“Mandy, are you and Riley planning to go to the Bible Study tonight?” asked Beth. It was the following Wednesday, and the women were cleaning the cabin. Pastor Taylor had suggested having weekly Bible Study on Wednesday nights, and the first meeting would be held that evening.
“Yes, we are planning to go. He said he would come by for us at seven. I am looking forward to it.” Amanda answered.
“Have you decided on your answer?”
Amanda had confided in the younger girl earlier in the week about the decisions she was facing. Beth had agreed to be in prayer that Amanda would make the correct decision.
“Well. . . “ Amanda hesitated. “I think I know what the Lord wishes. I am not still completely sure that it is God’s plan, rather than my own, but I do feel led in this direction. I think I should tell Riley before anyone else though.”
Beth nodded in agreement. The two continued sweeping and dusting until they were interrupted by a knock at the front door. Beth put down her dusting cloth and hurried to open the door and admit Rebecca.
Beth smiled and greeted Rebecca, and Amanda joined in. They both had learned to care for the other women on the trip out to Seattle
“Beth, I just left the general store, and Ben asked me to come by and give you a message. The Pacific Queen came in this morning. They are unloading now and he expects some of the new shipments he ordered. He wanted to know if you would be able to come in and help with them.”
“Surely, I’ll be glad to. I’ll have to change clothes and comb my hair. He has been expecting those things for the past week. I know he’ll be glad they finally arrived.” Beth began taking off her apron and going to the bedroom to change. Amanda asked Rebecca to stay for a visit. Rebecca agreed, and the two were walking toward the kitchen in order to prepare a pot of tea when there was another knock on the front door.
“Now, I wonder who that could be,” said Amanda as she went to the door.
Amanda was speechless when she opened the door and saw the woman standing there. She was not someone that Amanda recognized. Indeed, Amanda was scarcely able to determine her age because of the filth that covered her. Her hair hung in limp strands and was so dirty and oily that it was impossible to tell the color. Her face was covered in dirt and her dress was tattered and torn as well as being filthy. The odor of fish was strong, and it was obviously coming from the woman. The woman looked down and said nothing.
“May I help you?” Amanda was puzzled about why the women had come to their house, but she thought that she might be looking for Sarah.
Beth and Rebecca came forward and looked at the woman but it was obvious from their expressions that neither of them recognized the woman.
When the woman did not answer, Amanda asked her again if they could help her. The women raised tired blue eyes to look at Amanda before dropping to the ground.
“Quick! Help me get her inside!” Amanda called to the other two women.
The three women half-carried the woman into the examination room where Beth quickly took charge.
“Mandy, do you know where Sarah is?”
“Yes, I think she went over to check on Estelle Taylor.”
“Rebecca, Hannah is out back tending to the chickens. Can you call her in? One of you needs to run over to the Taylors
Rebecca ran to fetch Hannah, and Amanda brought water from the kitchen. Beth had already cut the woman’s clothing from her body when Amanda returned with the water and the two worked together to begin washing the young woman. They could see now that she was young, and she looked as if she had been beaten as her body was bruised in many places.
Rebecca returned to say that Hannah had gone for Sarah. Beth was washing the woman’s face when Rebecca gasped. Amanda and Beth looked to see her pointing at the woman’s arm.
Holding her hand in front of her mouth, Rebecca said in horror, “It’s Emily. See that scar there. She cut it in a carriage accident when she was ten years old. She always made sure that her sleeves covered it so no one would see, but I have known her for so long that I have seen it when we were younger. I saw it again on the trip here as we dressed and bathed. Oh, how could she have gotten into this state?”
Amanda and Beth could not believe that this dirty young woman could be the elegant Emily who cared so about her appearance, but upon looking at her face as they washed away the grime, they had to agree that it was indeed Emily. She was thinner and quite pale under the dirt but it did seem that Emily had found her way to them.
The two women had washed Emily by the time that Sarah arrived. She and Hannah were surprised to find out that the patient was Emily, but Sarah wasted no time asking questions and began examining her. Amanda, Rebecca, and Hannah left Sarah and Beth to their work as they went into the kitchen to wait for the diagnosis. Although they had many questions, they knew that Beth and Sarah knew no more than they did and that they would just have to wait for the answers. Amanda made a pot of tea as they waited.
About thirty minutes had passed when Beth called Amanda to the front. Amanda hurried back into the kitchen after talking with Beth.
“Hannah, help me get some food. Sarah wants her to have some broth and strong tea and perhaps a little bread.”
The two women gathered the meal together and Rebecca asked if she might take it in to her. The others agreed but Rebecca was back in the kitchen in a matter of minutes.
Sadly shaking her head, she told them, “Sarah wouldn’t let me into the room. Beth just took the tray and told me they would be in here as soon as they could. Oh, I wish I knew how Emily got into such a way. Her parents would be so upset. I know you think she was so selfish, but if you knew how her parents had spoiled her, you would not be surprised at how she acted. All she had to do was ask for anything, and they gave it to her. I was surprised when they agreed to let her come out here. She had wanted to marry a young man in town, but he fell in love with someone else. I don’t think she wanted to face him or anyone else because others knew she had chased after him. But she didn’t love him. I know she didn’t. She just wanted to marry a rich and handsome man. Anyway, her parents gave in to her, like they always did, when she wanted to come out here. I just hope she will be all right!”
Amanda went to Rebecca and hugged her. “Let’s pray right now. It will help us while we wait, and it will certainly help Emily too.”
The three women sat around the table and joined hands as they each prayed for Emily and that Sarah would be able to help her.
A short while later,, Sarah joined them in the kitchen. She held up a hand as they all started to question her.
“Let me get a cup of tea first and I will try to answer your questions as best as I can.”
Amanda quickly fetched a cup for Sarah and poured her some tea. Sarah drank from the cup before putting it to one side. Clasping her hands together, she looked around the table.
“I don’t usually discuss my patients with anyone, but I feel each of you has the right to know. Rebecca, you have known Emily for a long time and probably are her closest friend. Hannah and Amanda, you live here so I think you should be involved in this decision.”
“Emily fainted but she is awake now. Beth is trying to get her to eat some food. I don’t think she has had much to eat so we have to go slowly. I don’t know all of the details but it seems that Mr. Burton was already married.”
She nodded as the others gasped. They knew that Emily had planned to marry Mr. Burton when they left San Francisco
Sarah continued, “Mr. Burton left Emily, and she soon ran out of money. She had to sell most of her clothes and other personal items, but the money did not last for long. She finally got a job washing dishes in an inn. She was destitute by that time. Evidently, the owner was abusive. You probably saw the bruises.”
Sarah paused as if saying the next words were distasteful to her. “Unfortunately, he did more than hit her. She is pregnant.”
The other women exchanged dismayed glances.
“She hasn’t told us everything yet, but she decided that she would be better off here than there so she asked the captain of the Pacific Queen if he would bring her here. I think she had a little money, and he agreed to let her work in the kitchen. Apparently, it was not a pleasant voyage. I think she was ill and had to keep trying to work.”
“Mandy and Hannah, I want to let her stay her with us. She has no money, and I don’t know how she will be treated once people find out about the pregnancy. I think she is better off here with us, at least for awhile. I hope neither of you has a problem with this.”
Amanda thought about how Emily had treated them on the trip west and her actions toward Riley but she knew that she had to forgive Emily just as Christ had forgiven her.
“I will be happy for her to stay here,” Amanda said.
“And I will be glad for her to stay but where will she sleep?” asked Hannah.
“We will put her in the examination room for now, and later we will see about getting another bed. She has indicated that she will sleep on the floor and do all of our work if we will let her stay. Of course, I would never allow her to do that. I think we can have a positive influence on her.”
Sarah soon returned to the examination room. Beth left to go to the store to help with the stock, and Hannah went along to help. Rebecca asked if she might stay in the hopes that she could speak with Emily later.
Later that evening, Riley arrived to walk with Amanda to the Bible Study. Beth and Sarah stayed home to tend to Emily, and Hannah had accompanied Rebecca to the community home earlier. Rebecca wanted to send some of her clothes for Emily. They would join Amanda and Riley at the Bible study.
“Mandy, are you making a box supper for the auction tomorrow night?” asked Riley.
The town had decided to have a box supper where each woman who was not married would prepare a box supper for two. These would be auctioned, and the highest bidder for each box would share the supper with the woman who had brought that box. The money raised would be used for school supplies for the new school. There was excitement about the event as the men tried to find out who had brought each box. Their identity was kept secret, but several of the women planned to decorate their boxes so their beaus would know which was theirs.
“No, I don’t think I am taking one,” Amanda replied.
Riley seemed surprised. “I thought you were looking forward to it.”
Amanda smiled at Riley. “Oh, I have been but I’m not sure that a woman who is engaged to be married should participate. What do you think?”
Riley appeared stunned for a few seconds as he tried to decide what she meant.
“Mandy, do you mean you are saying yes to my proposal?” As Amanda nodded, Riley picked her up and gave her a big hug as he twirled her around. She could not stop laughing at his antics even as he started yelling, “Yahoo!”
Putting her down, he grasped both hands, “Amanda Stone, you have made me the happiest man in the country! I will do all I can to be the best husband to you that I can be!”
Amanda smiled as he took her into his arms, hugged her again and then she hugged him back, telling him, “Oh, Riley, I am so happy too! I know we will have a wonderful life together with the Lord as our guide!”
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