Page 5 of Shoshone Sun

“Fred?”

“Yes. He seemed a good man, and he treated me kindly.”

“It was unfair, but I’m sure his father was behind it.”

“Still,” she replied. “He could have fought for me. Even if his father had disowned him for it, the two of us could have run away together. If…”

“If what?”

“If he had truly loved me,” she finished.

Susan sighed. “You could be right about that,” she said gently.

“Do you think Peter would have done that in Fred’s place? I mean if it were you and a choice between his father and you?”

Susan wasn’t sure what to say, what would hurt her sister less. She decided to speak the truth. “Yes, I believe he would have chosen me.”

“So you think Fred didn’t truly love me after all?”

“I believe that he didn’t love you as much as he should have, as much as you deserved.”

Jane dropped her head, as if in deep sorrow. “I think you’re right.”

“But that’s good, in a way,” Susan interjected. “You found out his lack of true love before you were wed. To wed a man that doesn’t totally love you leads only to a life of misery. After all, remember mother and father?” Their father had been a drunkard who had regularly beat and then, finally, abandoned their mother.

Jane nodded. “You’re right. I was seeing just what I wanted to see in him. Maybe I didn’t truly love him either. Maybe I simply had foolish dreams of becoming a rich landowner’s wife.” She shook her head in dismay. “I was stupid!”

“No you weren’t. You were like any other young woman charmed with a handsome, rich man,” Susan said, encircling Jane’s shoulders in a hug. “Don’t worry. The New World is full of attractive young men. With your beauty, you’re sure to find one who will make you a fine husband.”

Jane hugged her sister back, her face now brightened by a smile. “Thank you, Susan. I’m hoping for just that!”

As the voyage wore on, the ship’s close quarters began to take their toll. The cramped conditions made it easy for illness to spread among the passengers. One morning, Jane awoke with a fever, her skin clammy and pale. Susan’s heart raced as she felt her sister’s forehead, her worry mounting.

“Peter!” she called urgently. “Jane isn’t well.”

He rushed to her side, concern etched on his features. “We need to find the ship’s doctor,” he said, determination filling his voice. Together, they helped Jane to the makeshift infirmary, a small room filled with the sounds of coughing and the smell of antiseptic.

The ship’s doctor was a weary man with tired eyes, but he examined Jane with a practiced hand. “It’s likely just a fever from the dampness on board,” he assured them. “With rest and care, she should recover.”

Days passed in anxious waiting, with Susan tending to Jane as best she could, spooning broth into her mouth and reading aloud from the Bible to soothe her. Petey, oblivious to the worry around him, played quietly at their feet.

Finally, after several days, Jane’s fever broke, and she slowly regained her strength. Susan watched with relief as her sister took small steps back to her usual self, a smile breaking through the paleness of her illness.

“I’m sorry for being such a burden,” Jane said, her voice still weak but steady. “I feared I wouldn’t make it.”

“We’re all in this together,” Susan replied, squeezing her sister’s hand. “You must take care of yourself. We can’t afford to lose anyone on this journey.”

As they approached the shores of America, a collective sense of anticipation filled the air. The passengers gathered on deck, eyes scanning the horizon for the first glimpse of land. The salty wind carried a fresh scent, brisk and new.

“Look!” Peter shouted, pointing excitedly. “There, on the horizon!”

The silhouette of land emerged, jagged and beautiful against the sky. Gasps of wonder rippled through the crowd as the ship drew closer, and they could finally see the outlines of buildings and trees.

“We made it!” Susan whispered, her heart racing with excitement and disbelief. “We’re really here!”

The ship docked with a jolt, and the passengers surged toward the walkway, eager to set foot on solid ground once more. As they disembarked, the bustling port of New York enveloped them—shouts of vendors, the clatter of carts, and the scent of fresh produce mingled with the salty sea air.

Susan held Petey tightly as they stepped onto the dock, her heart swelling with a mix of achievement and fear. The world before them was vibrant and chaotic, a whirlwind of possibilities and challenges.

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