Читать книгу Return to Tinnin - Jasper S. Lee - Страница 8

The first of March was fast approaching. Ellen and Jasper shared letters. They had made plans for something big in their lives. Jasper was coming to Tinnin on the last day of February, and Ellen was to travel to Brandon on the morning of March 1. (In 1864, February had 29 days--it was leap year and a great time for lovers and marriage!)

Right after Valentine's Day and Jasper's return to Brandon, Ellen spoke to Pa. She waited until he was alone. She told him that she and Jasper were in love and wanted to be married. Pa had a fit! He rarely cussed, but he did on this occasion. He said a lot of bad things about Jasper. He wondered aloud about how they had the money to get married and go about getting life together underway. And ended with, "Hell, no!"

Ellen thought, "How could Pa be so opposed to Jasper?" The next day Ellen again talked to Pa alone. She explained that she didn't think it was right for him to reject Jasper; she said Jasper was a good man who had been so nice to her. She said Jasper was the nicest man she had ever met. He would be coming there on the last day of February to talk about marriage. Pa said that there was no need for him to do so. His mind was set, and he wouldn't change; Jasper was not the right man for her. Neither would Ellen change; her mind was made up regardless of what Pa said.

The last day of February arrived. Jasper rode the train to Clinton and, miraculously, hitched a wagon ride with a stranger to Tinnin. Pa had forbidden Ellen to take a wagon to meet him. Jasper had to walk down the long hill on the dirt road. Bummer started barking as soon as he came into sight. Ellen heard Bummer and went outside to calm him. She looked up the road, and there was Jasper! Pa was out back tending to animals and did not see Jasper coming down the hill--probably just as well.

Ellen was so happy. She ran out to greet Jasper, meeting him about halfway up the hill. She hugged him; he hugged her back. Ellen was nervous when she told Jasper a little of what Pa had said. Anyway, Jasper was at the Shepard home, and he and Ellen would do the best they could. Jasper thought that he loved Ellen so much that her pa's feelings were not about to change his mind. He really didn't like the way Pa was acting toward him. In the back of his mind, he kept thinking that Pa could sense that some things were hidden and weren't being told. Jasper didn't offer any more information.

Ellen invited Jasper into the house. He greeted Ma and the siblings who were present. Pa soon arrived with a few eggs in a basket. He immediately saw Jasper and exclaimed, "What are you doing here!"

Jasper was fairly blunt in answering, "I came to ask for the hand of your daughter Ellen in marriage." Pa was beside himself with anger and dropped the eggs. Rachel cleaned up the mess from the broken eggs.

Pa went on, "Just what else do you have in mind?"

Ellen stepped in, "Pa, Jasper is a good man. I believe he is right for me. I am in love with him. We plan to be married soon." Pa and Ma appeared upset but that didn't "dampen" the romance in the room. Pa stomped out to the porch to cool off. Ellen soon followed him.

Ellen said, "You and Ma always told me that a marriage should be a happy time that brings two families together. You also said that the time of courtship was more important than the wedding day. You know, I think you were likely right. We have been in courtship now for a few months--plenty long enough for us with our level of love and commitment." It was actually a little less than four months since they met at the Presbyterian Church in Brandon.

"Please, Pa. Jasper is my man." Ellen continued, "We will be getting married very soon. Let's work this out so we are all happy." Pa, beginning to cool a bit, said that this didn't sound good to him and he feared for his daughter. Ellen indicated that she wasn't afraid. And, "Pa, Jasper needs to stay here tonight. Okay?"

Pa said, "No." Ellen indicated that if Jasper couldn't stay there that he would leave and she would go with him. Pa stared off the porch into the fruit orchard for a few moments. Then, he relented and said, "Well, okay; he can stay here tonight, but he must leave first thing in the morning. He sleeps on the pallet in the closet under the stairs, and you in your bed." Ellen thanked Pa and said Jasper would leave early the next day.

Ellen went inside and quietly spoke to Ma about what was happening. She explained that she could not understand the attitude of Pa toward Jasper. Ellen said that she and Jasper loved each other and that they wanted to marry and spend their lives together. Ma listened patiently and then said, "You know your Pa. He wants good for his daughters; he wants the best for each of you. I suspect you should heed what he has said."

Ellen continued talking with Ma with thoughts about the future. She said that she and Jasper could live in the house for a short while, work, and then get a place of their own. She also said another way for them to stay was to set aside certain land for them and they would work it. Anyway, the farm was plenty large enough for another worker and to support one additional person. She reminded Ma that the slaves were about gone and that the farm needed more workers to do what they had formerly done. Always promoting Jasper, Ellen indicated that he was a skilled farm worker who knew how to go about getting things done.

After a night of trying to sleep on a pallet of corn shucks in a cotton-pick sack, Jasper was up early. The only family member up was Ellen. Jasper was preparing to leave. But no one knew that Ellen had come into the closet where Jasper slept on a pallet after all were asleep. They agreed that she would be leaving with him. They would catch the train to Brandon and go to the Clerk's office to get a marriage license. Jasper had saved $62 from his work; Ellen had only a couple of dollars.

So, Ellen was also discretely packing. She didn't want to alarm family members and create additional anger. It was soon time to go. Pa did not yet know that Ellen was also leaving. He spoke to Ellen, saying that she could not use the wagon to take Jasper to the depot in Clinton. At that point, Ellen knew she had to provide more details.

"Pa," Ellen said, "I am leaving with Jasper. Our plans are to get married day after tomorrow in Clinton at the home of the Institute for Women (Hillman College) chaplain, Reverend Autry. We will get our license this afternoon at the Clerk's office in Brandon."

Pa shouted, "No!" Ellen indicated that his thoughts didn't much matter at this stage. Pa went further. "You ain't staying at this house--not ever. If you marry him, you leave here." Ellen shed a couple of tears and accepted what her father said.

Ellen was beginning to realize that she might never see her ma, sisters, and brothers again. She hugged each and said goodbye. But, Pa was too bitter for a hug.

Ellen and Jasper left, walking up the hill trail with each carrying a few possessions. They walked to the home of her cousin Susan Ratliff. Ellen knocked firmly on the door. Susan came to the door all sleepy-eyed. Ellen explained that she and Jasper needed a ride to the depot in Clinton and very soon. "We have a train to catch in about an hour." Susan quickly got ready and had her brother join them as they hitched horses to the wagon and headed out.

As they rode to the depot, Ellen told Susan the couple's plans. She asked Susan to go by and tell Ma what they were doing on her way back home. As they approached the depot, they went a hundred yards or so out of the way to Reverend Autry's home. There they met with him and said they were on their way to get a marriage license. He agreed to perform the rites of matrimony the next day at 3:00 p.m. in his home. Ellen said that a few family members and friends might attend but no more than 10 people.

Afterward, Ellen asked Susan to also share the details of the wedding with Ma and Susan's own family; she wanted them to come to the wedding. She asked Susan if she would be her attendant and wear a Sunday school dress. Then Jasper and Ellen bought tickets and caught the train to Brandon.

The train arrived in Brandon just in time for Jasper and Ellen to go to the Clerk's office on Government Street to get the license. The Clerk was Henry Cole. He quickly issued a marriage license dated March 1, 1864. The license granted an authorized individual to "Celebrate the Rites of Matrimony of Jasper H. Lee and Ellen L. Sheppard." (Ellen noticed that her last name had an extra "p," but she didn't say anything.)

Ellen and Jasper then went to Mulholland's Store just across the roadway to get a dress for her and coat and pants for him. Ellen got what she wanted--a simple white dress! It had a tiny waist, had a bow on the back, and properly emphasized her feminine features. Jasper got a navy jacket and pants. Money was short; they would have to wear the shoes they had. They went to the jewelry area of the store and bought $2 wedding bands. Then it was to Sister Annie's Boarding House for the night. They had to share a small bed that night but Ellen remained true to wearing a white wedding dress.

They were up about usual time the next morning preparing to catch the train to Clinton. And, were they excited! Jasper walked about a quarter mile to the job office of the railroad and said that he was quitting. He thanked everyone for allowing him to have the job. Of course, his job supervisor grumbled something about such a short notice. Jasper said he was sorry, but it would have to be that way. He told the desk clerk at the boarding house that he would not be back. He told the people at both places that he was about to marry the woman of his dreams.

Jasper packed what little he had into a small, ragged suitcase. Ellen had what she brought the previous day. They wore their wedding clothes. Jasper folded the marriage license and placed it in the pocket of his coat--he didn't want to lose it.

After a half-mile walk to the depot, they bought tickets and boarded the 11:48 a.m. train to Jackson and Clinton. The train arrived in Clinton at 2:08 p.m.; fortunately it was on time. They walked the short distance to the home of Reverend Autry on the campus of the Institute for Women, or at least what was left of it after Civil War destruction.

They arrived at the house a little early and waited under a tree in the front yard. Just before they were ready to go in, a wagon arrived with Ellen's cousin Susan and Susan's brother and parents. Greetings were exchanged. Close behind was a wagon with Ma, Rachel, Mag, Naomi, and Georgia Ann. The other siblings stayed at home with Pa, who didn't want them to see the wedding. He didn't want Ma or the other children to go either, but Ma was firm and went. Jasper had no family or friends present. Maybe that was appropriate, as no one knew his family, much less anything about him.

Some residents of the Tinnin community thought it was sad that Pa didn't come to the wedding of his oldest daughter. He was very upset. He felt that Ellen was misjudging Jasper. He sent word for the newly married couple not to come to the house and that he never wanted to see Jasper again. This was heartbreaking to Ellen. A family divide had occurred. Ellen might never again see her parents.

Almost everyone wore Sunday school clothes. Ellen freshened a tad in a side room and came out as a radiant bride. The bride and groom quickly reviewed details with the preacher. Jasper gave the preacher the marriage license (which he later signed and returned to the Rankin County Clerk's office).

Reverend Autry performed the ceremony in the front room of the house. Being Baptist, he more or less used Baptist wedding vows. The ceremony was kept simple. Susan held the ring Ellen had for Jasper; Jasper held the ring he had for Ellen. After announcing why they were there, the preacher had a short prayer asking for God's blessing of the union between Jasper and Ellen. He then went into recitation of the wedding vows.

The preacher spoke: "Will you, Ellen, have Jasper to be your husband? Will you love him, comfort him, and keep him, forsaking all others to remain true to him? Will you honor him, submit to him, and strive to follow his direction as his helpmate? If so, say, 'I do.'"

Ellen said, "I do."

The preacher continued. "Repeat after me: "I, Ellen, take thee, Jasper, to be my husband, and before God and these witnesses, I promise to be a faithful, obedient, and true wife.'" Ellen repeated the vow.

Next, Reverend Autry spoke to Jasper: "Will you, Jasper, take Ellen to be your wife? Will you love her, comfort her, and keep her, forsaking all others? If so, say, 'I do.'"

Jasper said, "I do."

The preacher continued. "Repeat after me: 'I, Jasper, take thee, Ellen, to be my wife, and before God and these witnesses, I promise to be a faithful and true husband.'" Jasper looked and smiled at Ellen and repeated the statement.

Reverend Autry called for the exchange of rings. Susan passed Jasper's ring to Ellen. Ellen repeated the words the preacher had asked her to say as she slipped the ring on Jasper's finger: "With this ring I thee wed, and all my worldly goods I thee endow. In sickness and in health, in poverty or in wealth, 'til death do us part."

Jasper took Ellen's ring from his pocket and repeated the same vows as Ellen. He placed it on Ellen's ring finger. The preacher said a short prayer to end the ceremony. The bride and groom kissed and hugged. The preacher now pronounced them Mr. and Mrs. Lee.

Ellen glowed with pride. She walked over and hugged her mother and said goodbye. She also told her mother to tell Pa that she loved him. It appeared that everyone present was happy. Jasper slipped Reverend Autry $2 for doing the ceremony.

As the small group was still gathered, Ellen quietly requested her cousin Susan to ask her parents if the couple could stay at their house that night. Permission was given. Ellen and Jasper had no transportation, so they rode to Susan's home in the Ratliff's wagon with them--made the wagon kind of full. But, it was exciting to the newlyweds.

At Susan's home, the newlyweds brought in their luggage and went to the room that was theirs for the night. It was a small room, isolated away from other family, with a tiny, shuttered window. They got out of their wedding clothes and dressed to take a walk over to the Ratliff Store and otherwise look around the area. They held hands, hugged, kissed, and laughed. Anticipation of their future was exciting but nerve-wracking. They did not know where they would be the next night. A bit later, they joined Cousin Susan's family for supper.

As the morning sun rose, the newlyweds were up and about. They gathered their things together. As they were doing this, Ma arrived in a wagon with a few things that belonged to Ellen. These were going with her as the couple ventured west. Ellen and Jasper were without a destination; they were going wherever the situation merited. Ellen again hugged her mother and said thank you for bringing her things and goodbye.

Susan and her brother drove the newlyweds to the Clinton depot, where they were catching a train to Vicksburg. A lot of things were in disarray, as the Union forces had just moved through the area on their way to the East Coast. The railroad was still operating, however. Some of it had been patched up following damage by military forces. Anyway, it was deemed safe for travel to Vicksburg. Ellen and Jasper hugged Susan and her brother goodbye. They bought tickets and boarded the train.

In Vicksburg, they found a room in a home with a woman widowed by the war, a Mrs. Cornweller. She was a sweet lady of the Old South who could not figure out how the Confederates allowed the Union forces to take Vicksburg--a major shipping city of the South (her family had operated a dock). She talked about all she had lost in the war, particularly her husband. Their older children were gone from home and living in the Chicago area, and she was alone. She said something about not knowing how she was going to live. She began crying. Ellen hugged her and tried to offer comfort. Ellen encouraged her to have faith in a divine being. She suggested that Mrs. Cornweller might talk with her preacher. Mrs. Cornweller shrugged and muttered, "He is a damn Yankee!" Ellen asked what she meant.

Mrs. Cornweller tried to explain about the preacher at her church. She said he was originally from the North and had protected former slaves and befriended Union troops. He once said that he didn't think slavery was right and that he didn't feel that folks in Vicksburg and the South should go to war to defend it. The preacher even provided special care for an injured Union soldier from Illinois and had him to come to church when she was there. "How could he do that to me!" she exclaimed. She wondered aloud about how any preacher could aid a Union troop. She went on, "Surely, it was a great sin." (Ellen instantly thought about what Pa had taught her about the definition of sin varying. Wow! A perfect example of Pa's wisdom.)

She had curiosity, though, about the Union soldier, as she tried to stand close enough to hear what he said. Mrs. Cornweller said she overheard him talking about his home area in Illinois...the fertile, black soil was so very good for growing corn. He talked about the new equipment that farmers now used to save labor and get more work done. They were able to produce more corn with fewer hours of labor. Mrs. Cornweller probably didn't like it that the Yankees had moved ahead of the South in farming methods. So, Mrs. Cornweller really unloaded on Ellen and appeared to feel better afterward.

Ellen was somewhat shocked by what Mrs. Cornweller went on to say. She said that slavery wasn't that bad. Slaves had food, clothing, and other needs provided by their owners. She further said she could find evidence in the Bible that slavery was a Christian thing. Goodness, Ellen thought, how could anyone feel that way? This caused Ellen to question some of Christianity. But, ever-thoughtful Ellen did not challenge Mrs. Cornweller. The kind of talk just made Ellen more resolute in plans for her and Jasper to leave on their uncertain route for unknown places to the west of Vicksburg.

Jasper got a job at Shawver & Pollock, a commission merchant, located near the dock at the corner of Levee and Crawford Streets. He told a Mr. Shawver that George W. Shepard was his father-in-law and that he needed a job. Mr. Shawver remembered George W. Shepard as a good occasional customer. The firm hired Jasper to do a variety of work, such as unloading shipments, stocking goods, and loading purchases onto wagons. His pay was $1.65 a day.

Ellen helped Mrs. Cornweller straighten and clean her house and the yard around it in exchange for the cost of her and Jasper's room. The location was on the edge of the Vicksburg battlefield. The severe Siege of Vicksburg had occurred there a few months earlier. Destruction was all about, though some effort was underway to clean and reconstruct the area.

One afternoon, Ellen and Mrs. Cornweller took a stroll into some of the area of destruction. It was bad. Building scraps, discarded clothing, shoes, kitchenware, lead slugs from ammunition, and bones from animals or people were about. A couple of obviously human skulls were evident. Parts of a tiny skeleton that appeared to be that of a young human baby were partially covered with an old cloth. Seeing all this caused Ellen to think back on what Pa said about war. No doubt, war brought out the worst in human behavior. There should be a way to avoid something like this.

After a few days, it was time for Jasper and Ellen to move on. They had to work their way to the West. In spite of their challenges, Jasper always had patience, kindness, and consideration for Ellen; he loved her. She reciprocated.

They crossed the Mississippi River on a ferry from the Vicksburg dock into Louisiana. Ellen and Jasper looked around, and the land was very flat; they liked gently rolling hills. Fortunately, they were able to catch a ride on a wagon with a man who had brought people from Tallulah, Louisiana, to catch a ferry to Mississippi. He drove them to the train depot in Tallulah for 25 cents. They found that Union gunboats had set fire to and burned the depot of the Vicksburg, Shreveport, and Texas Railroad Company. A shack-like temporary depot was being used--not much of a place, but it worked.

Ellen and Jasper caught a train for Monroe and Shreveport, Louisiana. The stop in Monroe let passengers who had reached their destination off and new passengers on. The land still looked too flat for Ellen and Jasper's liking, though there were a few hills off in the distance. It appeared that a lot of crop farming went on the area. Lots of mules and horses and not many goats or cattle were evident. Just maybe Ellen and Jasper would like a mix of hills and flat land.

They thought Shreveport would be their destination, but it was not to be. The Red River in Shreveport offered more flat land but not a very wide expanse compared with the Mississippi River Delta of Louisiana. More of the West was on their minds. They decided that they would sleep that night on benches in the Shreveport depot before boarding an early morning train to Athens, Texas. Ellen was fearful of sleeping in a depot. There might be some "bad" people who would beat them up and rob them; also, the good-looking, newly married woman might be assaulted. Jasper assured Ellen that he would protect her. They were not alone in the depot, as three other people also stayed in it that night. All of them seemed to be honest, law-abiding folks who did not pose threats of robbery or assault.

They had heard that the Athens area was nice hill country and a good place to put down roots. They boarded the train in the early morning for Athens, Texas. Along the way, Jasper and Ellen peered out the window of the train car. They liked the lay of the land and what they saw. It wasn't flat like the Mississippi River Delta in Louisiana or steep like the loess hills around Vicksburg. They saw a few homes and farms with animals and fields being readied for another crop year. It appeared to be an okay area to them.

About noon, the train arrived in Athens, Texas. Ellen and Jasper got off. They saw a poster that said Texas became a state in 1845 and Henderson County was established in 1846. The largest town around was Athens, with about 300 people but growing fairly rapidly. The lay of the land was appealing, and the Trinity River was nearby. They learned that the climate was hot and humid in the summer and mild to cool in the winter. They were excited about this being a place where they might settle down.

They walked the short streets, carrying their suitcases. They looked around for a boarding house or other place to stay or to work. The didn't see much that appealed to them or that they could afford. They were getting anxious. Particularly Ellen was nervous in this new place with strange ways of doings things. Jasper could sense that Ellen was uneasy; he gave her a hug, said "I love you," and assured her that everything would work out.

As they walked, they came upon a couple of mercantile stores, a saloon, and a couple of churches. One of the churches was a Methodist Episcopal, and the other was a Presbyterian. The thought quickly came to their minds about the importance of the Presbyterian Church in Brandon, Mississippi, in helping them get to know each other. Ellen reminded Jasper of where they first met and began to fall in love. Jasper was quick to respond, "Yes, that was a great place to me." The steps of the Presbyterian Church were a spot to sit briefly, rest from their walking, and contemplate.

Ellen remembered one of the sing-along songs from the evening they first met: "The Yellow Rose of Texas." She started trying to sing it, and Jasper sort of joined in. Yes, that song helped bring them closer together now that they were in Texas! But, they had not seen a yellow rose!

For the first time since marriage, Ellen began to think back to her family. She had never been away more than a night at a time. She remembered Ma and Pa. She remembered her sisters and brothers. And, she couldn't forget Bummer, who once notified her that Jasper had arrived in Tinnin. But she didn't have long to let her mind wander. The couple had things to do.

The conversation turned to the role of church in their lives. Ellen said she and her family had sometimes gone to Mason Chapel in Tinnin. It was small and had an itinerant Methodist Episcopal preacher. Mostly, not much went on since Preacher Hoyle had died of a heart attack after fright from Union troops on Easter Sunday of last year. She stated that her family had a large Bible in which important dates and events were recorded. But, they seldom read from it and seldom had prayer other than a blessing before Sunday dinner. Ellen did say that she was christened as a small girl by the preacher at Mason Chapel. She continued, "I think that involved sprinkling a few drops of water on my head. How about you, Jasper?"

Jasper didn't have much to say about church. He said he had seen a few preachers. He said he once went to a brush arbor revival and was scared by the preacher's message of "burning in hell." He said it "sounded hot and bad" to him. He said that when the folks were singing and the preacher was begging people to come forward and "accept Jesus Christ as savior," he went down to the front. He said the preacher shook his hand and said a brief prayer. The preacher said Jasper would be baptized at the local creek by immersion. Jasper said, "I asked him what that meant. He said dunking me under the water." That scared him. Jasper continued that he "left that town before baptism." Maybe some day he would be baptized. He never learned who Jesus Christ was, either. It would take some explaining to make a "believer" out of him. But, that didn't matter to Ellen. She was with the man of her dreams. She knew that their love was more than being about going to church and the like.

It was time to walk some more. They had a good conversation on the steps of the church. It would probably serve as a foundation for future church endeavors of Ellen and Jasper and any children they might have. In general, they were in agreement on the role of church in their lives. They tried to accept Pa's explanation that the definition of sin varies with the situation and who is involved but that one should always attempt to do what is right and moral. Treat others as you would like to be treated. They would affiliate in some way with a church once they had found a place for settling down. They had little idea about the church and preacher that lay ahead in their lives.

Finally, as night was approaching, they came upon the Witherspoon Hotel and its saloon. The saloon had its own name, Spoon Saloon, and was often known locally as "The Spoon." The hotel wasn't new nor fancy at all, but a room was available at a rate they could afford. Jasper paid $1.50 for three nights. Since Ellen and Jasper didn't drink (with their limited money, they couldn't afford to), the presence of a saloon didn't seem important.

There was one more thing Ellen wanted to do: write a letter to Mrs. Cornweller in Vicksburg. She wanted to thank her for befriending them by allowing the couple to stay in her home, but mostly she wanted to cheer her up. Mrs. Cornweller had seemed so down on life and her ability to survive. That night in their room at the Witherspoon, with the light of a flickering lamp, Ellen wrote a letter for mailing the next day. She wanted to help Mrs. Cornweller feel better and adjust to life after the Civil War. Though she didn't say so in the letter, she really wanted to set Mrs. Cornweller straight on slavery; that could be something for another time as it would probably aggravate her at this time of grieving in the death of her husband. Maybe, in the back of her mind, Ellen really wanted to write her parents and tell them where she was, but she did not do so, because the joining of her and Jasper had created a family divide.

Ellen and Jasper could now relax a bit after their trip from Vicksburg. But, serious relaxation would be a tad difficult and elusive. They had a future to plan and realize. And, they had to face the challenges of getting through tomorrow, the next day, and the days afterward.