CUMBERLANDVALLEY Chapter 6

The moment of truth had come and while everyone held their breath, Walt spoke.  He said, “After a long and sleepless night I have reached my decision. This was difficult because I feel each girl has much to offer, perhaps far more than I do.  But my choice is Sarah, and if she is willing I would like to be wed in a month's time on which ever day is convenient.”

The mood changed around the table. There was both disappointment and relief as his decision sank in.  

Jake asked Walt, mama and Sarah to join him in the parlor.  He said to Sarah, “What is your desire in this matter, do you want to marry him?” to which she quickly said “Yes.”  

That being said Jake said; tomorrow we start building your house. Walt felt he should explain how he arrived at his decision to marry Sarah.  

 

First off let me say that the larger dowry was a consideration and I feel I must be honest about that. But that wasn't the main reason. He felt she being twenty made her a little long in the tooth as the saying goes, but her other qualities more than made up for that. She had all the qualities he wanted in a wife. She was industrious, and beyond that she was the smartest, soft spoken and maybe the prettiest of them all. He quickly added he wasn't sure that a wife had to be pretty to be a good wife.

Now that they were engaged he wanted to start courting her for before he had made his choice he didn't feel it was proper to raise some false hopes.

The next day they were busy felling some choice trees and loaded the logs to take them to the saw mill. A couple days later they were well on the way with a foundation and the mill brought the lumber.

Walt wrote his family of his decision and gave them all the facts about it and invited them to the wedding. A week later two of Walt's brothers arrived and said they were going to help him build his house.

 

On the weekends the neighbors showed up and the house was going up real fast. With the walls up and the roof on, Walt's brothers put down a floor made from flat stones. The week before the wedding the doors and windows were installed along with the curtains and furniture moved in. Walt's brothers had already been sleeping in the house and tested out the fireplace which worked fine.

The wedding day was fast approaching and the courting was heating up. Jake told Walt that maybe they should slow it down a little until after the wedding and Walt said he understood and he agreed.  

 

Meanwhile Jake was getting acquainted with Walt's brothers and noticed they were eyeing the other girls. He sat them down at the kitchen table and brought out the sipping cider and after they were relaxed he asked them what they thought about the girls. It wasn't that warm but they both began to sweat. 

 

Then Jake spoke up and asked if they had been considering getting married. They both said that they were considering it since Walt told them he was going to marry.  Jake not willing to let this moment pass without asking what they thought about his girls and would they be interested in them. They causally said; yes, we might be, but would have to get to know them a little better first.

 

At this point Jake knew he had them on the hook and all he had to do was to reel them in.   

 

To be Continued