The Tender Flame (31 page)

“Mrs. Farrington and I started what she calls ‘Pastor’s Wife’s School’ today.”

“So soon?”

“There’s more to learn than I ever imagined. She’s such a precious lady, Josh. I know what she teaches me will be invaluable.”

“God bless her. I’m sure thankful for Pastor Farrington, too.
They’re both wonderful people. So when is your next session?”

“Tomorrow.”

“Morning or afternoon?”

“Afternoon. Why?”

“Well, I haven’t told you about my Saturday morning job.”

“You mean on top of working three days for your father and three days for the church, plus Sundays at the camp, you have a job on Saturday mornings?”

Josh’s eyes widened, and he snapped his fingers. “Oh, Jessica. There’s something I meant to tell you in one of my letters, but I forgot. Remember I told you about Casey Harmon?”

“Mm-hmm. I’ve prayed for his salvation, as you asked.”

“Well, he did get saved!”

“Praise the Lord!”

“You know how some people get saved, and some people
really
get saved? Casey really got saved. I’ve already had him preach at the camp. He’s doing great. I can’t wait for you to meet him.”

“I’ll look forward to it.”

“And something else. Since Casey got saved, he and Mary Ann have struck up a romance. It wouldn’t surprise me if things worked out between them and they end up married. I think the Lord may call Casey to preach.”

“Wouldn’t that be something! Josh, you were going to tell me about your Saturday morning job.”

“Well, yes, but it’s not exactly a job. I’m working off a debt I owe.”

“What kind of debt, darling?”

“A debt to a man who’s in heaven, and to his widow, who lives here in town. Her name is Lydia Price. Her husband was the town’s physician until he died quite suddenly last August.”

“Oh, that’s too bad. And the debt?”

Josh explained how loving and generous the Prices had been to him, then said, “The debt is a debt of love. I work at paying this debt by doing yard work and odd jobs for Lydia on Saturday mornings.”

“Josh, you’re so wonderful,” Jessica said, reaching up to caress his cheek. “The Bible speaks about caring for widows. I’m glad you’re willing to take care of Mrs. Price.”

“I’d like you to go with me in the morning to meet her.”

“Oh, I’d love to.”

It was just after eight o’clock Saturday morning when Josh and Jessica stood before Lydia Price’s home. Jessica marveled at the beauty of the huge two-story house, with its corner turret, lace curtains in each window, the wide wraparound porch, and a yard full of trees, well-trimmed bushes, and flower gardens.

“What a massive house, Josh! Is Mrs. Price going to keep living in it? I’d think she’d want something smaller.”

“I don’t know if she’s planning to sell it. She’s never said anything about moving.”

Jessica looked around the yard as they approached the front porch. “You’ve done a great job on the shrubbery. Did you plant the flowers?”

“Lydia helped me. She pretty well takes care of the flowers.”

They moved onto the porch and found the door open. “Hello, Lydia!” Josh called through the screen door. “It’s Josh! I’ve got her with me!”

Jessica looked at him. “She knows about us?”

“Mm-hmm.”

They heard footsteps, and when Lydia opened the screen door, her smile was lustrous. “Oh, Josh! She’s just as beautiful as you said she was. Hello, Jessica. Come in.”

Jessica could hardly take her eyes off Lydia as she passed through the door. She was a beautiful woman. Her emerald green eyes were soft and warm, and she had styled her light brown hair in an upsweep that brought out her femininity. There was a slight hint of gray at her temples.

“Jessica … Lydia,” Josh said, “you both know about each other; now meet each other.”

Lydia embraced the younger woman, saying, “I’m so happy for you and Josh. He told me how you first met at Fort Union when you were children. I think it’s wonderful how the Lord planned your lives and brought you together after all this time.”

Josh excused himself, saying he would get to work on the yard. Lydia took Jessica into the kitchen and poured them both a cup of coffee. While they sat at the table, she asked about the Smith family.

Jessica told Lydia about Daniel and David and their plans for the future. She explained that her father had been a major in the army until he was seriously wounded in the Civil War and had to retire from the military. He was now a loan officer in a Denver bank. And Jessica told Lydia about her mother’s consumption, and of how she prayed for her healing several times a day.

“Oh, I’m so sorry to hear about your mother. I’ll put her on my prayer list. What’s her name?”

“Carrie. She’s a wonderful lady, Mrs. Price. It means a lot to me that you will pray for her. I know the Lord can heal her.”

“I’ll join you in praying for her healing. Jesus is the Great Physician, and He can do it. Carrie Smith will be lifted to the throne of grace every day, I promise.”

“Thank you so much. Mrs. Price, Josh told me about your husband being taken last August. I’m so sorry.”

Lydia’s eyes turned misty. “I miss him terribly. But the Lord never makes mistakes. He had His reasons for taking Clay to be with Him.”

“Of course. But I’m sure you’re lonely.”

“At times. I stay as busy as I can so I don’t have a lot of time to think about being alone. I teach a girls’ Sunday school class, and I teach children’s Bible clubs in various homes as a ministry of our church, year-round.” Lydia saw Jessica’s eyes light up, and she smiled. “You seem very interested in what I’m talking about.”

“Oh, I am! I taught a Sunday school class at my church in Denver. I loved it.”

“Oh, Jessica, I need an assistant to help me with my Sunday
school class and with the Bible clubs. Would you consider being that person?”

“I sure will! Josh and I are going to meet with Pastor Farrington at the church this afternoon—to set our wedding date and talk about my joining the church tomorrow.”

“Good! Then I’ll talk to pastor after the service about you helping me. I know he’ll be very happy about this.”

“Me, too!” Jessica rubbed her palms together with excitement. “I’ll still help you when I’m the pastor’s wife, too.”

“Oh, praise the Lord for answered prayer! So what date are you and Josh planning for the wedding?”

“The afternoon of Sunday, August 27.”

“Marvelous! You two look so good together.”

Jessica giggled. “That’s because the Lord made us for each other.”

On Saturday afternoon, the happy couple met with Pastor Farrington, and they set the date for the wedding. They discussed Jessica’s joining the church, and Farrington told her how glad he was to have her become a member.

The next day, the people of the church welcomed Jessica to the services, and when she joined the church, they welcomed her again. She was especially happy to meet Casey Harmon, who was now assisting a teacher in a boys’ class … and had Mary Ann Cornell at his side.

In the afternoon, Jessica went to the lumber camp with Josh, Casey, and the musicians. The lumbermen and their wives, who had a great love for Josh, gave her a royal welcome.

As the weeks passed, Madeline Farrington continued to give Jessica all the help she could to prepare her for the role of pastor’s wife. She warned Jessica that her youth would be a problem at times, but laughed as she said the only way to get over being young was to live to get older. Madeline had insisted that Jessica address her as Maddie. The two were becoming close friends.

Another relationship was growing strong—the relationship between Jessica and Lydia. Jessica dearly loved working with Lydia in both the Sunday school class and the Bible clubs. The more time they spent together, the more they loved each other and the stronger the bond became between them. Jessica was now addressing Lydia by her first name, as Lydia had requested.

They made Saturday mornings their lesson preparation time, and then both Josh and Jessica ate lunch with Lydia when the work was done.

One Saturday morning in late July, the two women were sitting at the kitchen table, Bibles open in front of them. They were teaching a series on the Ten Commandments to the girls’ Sunday school class, and the coming Sunday would be on the Fifth Commandment.

Lydia read the verse aloud, and when she looked up, she saw tears in Jessica’s eyes. “Honey, what’s the matter?”

“I miss those two people I’m supposed to honor.”

Lydia left her chair and hugged Jessica. “I know it’s hard to be away from them, especially with your dear mother so ill.”

“I know I’m supposed to be here. The Lord has His hand on Josh and me, but I sure do miss Mama and Daddy.”

“Sure you do, honey.” Lydia kissed her cheek. “Believe me, I’ll do everything I can to make up for the mother side.”

“Oh, Lydia, that means more than I can tell you.” Jessica sniffed. “You are so much like a mother to me.”

Lydia pulled back so she could look at Jessica through her own tear-filled eyes. “I learned early in my marriage that I would never be able to bear children. I’ve never had the joy of being a mother. Could … could I— Well, I would never presume to take your mother’s place, but since she’s in Colorado and I’m here, could I be your Oregon mother?”

Jessica hugged her. “Oh yes! I’d love that!” She eased back in the chair. “I call my mother Mama. Could I call you Mom?”

“You sure can, honey! You sure can!”

When the tears were dried and the two women were ready to continue working on the lesson, Jessica looked across the table at Lydia and said, “Mom?”

A wide smile graced Lydia’s mouth. “Yes, dear?”

“My heart has been heavy for you. I know you handle it quite well, but at times you seem so lonely. With Dr. Price gone, there have to be times when this house seems empty. Have you ever considered marrying again?”

“Oh, I’ve thought about it. In fact, that man of yours has brought it up. He seems to think the Lord is going to send some knight in shining armor into my life who will sweep me off my feet and take away my loneliness.”

Jessica smiled. They could both hear Josh outside in the yard, trimming bushes.

“If God has a plan like that,” Lydia said, “He will bring it to pass at the right time, like He always does. I have to get over Clay first, and that’s going to take a while. Jessica, he was a wonderful Christian man, and a good husband. I still miss him terribly.”

“I know you do, Mom. I wish I could’ve known him.”

Lydia thought about sharing with Jessica that she went through a crushing experience when another man she was engaged to was killed in the Mexican War. But after a moment, she decided it would sound as though she wanted sympathy, so she let it pass.

G
RANT
S
MITH’S SONS STOOD BESIDE HIM
as he leaned over Carrie’s hospital bed, holding her hand.

Carrie looked up at Grant with dull, dark-circled eyes. “Please don’t write Jessica about this, darling. It’s just a little setback. I’ll get better. There’s no reason to worry her.”

“All right, honey. When I write her this week, I won’t tell her you’re in the hospital. But if you’re still in next week—”

“I won’t be. I’ll be home in a few days. I know you believe Jessica has a right to know what’s going on here, but there’s no reason to upset her needlessly. You can tell her I was in the hospital after I’m home again.”

Grant leaned over and kissed her cheek. “All right, we’ll do it your way. The boys and I will be back this evening.”

Both of Carrie’s sons kissed her, then left her hospital room. When they were outside, Daniel said, “Dad, I’m trying to keep an optimistic attitude about Mama, but I’ve got this ball of ice in the middle of my chest.”

“Me too,” David said. “I don’t think she’s going to live much longer.”

“We’ve kept your mother in prayer every day. We mustn’t give up hope. We’ve got to keep on praying.”

Josh and Jessica made plans for the wedding ceremony, using many of Madeline’s wise suggestions. They could hardly contain their excitement as they talked of life after they were married.

Jessica had been working on their house during the daytime, putting up new drapes and curtains and adding little changes in each room. Josh loved what she was doing and was eager for the day they could make the house their home.

Late on a Thursday afternoon in early August, Jessica was working in the kitchen when she heard Josh call from the front door, “Hello-o-o! I was told that the most beautiful woman in the world is in this house. Where is she?”

Jessica appeared in the short hallway with a scrub cloth in her hand. “She left. Will I do?”

Josh laughed as he took her in his arms. “She did not leave; she’s right here in my arms!” After he kissed her, Josh said, “Where have you been scrubbing this time?”

“Come into the kitchen. I’ll show you.”

After Josh bragged on how much cleaner the kitchen looked, he took an envelope out of his hip pocket and handed it to her. “I stopped by the post office for the mail. Here’s a letter from your dad.”

Josh watched Jessica closely as she unfolded the letter and read it silently. After reading a few lines, her expression changed.