A Place For Hope

Sophie Green paused to listen to the sound of hammer on nail and smiled with satisfaction.  It seemed like yesterday that she’d arrived with her husband Thomas.  There hadn’t been a soul in sight then but he’d set to work with confidence, building the store that was now her life.  When Thomas had died she had stayed.  It had, after all, been their dream.  She couldn’t just sell it to the highest bidder. 

 Thomas had said the farther west, the better.  Prices went up and competition was nonexistent.  Sophie had been skeptical but not worried.  Thomas had always taken care of her and he always would.  And he had been right. 

 Settlers had arrived in a steady stream and Sophie made a good living now.  In addition to the usual tools and grocery items, Sophie had been adding steadily to her inventory.  A cow behind the store, the back of which was also her home, provided milk to a few.  Chickens were sold when she had extra, as well as eggs.  And then of course, any man in need of a wife need not worry either.

 This thought crossed her mind as she glanced at the tasteful advertisement next to the sign that said ‘Now Offering Eggs, Milk, Butter, and Cream.’  She took the sign for the new grocery items and moved it down a little.  She sighed.  She hated having a sign that offered a professional match of a wedded partner suited to western life next to one offering every day grocery items. 

 The settlers arrived day by day and Sophie saw with a touch of dismay that as always, the men outnumbered the women by more than three to one.  When she had arrived she had been the only woman she knew of in the area that spoke English.  Once she’d met an Indian woman but she didn’t speak English and so her only chance for female companionship had vanished.  Then, slowly a few couples arrived. 

 The men had complained of the shortage of available ladies.  Some accepted that they’d traded the opportunity to marry for land in the West.  Some had thought that families with grown or near grown daughters would arrive sooner but that hadn’t really been the case.  One family had come with a daughter who was fifteen and her poor father had to be ever alert as the local young men, and some not so young, gave her their smiles.  Now, at seventeen, young Priscilla was to be married in a couple of months to a nice young man.  Sophie new everyone in town and she’d liked him well enough.

 Sophie herself had been sought after relentlessly but she honestly just was not interested.  She was content to run the store and she hadn’t seen any man that could even begin to measure up to her Thomas.  Since she would settle for no less, she became comfortable with life as a single woman.  She was fortunate to have the luxury of choice.

 Through her matchmaking service she received many letters from girls whose only chance at a stable life with the security of a home of their own was to marry a stranger.  Sophie took the task very seriously.  She wrote lengthy letters to every inquiry as she tried to make the match as best she could.  So far, she considered them all a success.  Both parties were happy and that was what mattered.  She thought back to her first match and remembered Elizabeth Barrett with a smile.

 Elizabeth had been on her way before Sophie had ever received the letter.  And with a new baby no less.  The arrangement was that she would care for Joe’s children and then there would be an amicable separation when the children had grown up.  Elizabeth and Joe wholeheartedly accepted this and all was well.  Until they got to know each other.  She was so happy for both of them.  By the grace of God it had all worked out, though it had seemed like it wouldn’t.  Yes, Joe and Elizabeth belonged together.  Funny how it could take two people so long to realize what was staring them right in the face.  She frowned.  Had Elizabeth had the new baby yet?  She didn’t think so.  Someone would have told her.  It would be all over town the same day.