Their Frontier Family

“Can we pick you up in our wagon?” Mr. Fitzhugh invited. “We’ll be passing right by your place. Even though I’m thinking we’ll be heading to Kansas soon, I wouldn’t want to miss preaching.”

Sunny waited to see what her husband would say. She didn’t meet his eye—she couldn’t.

“I’ll think on it,” Noah said at last.

The other two couples tried to hide their surprise at Noah’s less than enthusiastic response.

“I don’t think he’ll be preachin’ anything that would go against you being a Quaker,” Nan said.

Sunny’s face burned. She knew she’d done the wrong thing by not telling Noah what she’d done.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Noah said, his jaw hardening.

I’m in for it now. Sunny stood at her husband’s side and felt waves of sick worry wash over her. Dawn began fussing again, chewing one of her little fists. Sunny knew Noah wouldn’t raise a hand to her but he could freeze her with a glance. Oh, Lord, help me reach him. Help me make him understand why I told them that he’d been raised Quaker. Lord, I want to do what is right. Help me explain this to him.

* * *

Sunny couldn’t get Dawn to hush. Night had fallen and she’d tried everything in vain—nursing her, bathing her, rocking her. Now she paced the rough new floor. What could she do to soothe her child?

As she paced, she scanned her new and very empty home. Earlier Noah had helped her arrange pegs in the wall to hang clothing and pots and pans. The only furniture was the rocking chair that the Gabriels had given them money to buy as a wedding present, a three-legged stool and a chest near the door which held their linens.

Her bedroll sat against the wall. Noah had put his up in the loft. Their continued nightly separation was a constant twinge in her side. Would he never forget that she was damaged goods?

Noah entered the cabin. Since the two couples had left, he had not said a complete sentence to her. Sunny wished Dawn would stop crying—the incessant sound had tightened her nerves like a spring. Sunny sat down and tried again to get Dawn to nurse so she would fall asleep as usual.

Noah stood watching Dawn fight Sunny.

“I’m sorry,” Sunny apologized. “I think it’s her mouth. She wants to nurse but I think it hurts her.” As she tried to soothe the inconsolable baby, Sunny felt like crying herself.