someday I will see her again. God has helped me through so much.
“I have told you a little of what it was like on our farm. My father is not a Christian, and he never had a kind word to say about anything I did. I cooked and cleaned and ran the house from the time I was ten years old, but he just acted like I was supposed to do it all. I didn’t really mind doing it or waiting on my mother, but it would have been nice if he had thanked me or acted like he appreciated what I was doing. I couldn’t have made it without the Lord. I don’t see how anyone can make it day to day without Him.
“Another of my favorite passages is from Proverbs. It goes like this:
‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart: and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thou ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.’
(Proverbs 3: 5 – 6)
“I know that I don’t understand everything about God. None of us can. Our human minds simply cannot comprehend the majesty of God. But I do know that if you trust Him, He will help you and guide you in all that you do. He will give you peace in a way I can’t fully explain to you, but you will understand better once you accept Him as your Lord and Savior. I hope you will make that decision. I promise you that you will never regret it”
Riley rubbed his chin as he thought.
“I am just not sure, Beth. What you are saying makes sense. But I don’t know that I want to depend on someone else. I’ve made it this far without God, and I think I am doing all right.”
“I am just not sure, Beth. What you are saying makes sense. But I don’t know that I want to depend on someone else. I’ve made it this far without God, and I think I am doing all right.”
Beth looked at Riley and said seriously, “Riley, you may think you have made it on your own, but God is watching over you. Why, I know that Sarah, Mandy, and I have been praying for you since the day we met you, and I imagine there are others who pray for you too. You are well thought of in this community and have many friends. Having Christ in your heart will change you in ways you cannot even comprehend. But it takes faith to ask Jesus into your heart. Faith that God can and will change you for the better. Don’t worry, we will all continue praying. Would you like for me to pray with you now?”
Riley scratched his head and looked thoughtful, “Well, I guess I don’t mind if you pray, but I don’t know what good it will do.”
“You might be surprised!”
Bowing her head and closing her eyes, Beth began to pray.
“Father, thank you that Riley has come to me today to ask these questions. Thank you that he has cared enough to read Your word. I believe that You are working in his life right now and have been for several weeks. God, You know that we are nothing compared to You and our minds cannot even comprehend how truly great and holy You are. Help Riley to understand how much he needs You in his life. Guide him to the scripture that he needs to read to help him understand just how much he needs You. Lord, make his mind and heart open to Your word. I just pray that he will soon know You as I do and that You will pour down Your blessings upon him in such a way that he can have no doubt as to Your power and glory. Send your Holy Spirit to guide him in his search for You. Bless him today and in the future. Thank You for the friends he has in Your family. Help each of us to be a good witness to him. Thank You for Your presence here now. Amen”
Riley was quiet on the way back to town, and Beth continued praying silently for his salvation. She felt that Riley was close to making a decision, and she prayed that he would listen to the Lord speaking to him.
When they pulled up in front of the house, Hannah came out the front door.
“Oh, there you are. Is Mandy with you?”
“No, she was here when we left. Didn’t she leave a note?”
“No, I didn’t see one. I have been home for over an hour. I went by to see Jacques while I was out so I know she didn’t go there. She wasn’t at the store either. Sarah left to go up to the logging camp. There has been another accident up there. I am a little worried about Mandy because it is not like her to go out alone, especially for so long.”
“I am sure she will be back soon,”
Beth looked worried, and Riley followed her into the kitchen to look for a note from Amanda.
“What’s this?”
The women looked to see Riley with the small basket that contained the bead necklace.
“Oh, that was left on our doorstep sometime this morning,” Beth said. “We had no idea where it came from. I meant to ask you about it. We thought one of the men must have left it there.”
Riley asked harshly, “What about other things? Has anything else been left on your doorstep?”
“Well, yes. There have been fish and game left there. We thought some of the men were leaving it. They have brought us food before.”
One look at Riley’s face and the two women were thoroughly frightened.
“These weren’t left by any of the men in town. This was left by an Indian, probably Maouk. This is the way they court a woman. They leave gifts at the door, and if the woman accepts them, it means she accepts their courtship! Beth, can you think of anywhere else Mandy might have gone?”
“No, unless she went to see Estelle Taylor. One of us usually goes over every day, and since we were gone, she might have gone over there. Do you want us to run over there and check if she is there?”
“Yes. Stay together. I am going to get some of the men. Meet us back here in ten minutes or less, if possible.”
Riley left toward town and Beth and Hannah ran down the street toward the Taylor
“We will just ask if Mandy has been there, and if she is, we will hurry to tell Riley and the others. If she has been and is not now, one of us should stay with her until we know something.”
Hannah readily agreed that she would stay while Beth went back to tell the others, and they knocked on the door of the Taylor
Less that two minutes later, Beth was running as fast as she could back toward their house. She had only gone a short distance when she met Riley, along with five or six other men from the town. Riley had unhitched the horse and was riding him bareback. Several of the others were also on horseback, and Beth was alarmed to see that they were carrying firearms.
“Riley,” Beth shouted. “Mandy was there over two hours ago. She left saying she was going home to do laundry. Estelle hasn’t seen her since.”
“No one has seen her in town either,” Riley said grimly. “We are going out to the Indian village.”
“What can we do?” Beth was frantic at the thought that something had happened to her friend.
“Pray!” Riley shouted over his shoulder, as he and the others rode off into the woods.
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