Oregon
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About this ebook
Anne is traveling with her family to Oregon to start a new life. She is determined to get a job teaching school rather than marry, and luckily the rough-looking wagon train leader is no temptation. Or is he . . .
Kay Anne Sigourney
Kay Anne Sigourney is a soccer mom living in northern Virginia.
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Oregon - Kay Anne Sigourney
Chapter 1
They got the bad news at dinner that night. They’d been expecting it for weeks, so when it came, it wasn’t much of a surprise. Anne had other things on her mind, anyway. One of her students was having trouble with multiplication, and her eight-year-old brother Jake was struggling with division, so she was trying to figure out a way to help them both. It wasn’t easy, keeping the older ones in line, keeping the little ones busy, and helping the ones who needed it the most.
She didn’t notice at first that her father seemed a little quieter than usual, or that her mother looked pale and had her mouth set in a hard line. She didn’t notice anything until her father said, Well, we lost the farm.
Anne stopped what she was doing and looked at him. She’d been cutting Josh’s meat and trying to get him to sit still and eat it. He was only four years old, and sitting still was not his strong point. C’mon, Annie,
he whined. I’m hungry.
She started cutting his meat again, wondering if her father would say anything more. No one else spoke.
He didn’t. He looked back down at his plate and went on eating. Anne looked over at her mother, but she seemed not to have heard what he said. It had been a few years since the panic of 1837, but it had taken that few years for the panic to filter down to them. It was now 1841, and their time had run out.
She was about to say something, anything, just to break the silence, when her father finally spoke. We’re gonna sell what we can and go to Oregon.
He looked at her mother while he said it, and she glared back at him. I’m not going to Oregon,
she said. Her dark hair and pale skin, made even paler by the bad news, made her look even more severe than usual. Anne knew it was only a matter of time before she lost her temper completely.
How about you, Annie?
her father said. You comin’ to Oregon with us?
Yes,
she said, without hesitation. The thought of going to Oregon had never occurred to her until then, but she was always ready for an adventure. She’d lived in Waterville all of her life, and her fondest wish was to leave and never come back.
You’re not going to Oregon, Annie,
her mother said, her voice tight with anger. You’ll be marrying Charley and staying here.
Anne’s mother had had her heart set on Anne marrying Charley for years. Anne tried to tell her that Charley was an oaf and a fool and that she didn’t even like him, and those things were close enough to the truth, but it was also true that he was a good farmer and would be a relatively wealthy man one day. But she didn’t want to be a farmer’s wife, and she just couldn’t make her mother see that.
I’m not going to marry Charley, mother,
she said, unable to sit silently while her mother attempted to force her version of the future on her. She could see two red spots rising on her mother’s cheeks. Before she could say anything else, her father turned to her brother Harry.
You comin’ with us, Harry?
You bet I am.
Harry was like her and her father: always ready for an adventure. At sixteen, he was looking forward to finishing school and being able to farm full-time. He was a good student, but he didn’t really care about school. He’d rather be planting a new variety of corn than doing arithmetic.
Anne wasn’t at all surprised that her father had decided on Oregon. He’d mentioned it in passing a few times, never seriously, but he was not one to let the grass grow under his feet, especially when other people were out there discovering new places and having adventures and bettering themselves. She knew he didn’t see the sense in staying in a dying town trying to get back what they’d lost. It was better to move on and find something new.
Her mother, of course, felt differently. She was a fixture in town, a member of every civic and social club there was and president of a few. She’d let it be known that hers was one of the first families to settle in America, not to mention in Illinois, and this assured her some degree of deference from the other women in town. The fact that she was arrogant and that her name was Priscilla helped, too. The only bee in her bonnet was Anne’s refusal to marry the most eligible young bachelor in town. It didn’t help her social status that her older daughter was twenty years old and still a schoolmarm.
How about you, Carrie?
Anne’s sister Caroline was fourteen. She was madly in love with Dan, her seatmate at school, a young man who lived on the farm down the road from theirs. He was quite good-looking and always seemed to have girls around him. Carrie just happened to be one of them.
No,
she said, looking down her nose at the rest of them. I’m going to get married to Dan, so I’ll be staying here.
Harry snickered and Anne tried to hide a smile. Dan was only one in a series of her sister’s boyfriends, starting with a boy named Tim when she was only six years old and going on from there. Her father didn’t seem too concerned about Carrie’s plans for marriage, but Anne could see her mother beaming with pride. Carrie was the pretty one, the one who would never have any trouble finding a husband. Anne was the plain one who liked to read books and would rather teach school than be married, and she was a thorn in her mother’s side.
How about you guys?
her father said to Jake and Josh, who were seated on either side of Anne. They both erupted with cries of enthusiasm. You bet! We can’t wait,
Jake said, and Josh chanted, Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go.
Her father smiled finally.
Well, I guess it’s decided, then,
he said, looking at her mother. "We’ll leave in two weeks.
Her mother glared at him and went on eating.
There ain’t nothin’ to stay here for,
he went on.
There’s everything to stay here for,
her mother said darkly. Tension filled the room as they waited for their mother to explode. They ate their dinner in silence, waiting for it to happen. It would happen, if not at the dinner table, then later on that evening, or that night, after they had gone to bed and their mother thought they were asleep.
Why can’t she just be realistic? Anne thought. We can’t live here anymore. We might as well move on. Anyway, it might turn out to be a wonderful adventure.
Chapter 2
It wasn’t until later that Anne thought about all the things she’d have to leave behind. Her students, for example. She’d have to leave them near the end of the school year. The fact that half of them were her own brothers and sisters didn’t change her feelings. She’d worked with them since the fall, she knew them inside and out, and she didn’t want to abandon them.
She’d have to leave behind her piano, too. She didn’t know much about what people took with them to Oregon, but she was pretty sure they didn’t take heavy things like pianos. Surely it would have to be sold, and when would she ever see one again? Teachers didn’t get paid much in Illinois, and probably not in Oregon either, and her father wasn’t likely to buy another one, not with the money troubles they’d been having.
She wouldn’t miss Charley, though. He’d been trying to get her to marry him for the past few years, and she’d always said no. Charley lived on a neighboring farm, and his uncle ran the bank, which meant that Charley already knew that their farm was lost and was no doubt preparing to launch an all-out assault on her to convince her to marry him. She had every intention of sending him away this time just as she had all those other times.
He was waiting for her outside the schoolhouse the next morning. He must be a glutton for punishment, wanting her to reject him early in the morning so that he could feel bad for the rest of the day. Or maybe he just wanted to be sure he got to her before someone else did. Anne laughed to herself at the thought. He may not have noticed, but the local boys were not exactly beating down her door. For her sister they might do that—Carrie had her mother’s dark hair and creamy white skin—but not for her, with her plain brown eyes and heavy brown hair that she could never quite keep under control.
She led the mule over to the hitching post and tied it. Jake and Josh rode the mule to school every day, and she and Harry and Carrie walked. It was only a mile, but Carrie always complained anyway. She considered it beneath her to ride a mule, but she didn’t like to walk, either. When I have a rich farmer for a husband, I’ll be riding a horse,
she used to say, and Anne had a feeling that one day she would.
Hello, Annie,
Charley called out to her. He started walking toward her, and out of the corner of her eye she could see Carrie smirk.
Hello, Charley,
she said, barely glancing at him, herding her two younger brothers toward the schoolhouse door. It was almost time to ring the bell.
He wasn’t deterred, though, and he was smiling to beat the band. Well, our misfortune has certainly made him happy, she thought.
Can I walk you home today, Annie?
She hated to hear him call her that. Why couldn’t everyone call her Anne? That was her name, after all. Anyway, with a name like Annie, she could hardly marry a man named Charley. Charley and Annie? It was just too cute.
I don’t think I’ll be in the mood for company today,
she said, trying to look as sad as she could about her family’s misfortune.
I heard what happened,
Charley said, holding his hands up as if to ward off the bad news. I have something to tell you that might take your mind off all that.
Well, I guess I can’t stop you, can I?
There’s a good girl,
he said, smiling broadly again. I’ll see you later.
You’re not going to tell me now?
she asked him reluctantly. That meant he’d be waiting for her at the end of the day.
I’ll see you later,
he said again, as he waved and walked away.
She turned and went into the schoolhouse. How could she marry someone who called her a good girl?
At the end of the school day, he was waiting for her. She had to endure another smirk from Carrie as she led the little ones home. At least Carrie hung back a little so they could talk privately, but not enough so that they couldn’t be overheard.
Annie, I want you to marry me.
She didn’t even bother to look at him. I’m not going to marry you. I’m going to Oregon with my family, and I’m going to be a schoolteacher.
They had been through this before, in exactly the same way.
But Annie,
he began, rubbing his chin and trying to think of a way to convince her. She noticed then that he had started growing a beard. It wasn’t much yet, and it looked out of place on his round boyish face. Annie,
he said softly. I love you.
She struggled to find a way not be impolite. He’d been telling her that for years.
I’m sorry,
she said, still walking, wanting to get it over with finally for the last time, but I don’t love you. I’m going to Oregon, and I’m going to be a schoolteacher, and I’m not going to stay here and marry you. And that’s that.
Oh, Annie,
he whined. You don’t want to do that. That’s no life for a nice lady like you.
She looked at him sharply. Usually she was pretty mild mannered, like her father, but when she knew what she wanted, she didn’t mind making it clear. Yes, that is what I want to do, actually, she said. She picked up the pace and turned away from him.
I need to go see the superintendent now and tell him I’ll be leaving."
She turned to Carrie. Carrie, take the boys home. I need to go into town.
Carrie was smirking, but Anne ignored her. She walked away quickly without looking at Charley, and he didn’t follow her.
Chapter 3
She’d decided earlier that day that she would visit Mr. Perkins, the superintendent, when the school day was over. It was Friday, and her father said they’d be leaving in two weeks, so it seemed like an appropriate time to give her notice.
She felt awful about it, guilty about leaving her kids and bad about leaving the school district without a teacher so late in the year, but her mind was made up. Mr. Perkins was a kind man, so she figured he’d take the news in a polite fashion and wish her the best. She hoped so, anyway.
She found him in his law office. He was a lawyer by trade and served as superintendent on the side. She’d been rehearsing what to say, and as soon as she said hello, she came out with it. I’m resigning my position as of Friday, two weeks from now. I’ll be going to Oregon with my family.
She prayed that her hands wouldn’t shake as she said it, and she let out a breath when she was done. She clasped her hands together in front of her and reminded herself to keep them still.
Well, well,
Mr. Perkins said, smiling at her, not looking all that surprised. He’d surely heard about the farm. Things got around quickly in a small town like Waterville. Going to Oregon, are we? On the Oregon Trail?
Yes, sir,
she said, as she stood before his desk.
That sounds terribly exciting,
he went on, looking out the window dreamily. If I were a younger man . . .
He sighed and looked back at her. But that’s neither here nor there. Do you plan to teach school in Oregon? Or are you going to get married?
I plan to teach school,
she said. Not that she didn’t plan to get married. She just didn’t want to get married right away.
A wise choice, he said.
You can get married anytime. My wife would tell you to hang onto your freedom as long as possible. She certainly did. I couldn’t count the number of times she turned me down."
Anne laughed with relief and relaxed just a little. She knew his wife, a former schoolteacher who now served on the school board. Anne had taken piano lessons from her when she was younger. She was a very sensible woman, the type of woman who would stand up to her husband reasonably and sensibly, without getting upset and ranting and screaming the way her mother did.
I’ll write you a letter of recommendation that you can take along with you. I’ll send it on over by post.
Oh, thank you, sir. Thank you very much.
She hadn’t even thought to ask for one, but it would certainly help her in a place like Oregon where she didn’t know anyone and no one knew her.
It’s my pleasure, Mr. Perkins went on.
Good luck to you in Oregon, he said, rising and shaking her hand.
I hope you find what you’re looking for."
Thank you,
she said, and thought to herself, I hope so, too.
She caught her mother hissing at her father as she walked in the door. Her brothers and sisters were out doing their chores, and her parents were the only ones in the house. They immediately stopped talking when she walked in. That is, her mother stopped talking. Her father hadn’t been talking, he’d been getting a talking to. By the flush on her mother’s face, Anne could tell that she was upset. Her father looked cowed but not quite beaten. They must be talking about Oregon, she thought.
Her father said hello to her and then walked out, seeing his chance to escape, and leaving her alone with her mother, who was in the process of making dinner. She turned her back to Anne and began slamming pots and pans around. Anne knew if she waited long enough her mother would let her know what was on her mind. It wouldn’t be pleasant, but it would be interesting. Anne picked up the silverware and started setting the table.
Your father insists on going to Oregon,
her mother said, as Anne began to set the table. He refuses to see how his little scheme is ruining our lives.
Our lives are already ruined,
Anne said without thinking. The bank’s going to sell the farm in a few weeks, and we won’t have anywhere to live. It sounds to me like going to Oregon is a pretty good idea.
I should have known you’d say that,
her mother said, her voice deep and bitter. You’re just like your father, wanting to run off everywhere.
Anne had wanted to go to college, but of course, poor girls like her from little towns like Waterville didn’t go to college.
‘If you knew what was good for you, you’d stay here and marry Charley. Then I’d be able to stay here, too. Let the rest of them run off to Oregon." Her mother was looking at her as if she expected an answer. Anne didn’t want to give her one. It was very comfortable, having her mother be angry at her father instead of at her, and she didn’t want that to change, at least not yet. She was tired and hungry and not in the mood to deal with one of her mother’s temper tantrums.
She didn’t have to answer, though, because her mother went on. I don’t know what’s wrong with you. He’s the only boy who ever looked at you, and you won’t have anything to do with him. You aren’t pretty like your sister, you know.
How many times had she heard that? She ignored her mother’s remark and tried to concentrate on setting the table. She had to remember to give Jake and Josh the small forks since they had the smaller hands.
I gave my notice to the superintendent today,
she said, against her better judgment, as she stood with her back to her mother, laying out the silverware. And I told Charley I’m not going to marry him.
Her mother didn’t say anything at first. Anne continued to put the forks down next to the plates and waited for her mother to speak—after all, she’d surely have an opinion about whether or not Anne should have turned down Charley’s proposal. She heard her mother walking toward her, and she looked up, and as soon as she did, her mother slapped her in the face so hard she had to take a step backwards to keep from falling down.
Well, you just ruined your life,
her mother said, her voice so deep in her throat it was almost a whisper. Then she turned away and went back to fixing dinner.
Anne dropped the forks when her mother hit her, but she didn’t feel any pain at first, just shock and outrage and shame. She was immediately reminded of her childhood, of the times when her mother would get angry with her over something or other and slap her in the face, or on the rear end. She felt exactly like she had when she was a little child; the hurt was exactly the same, even though she was older now. When the pain finally hit, it felt like her face was on fire. She wanted to cry, and almost started to, but she wasn’t about to let her mother to see her tears. Then her brothers and sisters started pouring in the door, so the time for crying was past. She bent down to pick up the forks so no one would see her face.
When she went out to milk the cow later, her father was in the barn. Your mother doesn’t want to go to Oregon,
he said.
‘I know, Annie told him. She wondered if there were a red mark on her face. She’d noticed Carrie looking at her strangely during dinner. Her father seemed too upset to notice what was going on, Harry wouldn’t have been interested enough to look, and the boys were too young to understand.
She wants me to stay here and marry Charley, but I’m not going to. I turned him down, and I gave my notice to the superintendent today. I’m going to go to Oregon, and I’m going to get a job as a schoolteacher."
She looked up to see what he would say. He seemed happy enough with that.
Good for you, Annie,
he said. Good for you.
After her father left, she heard Carrie crying in the barn. As much as Carrie’s shenanigans with boys annoyed her, she always felt bad for her when the boys gave her the boot. It looked like Dan wasn’t going to marry her after all.
Dan’s not going to marry me,
she said, crying, when Anne walked over to where she was sitting in the corner. I’ll have to go to Oregon now.
Anne sat down next to her on a bale of straw. Well, I could have guessed that much by the way you’re crying,
she said. But look on the bright side. You might meet someone you like even better on the way.
Carried cried harder. But I love Dan.
So why won’t he marry you?
Anne asked her.
He has a new girlfriend,
she said plaintively. He said he doesn’t really love me anymore. He loves her better.
Then he’s not worth worrying about,
Anne said. If he can go from one girl to another like that, he’s not worth having. You need to find somebody who loves you, not you and twelve other girls.
I’ll never find anybody like that,
Carrie said. I haven’t yet. I’m almost fifteen. I need to get married soon.
You don’t need to get married soon. You don’t need to get married unless you want to. You can’t just marry some boy for the sake of being married. I’m not married.
Yes, but you’re—,
Carrie said, then stopped.
I’m what?
Anne asked, not really wanting to know the answer. Unattractive? Boring? A bookworm?
You’re a teacher,
her sister said finally. You can’t get married. That doesn’t mean you should try to talk me out of it.
She supposed Carrie was right. If she did get married, the school board would have to let her go. Maybe she was lucky, then, that she had no prospects. I’m not really trying to talk you out of it,
she said. I feel bad that Dan’s not marrying you. I just want you to take your time. You’re only fourteen. Enjoy yourself for awhile before you get married and have children and a house and all that other responsibility.
Her sister just sighed. But you don’t understand,
she said. You never understand. I want to be married more than anything. More than anything.
She looked at Anne then and seemed to notice the mark on her cheek. Did Ma hit you?
Yes,
Anne said, too embarrassed to look her in the eye.
Why?
Because I wouldn’t marry Charley.
Charley’s not that great.
I know,
she said, relieved that her sister understood.
But at least he asked you. You’re crazy not to say yes. Why would you go on a long trip and leave everything behind when you could get married and stay right here?
Her sister didn’t understand after all. I don’t know, Carrie. I guess if you don’t understand, I can’t explain it.
Well, you’re making a big mistake,
Carrie said, all the weight of fourteen years of wisdom behind her statement. She got up then and walked out of the barn. At least she’s not crying anymore, Anne thought, but I don’t think I talked her into anything.
Chapter 4
They left two weeks later, on April 3, 1841. Their goal was to get to Independence, Missouri in two weeks so they’d have a week to find a wagon train to join up with before leaving to go west around the first of May.
The only really sad thing that happened during those two weeks was that they had to sell the piano. She knew they were going to have to do it, and she knew why, but it was hard to hold back the tears when it finally went. Other than that, she had no friends to say goodbye to. She spent most of her free time either caring for her younger brothers or helping her mother with the house or reading. She had no boyfriend, no pets, and no fancy material possessions. She had two dresses, one to wash and one to wear, and a small bag of books, inside one of which was the letter of recommendation from Mr. Perkins. These were the only things that meant anything to her in the world, except for her family.
One happy and interesting thing happened, too. On the day before they were to leave, the superintendent’s wife came to the door. Carrie answered it, and Anne heard her say, Hello, Mrs. Perkins.
Anne immediately put down her book and went to the door.
I’m here to see your sister Anne,
she heard Mrs. Perkins say, and Carrie stepped back without saying anything and looked over at her.
Hello, Miss Sutton,
Mrs. Perkins said, extending her hand, her flowered hat blowing in the breeze.
Hello, Mrs. Perkins,
Anne said, shaking her hand. Please come in.
Mrs. Perkins was only the most important woman in town, and Carrie had neglected to ask her in.
No, thank you, I don’t need to come in,
Mrs. Perkins said, smiling at Anne. She was also the most beautiful woman in town. She was always well-dressed, even if her hats tended toward the eccentric, and her face had a glow to it that was unlike anything Anne had seen in anyone else. It might have been her enormous energy that gave her that glow, or maybe her progressive attitudes. I don’t want to keep you. I know you’re leaving tomorrow. I just wanted to bring you this, as a going-away gift from the school board.
She handed Anne a package wrapped in fancy paper.
Anne stood there holding it for a moment before she remembered to say thank you. She was getting as bad as Carrie, but she was nervous. Mrs. Perkins gave her the feeling that there was a standard to be lived up to that Anne, despite her best efforts, would never quite reach.
You may open it if you like,
Mrs. Perkins said, still smiling and polite. Would that I could be so gracious, Anne thought. It would be better than being awkward and forgetting to say thank you. Wordlessly, not knowing what to say, she began to unwrap the fancy paper. Inside was a book. She turned it over and read the title: Twice-Told Tales, by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The book itself she had not heard of, but the author she had. His stories had been serialized in eastern magazines, none of which Anne’s family subscribed to, of course, but a friend of her mother’s had lent them a magazine that contained one of his stories, and she had read it and enjoyed it.
Oh, thank you,
she said again, with meaning this time. I like Nathanial Hawthorne. His writing, I mean.
Well, then, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it,
Mrs. Perkins said. You take it along with you. It’ll keep you company on the long trip. I know my books have kept me company during some difficult times.
She started to turn away, then stopped.
By the way,
she said in a low voice, glancing over at Carrie, who was standing in the corner listening to them, I don’t know what my husband told you about me,
she said with a smile, but I did turn down his marriage proposals many times. I was a schoolteacher, you see, and I had many children depending on me to teach them the things they would need to know to be good, solid, citizens. I eventually gave in, of course, but not until I had done what I wanted to do. There are still things I want to do,
she said with a sigh, but those will have to wait. Just remember, you have things to do, too. Don’t say yes to the first boy who asks you to marry him. Or even the second. And don’t say yes the second time a boy asks, either. You’re going to Oregon to live your life, so live it while you can.
She looked as if she wanted to go on, and there was color in her cheeks and a glow in eyes beyond what Anne normally saw there.
I won’t say anymore, except to wish you the best.
She went down the single step to the dirt walk that led from their house to the main road, where her horse and buggy were waiting.
Thank you again,
Anne called out, and Mrs. Perkins turned and waved before driving away.
The only one who cried when they left was Carrie. Even though Dan hadn’t proposed, she’d held out hope that he would appear at the last minute having had a change of heart. It didn’t work out that way, though, and she spent the first half mile walking backwards, looking for him. I’m so glad I’m not like that, Anne thought, putting so much stock in the love of a man. She wanted to fall in love with a man, surely, but she didn’t want to be hamstrung by it. She’d find someone eventually, she figured, but she wouldn’t spend her life worrying about it the way Carrie