Some youngsters bounced to the front, eager for attention, while others clung to a parent before leaving the safety of the pew. "Let all the little ones come forward." The minister then seated himself on the altar steps. Pastor Dooley's voice interrupted her reverie. And, Lord, somehow, if it be Your will, send me a child of my own. Rose knew the prayer should end there, but she couldn't help adding to it. Help me to accept with grace the path You have given me. Twisting her hands in her lap, she uttered a silent prayer. What kind of person begrudges her sister her happiness? To escape from her thoughts, Rose nestled closer to her father. She watched Lily brush a hand across Mat-tie's light-brown curls.
Behind them sat Caleb's father Andrew, his sister Sophie and his older brother Seth, a gentle giant of a man who doted on Mattie just as Rose did. Even when Lily had married handsome Caleb Montgomery, Rose had rejoiced in their happiness, content in her role as her widowed father's housekeeper.Īt the ripe old age of twenty-seven, she had made peace with the fact it was unlikely she would ever marry.Ĭaleb and Lily sat in a front pew, Lily cradling their toddler daughter, Mattie. Nor had she resented her sister's opportunity to spend months with their wealthy aunt in St. When they had lived at Fort Larned, Kansas, where their father was post surgeon, Rose, the plainer of the two, had understood that Lily, not she, would receive the attentions of the young officers. Never had she coveted Lily's dolls or wished she had her honey-blond hair and flawless complexion. She and her younger sister Lily had always been best friends.
Worse yet, it was her beloved sister she envied. There was no avoiding the issue or assigning a different name to her feelings. But in a place where she should have been at peace, Rose Kellogg bowed her head in shame. The pump organ filled the church with a soothing prelude.
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