The Tender Flame (34 page)

“Well, that would be all right too, Daddy.”

“But I sure can’t retire. I’m not even fifty, let alone retirement age.”

“That wouldn’t be a problem, Dad,” Josh said. “I’m sure my father would give you a job in the office at the mill. Or if you wanted to stay in banking, I’m sure you’d have no problem getting a good job in one of Oregon City’s banks. We’d sure love to have you close to us.”

“We sure would,” Jessica said. “What do you say?”

“I’d love that. Of course, I’ll have to settle my affairs in Denver first, including the sale of this house. It might take several months.”

“But you’ll pray about it and consider it?” Jessica said.

“I will. I actually like the idea. I don’t think it will take a whole
lot of prayer or very much considering. I’ll keep in touch with you about it.”

Josh and Jessica arrived in Oregon City on a Saturday afternoon. On Sunday, the people of the church welcomed their pastor and his wife home, and spoke their condolences when they learned that Jessica’s mother had died.

On Monday evening, Martha Cornell cooked a nice meal and invited the younger Cornells, as well as the Farringtons, Lydia Price, and Casey Harmon for dinner.

While they were eating, Jessica said, “Josh and I have been so busy since we got back that we haven’t had a chance to tell you the news about Daddy.”

“What news is that?” Brett asked.

There was a trill in Jessica’s voice as she said, “He’s coming here to live!”

“Really?” Martha said.

“He sure is,” Josh said. “Jessica and I talked to him about coming here, and I don’t think there’s any question he’ll do it. He’ll need a job, Dad. I told him you’d make a place for him in the office at the mill, or that he could get a job at one of the banks.”

Brett chuckled. “With his banking experience, it won’t be hard, the way the banks are growing. Or if he’d like to work for me, I most certainly can use him.”

“This is wonderful,” Lydia said. “Jessica, I’ll look forward to meeting your father.”

“Oh, you’ll love him, Mom. Daddy’s a real prince, even if I do say so myself.”

“The rest of us can attest to that, honey,” Martha said.

“So, any idea when he’ll be here?” Brett asked.

“He definitely won’t come till after David leaves for West Point. And then, of course, he’ll have to sell his house. Anyway, it sure will be great when he gets here.”

Josh and Jessica had brought Lydia in their buggy to the Cornells’ house for supper. As they drove across town afterward to take Lydia home, Jessica spoke of how happy she would be to have her father living in Oregon City. Josh also said how much he loved Dad Smith and what a blessing it would be to have him near.

As they turned the corner of the block where Lydia’s house was, Jessica spoke of how much she would miss her mother, and she began to cry. Josh pulled the buggy to a halt in front of the big white house, and Lydia said, “Before I go in, Jessica, I want to say something to you.”

“Certainly, Mom,” Jessica said, using a handkerchief to dab at her eyes.

Lydia cupped Jessica’s face in her hands and looked at her by the light of the porch lamp. “You’ve honored me by allowing me to be your Oregon mom … and I have loved it. Now that—” She cleared her throat. “Now that the Lord has taken your precious mother to be with Him … could I be a little
more
mom to you?”

Jessica put her arms around her, kissed her cheek, and said, “Oh, yes! A little more mom … I like the sound of that.”

Both women were shedding tears as Lydia waved from the front door and the buggy drove away.

Life went back to normal in Oregon City. Josh and Jessica were happy in their ministry, in spite of its trials and pressures. Souls were coming to the Lord, both at the church and the lumber camp. Christians were maturing, and the church was growing.

In mid-May, the Farringtons bid their friends in Oregon City good-bye and moved to Wisconsin, where their oldest son and his family lived.

On the last Sunday night in May, Casey walked the aisle after Pastor Josh Cornell’s sermon. He told Josh that God had called him to preach and wanted him in the ministry full time. He knew the
Lord wanted him to go to the same seminary where his pastor had received his education. The congregation expressed great joy when Josh had Casey repeat this to them.

Casey then asked if he could say something else to the church, and Josh gave him the floor. With light glistening in his eyes, Casey announced that he and Mary Ann had just become officially engaged. Before proposing to Mary Ann, Casey had privately received permission from her parents. They wanted to have their wedding in early August and would leave for the seminary in Virginia later that month.

Josh was thrilled at the news, and told the people that although the engagement period would not be as long as was usually considered proper, his sister and Casey were strong, mature Christians and deserved to be married before they went off to seminary. There was applause from the people, showing their agreement.

The next day, Lydia and Jessica were walking back to Lydia’s house after finishing a Bible club session. When they came in sight of the house, Lydia said, “Jessica, I’ve been thinking and praying about something. The savings account that Clay and I had is still quite substantial, but I need to generate some income so it doesn’t run out in a few years.”

“Mm-hmm?”

“Imagine a sign on the front porch, honey. It says, ‘Boardinghouse.’ ”

“Boardinghouse! You’re going to turn your home into a boardinghouse?”

“I’ll live on the bottom floor. That will leave six rooms to rent out upstairs. That will certainly help my finances.”

“That’s a great idea, Mom, considering all the people moving into Oregon City. But won’t it take a lot of work?”

“Yes, and I’ve already talked to Jake Blane and Harvey Roberts at church about it, just to see what they think and how much it would
cost for the alterations. They agreed that it’s a great idea, and they’ll do it for me at their cost.”

“Wonderful! You’ll make a great boardinghouse cook and hostess.”

Josh and Jessica heard from Grant from time to time. He assured them he was coming to Oregon City once David was gone and the house was sold.

The Casey Harmon-Mary Ann Cornell wedding took place in early August, and they left for Virginia two weeks later. It was an emotional time for the Cornell family, and especially for Josh and Casey, whose hearts were entwined in the bonds of Calvary.

In early February of 1874, Josh and Jessica received a letter from her father that the house had sold and he was on his way west. He had sold all the furniture with the house and would stay in their home only as long as it took to buy a new house and furnish it.

Josh and Jessica were at the Wells Fargo office when the stage from Ogden pulled in several days later. After greetings and hugs, Josh placed Grant Smith’s luggage in the back of the buggy, and they headed off through Oregon City as the sun went down over the hills. Jessica was sitting between the two men on the front seat.

“Now, kids,” Grant said, “I want you to know that I deeply appreciate the offer to live under your roof, if I so desire, but like I’ve been saying in my letters, I really need to get my own house. So just as soon as I can buy one, or have one built, I’ll be out of your way.”

“Dad,” Josh said, “you could never be in our way.”

“I appreciate that, son, but—”

They happened to be on the street where Lydia lived. Grant’s attention was drawn to the big white house and the sign hanging from the porch.

“Well, lookee there,” he said, pointing with his chin.

“What, Daddy?”

“Right there. The sign at the bottom says Vacancy. That’s what I’ll do, kids. I’ll take a room in that boardinghouse till I can get my own place.”

“Well, it would give you more privacy than we can offer at our house,” Jessica said. “It just so happens that we know the lady who owns that boardinghouse. She’s a widow and a fine Christian. She belongs to our church. In fact, do your remember that I mentioned in some of my letters that I’m teaching Bible clubs with a lady, and that I also help her teach a girls’ Sunday school class?”

“Sure.”

“Well, that’s where the lady lives. She and I have become so close, I’ve been calling her my Oregon mom. She’s been such a help to me with Mama’s sickness and death.”

“God bless her,” Grant said. “I’ll look forward to meeting Mrs.—”

“Price.”

“I’ll look forward to meeting Mrs. Price.”

“Tell you what, Daddy,” Jessica said. “You stay with us tonight. I’ll go talk to her tomorrow and get you the best room she has available.”

“Thanks, honey. I really appreciate that.”

“Nothing’s too good for my daddy,” she said, leaning toward him and kissing his cheek.

Josh turned the corner and headed down another street. “Well, honey,” he said, “I guess since your daddy is going to take a room at the boardinghouse, we can tell him.”

“Tell me what?”

Jessica giggled. “We … ah … we would have had to move you elsewhere in a few months if you had moved in with us, Daddy.”

Grant’s eyebrows arched. “Oh? And why is that?”

“Because that room we were going to put you in will have to become a nursery.”

“A nursery? You mean—?”

“You’re going to be a grandfather in early September!”

Grant lifted his hat, swung it around in the air, and shouted, “Whoopee! Hallelujah! I’m gonna be a grandpa!”

Josh and Jessica didn’t tell Grant that Martha had prepared a delicious meal to welcome him to Oregon City until they pulled up in front of the Brett Cornell house.

The reunion was a sweet one. After tender words were spoken about Carrie, the conversation went to the old days at Fort Union.

Brett told Grant that once he was settled, he would show him what he had in the way of a job in the mill office, and if that wasn’t what Grant wanted, he would introduce him to both bank presidents. One way or another, Grant Smith had a job.

The next morning, Jessica cooked a hearty breakfast for her two men, then Josh took his father-in-law to the church for a tour. Jessica went to secure her father’s room at the boardinghouse. When Josh and Grant returned, they would all take Grant and his luggage to his new abode.

A smiling Jessica was waiting for them when they entered the house. She hugged them both and said, “It’s all set, Daddy. My Oregon mom has all but two rooms rented and will give you whichever one you want—on the east so the sunrise comes through your window, or on the west so you can get a good look at the sunsets. Other than that, they are exactly alike.”

“Well, I guess I’ll take the sunrise room. Did you already give her my name and sign me up?”

“No. I figured I’d let you take care of that.”

“Well, let’s go! I’m anxious to meet this Mrs. Price who has been so good to my daughter.”

Jessica laughed. “I guarantee you, Daddy, you’ll love her!”

J
OSH GUIDED THE BUGGY INTO
L
YDIA’S DRIVEWAY
. “Might as well go to the back. She’ll no doubt be in the kitchen.”

“No doubt,” agreed Jessica, hanging onto her father’s arm.