A Note

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Today is Saturday. We had a busy morning preparing for Sunday dinner. Our Sunday meal is always prepared on Saturday so after church there is not much work to do. I cut up the vegetables for a beef stew. Mother cut up the meat in pieces and added the seasonings. She told me that this is a good meal to prepare often for a working man as it gives him a whole meal in one dish. Easy when you are just starting out cooking for a husband. She told me to find a number of dishes I can prepare easily and do them often until they are perfected the way he likes them. Then move on to others. I hope I can remember that. I know she is trying to help me. Sometimes it makes me sick to my stomach since I have no idea of what a man will expect from his wife.

Leah told me that she heard that Avery Longworth is coming to see me soon. I asked her how she knew that and she just smiled and shook her head. Now where did she hear that and I have not heard anything about that? I am the one who should be told these things! What if he stopped by and I was not home? Or what if I was in the middle of cleaning the chicken house or  mixing dough? I would not be prepared to meet my husband to be under those circumstances! This has me worried. I cannot waste the time worrying about it. I have so many things to do.

Father came in and brought me a envelope that had been opened. I looked at the address and it was addressed to Father but bore the name Avery Longworth in the corner! Oh my! My hands started shaking. I said a quick prayer to the Lord asking him to make this bear good news to my liking. Leah stared at me anxiously, "Open it!" I slowly took the letter from the envelope and unfolded the thin paper and started reading,

Mr. Kennedy,

If it suits you and your family, I would like to come to your house two weeks from now. Need to discuss future arrangements regarding your daughter, Rachel. If I do not hear back by next week I will assume I would be welcome. 

Sincerely,

Avery Longworth 

It was dated a week ago! That means he will be coming in a week. What can I do to prepare? I must tell Mother.

Copyright © 2010 Kathleen G. Lupole
Updated 2016

Making Plans

Photo Credit: Lewis Caroll "Through The Looking Glass And What Alice Found There"

I have been putting all my spare time into preparing for my marriage to Avery Longworth. He still has not been in touch or sent a message since he sent me the beautiful jewelry box. How can I marry a man I don't know? I will not know what he likes to eat, his favorite colors, what he expects of a wife or anything at all. His family has not come to call either. This worries me constantly. Mother brushes it off, saying that will come in time. She says I will learn all that soon enough after the wedding.

My sisters helped me to piece four quilts. Mrs. Johnson down the road gave me the cotton and enough lining for two of them. Mother said we can buy the lining for the other two next time we go to town. Mrs. Johnson traded some muslin for some extra meat we had from the bull Father butchered last week. There is enough muslin for four sets of sheets, two pairs of pillow cases, three tablecloths and five towels. After we ate lunch, Leah and I cut out the red and white gingham and the yellow and white flowered cotton dresses. We will sew them together in the next few days during the evening.

Yesterday, Mother and I worked in the kitchen. My sisters and I have always taken turns making our food, such as bread, rolls, cereals, desserts, as well as our meals. Mother has decided that I should be the one in the kitchen every day now. My sisters will be assisting me. She wants to make sure my baking and cooking skills are perfect for my new husband. I am sort of nervous about cooking for him, though I have always cooked for everyone for years. This is different and I would like to know what he likes to eat or does not like. What if he hates the first meal I cook for him? It will be his fault for not coming to call on me. That is what suitors usually do or that is what I always thought.

My sister Esther has been trying to care for my team of horses. Tater and Spud are my own horses and I am planning on taking them and my buckboard with me. I have raised them from tiny foals, having been born on the same day. Father had promised I could have them and taught me how to harness them up to the buckboard. I worked baking and sewing for Mr. Tottle in town who traded the buckboard to me. His wife had died two years before and he needed some new clothing, some mending and was hankering for some baked bread, cake and pies. I still bake for him at times. Esther is not really fond of horses except that there are times she wants to go someplace and needs the buckboard. So during this time she is learning so when I am gone she will be able to use Father's team.

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

A Gift

Photo Credit: Mrs. L.G. Abell

Today I received a message to come to the store to pick up a box that has arrived for me! For me! I have never received a box that came throught the mail before. I hitched up the buckboard to my horses, Tatar and Spud and took off slow while I was still within eyesight of Mother. Soon as I got around the curve I took off at a trot. When I got to Schriff's General Store everyone there knew I had received a package from my beau, Avery Longworth! It was a big box and quite heavy. Matt Schriff put it in my buckboard with a smile. He was disappointed that I did not open it right there.

When I got home, Mother had my brother Teddy carry the box into the kitchen and cut it open with his pocket knife. It was a beautiful wood jewelry box on legs. It had a place for necklaces to hang. And little drawers that open and close that would hold treasures and protect them from the dust. When I opened the top music played. When I closed it the music stopped. It contained a message written on plain white paper that read; To Rachel in appreciation of becoming my wife in a few months. Avery Longworth. That was it. Very simple, but nice. It made me feel better about this marriage thing.

I really hope I will get to see him in person soon. Wouldn't it be nice to get to know each other first? Or for our families to spend a day together or something? Now I am really paying attention to married couples we know. Noticing things I never paid attention to before. Like Father opening doors for Mother. Or the way he lights the lamps for her so she doesn't have to walk through the house in the dark. My brother always harnesses his wife's horse up for her when she is going to town. I have always done that myself. Especially since I have always had my own buggy horses, as well as our two riding horses and a small work horse I use to plow our kitchen garden. Will I be able to keep my own horses when I marry and move from here? These are the thoughts that are filling my head day and night.

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