Faith Finds A Way (The Parson's Daughters 1) Read online

  Faith Finds a Way

  Annie Boone

  The Parson’s Daughters Series

  Book One

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this story are products of the author’s imagination. Any misrepresentation or discrepancies about the places or history are research or interpretation errors by the author.

  For more information about the author, Annie Boone, check out her website.

  http://www.AnnieBoone.com

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  “Why are you so against this? You have such a closed mind, Faith.” The high strung middle sister blew out her breath in a burst of frustration.

  The irritated scowl and the exasperated tone of voice told Faith she needed to tread lightly here. She hesitated a moment before responding. “Your view is one sided. I don’t think you’ve considered all the details. It isn’t the right move for us,” Faith insisted. The sisters didn’t always agree on every subject, but they did try to keep arguments to a minimum. They certainly never got ugly with each other, but this matter had been a sore spot for each of the girls for over a week.

  “But there are opportunities there. For seamstresses, especially.” Hope smiled broadly exactly like she had done every time she tried to talk Faith into moving to Atlanta. “You know that a place where there are more people will automatically open up the market for what I do. Who knows, I might be able to take care of the entire family. And it’s so exciting to think of living in a real city!”

  Faith narrowed her eyes and shook her head. “I don’t think you really understand how all this works. There will certainly be competition and it’ll take a while for you to build up your client list. There’s no telling how long that will take. We don’t have the resources to make the move and then wait on you to get established enough to support us. And The Good Lord knows that teaching doesn’t pay nearly enough to bridge the gap.”

  “There are more opportunities in Atlanta. I’m sure you could find a job doing something besides teaching. Charity can get a job, too,” Hope replied insistently with her arms crossed stubbornly in front of her.

  Faith had an impulse to blurt out a snide retort, but stopped herself and slowly shook her head. “Charity, how many times do I have to remind you that it’s not as easy as you think it is. Jobs don’t grow on trees.”

  “Just because you’re a teacher doesn’t mean that you are smarter than everyone, you know.”

  “Let’s don’t argue, please. I know you want this, but I think there are other options that we should consider. Ones that will benefit all of us, not just one of us,” Faith said. She knew this last part would draw ire, but it needed to be said.

  Hope’s mouth stretched into a hard line, but she didn’t respond. She looked at her older sister with a long, hard stare and then turned and stomped out of the room.

  Faith stood alone in the tiny kitchen. She looked around at these familiar surroundings and sighed. She knew that they needed to find a new place. A new town where they could make a stable living and possibly even find suitable husbands. She would be sad to leave this place where she had grown up in a happy home full of love and laughter.

  Hope’s idea to move to Atlanta was a bad one. She was thinking about a much bigger move. How would her family feel about that?

  She closed her eyes and bowed her head as she thought about the uncertainty of the future. “Oh, Dear Lord. Help us make the right decision to be in the place we can do the most good for You. Please soften Hope’s heart and give Mama strength. And please, Lord, give me courage! Amen,” she whispered.

  “What do you need courage for, Faith? And why didn’t you include me in your prayer?”

  “What are you talking about, Charity? I have no idea what you mean,” responded Faith.

  The two young women were sitting at the kitchen table that could barely fit in the small room putting bread in baskets to take to the church dinner. Charity had baked the loaves earlier and they were now cool enough to handle.

  “I came in here earlier and you had your head bowed. You were praying. So, why do you need courage?”

  “We have some important decisions to make. I just need some guidance from The Almighty. That’s all.” Faith smiled at her baby sister who wasn’t quite a baby any more. Charity was turning into a beautiful woman who looked quite a bit like their mama but had the generous and loving spirit of their father.

  Faith lived with her mother and two younger sisters. Her father had been a parson who felt it was his duty to serve as a chaplain with the Confederate Army. He could have used his occupation as a reason to avoid serving, but he had served honorably. He was killed while ministering to soldiers on the battlefield at Wilmington, North Carolina in February, 1865.

  The War was over and had been for ten long years. Sweetwater Creek had been spared most of the burning and looting, but that was mainly because there wasn’t very much here. They were far enough south from Kennesaw Mountain that the little community was overlooked in that bloody battle. The White Columns Plantation in Powder Springs had been ravaged during the Kennesaw Mountain attack. The Yankee soldiers took everything, or at least that’s what they’d heard. All the animals, all the jewelry, all the food, all the firearms. They destroyed the furniture and drove the property owners away.

  While Sweetwater Creek had escaped most of the devastation that other areas around them had suffered, the small town had not rebounded. Most of the men were killed in battle and the males who were too young to go to war back then, had moved away to find work as they grew up. The population had depleted severely as many fled to Atlanta for a fresh start and more opportunity. Sweetwater Creek now had very little to offer. Those who remained weren’t much better off today than they were when the war ended.

  “What important decisions do you mean, Faith?” Charity looked over at her sister with big, trusting eyes.

  “We’ve stayed in Sweetwater Creek because it’s home, but this town is dying. It’s almost impossible to make a living. We’re like all the others in town. We need to find a new place to settle because we can’t go on like this,” replied Faith. She couldn’t think of a good reason to shield her sister from the truth. She was old enough to help and she needed to be part of finding a solution.

  “What does Mama say?” asked Charity.

  “I haven’t talked to her about it yet. I’m sure she sees how things are getting worse instead of better, but I know she won’t want to move far from Daddy’s grave. Maybe you can remind her that he’s not there,” reflected Faith. “At least if she balks at the idea of moving.”

  “We’ll have to convince her, then, won’t we? I’ll do all I can.”

  “We will, but I surely don’t know how,” said Faith.

  “Maybe Mama will be more open than you think, Faith. She’s still grieving, but I think she just needs a reason to come out of her sorrow. So far, she hasn’t really had a purpose except to raise us. Now that we’re grown, maybe she’ll be able to step forward.”

  “I hope you’re right, Charity. We may have to work on her, though. I think Hope can help, too. She wants to go to Atlanta, but I don’t think that’s the best place for us. She got mad when I told her my opinion.”

  “You bet I got mad! You’re so straight laced and no fun at all, Faith. No sense of adventure. Atlanta would be a great place for us to pump a little life into this family!” interjected Hope stomping into the room.

  Charity looked from Faith to Hope and back to Faith. “Oh, Hope, don’t be so difficult,” she said easily. “We’ll work it out. We’re the Barnesdale Sisters and we stick together. So, stop stomping around.”

  While Faith was the practical sister - a teacher and an avid reader and writer – Hope was the dreamer. She was a talented artist and she used her design abilities to create lovely dresses, blouses, and jackets. There wasn’t much need for fancy new clothing in Sweetwater Creek. Hope made money where she could by mending and repairing the clothes that the townsfolk had been wearing for years.

  Then, there was Charity, the youngest of the family. She was filled with the Spirit of the Lord and her kindness and care for others showed through in most everything she did. She was a wonderful baker and she used her skill to help fulfill what she felt was her true calling. She believed she should be a pastor, like her father, but it wasn’t something women were allowed to do. She used her skill in the kitchen to reach others by feeding them.

  Hope ignored Charity’s demand for a calm discussion. When Faith didn’t respond, Hope shifted uncomfortably on her feet, waiting for the rebuke to finally come. She knew this would lead them into a fight and she was more than ready. Hope was the feisty one, after all, and this attitude was expected. Faith could hold her own, but she preferred to have things go smoothly. Charity was definitely the peacemaker, but even she sometimes tired of challenges from Hope.

  When Faith still refused to engage in an argument, Hope asked her, “Well, if you’re so smart, what do you think we should do?”

  Faith, ignoring the unpleasant attitude, thought about her answer. Her sisters looked at her closely. It seemed they knew something out of the ordinary was about to be spoken. “
Well, as a matter of fact, I’ve done some research,” Faith replied slowly. “I’ve been looking into the possibility of us going out west.”

  There was a beat of silence. Charity’s jaw dropped and her mouth hung open. Finally, Hope laughed out loud. “All of that supposed sense and you want to move out to the frontier? The West? To do what?”

  “I’ve answered an ad, and well, I think it might be a good thing,” Faith answered. It was clear that her sisters weren’t seeing the great potential the West might hold for them. She kept talking to try to get them to understand. “Please, don’t say anything negative. Not yet. I’m still looking into it.”

  Hope was automatically distrustful and asked, “What gave you this idea?”

  Faith smiled, happy for the ability to explain herself and answered, “You know I always read the paper, right?”

  “Of course we know that, silly. You read everything,” laughed Charity. That little inside dig got a reluctant, crooked smile from Hope.

  With the air cleared a little bit, Faith continued. “From what I’ve read, there are many women going to the west. Females are a bit scarce out in the western towns and some of the men are having a hard time finding wives. Some of the ones looking for spouses are quite successful. I think many of them are actually placing ads to bring women from the east to them.”

  Hope eyed her sister suspiciously before she asked, “So, do you think that there might be a reason for that? You know, the part about them having a hard time getting a wife? They must be rather unattractive if none of the women will look twice at them. And are you certain that they’re successful? Some women will take an ugly man if he has money, you know.” A disapproving frown had replaced the suspicion by the time she had asked her challenge questions.

  Faith shrugged. She wasn’t absolutely certain about her facts even though she’d read quite a bit about the situations in the west. She wouldn’t swear to it, but she was willing to see for herself. She didn’t want to miss out on this opportunity mainly because the options in Sweetwater Creek were fading. “I’ve done my research,” she assured, taking both sisters hands to show her sincerity.

  Hope and Charity both looked at her with unspoken questions, but didn’t voice them.

  Since neither of her sisters spoke, Faith continued. “And I really am certain that this is a better idea than moving to Atlanta. I think going the other way, away from the south completely is the true ticket to starting over and finding a life that is worth living. I’m a proud Southerner. We’re proud Southerners, but our duty is to ourselves. Our responsibility is to thrive, not be burdens on society.”

  Hope continued to sit silently. She was deep in thought, since her personality was to always have a come back retort. Faith was hopeful that she was thinking positively about the potential move. Since she had already answered an ad, she felt like she needed her sister’s blessing. Maybe it wasn’t really a need, but it was a strong desire. She wanted them to come with her, not just support her own plans to move.

  This discussion with her sisters was turning out to be good practice for when she broke the news to her mother. There were a few things that needed to be finalized, but she’d have to tell her mama the details very soon. Most importantly, she would be trying to talk her mother into coming with her.

  “Well, what am I supposed to do without you around?” Hope smiled at her after finally speaking. “Who on earth will I tease? Charity always takes everything so literal. It is so hard to get a rise out of her.” Hope giggled then and Faith knew that it all would work out.

  Faith shook her head, “You take care of her while I am gone. She is so innocent. Sometimes I worry.”

  “I’m sitting right here, Faith. You can talk to me about my innocence to my face!” yelled Charity. She tried to sound serious, but her laughter bubbled through.

  The girls all laughed together and then Hope became quiet and serious. She stared at Faith for a moment and spoke reverently. “You’re not really still checking into it. You’re actually going to do this, aren’t you?”

  Faith nodded slowly and answered, “Yes, Hope. I believe I am. I want you all to come with me, but I know it’s your decision about that. As for me, it’s my plan to move to the west.”

  Telling her mother about her plans was going to be a difficult job. She hadn’t even broached the subject yet and she was a pack of nerves at the thought of speaking about the future. She couldn’t find the right time or the right mood. She was stalling. This conversation would be fierce – emotional and potentially shattering.

  During her wait for the right time another letter came from Aaron Chapman. Her heart did a flip flop when she picked up the mail from town. She tore the letter open as soon as she left the building. She gasped out loud as she saw the train ticket inside the folded paper. Oh my. This is for real, she thought.

  This conversation couldn’t be delayed any longer. The time had come to move forward with her plan. She was certain this was the right thing for her – and for the rest of her family – but getting her mother to agree was going to be tricky.

  The conversation with her mother would be nothing like telling her sisters. Even though Hope and Charity were skeptical, with good reason, they eventually listened and understood. They were much more open minded about the concept of moving across the country to marry a man she had never laid eyes on. When she thought about her situation in those basic terms, she wondered about her own ability to make a reasonable decision. She actually even wondered about her own sanity.

  She got on her horse and started her short journey back home. As she rode, she went through how the conversation might go and how she would handle the different objections her mother would have. Faith was a bundle of nerves by the time she got home, but she was more prepared to talked to her mother than she was before. The letter from her intended made her more certain of her decision.

  Not only had he sent the ticket, he had promised to give her a good life. He had promised her love and laughter. She hadn’t expected this, but it was something she wanted. She was almost certain she wanted these things with him. She guessed time would tell about that, but for now she needed to make the move to find out for sure. There was no other way.

  Faith rode into the side yard and put her horse into the small pasture. She walked to the house with resolve and found her mother in the kitchen. Now was the time. There was no point in stalling further. There was no time to stall. She needed to get ready to go. She had written a short and to the point response back to Aaron that she accepted his proposal. She promised to send her arrival details when her trip was arranged.

  “Hi Mama, how’s your morning going?” Faith asked. She felt tentative and unsure with her own mother! She had to calm down!

  Her mother raised an eyebrow and looked up at her. She was chopping vegetables that would later be preserved. Nothing went to waste on their little farm, they couldn’t afford to throw anything of use away.

  “What’s the matter, Faith? You seem to have something on your mind,” Helen Barnesdale asked her fidgety daughter.

  “I, um, well. I do. How can you tell?”

  “You’ve been jumpy for a few days, dear. And you won’t look me in the eyes. So what’s going on?”

  Faith took a deep breath and plunged in. “I’m planning to move out west. To California. I’ve been corresponding with a man from San Jose. He’s successful in business and he owns a store. Three of them, I believe. He has proposed marriage to me and I’ve accepted.”

  After she had put all the critical details out there in one breath, she inhaled deeply and leaned on the table. When she got past the initial shock of saying it all at once, she looked over at her mother. Helen was standing there with her eyes wide and an annoyed look on her face.

  “Oh, really? You’ve agreed to marry a man you don’t know? A man who lives across the country? Thousands of miles away from your family? Why would you do such a thing?”

  “Who am I going to find to marry here, Mama? I’m not getting any younger and if I don’t get married soon, I’ll become undesirable to any men who might ever meet me.”