My Wedding Day

Photo Credit: George Eastman House Collection

Today is my wedding day. I was up before first light. Surprisingly, I had no trouble sleeping last night. Must be I was really tired as soon as my head hit the pillow I was asleep. I went down to the kitchen thinking I was the first one up, but I smelled coffee as I went down the stairs. Mother and Father were sitting at the table talking quietly when I came in. They looked up surprised to see me so early, "Why good morning dear," Mother said, as I picked up a cup to get some.

"Morning. You both are up early," I replied as I sat down.

Father looked at me and winked, " Rachel honey, today you are no longer our little girl. You are a woman and soon to be having your own family. I can hardly believe it myself."

Mother gave him a look and said, "She's up to this job ahead of her Abe. I have brought up my girls well. All of them will be able to run a house and raise children when they leave our house. And Rachel is my prized student!"

I smiled at her, "Well, I better go get ready."

"I think you have time to eat some breakfast." Mother said as she motioned toward the basket full of eggs that she must have already gathered this morning.

Later, at the church, I sat in the preacher's study listening to the Sunday service. I could not go into the church on my wedding day with Avery sitting out there somewhere. Just like he did not want me to see his house.......our house, I did not want him to see me before our wedding on our wedding day. I was very nervous sitting there but I kept praying to God to help me be a good Christian wife to Avery Longworth. Before long, the service and the singing of the hymns were done with. It was time. Mother came into the room, and said something about helping me get ready. Esther appeared suddenly, she was my maid of honor and she looked so grownup. I was trying not to cry as Mother left me to go sit in the church. Then before I knew it............Father was taking my hands and looking into my eyes, "Rachel, I will always be your Father. You can always come to me. But now it is time for you to put your husband first in your life. He will take care of you and he is an honorable young man. You are truly blessed by our Lord in this marriage." With that he led me out of the preacher's study and down the aisle of the church to Avery Longworth, who was standing at the pulpit waiting for me.

Copyright © 2010  Kathleen G. Lupole
Updated 2016

Three More Days

Photo Credit: The Field Museum's Library

In three days I am getting married to Avery Longworth. What will my life be like as Rachel Longworth? Will I be different than I am today? What kind of a wife will I be? I pray to God that Avery will be happy choosing me for his wife. To share his life and have his children. I am not going to dwell on worrying. I am going to concentrate on what I must do to get through the next few days till my wedding.

I was in the kitchen baking some loaves of bread that I am taking with me to my house that I will share with Avery. That way I know we will have something to eat. Mother gave me a crock with fresh made butter. She knows I am worried about this. I heard the dogs barking and a huge rumble coming up the road. I went to the side porch that is connected to the kitchen and looked out. There was large wagon pulled by a team of four horses coming to a stop out front of our house! A big burly man got off the wagon, "Hello! I am looking for Miss Rachel Kennedy."

I was speechless, but tried to answer, "Yes, I am Rachel. What can I do for you?" It was then that I saw the writing on the side of the wagon, LONGWORTH FREIGHT COMPANY in big letters.

The driver paused for a minute and looked at me intently, then walked to the stairs, "Avery Longworth is going to be marrying you in a two days?" he asked as if he didn't quite believe it himself.

"Three days." I answered firmly, thinking that now is time to start acting stronger since soon I would be a married woman and not a little girl anymore. Before he had a chance to speak, I asked, "Did Avery send you?"

"Yes ma'am! He thought you'd have things to be moved to his house. Since I was coming through the area empty he wanted me to stop and pick up your stuff so your father would not have to do it."

"You are one of Avery's drivers?" I questioned. He looked older, much older than Avery.

"Yes, ma'am. My name is Orville Babcock."

"How long have you worked for Avery?" I had this yearning to know everything I could about my soon to be husband.

"Why about a year and a half." he replied. "Miss Kennedy, do you have your belongs ready to go? I could back the wagon up to the door," he appeared anxious to get going.

All of a sudden Mother appeared. After a few minutes of figuring out what Orville was doing there, she said, "Mr. Babcock, you must be hungry after your long trip. Please join us for lunch."

Orville smiled broadly showing off his toothless grin, "Why Mrs. Kennedy, that would be right nice of you. I am famished. Just coming in from three days on the road."

Mother said, "I'll go set another place."

"Thank you ma'am, I'll go see to the horses and wash up and be right back."

We had a very interesting lunch, everyone trying to get information about Avery and his business from Orville. He was taken by the attention, and especially having lunch with Mother, my sisters and me, since Father was out in the fields with the boys. They came in just as we were finishing up, so they helped him load the wagon with my things. Had room for everything. Father was thankful, as he was figuring he'd be making many trips to my house for the next several weeks, because our wagon was not nearly big enough for the things I was taking with me. Avery is definitely impressing my family as well as me. Three more days.

Copyright © 2010  Kathleen G. Lupole
Updated 2016

Packing Up My Bedroom

Photo Credit: Petr Kratochvil

I am starting to pack up my belongings so Father can take them to my house that I will share with Avery. Father said Avery does not want me to see it until our wedding night. I wanted to see it to at least know where I would be living. Father says he will tell me about it when he gets back. I packed up my books, sewing supplies, two of my old dolls that I am saving for my children and some of my clothes.  My hope chest, of course, is all packed and ready to go.

Looking around my room I think about all my memories here. My bedroom is my place of solitude where I go to get away from my brothers and sisters. My sisters share their rooms. Esther and Lorraine share the room across the hall from my room. Leah and Edna are down the hall across from the boy's room. The boys are in one room. They don't spend much time there anyway. Mother said me being the oldest girl should have her own room. Now Esther will be moving into my room. I am not sure what they will do about the others. Probably Lorraine will have to move in with Edna and Leah will take Esther and Lorraine's room.

My head is swimming with thoughts. I am sad to be leaving my room. What will it be like to share a room with Avery? I look forward to my life with him since the lunch we had. I keep looking at my ring that he put on my finger. I won't take it off and I am being so careful with it. It has a diamond in it and looks like it must have cost some money. I feel bad he spent his hard worked money on me. Though it makes me glad too.

One thing I am really nervous about besides the wedding is going to be the first meal I have to make for Avery's and my first meal together. We will need food and I do not know what he will have in our house or even if he is staying there already. He did not say and I did not ask him. Maybe Mother will let me take some food home after the wedding if there is some left over. Father has a whole yard of chickens that he raised for my wedding luncheon at the church hall. This worries me as I want Avery to be pleased that I will know what to do. This is one problem with not being able to talk to him or discuss these issues with him.

Copyright © 2010  Kathleen G. Lupole
Updated 2016

The Wedding Date

Photo Credit: Robert Louis Stevenson "A Child's Garden Of Verses"

Today Mother studied the calendar and told me I would be getting married on Sunday, June 19th after church. She started making a list of things that need to be done. She told me to go look in my hope chest and see what I have and make a list of it. Then we will make a list of the items I will be needing. She said I need two years worth of clothes and personal items. And I will need my kitchen utensils also.

I have been keeping a hope chest ever since I can remember. My grandmother made me beautiful presents every year of her handiwork to put in it. Whenever someone gave me a present it usually was something for my hope chest. All of my sisters have one too. It is what we are taught. I am the eldest daughter, so the first one to be getting married. My sisters, Esther, Leah, Edna and Lorraine watched with much interest of the study of my hope chest.

As I look at my own embroidery I see the difference in my stitches as I got older and became more experienced. That is what we do in the evening around the fire. After all the kitchen chores are finished and the fire is set up for morning in the kitchen hearth, Mother and us girls sew. The boys and Father repair tack, shoes or read. Then Father reads some Scriptures out of our family Bible. Then we have our prayers and go on to bed. The same thing every night. I wonder what my routine will be like after I am married? I don't know what Avery Longworth's routine is or even what he likes.

I pray to God that he will be the kind of man my own father is. I see my Father as a strong man but he has compassion for others. He is good to Mother and treats her like she is precious to him. Us children can go to him for any reason and he will take the time to listen. I like that. In an emergency, many neighbors and friends will come to him for help and he always knows what to do. Most important is that Father is a man who follows God's word and has taught us children to always obey God first. I do not know if Avery Longworth is like my father in any way since I do not really know him that well. Soon, I shall.

Copyright © 2010 Kathleen G. Lupole
Updated 2016

Just Another Day In My Life

Photo Credit: Mead Clarke

This morning my friend, Eliza stopped by on her way to the Alison's farm. She goes there every week to help Mrs. Alison with her baking. Mrs. Alison broke her leg a couple of months ago and was having trouble doing her baking. Eliza lives with her father and her grandfather. She does most of the cooking but she wanted to learn to bake better. Someday she wants to have a family and thought that would be a good skill to have. Her grandfather taught her how to make bread but she wants to know how to make buns, pies and cakes too. Mother would have taught her or one of us girls could have. We have been baking since we were able to stand up. Eliza never mentioned it to me before. Mrs. Alison got hurt and Eliza worked out this deal with her.

So I was eagerly looking forward to her visit. We talked over some oatmeal cookies and tea. She told me all the news from her family. Her brother, Nathan is married now and he only visits them once a month. He and his wife, Ruth came last week and they are going to have a baby. Eliza is so excited! A baby finally in her family. Her mother died in childbirth when Eliza was born. She was always sad that she didn't know her mother or have any other brothers or sisters except for Nathan. I know she loves children and especially babies.

Today I worked on my sampler. It reads "Bless This House For All Whom Reside Here Trust In The Lord". It has red roses and green ivy along the edges. Someday it will hang in my own home. Wherever that may be.

Copyright © 2010 Kathleen G. Lupole
Updated 2016

New Year's Day

Photo Credit: Kathleen G. Lupole

Today was snowy but sunny. I don't mind the cold winter so much as long as the sun comes out during the day. After the barn chores were finished we made some oatmeal cookies for a treat for Father. They are his favorite and it being a holiday and all us girls thought he'd enjoy them. Holidays around here doesn't mean that we don't work. Our chores have to be done every day. Even on holidays. On Sunday there are some chores that still must be done. We try to prepare for it on Saturday though. Most of our meals are cooked on Saturday and just need to be warmed up.

Today I brought in more kindling for the wood stoves. Filled the water barrel. Mixed and kneaded the dough for 8 loaves of bread. Let it rise while we made the cookies. Later I need to do some mending on my dresses as Mother wants them all fixed, so I can help her with the sewing of my new dresses. My wedding plans are taking priority over any activities I used to enjoy with my sisters. Sometimes I would l just like to forget this marriage thing but am afraid to say that to Mother. She seems to be happy about it.

I know a girl name Nancy Kingston who was able to marry the boy she chose. Her parents were happy for her and never told her she had to marry anyone. I am not sure why it is not that way in my family. Mother said her father, my grandfather, who we called Papa chose Father for her long before she was my age. They always knew they would be married some day. I can't help wondering about the families who don't do that. They seem to be happy and have nice families anyway.

Copyright © 2010 Kathleen G. Lupole
Updated 2016

New Year's Eve 1830

Tonight is New Year's Eve. I like to reflect on things I might be looking forward to in the coming year. Now I know that by this time next year I will be a married women. All I can do is to pray to God to make Avery Longworth a nice man who will treat his new wife well. I have seen men hit their wives, right in front of other people. Or married men who go into the saloon and stay there for hours with the saloon women. I close my eyes tightly and try to picture what he looked like when he was here last year. I would have paid more attention to him if I had known why he had visited us.

My parents poured glasses of grape juice for us tonight before we went to bed. My father, offered a prayer to the Lord thanking him for our many blessings that we had this past year. Then he thanked the Lord for the blessings that would be bestowed on us, including Rachel's (me) upcoming marriage in the coming year. I took a sip of the tart, but sweet grape juice, remembering Mother and the girls and me working deligently picking the grapes and turning it into this tasty drink that we only drink on special occasions. Would I be planting my own grape vines this coming year?

We have always known the Longworth family. But not Avery's family that well. It is his cousins, Rebecca, Edna, Lauren, Nathan and Betsy we knew the best. They have always come to our family gatherings even though they are not really family. Our mothers were friends in school and Mrs. Longworth's family had moved away when she and Mother were about thirteen. Then when Mrs. Longworth married Dixon Longworth they moved here to Norwich. Mother was already married and living with Father outside of Norwich. Since then we have moved to our farm in East Smithville. So we aren't real close, but close enough. Avery's family lives on the other side of Norwich. I don't know what his plans are or where I will be living. This worries me as I'd like to know what I will be doing in my future.

Copyright © 2009 Kathleen G. Lupole
Updated 2016