She frowned, though, thinking of the reason he had come. She’d had no idea her grandfather was still living, much less that he was considering her as an heir.
Her father had never truly spoken against him, but he’d made it clear that their values in life were quite different. When her father had gone away to further his education, he had fallen into the company of Christian men who mentored and guided him to accept Jesus as his Savior. In turn, he had led her mother, his soon-to-be father-in-law, and eventually Judith to Jesus.
As Judith remembered, Father had told her that her grandfather had no use for another to be God when he considered himself qualified for the role. And while he hadn’t lied aboutthe treatment he’d received from the man, Father had never been given to cruel comments or condemnation. Instead, he held great pity for his father and made it clear to Judith that he prayed daily for his salvation and that she should as well.
And she had.
But she had no desire for there to be anything more between them. And while it would be nice to have vast amounts of money at her disposal, she wasn’t about to sell her soul to the man who had so deeply wounded her parents.
No, it wasn’t an issue of forgiveness. It was a matter of keeping evil at bay. The Bible admonished Christians in the fourth chapter of James to “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”
Surely the same was true for those who served him.
2
May1870
Minneapolis, Minnesota
At thirty-seven, Roman Turner was still not overly content with his life. He was highly regarded for his skills and the amazing feats of surgery he performed during the war. But life had dealt him several unsatisfactory blows, and he was still coming to grips with them years later. By this age, he had expected to be a husband and father, perhaps to have a large clientele of paying patients.
Even now, as he attempted to read one of his medical books while awaiting the supper his mother and sister, Claudette, were preparing, Roman couldn’t push aside his frustration. Their home was the best he could buy on his meager physician’s wages. Had he settled back east instead of in Minneapolis, he might be making enough money to provide them a better life, perhaps even an affluent one. Had he moved to Philadelphia, he might have met up with the beautiful Judith Stanford again. Instead, he’d chosen to remain in Minneapolis,where his father moved the family in 1860 after being gifted a large parcel of land from an aging uncle.
When his family moved west, Roman remained in Baltimore to finish some specialized training, but the thought of joining them was one that held great appeal. The frontier needed doctors, and he was excited to work with people from all walks of life. Then the war came. Roman volunteered to serve in the Union Army and found himself separated from friends and colleagues as the country chose sides.
He was almost immediately relocated to a hospital in Washington. While there, he received a letter from his mother, telling him that his father had been swindled out of most of his land. Of course, Roman could do little about it. He prayed and waited to hear more about their circumstances as the war continued.
The news that came wasn’t good. His father had taken the loss of his property quite hard. His health had slipped away, and his mother wrote of concern that he would not live long. And then the end had come, leaving his mother and ten-year-old sister alone in a land of uncertainty and assured poverty. Roman had tried to gather enough money together to relocate them to New York City, where he had friends, but nothing ever came together.
Then in 1862, terrible news had come of the Sioux uprising in Minnesota, and Roman had feared for his family. He’d pressed his mother to take Claudette and flee. He even tried to get leave, but his services were too desperately needed on the battlefields. Thankfully, the uprising remained at a distance from Minneapolis.
The rest of the war had been a time of desperation for Roman. He had done what he could to provide for his family, but he couldn’t go to them. Not when the war was more intense than ever.
When the end finally came and Roman was able to returnto Minneapolis, he found his mother and sister quite destitute. Friends were doing what they could, and their pastor kept an eye on them, but even with the money Roman had sent, they were worse off than he’d ever imagined.
“Dinner’s nearly ready, Roman,” his mother called, pulling him out of his melancholy thoughts. “Your Aunt Mary is coming to join us tonight. She should be here shortly.”
“Thanks for letting me know.”
Mother smiled and returned to the kitchen. It wasn’t fair. She and Claudette both worked far harder than any other women he knew. These days, they did it out of their love for the poor more so than for their own welfare. As Roman’s presence and his war bonus helped to bring them financial stability, they had wanted to help in his endeavors to better the lives of others.
Most evenings after supper, they could be found making baby blankets or diapers. Sometimes they sewed nightgowns for the older children and knit slippers for the adults. They were good Christian women who wanted to serve God as best they could with the only skills they had to offer.
Roman felt the same and used his medical knowledge to treat the less fortunate. He particularly liked visiting the orphanage. The children there were so happy to have anyone show them affection and attention. The city had reached a population of over thirteen thousand people—more than double what it had been just ten years earlier—and with that growth, the number of impoverished had increased as well. It seemed especially true for the orphans.
A knock on the door sent Roman to welcome his aunt Mary. She smiled and stretched up to give him a kiss on the cheek. “Roman, you’re as handsome as ever. When are you going to take a wife?”
For a brief moment, the image of the brown-eyed woman he’d met four years ago in Philadelphia came to mind. Judith Stanford. But just as quickly, it passed, and Roman laughed.This was Aunt Mary’s usual questioning. He gave her a hug and reached out to take her shawl and bonnet.
“I’m far too busy to take a wife, as you well know. Now come in and enjoy a quiet evening with your family.”
“It’s so good to see you. I feared you might be too busy. Your mother mentioned there was an accident at one of the mills yesterday.”
“Yes, one of the sawmills. Three men were injured, but they’re doing well today.”
“I’m glad to hear it.”
Roman hung her belongings on a peg by the door. “Mother says dinner is nearly ready.”
