pages 66-68

Later that evening when mama got around to reading papa’s letter it said he was in Florida now. The work there was progressing nicely and that he would be home for Christmas. And it was a beautiful country. Everything was green and growing with flowers in bloom. Said he would bring some choice rose bushes if he had time before leaving. But instead, when he came at Christmas time, he brought a large bouquet of red roses which mama put in a vase and still kept after Christmas was over and papa had gone back to his work. He said in leaving he had one more state in which to install the pump stations and that was Georgia. Then he would be home with the family for awhile.
Pruden and Sallie now were already talking and making plans to return to Montana and ranch life. Pruden and my father had long talks, sometimes late in the night. I drew from that that when his work with the oil company was finished, his plans were to gain mama’s consent to sell and move West. My father had talked much of going West, even when I was quite young and this was the biggest chance he had had. Sallie and Pruden going out there would make my mother more than before feel the need of going for I too was always a western fan. My father never talked about it, but that I was ready to pull up stakes and go. I had read western stories and looked at western pictures until I felt I was a part of the west. The buffalos that roamed the plains, the vast hunting and fishing grounds of the Indians, their lodges and tepees were sometimes painted in colors in my oId geography book. That was one book I loved to study. If you ask me, I knew it by heart, its every river, capitol, the states and boundarys, and the mountains and its ranges. I was raised not far from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. I used to make up songs about them to sing so I was an avid mountain fan. For the big out of doors. I loved it in all its beauty and grandeur. I loved it just as God created it and finished it so long ago and looked upon his work and called it good. What better place to serve God than with the sky for a roof and the earth for a floor and a gentle breeze blowing from nowhere.
Things kept working out. My sister and husband continued to plan and soon their plans worked out. Letters came often from papa, and mama wrote back they had had a better offer for the place but said, “I am not yet just sure what we should do. This has been our home. I was raised in this country. How do I know what the West is like.” She went on writing several sheets I guess for I saw her still writing there when I had finished studying my lessons and decided it was time I should be in bed.
Frank’s letter lay unopened and unread on my dresser. I shook my head and said not tonight. I am tired and changing into night attire lay down in the soft, comfortable bed and was soon fast asleep. If I dreamed I slept too hard to know about it. It was cool and I tucked the covers in good around me as I got into bed and as I tucked them in I was and have been so many times since then, reminded of the times when my mother said you are a big girl now and you won’t be needing mama to tuck you in anymore at night. All those loving years were gone, passed at last. I was growing up. The more I thought the more I cried. I must have cried myself to sleep for when I awoke in the morning my pillow was tear stained as well as my cheeks. I think I felt just about as bad as if I wasn’t going to see my mother again. Those loving, little things that mothers do for us as children are never forgotten. They stay with us through all our life until the Lord says your day is over, put away the toys of your earthly life. It’s time to tuck you in for the night.
When Jim came that weekend he brought me a box of candy so I opened it and we ate some and passed them around. I was in high spirits as I told Jim of our plans to go west. Then I wound up on a sober note, maybe, if mama thinks it best. “Well,” Jim said, “your mother is a wonderful person and a smart one. You have a nice home and place here and everything you want. What more could you ask for?” “Well,” I said, “nothing, I guess, except to go out west.” ‘There you go again,” he said, “and where does that leave me?” “I don’t know,” I said, leaving his company, for fear more serious words would follow. Mama was preparing the evening meal and I thought that a good place to be, but he followed me there telling my mother what a wonderful cook she was. Seeing I wasn’t going to talk anymore he took his gun and went to hunt in the small forest and pasture on the north west corner of the place. I heard the roar of his gun once. I guess he must have missed or else got something. Whatever game he got, mama always had him to dress it and take it back to the city with him. City folks enjoyed things like that if only the thoughts of bagging it in the country gave it a wonderful taste.
So thus the days and weeks went by until papa’s work was finished and for the time being. He was back home by the last of January, Nineteen hundred and eight was gone and nineteen hundred and nine was on the calendar. “So, this is January 1909,”
father remarked to my mother. “Yes,” mother replied, “time seems
to have vanished and we have added one more to our family, that of a
son-in-law.” Yes, father Said, and he seems very nice too.”
February came in like a lamb that year and everyone was enjoying the nice weather. Out of doors, father and mother were walking
Walking around planning what they would do if we didn’t go West. My sister
and husband were packing, getting ready to go back to ranch life in Montana.
The days went by and they were off with tears and goodbyes and we hope to see you soon. Sallie and Pruden stepped aboard the trolley that took them to Norfolk and the railroad depot. By night fall they were rolling westward. A day or so later cards began coming back telling of the wonderful trip. Sallie wrote that the farther she went the more she wanted to go on westward. The country was new. Everything looked and seemed different. There’s something about it that enchants you and the cards continued to come. She said I know you’ll like it if you decide to come for I have become a Westerner, I think, already. I know I wouldn’t want to turn back.
“Turn back, turn back,” kept going through my mind and at last I thought I was right about wanting to go west and here was the opportunity. My sister had paved the way for the dream of several years and my mother began to think that maybe it was the right thing to do. Father and mother planned and talked far into the night. The light was still on in their room after I had put my books away and retired. Oddly enough I could look across from the southwest bedroom where I slept to the northwest bedroom where my parents slept. The house was built in a like shape. But, to get to that bedroom from mine, I would have to cross the front upstairs hall north and through two bedrooms then turn west across a small back hallway to get to my parents bedroom which was over the kitchen. Mine was one of the bedrooms over the double parlor. My brother and wife slept in the southeast room next to mine. I couldn’t blame mother for not wanting to give up that lovely, spacious home with all its nicely arranged rooms and furnishings. We were only thirteen miles by trolley from Norfolk and six miles from Virginia Beach, that big, fine summer resort on the Atlantic Ocean. We girls and our friends spent so many wonderful hours there. On certain days you could smell the salt water of the sea and hear the ocean roar on a calm night. We also got the cool refreshing breezes from the ocean on hot summer days and it was all just a nice inviting trolley ride from our home. We were somewhat tom between going and staying. Ida cried a lot about it, she would be leaving all of her relatives.
When some days later the folks that had come before came again and made my father such a good offer, mother thought we’d better take it. So the place was sold. The weeks that went by were filled with packing and discarding the things to be left behind. I was all excited about going West but here I’ll have to agree I did not enjoy this part of it. No one else did either for we were going too far to take a lot of things we otherwise would have taken. Mama would not give up her nice furniture so papa had to charter a freight car after all. I got out of a lot of it by staying in school right up to the two days before all was set to depart. The neighbors were wonderful. They wanted to help in any way they could. But most all felt badly at us moving away, after we had become part of the neighborhood and were liked so well. Finally after all the hurrying and bustling that morning arrived. My sister and I wore our bluish grey cashmere suits with hats to match and our lovely furs. My mother also, in her navy blue suit and hat, wore her furs.