Chapter 13

Over the following month, Deborah spotted Timothy only on Sundays when he attended church. He sat at the back of the church and allowed Lily to sit with Deborah and her family. Pa would occasionally bring meals over to Timothy and Lily and he’d also fetch Lily so that she could walk to school with Deborah.

The cool autumn days turned colder as December arrived. Christmas was coming. Most of her students were excited about the upcoming holiday since school would be out for a few weeks and many of her pupils would receive Christmas gifts. As she strolled downtown on a cold Saturday afternoon, Deborah wondered what she should purchase as gifts for Pa, Ma, and Lily. She also wondered about Timothy. Should she purchase a gift for him? She sighed as she strolled into the post office. She eyed the small square holes built into the wall. Many were stuffed with letters while some were empty. She approached the counter. “Good afternoon.” She smiled at the postmaster.

“Good afternoon, Deborah. Expecting mail?”

“Yes, actually, I am.”

The postmaster searched the cubbyholes before he pulled a letter out and slid it across the counter to her.

The letter was from the women’s college.

“Thank you.” She barely breathed as she exited the post office and stood on the street. A red wax seal, embossed with the women’s college logo, was emblazoned on the back of the envelope. She broke the seal and slid the piece of paper out of the envelope.

Closing her eyes, she opened the letter. Lord, please let this be good news. She opened her eyes and read the letter.

She’d passed the test with a high score. She blinked as she read the rest of the letter, which invited her to attend the women’s college. Her heart pounded as she folded the letter and slid it back into the envelope. She closed her eyes and leaned against the post office building. Timothy popped into her mind. She thought about him helping her study at her kitchen table. His quick, agile mind and his friendliness had helped her reach this goal.

She missed him. She ached to rush over to his house and show him her acceptance letter. Well, she wouldn’t tell Timothy right now. However, she could share her good news with someone else. Taking the letter, she strolled across the street to the mercantile. Thankfully, it wasn’t very busy and Lucy met her at the door. “Good afternoon, Deborah. Looks like you have a lot on your mind.”

“I do have a lot on my mind.”

They hugged and Lucy led her to the back of the room near the stove. Without asking, she made coffee for them and then plopped into her seat. “So what’s wrong? I’ve been seeing Timothy sitting in the back of the church. I know you’ve been thinking about letting him court you.” Deborah had told Lucy about her conversation with Timothy. “So what’s on your mind?”

She shared her good news. “I was accepted into the women’s college.” She waved her letter in the air.

“Deborah.” Lucy’s voice echoed through the mercantile. “We must celebrate.” She jumped up from her chair and pulled a package of English biscuits off the shelf. She opened the box and placed the treats onto a tin plate. “I’ll tell my boss to dock the price of these biscuits from my wages. This is my treat. Eat some.”

Deborah bit into one of the vanilla biscuits and sipped more coffee. “Thank you, Lucy.”

“I got these biscuits to put a smile on your face. Stop frowning, Deborah. Isn’t this what you wanted, to get accepted into the college?”

“Yes, but Timothy helped me to study.”

“And?”

“And now I’ll have to go talk to him and let him know I was accepted into the college.”

“Well, talk to him. You haven’t said a word to him for a month. Clara has been trying to get him to come to Sunday dinner every week after church. Of course, he declines her invitation, but how long do you think the man will wait?”

“But there was so much we discussed the last time I spoke with him. Remember all that I told you about Eve … about what happened between them?”

“I understand, Deborah. You needed time. But we all make mistakes. We’re all sinners. Timothy made that mistake before he accepted Christ. He’s trying to do right. The whole point of courting is getting to know the person. Timothy is a Christian and he likes you. Give him a chance.”

Deborah asked Lucy how things had been going in the mercantile. As they chatted, they finished the biscuits and sipped coffee. After she purchased the supplies she needed and got them loaded into her wagon, Deborah continued to think about Lucy’s advice as she steered the wagon toward home.

After her visit with Lucy, Deborah continued to focus on her pupils. Since Christmas was coming, a lot of her students had a hard time concentrating on their lessons. They were restless, ready for the holiday to begin.

She also purchased gifts for her family. A pretty coffee cup for Ma, a tie for Pa, a doll for Lily.

For Timothy … She’d hesitated about what to purchase for him. She’d finally decided on two pairs of socks. Knowing how much he loved her ma’s hand pies, she decided to make a batch just for him. On Christmas morning she packed the hand pies, a few fresh eggs, and some ham into her dinner pail. She scooped up her Christmas gifts and walked out into the cold, frigid morning. As she strolled to Timothy’s house, snow fell from the sky. She leaned her head back and opened her mouth. A memory, pure and sweet, filled her mind. She remembered when she and Eve were children and they’d stand out in the yard when it snowed. They’d open their mouths to catch snowflakes. If they had a big snowfall, they’d bring in a bucketful of snow and her ma would add molasses to it, making a cold, sweet treat for them to enjoy.

Still grinning about the vivid memory, she knocked on Timothy’s door.

“Deborah.” The surprised tone of his voice made her smile.

“Merry Christmas, Timothy.” Oh my. He looked so handsome. He wore his overalls and his beige shirt. He smiled back, showing his beautiful milky white teeth. He gently pried the food bucket from her fingers and set it on the floor as she came into the house. Then he hugged her and kissed her cheek.

“Merry Christmas, Aunt Deborah.” Lily entered the kitchen. “Why did you bring the dinner pail this morning?”

“Because I’m going to make breakfast for both of you.”

The girl smiled. Her dark brown eyes sparkled like jewels. She looked so much like Eve that Deborah’s heart tugged with joy. She hugged her niece. “You brought Christmas presents?” Lily asked when she spotted the gifts. She jumped up and down, clapping her hands.

“Yes. This is for you.” Deborah pressed one of the gifts into Lily’s hand. Lily unwrapped her gift and squealed when she saw her new doll.

Deborah then focused on Timothy. “Merry Christmas.” She gave him his gift.

“Thank you, Deborah. Merry Christmas.” He offered her a small package.

Excited, she accepted the small, beautiful gift. The delicate scent of roses and lilac wafted from the rose-patterned paper. Carefully, she peeled off the paper and admired the fragrant bar of soap. “It’s beautiful, Timothy.” The soap was too pretty to use. She sniffed the soap as Timothy opened his gift.

“Deborah, thank you. I needed new socks.”

She touched his hand. “I also made you a batch of apple hand pies. We can enjoy them with breakfast if you like.”

After they’d enjoyed their delicious meal, Lily went into the adjoining room to play with her new doll. Deborah and Timothy made themselves comfortable at the kitchen table. “Timothy,” Deborah said, “I want to share some news with you. I passed the exam and was accepted into the women’s college.”

“Deborah, that’s wonderful. I’m so proud of you.” When he hugged her with his strong arms, she sniffed his wonderful scent of soap and hay.

He released her. “Thank you.” She took a deep breath. “I’ve given your offer a lot of thought over the last month. I’d love for you to court me.”

“Hallelujah!” He pulled her into his arms again and kissed her lips.