Pregnant Mail Order Brides

Fern held onto her hat as the wind picked up on the sunny spring day in Cooper Mountain, Alabama. Smiling as the scent of magnolias filled the air Fern couldn't wait to reach her destination in Jewel Hollow, South Dakota. As long last she would have a family again, someone to cling to at night, and someone to call her own.

Fern boarded the train as the smile stayed on her face she couldn't help but look forward to the future which at the moment seemed as bright as the sun shining in the sky.  Taking a seat next to the window she removed her hat and placed it on her lap securing her gloves on her hands and took a few deep breaths to calm her nerves.

A young girl close to her own age happened by and looked at the seat beside Fern. Fern smiled and nodded for the girl to sit down in the seat beside her. The girl adjusted her own gloves as she drew in a deep breath seeming apprehensive just like Fern.

Christine Russell pleased to meet you, Christine said as she held out her hand.

I'm Fern Wood, pleased to meet you too, Fern said as she shook the girl’s hand.

I've never traveled by train before, but my grandmother said it would be okay. I'm headed to Texas to marry a farmer I met through mail-order bride ad, Christine said as she wrung her hands together.

Fern blinked at the girl as she had the same type of situation. Well, I'm headed to South Dakota to a lovely place near Jewel Hollow to marry a rancher and cowboy named Joshua. We also met through a mail-order bride ad. I've had a long hard time of trying to figure out what I want to do with my life. I'm nineteen and not getting any younger, Fern said recalling how she felt like a spinster when her nineteenth birthday arrived with no hope of finding a suitor or husband.

Christine giggled. Well, you are an old woman at nineteen and not married. Back in my home, we referred to this as an old maid, Christine said and laughed. Just kidding! I don't think you're an old maid. You're not an old maid to you reach twenty at least. Both girls laughed this time.

How old are you? For a moment, Fern thought Christine to be around sixteen.

Eighteen. And my grandmother said I needed to go and get married. She encouraged me when I was seventeen to begin writing to this man in Iowa who owns a farm, and he's also close to South Dakota. So we've been writing for about six months, and my grandmother said it was time for me to go and marry the guy. He has a ranch in Iowa, but he’s in Texas visiting his family, and I’m meeting him there. We’ll marry and have our honeymoon there and then return to the ranch in Iowa. Christine spoke as if it were nothing.

Aren't you nervous? Fern asked.

A little but not really. We got to know each other pretty well through the post, and I'm okay with him. What about you? Christine asked as she turned facing Fern.

Fern glanced out the window thinking about her own sad life story. Of course, Christine had mentioned her grandmother so she had assumed that Christine was in a similar situation. Well you see, my father passed away when I was sixteen just three years ago. My mother died when I was five giving birth to my baby brother, and he died with her. So my father raised me until he got sick and died. Then I went and stayed with the neighbor. And I was like you when I turned seventeen I began writing to a man named Joshua who lives in South Dakota. We got to know each other pretty well through the letters. Fern blushed. In fact, both of us claim that we are falling in love even though I've never laid eyes on the man. He seems like a nice person and a very hard working one at that. He's a little older than me, he's twenty-five. He had been engaged to a young lady when they were eighteen, and then she got sick and died. He was distraught over her for a long time, and that’s when he began working on his ranch. A year ago, about the time he placed the ad for the mail order bride he established his business. He owns many cattle. He even has people who work for him. Joshua learned it all from his family but his parents are a lot older, and they left him with some money. But he proposed to me when I turned eighteen, and we continued writing to each other for a while. Joshua finally told me he wanted to start a family and that he was ready. He was waiting for his ranch to begin turning a profit before he brought me over to become his wife. So that's what I'm doing, off to marry Joshua to be his wife. What happened to your parents? Fern asked her new friend.

Christine nodded as a sad look crossed her face. My parents died when I was really young in a house fire. I didn't have any brothers and sisters, and my grandpa died before I was born. My grandmother is getting older, and she’s the one who raised me. She said she had to send me off before she could rightfully take her place in heaven knowing that I was going to be okay. So it looks like we're on for this train ride for a little while at least until I get off in Texas and then you'll get to go on through until South Dakota. Christine offered a small smile as the young ladies compared their sad lives.

See we come from similar situations. Joshua will be my family once we’re married. I have no family since my father passed away three years ago. My neighbor was nice to allow me to live with them. They have a large family. But I never felt a real part of their family. I’ve dreamed of having my own someday. I can’t wait to meet Joshua in person, Fern said.

The young ladies continued talking as they got to know one another better each grateful for the company.

The train pulled into Texas a day later, and Fern had to say goodbye to her new friend, Christine.

Good luck with your marriage. I hope it works out, Fern to Christine as they stood on the platform. Christine turned to grab her bags and turned back to Fern.

And good luck to you as well. Joshua sounds like a nice young man. I hope you have many happy years and many babies and grow your family big and vigorous, Christine said, and the two girls quickly hugged each other before Fern turned and made her way to the other side of the platform to board the train again.

Fern - Chapter Two

After Fern had boarded the train, they headed north into Oklahoma. There would be a stop in Kansas and finally reaching South Dakota in another two days depending on the stops of the train. Fern made herself comfortable as she didn't have a friend to help pass the time this go around. She watched couples and families traveling together and envied them. Looking forward to finally meeting Joshua, Fern couldn't wait to get married. The loneliness she felt in her life hit hard as the desire to find her own family grew strong.

As the train passed to the border into Oklahoma Fern whispered a prayer to God thanking Him for bringing her this far. It was Joshua and Fern’s belief in God that brought them together, she believed. Joshua told her he wanted a Christian lady for a wife. Fern’s father made sure she grew up attending church. Fern became saved when she was ten. Then when her father fell sick when Fern was just fifteen, and it helped knowing where her father would go when he finally did pass away. Her neighbors were friendly, and they too were a church family, but the Addams had seven children, and she was just another mouth to feed among the many they had.

In Oklahoma, the train finally stopped allowing her a chance to stretch her legs for a few minutes. The excitement turned up with the conductor said the next stop would be at the northern border of Kansas and then after that they would arrive in South Dakota where she would meet with her destiny. As the train left Oklahoma City, she noticed how the desolate area looked compared to the dusty towns in Texas. There weren’t many cities or towns along the way in Oklahoma just a lot of wide-open country. Fern had heard talk about the taverns and the bars in the area, and she lifted her eyes heavenward thanking God that she didn't have to deal with that kind of life.

As Fern dosed off while staring out the window, she became startled when a cowboy on a horse rode by the window as fast as he could. A bandana covered the man’s face his cowboy hat low hiding his eyes. He pulled out his pistol from his hip and stuck it straight in the air. Fern sat up, and before she could say anything, the cowboy fired the gun in the air as other cowboys on horses ahead of him did the same. The train slowed coming to a stop. Fern grasped her bag to her firmly for she'd kept it near her the entire trip. Her trunk was underneath the train car. People began screaming and crying while others gasped and yelled.

The train robbers boarded the train and came into the car where Fern sat. The man, tall and dusty had narrow eyes that peered out between his hat and bandana looking idly to each passenger. His voice was garbled as if he missed some of his teeth. Fern had trouble understanding what he said as he told everyone to get up and put their hands in the air.

Fern had no choice but to do so with the other passengers and follow suit. They filed off the train and stood in a row with their hands above their heads. Seven robbers had their guns pointing at the people as they walked by, a few began pulling the trucks out from underneath going through the passengers’ belongings. Fern began to whimper wishing she weren’t standing there being robbed. South Dakota seemed so far away right then. She wished she had a way of letting Joshua know what was happening to her. He expected her in the next couple of days, and now she wasn’t on schedule for having the train stopped as it did. The men were rough with the people as they came down the line pushing and pulling.

One man tried to fight, and the robber pulled out his gun and shot him in the leg. The man screamed crumbling to the ground. Fern cried while watching the uproar and drew attention to herself. Fern wasn't the only one screaming but for some reason, this particular robber set his eyes upon her. She shook her head and stepped back as a commotion broke out and people were fighting the robbers. Some tried to escape by running. The guns blazed with bullets flying. A few of the passengers engaged in fist fights. Fern just wanted to get away.

It's the law! The law! One of the robbers yelled as Fern contemplated running. But it wasn't fast enough, and there were more robbers then there were Marshalls. More guns fired as several of the robbers went down, but more commotion broke out as the fight continued.

Fern saw her chance and tried to run away hoping to avoid the major pitfalls happening behind her. But as she ran she heard footsteps behind her, and sure enough, one of the robbers closed in after her in hot pursuit. She circled back. Help! Please, help! Fern yelled, but the gunfire and the shots were so loud no one could hear her screams for help.

Fern ran as fast as she could as she tried to get away from the robber. She had a heel on her boots which kept her from running as fast as she knew she could go. She wished she could stop and pull her boots off so she could run faster. But he kept pursuing her. I’m going to catch you, girl. You can’t escape me, the robber growled behind her. Fern ran away from the train when she realized no one seemed to have noticed her being chased. She noticed more robbers and figured that there are more than just the seven she saw the beginning.

Please, please stop chasing me! Go away, Fern yelled as she continued running but her side began hurting as stitches formed from all the exertion.

You better stop and let me have you now, or it's going to be even worse if I have to keep running and catch you later, the man said. He was in hot pursuit of her and on her heels when she came to a creek running through a field. Hopping over it gingerly she paused as the man fell for his foot had landed on a stone that rolled out from underneath him.

Fern kept running and hoped that the man would not be able to get up and run after her again.

Fern - Chapter Three

Before Fern could fully get away from the train, she remembered seeing a little community just up the road where she intended to run. However, someone caught her shoulder and yanked her roughly backward causing her to stumble and fall onto her back. She looked up and squinted into the sun the light blinding her eyes with a glare and blocked her vision. The man kicked dust into her face causing her to cough and spit as her eyes stung from the grains of sand. Before she knew it, the man yanked her back up and pulled her along back around to an empty car on the other side of the tracks void of people. He put his hand over her mouth and yanked her along as she tried to fight and scream but his hand came back smacking her square across the nose and immediately blood poured forth from her beautiful face. He grabbed her to him and shoved his hand bearing down hard on her shoulder. If you don't stop doing this I'm going to kill you, the man growled into her ear.

Fern fought the man a little more, but the man yanked her back by her hair. Stop it! I'm telling you right now it's going to be worse on you if you don't stop struggling and just do as I say, the man said.

Fern tried to turn around and begged him to stop. Please, please, sir, don't do this, Fern said as she fought to wiggle out of his grip.

Stop this? I'm not going to stop this. In fact, I'm going to take what I want, the man said as he grabbed her to him and planted his unclean lips on her forcing her into a kiss that nearly made her vomit into his mouth. Fern beat her fist on his back, and he reared back looking at her, amused. Oh, you like this? You like the rough play?

No, please don't do this, please, just let me go. I won't say anything. Just go. Go run and hide, Fern said as she waved her hand off in the other direction. But the man wouldn't have it for he had demons in his eyes as he looked at the young lady and aimed to take what he wanted from her. Yanking his bandana off he pulled her arms behind her back and tied them together so that she couldn't fight. The only thing left for was her feet, and she tried to kick him but when she did he pulled his gun out and held it up to her.

Fern submitted to her fate as she averted her eyes as he pulled her body along bruised and battered and she stumbled with the man as he brought her into a field and stopped underneath a giant oak tree. And there he threw her down trying her up where she couldn't get away though she squirmed and screamed. He came down on top of her face with his right hand screaming at her. Stop! No one is coming to your aid!

The robber pulled out another bandana from his trouser pocket and wrapped it around