“She’s quite good with little Jack. He seems to prefer her over me.”
Bedelia nodded. “And me.”
“Everyone has a purpose in life, my mother always says.” Faith could almost hear her saying it now. “Cornelia just had to wait a little longer for hers.”
“Just like you had to wait for Captain Gratton.”
“Yes.”
“What are you two ladies discussing? Or do I even want to know?” Andrew asked, joining them.
“We were just saying how sometimes you must wait a very long time for blessings.” Faith patted the bench beside her.
Instead of sitting, he reached down to pull her to her feet. “We’re leaving.”
“Leaving?” Faith gazed into his dark eyes. “And where are we going, Captain Gratton?”
“To the Morning Star, Dr. Gratton. The crew cleaned her from top to bottom, and Remli left us food in the galley. They’re taking the night off, away from the boat, so we can be alone until tomorrow morning.”
“But where will they stay?”
He laughed. “I said we can be alone until tomorrow, and you worry about where my crew will sleep?”
She smiled. “They’re my family now.”
“Well, it’s appropriate you should say so, because your family is putting them up. Now, must I carry you off through this crowd, or will we manage it with a more civilized stroll?”
Laughing, Faith turned to Bedelia. “Apparently I must bid you farewell.”
“I understand.” Bedelia got to her feet and smoothed her dark gray skirt. “God’s blessings on you, Faith.” She looked at the man standing beside her. “And on you, Andrew.”
Faith looped her arm through Andrew’s as they walked across the churchyard. “Now you really are family, Captain, and in such a short time you have won over the heart of the sternest and most deliberate of us all.”
He smiled and pulled her into his embrace. He lowered his mouth to kiss her and spoke just before their lips touched. “That, my dear, is the way of love.”
Author’s Note
The Storm King hit the Pacific Northwest on January 9, 1880. The accounts mentioned in the story are based on true reports of what happened that day and the resulting damage.
It is also true that Willamette University was the first college in the Pacific Northwest to have a medical college (1866) and to allow women students (1877). Though it was originally located in Salem, they moved the medical college to Portland in the winter of 1879–1880 and then back to Salem in 1895.
As for the laws regarding African-Americans, those are unfortunately true. Early in Oregon’s history, exclusion laws were enacted that made it illegal for African-Americans to reside in Oregon Country. Wagon trainmasters signed agreements not to allow black settlers in their trains. In one of the museums I visited, a display told the story of former slave Rose Jackson hiding in a box built into the wagon bed so she could come west with her former owner and their family. She had to hide in this tiny space all day as they traveled and could only come out at night when the coast was clear. She was my inspiration for Alma’s story.
There were three exclusion acts—Peter Burnett’s Lash Law called for African-Americans to be expelled from Oregon Country, and if they refused to go, they were to be lashed. The law was rescinded in 1845, when it was determined lashing was too harsh a punishment. The next exclusion law was passed in 1849 and stated that it was unlawful for any person of color to enter or reside in Oregon Territory. It was rescinded in 1854. The third and final exclusion act was passed in 1857 and was actually written into Oregon’s Bill of Rights. The clause prohibited African-Americans from being in the state, owning property, and creating contracts. Oregon became the only free state admitted to the Union with an exclusion clause in its constitution. It wasn’t repealed by voters until 1926, with the final racist language not removed until 2002.
While the exclusion laws were generally not enforced, they hung over the heads of African-Americans who feared that at any given moment, new laws might be passed to strip away their possessions and force them from the state. It discouraged African-Americans from moving west to Oregon, as they were often told that it was illegal for them to be there, despite the laws not being heavily enforced. This was especially driven home when the Fourteenth Amendment was up for ratification.
The Fourteenth Amendment, which grants citizenship to all people born or naturalized in the United States, including former slaves, was ratified in 1866. Oregon ratified with a very narrow margin and then, fearing the power being given to African-Americans, rescinded that ratification in 1868. The Fourteenth Amendment in Oregon was not re-ratified until 1973. They also refused to ratify the Fifteenth Amendment, which gave African-American men the right to vote. That law wasn’t ratified in Oregon until 1959.
For more information on these topics, visit the following websites:
climate.washington.edu/stormking/January1880.html
www.salemhistory.net/education/willamette_university.htm
oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/exclusion_laws/
oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/14th_amendment/
oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/15th_amendment/
Helen Hunt Jackson is a real character from history. She was so deeply moved by the plight of the Native Americans that she wrote a book called A Century of Dishonor, even going so far as to send a copy to every member of Congress. Sadly, it had little impact, but Mrs. Jackson continued to lecture and write. Her biography by Valerie Sherer Mathes, Helen Hunt Jackson and Her Indian Reform Legacy, is just one excellent way to learn more about this woman.
As for the laws against and conflicts with Native Americans, we should remember that despite being born in the United States, Native Americans weren’t given full citizenship until 1924, when President Calvin Coolidge signed the Indian Citizenship Act, also known as the Snyder Act. However, even then, Native Americans were not guaranteed the right to vote in every state until 1962. The third book in this series, Forever By Your Side, which releases in the fall of 2020, will speak more to some of the various laws and conflicts the Native Americans experienced in Oregon.
I have worked to be accurate with the details of history, even though some of them are quite appalling. I think it’s important to remember the past to keep those travesties from being repeated.
Jesus made it very clear in the Bible that we were to honor two commandments that can be basically summed up like this: Love God. Love others (Matt. 22:37–39). Yet we continue to treat one another with hate and prejudice. My prayer is that in seeing the conflicts of the past, we might find ways to eliminate those conflicts in our time so that in the future we will be able to hear from God, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
This isn’t about politics.
It’s about following Jesus. Loving God. Loving others.
—Tracie
Tracie Peterson is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than one hundred novels. Tracie also teaches writing workshops at a variety of conferences on subjects such as inspirational romance and historical research. She and her family live in Montana. Learn more at www.traciepeterson.com.
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Table of Contents
Cover
Half Title Page
Books by Tracie Peterson
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
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Author’s Note
About the Author
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