“I’ll prepare another bottle for him before I leave tomorrow,” she said promised and rose to leave. He could see she was upset and worried. “I’ll tend to Matthew before I turn in.”
He didn’t respond and heard her footfalls gradually become more distant until he could no longer hear them. He wondered how she coped with all the duties surrounding Matthew—preparing bottles, making the powdered formula, and looking after his son as she completed her housekeeping duties. He could see she was struggling with the added responsibility and guilt shamed him. He knew they needed someone else to look after Matthew.
Daniel stared vacantly at his empty crystal port glass and heard Matthew wailing. It was as though they shared the same pain.
Daniel tried to remember his mother, who died from consumption, but he barely remembered her. Now Matthew would never know his mother either.
Anger welled up deep within him; it boiled and stirred.Lord God, he thought,my father was faithful and so was my wife.
“You took everything from me!” Daniel said into the quiet darkness, his jaw clenched. “God, have you deserted me? If you care at all, give me a sign, please! I need change, I need help.”
Did God not know how much he felt like he was dying inside?
Daniel shook his head bitterly and buried it in his hands. Who was he talking to anyway, to himself? He certainly didn’t believe in miracles, not anymore.
Chapter Three
Cheyenne, Wyoming, 1891
The wagon slowed as the horses strained climbing a small hill and slowly came to a halt. Ruth felt every muscle in her body stiff and sore. She tried to stretch in the small, cramped wagon space, still mightily thankful for the Bloomers’ help. The trip had been long, and she felt the sun’s heat. At one point the wagon became so hot she feared she might faint. Looking at the sun, she guessed it was late morning.
“This is it,” Richard said, “This is the Grant ranch.” He jumped down from the driver’s seat and made his way to the back of the wagon.
Ruth leaned forward and looked at the ranch from the driver’s viewpoint. Richard had been right; she thought the ranch looked as if it would collapse at any moment. She was shocked to think that this was the place she’d have to live, or perhaps she was just used to the ranch where she grew up. She reminded herself how Esther and Ruth in the Bible had to humble themselves for the purpose of fulfilling the Lord’s plans. She resolved to do the same.
“Thank you so much for helping me,” Ruth said, making her way to the back of the wagon. “I don’t know what I would have done without your help. I might still be stranded at the railroad depot.”
“It’s our pleasure,” Mary assured her and handed Ruth’s luggage to Richard, who stood by, waiting.
“Thank you for sharing your candy with me, Tom,” Ruth said with a dimpled smile. “It helped me feel better.”
“It’s no problem,” he said, looking a bit glum. “I don’t want you to leave.”
“I must leave,” Ruth said. “Tell you what. I saved some candy along the way. Here, you take it. It will cheer you up.”
Tom laughed and she could hear that his voice would soon deepen as he matured. “Thank you, Miss McKinley.”
“Sorry, I can’t take you further up,” Richard said and helped Ruth climb off the boot of the wagon. “I’d prefer to keep the wagon on the trail.”
“It’s alright,” Ruth picked up her bag. “It doesn’t seem a long walk from here.”
She waited for Richard to return to the driver’s bench before she waved farewell to them.
“Hope everything works out for you,” Mary called out as the wagon began to move and within minutes they disappeared into the distance beyond.
Well, it’s now or never, Ruth thought hesitantly. She was glad she had her dress shortened a little; it would have dragged along the dirt and become stained otherwise.
Now that she arrived, she had no idea what would happen. She was terrified but there was no other way around it and she had to put her fear behind her. Ruth was reminded of the scripture, Isaiah 41:10, ‘Fear thou not; for I am with thee.’ She let out a soft breath and felt comforted, feeling the Lord’s presence around to her.
The road up to the ranch was a bit of a walk. Up ahead was a large sorry-looking wooden fence that kept a few horses lazing around grazing on pasture grass. She welcomed a sudden soft breeze that rustled blades of grass as strands of loose hair crossed her face. Aside from the gentle breeze and the horses, there was no movement. The ranch was quiet, and it seemed as if no one was around. The dirt road was contained gravel and small loose stones. The path grew wider and soon forked off in three directions.
To the left was a dilapidated old barn, and next to it a dilapidated horse-drawn wagon. Behind the barn was a tall windmill. Ruth wondered if it worked. Straight ahead were a few log cabins and to the right was the ranch house. The barn looked old, the wood worn out by age, and the elements. She wondered if the roof would collapse with the next snowfall or ice storm. To the right side of the big house, built from the ground up in a bottle shape was a thick brick chimney.
Ruth clasped her hands together.Lord, how could I possibly live here?she thought, disheartened. The ranch looked deserted or even abandoned for who knew how long, and clearly there was no one around to meet her. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and realized that the Lord would not send her to a place without good reason.
There must be someone here; after all, someone would be needed to look after the horses. Ruth didn’t have much knowledge of horses, but they looked to be in good health, and they were magnificent to see.
A strong black horse lazily swung its tail from side to side, and a gray and chestnut were grazing, and one in particular caught her eye. Ruth was amazed at its tan body with white stockings, tawny legs, and black mane and tail. The animal seemed to be looking at her, and strangely Ruth felt at ease, as if the horse could relate to her somehow. She calmed, knowig the Lord was with her and would look after her as He always did.
