Chapter 8
On Saturday Carl announced that the church where he attended was having a dinner-on-the-ground and if Mary Jane wanted to, they would attend.
“I would love to,” she exclaimed. “I have been wanting to meet other people in the area, and I have missed getting to attend church on a regular basis.”
“Well, the church is about an hour’s ride from here, and since we will be staying for a meal after services we will need to take food,” he said. “Why don’t you cook some of those fresh vegetables out of the garden and I will get one of the hams out of the cellar.”
For the remainder of the day Mary Jane nearly danced through her chores. She was so excited to finally get to meet some of the other farmers and their families. She broke green beans, pealed carrots, and adjusted the oven so that the ham would cook slowly. The oven made the temperature in the house rise, but she could handle it if it meant getting to attend church. She was still so excited when she went to bed she had a hard time falling asleep.
The following morning Mary Jane was up and getting ready to leave long before it was time. Carl laughed at her excitement and told her they still needed to think about breakfast.
“Oh, I had forgotten about that,” she said. “I still have some rolls that were left over from last night. Perhaps I could fry up a couple of pieces of that beef loin, and we still have some jelly that you brought from town.”
“That sounds good,” he said. “Why don’t you allow me to fix our breakfast and you can have the luxury of taking a bath.”
Mary Jane threw her arms around his shoulders and planted a firm kiss on his lips. This man was so good to her and she wondered how she ever lived without him. The thought went through her head briefly that she almost turned down his marriage invitation.
Mary Jane washed up quickly, not wanting to miss a minute of the day’s activities. She chose one of her more practical dresses because she assumed the church would be hot. She packed up the food she had cooked and was ready to leave when Carl pulled the wagon to the front of the house. Thankfully Carl had remembered to grab a quilt for them to sit on, and dishes for them to eat out of.
When the small white church came into sight Mary Jane felt her heart start beating faster. It was the typical type of building that one would expect from a small country church. There was a tall steeple on the roof, large double doors at the front of the building, and plenty of shade for the horses while church was going on. Carl maneuvered the horses to a large tree and hopped down to secure them before turning to assist Mary Jane.
Mary Jane watched as several people made their way to Carl’s wagon. She just assumed that they were coming to speak to Carl, but the truth was they had all heard about her and they wanted to meet her.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to introduce you to my wife, Mary Jane Summers,” Carl said. “I will let you women introduce yourself to her because I know she has been anxious to meet all of you.”
Suddenly Mary Jane found herself surrounded by women who were throwing names at her. She heard Martha, Kate, and Debra, but she was unable to remember everybody at once. The woman called Martha took her by the arm and told her not to worry about remembering everybody. That would come in time.
“We have all heard about this woman that Carl sent for through the mail,” Martha said. “We have all been wanting to meet you, but we figured that in time you would come to church with Carl. We are so glad to have you here.”
“I have been wanting to come to church too, but Carl was behind on his farming chores when we first got home from Cheyenne. I hope that we will be able to attend on a regular basis from now on,” Mary Jane said.
Martha led her to the front of the church where Carl was waiting at the top of the stairs.
“Looks like you have a good one, Carl,” Martha said.
“Yes mam,” Carl answered. “Maybe you and Bill will consider coming for a visit some weekend. I’m sure that Mary Jane would enjoy some female company for a change. I fear I have kept her all to myself since we have been home.”
Mary Jane listened to the exchange between Carl and Martha. She had taken an instant liking to Martha and she would indeed enjoy having a friend in the area.
The preacher preached a sermon on being thankful for the many blessings that are experienced each day. It was a sermon that Mary Jane could closely relate to because she was very thankful that Carl had come into her life. It almost seemed if he was the other half of her, and together they made each other complete. She had not expected to find love in a mail order marriage, but she realized that was exactly what she had found. She bowed her head and smiled at the memory of stepping off the train and practically running over Carl. He must have thought her to be some kind of klutz, always tripping over her own two feet, but he always laughed and made some kind of joke.
As soon as church was over, the church occupants poured out the door and started to set up the meal. Mary Jane couldn’t remember ever seeing so much food in one place. The women of the church had really gone all out to make sure that nobody left there hungry. There were several different kinds of cakes, pies, homemade bread, vegetables of every variety, and any kind of meat anybody could wish for. With so much food, Mary Jane didn’t know where to start.
Carl found a shady spot beneath one of the trees to spread out their quilt. Martha and Bill Collins spread their quilt on the ground next to them. They were the closest neighbors to Carl’s farm, and Bill often stopped by and offered to lend him a hand. He enjoyed his relationship with Bill, and now it seemed that his wife was also going to enjoy a relationship with Martha.
When all four had filled their plates and were seating on their quilts, Carl made a request for them to join hands in prayer for such a good meal and a perfect day. Mary Jane bowed her head and listened to her husband give thanks to God for bringing them together.
“God, you always know what is best for us, and you have certainly given me the best in Mary Jane. Please give me the strength and wisdom each day to live my life for You, and to lead my house in the ways of Your will. Thank you for this abundance of food, and for the friends you have given us to share it with,” Carl prayed.
Mary Jane felt a tear slip from her eye and roll down her cheek. She was happier than she had ever allowed herself to expect, and she couldn’t wait to find out what life had in store for her in the future.
As soon as the prayer was over, the four of them dug into their plates with gusto. Most all of the farmers in the area had plenty to eat, but they didn’t get to eat like this on a regular basis. If they did Carl was sure they would all grow old and fat, useless for anything except the rocking chair.
“Well, while you two were off getting married, Bill and I have gotten some pretty big news as well,” Martha said. “God willing, we will be welcoming the first new member to our family in about seven months!”
“Martha, that is wonderful news,” Mary Jane said. “Oh, I hope I can come over for a visit when the time comes. Right now my daily entertainment is a crotchety old dog named Butch, and a newborn calf that I named Lucy.”
Carl told Bill and Martha the story of Lucy and Mary Jane’s part in the birth.
“It looks like Lucy has a permanent home on the farm since I am sure that Mary Jane will never allow me to sell her,” Carl said.
“Don’t you even think about selling her,” Mary Jane replied. “She is my first real pet since arriving at the farm, unless you count Butch who can’t seem to keep his wet nose off the back of my leg!”
Carl laughed as he remembered the first time Mary Jane and Butch had met. He looked around him at the people of the church who were all intent on enjoying a big meal and some good old fashioned conversation. He glanced at Bill, and then at Martha’s stomach, which was still flat but soon would swell with child. He hoped that one day he would share that joy with Mary Jane.
Mary Jane did not miss the look that Carl had when he looked at Martha’s stomach. She knew that he wanted children of his own, and she prayed that one day soon she would be able to give him one. A child made from their love would indeed be a glorious gift from God.
THE END