November Novel Essential Information

 Novel Title: Here to Stay

Time Setting: 2020

Genre: Life

Minimum Word Goal: 90,000

Timespan: June–August

Location: Clearwater County, Alberta, Canada

Main Characters: James & Jacob Williams

Background Information: 

The Williams family has lived on the banks of the Clearwater River for 123 years; the first member of the family to settle the area was Edward Williams back in 1897, when he brought his wife and young children to the log cabin he’d built shortly before bringing his first few head of Shorthorn cattle to the property, establishing the Clearwater Ranch.

His oldest son Joseph, after serving in the First World War, inherited the ranch, followed by his oldest son — a veteran of the Second World War — Levi, whose youngest son, Samuel, who was more interested in the ranch than either of his older brothers, inherited the ranch from him.

At present Samuel’s only son James is the owner and operator of the ranch, having been thrust into the position at the tender age of 20 when Samuel was run down and crushed against a fencepost by an aggressive bull, succumbing to his injuries within days.

Although James’ great-grandmother died at the age of 103 that same year, Samuel’s death has been considered the beginning of the Decade of Death for the Williams family — sometimes condensed as the Deadcade.

Just over two years later James’ wife died from complications giving birth to their second son, and less than two years after that came the death of his best friend and second cousin, who was struck and instantly killed by a drunk driver who'd crossed the centre line at speed just weeks before James’ second cousin was going to get married — in fact, he’d been on his way to visit his fiancée.

Then came James’ grandfather’s death at 89, which is considered the end of the Decade of Death for the most part, even though James’ grandmother died three years after her husband, and was followed two years later by her niece-in-law, the mother of James’ second cousin, who’d had poliomyelitis as a child and had begun to experience breathing complications related to that illness.

As a result of their both being widowed in rapid succession, James brought his mother as well as his sister back to live with him and his two sons, Nathaniel and Jacob, from the acreage his parents had moved onto following his marriage; his sister departed as soon as she graduated high school because of her intense, surprising, and inexplicable hatred of her parents and brother.

Thus the household is presently four, although come autumn it will be experiencing its first reduction in fourteen years, as Nathaniel has just graduated high school and will be going off to agricultural college in an effort to learn more about the management of the ranch from an accounting and marketing perspective — the part of ranching James hates, and thus is quite grateful his firstborn is willing to take on.

Jacob, in turn, will be entering his final three years of publicly-funded education, starting high school, which is hard for James to believe, considering how it feels like just yesterday that his wife bid him farewell and lapsed into unconsciousness while doctors frantically strove to keep her alive, even though it was nearly fifteen years ago.

There are changes beyond the scope of the Clearwater Ranch also, the most recent and notable being that the property next door is being redeveloped.

Originally the property next door had been settled as a ranch by one of Edward Williams’ ranch hands, but his grandson sold the property in 1984 because his sons weren’t interested in ranching.

A hard-drinking, aggressive, negligent couple with the surname of Harris bought the place and — as far as most in the community are concerned — destroyed it over twenty four years, only driven out of the community when they tried to get their younger son out of a jail sentence he fully deserved.

It was he who struck and killed James’ best friend and second cousin while not merely driving drunk, but fleeing police, who witnessed the accident in real time. Everyone in the community was agog that the Harris’ attempted to appeal the conviction, considering how clear-cut it was, having been witnessed by multiple police officers and a couple of other travellers as well.

Their efforts bankrupted them, forcing them out of the community within a year of the accident, since whence the property has stood vacant, having been foreclosed on by the bank, who attempted to sell it for years.

Only last year did the sign come down, as well as the derelict house and outbuildings — the half-collapsed barn which was over 100 years old being the structure James was saddest to see destroyed, even if it was no longer useful — which were replaced by new and very modern structures which have completely changed the original layout of the yard.

As of yet, the new owner hasn’t made an appearance, as he’s reportedly living in Calgary until the project is finished, nor have any cattle returned to the rather overgrown pastures which have, at long last, been re-fenced, meaning that it will no longer be the duty of the neighbours to round up the cattle and patch the fences, as they’d had to do for the Harris’ countless times due to Mr. Harris’ regular drunkenness.

All anyone in the community is hoping presently is that the new arrival won’t be anything like the people who owned the property before him, and considering how new and manicured the property is, everyone’s hopes are high, although they are wondering when he’ll arrive, as the property’s been finished since the spring and he still has not shown up.

Whatever It Takes: Day 15

 Word Total: 90,023

Year to Date: 750,189

Summary of Events:

Josiah arranged a meeting to talk with his mother, which gave him some respite from being asked weekly by Mr. Allaway if he'd talked to her — as he informed Mr. Allaway of the arrangement — before the meeting finally occurred, despite Josiah's nerves striving to get the better of him . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

“I thought we were meeting later,” Mother said. “I’m expecting company in a few minutes.”
“It shouldn’t take long,” Josiah replied. “I just want to talk to you about the future.”

A smile came over Mother’s face. “And when is the wedding?”

Josiah gathered his brow. “We’re not even betrothed. We can’t pick a wedding day until then.”

“Oh,” Mother said. “What else is there in the future to talk about?”

“Where Evangelina and I will go once we are married,” Josiah replied.

Mother looked bemused. “But you’re going to China.”

“No,” Josiah replied. “No, we’re not going to China.”

For a moment Mother stared at him blankly, but then, like a slow-breaking wave, anger came over her face from top to bottom, inciting her mouth into motion the moment it made contact.

“What could possibly make you forsake your calling?” she demanded. “How can you possibly cast aside the work that your father gave his life to begin? That work is for you to carry on!”
“I am not finished,” Josiah snapped firmly.

Mother immediately silenced, looking at Josiah with a rather bemused expression.

“Evangelina and I are not forsaking the mission field,” Josiah said firmly. “But we are going where we are called. You and Father were called to China, you went, and you did. It has been twenty years since then. I am sure someone else has taken up the work Father began, for as a doctor, I cannot take up the work of a pastor, and if that work has been left untaken-up since his death, then it would be completely undone, and thus would have to be started all over again anyways. Evangelina and I, on the other hand, are called to the Navigator Islands of the South Pacific, and that is where we are going when that time comes.”

The bemusement had turned to a blankness again as Josiah had spoken, and Mother sat in near-immobile silence with her gaze fixed on the dancing flames in the fireplace for a considerable length of time before she looked up at Josiah.

“Well, at least you’re still going to the mission field,” she said, although she didn’t sound wholly satisfied, and she also looked quite dejected.

Josiah nodded. He had nothing more to say, but he had to admit that his nerves had passed, and he actually felt rather heartened.

“I’ll leave you to your company Mother,” he said quietly, rising to his feet and leaving the room, garnering no response from her.

When he returned to his room, Josiah thought over what had all happened. He hadn’t shouted at Mother, nor threatened to punch her, but he had held his ground against her and not let her get up steam so that she could continue ranting and raving in upset.

If he was honest, it’d been far easier than he’d expected it to be, what had been more difficult was handling the nerves and anxiety beforehand. But it was done now, and Josiah felt immense relief that it was.

Next Post: 31 Ocotber

Whatever It Takes: Day 14

 Word Count: 84,069

Summary of Events:

Although Josiah was told while in Glasgow that Mr. Dunbar had been able to speak with Radcliff, he himself had been unable to do so, thus he was grateful when he received a letter from Evangelina the following weekend in which was a short apology letter from Radcliff, which gave him assurance Radcliff no longer believed he would harm Evangelina. Over the ensuing weekends, however, Josiah found himself being approached time and again by Mr. Allaway, who asked him when exactly he was going to tell his mother he wasn't going to China, which he didn't exactly want to do, if he was honest . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

Once the service was over Josiah headed for his coat, hopeful that he would be able to escape the church this week without Mr. Allaway catching him and asking him about whether he’d told Mother or not.

“Good morning,” Josiah sighed, his shoulders sagging as his hands slid off the shoulders of his coat, leaving it where it hung.

He turned slowly to see Mr. Allaway looking at him expectantly.

“Good morning,” he replied, even if he questioned whether the morning really was any good.

“Have you told your mother yet?” Mr. Allaway asked.

“No,” Josiah replied.

Mr. Allaway sighed and looked at Josiah with a disappointed expression.

“Why can’t you just leave me alone?” Josiah asked.

“Because you haven’t given me the right answer to my question,” Mr. Allaway replied.

“And what is the right answer?” Josiah asked.

“That, yes, you have told your mother,” Mr. Allaway replied.

“You’re going to ask me every week, until I’ve told her?” Josiah asked, already feeling wearied at the thought.

“I am,” Mr. Allaway replied. “You said you would tell her, and I’m holding you accountable to your word. Certainly you would want to be a man of it, after all.”

Josiah sighed and took up his coat, the weight of the wool feeling in the moment rather more than he could bear.

“Doesn’t she deserve to know Josiah?” Mr. Allaway asked. “She is your mother, and even if she has been unfairly planning your adulthood for your entire life, she deserves to know.”

“Then why don’t you tell her?” Josiah challenged.

“It’s not my task, Josiah,” Mr. Allaway replied. “And you know it.”

Josiah heaved his coat on and fumblingly fastened the buttons.

“Surely it should’ve been more dangerous for you to have gotten upset at me as you did than for you to get upset at your mother,” Mr. Allaway said. “You know her, and she knows you.”

“No she doesn’t,” Josiah replied.

“Some of her fault though that may be, lad,” Mr. Allaway said. “It’s probably not all her fault, is it?”
“How can it be my fault I can’t be heard through a brick wall?” Josiah asked.

“Because you’re a MacEachern,” Mr. Allaway replied. “And MacEacherns don’t let brick walls stop them.”

“Maybe I’m not a MacEachern,” Josiah said.

“You know full well you are,” Mr. Allaway replied. “And if you want to do even your father proud, you’ll let her know who has the MacEachern blood in his veins, and who just married into the name.”

Josiah sighed, hardly looking after Mr. Allaway as he left. He really didn’t think there was any way that he would be able to deal with Mother as effectively as Uncle Roderick did, even if Mr. Allaway seemed to think he would be able to, but if he didn’t want to lose his mind he was going to have to try.

Whatever It Takes: Day 13

 Word Count: 78,022

Summary of Events:

Josiah went to Glasgow for the celebration of Radcliff's betrothal, where he discovered that Mr. Allaway, a man he knew from church in Linlithgow, was, in fact, Evangelina's uncle, being the oldest brother of her late mother. During the ball Josiah noticed Mr. Allaway quite a bit, and was eventually taken aside by Mr. Allaway, who grilled Josiah about whether he was going to tell Evangelina his mother wanted him to go to China, or tell his mother he was going to be going to the Navigator Islands per Evangelina's call . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

“I’ll tell Mother,” Josiah replied.

“When?” Mr. Allaway contended. “If the two of you are officially courting the truth is going to come out before you know it.”

“I’m not sure,” Josiah replied.

Mr. Allaway shook his head. “This is what I’m talking about, you have all the wit, charm, looks, and language to make a woman as clay in your hands, but time and again you show yourself an effeminate coward whom the same can trod upon and manipulate with equivalent ease!”

“I am not!” Josiah shouted, inflamed. “I am not effeminate! How can a medical student be effeminate? There is a reason women aren’t predisposed to medical work! And I am no coward either! What are you smiling about? And no one walks on me or manipulates me either! You know nothing! You’ve only ever seen me once a week at best in church, and even then you’ve never talked to me! You can’t possibly know anything about me other than what comes to your ears by hearsay! Would you stop laughing at me!?”

Seizing Mr. Allaway’s shoulder in one hand, Josiah drew back his other hand in a fist to hit Mr. Allaway, who reached out his hand and covered over Josiah’s curled and cocked fist, still smiling and chuckling.

“I knew you had it in you,” Mr. Allaway said with a smile. “You are a MacEachern after all.”

The rolling boil of Josiah’s rage faded to a high simmer as confusion stirred within him.

“What is that supposed to mean?” he demanded.

“I’ve yet to meet a MacEachern without a backbone,” Mr. Allaway replied. “Some of them have a spot too much of it, but there is none completely lacking in one. If they don’t make regular use of them then they collect dust from disuse, but they never discard them.”

“You’re still making no sense,” Josiah snapped.

“I’ve also never met a Buchanan without a backbone, even if sometimes they deploy them wrongly,” Mr. Allaway said. “But I would pick a MacEachern to win over a Buchanan any time they were put in a battle of wits. The only reason you come up short against your mother is because you didn’t have your father to show you how to handle her, but I know you can, and this has proved that the MacEachern blood is still in your veins.”

A stronger bemusement came over Josiah, removing his rage from the fire.

“You mean you incited me?” Josiah asked. “Deliberately? To see if I could get mad?”

“I did,” Mr. Allaway replied.

Josiah felt disturbed. Maybe he could be manipulated just as Mr. Allaway had said.

“Somebody had to light the fire under the kettle before all the coals died,” Mr. Allaway said. “Somebody had to prove to you that you can withstand what your mother throws at you time and again.”

Whatever It Takes: Day 12

 Word Count: 72,089

Summary of Events:

Another week of classes flew by and Josiah returned home for the weekend, where he was able to enjoy dinner just with Uncle Roderick and Aunt Samuela because his mother had gone to Edinburgh to be with his sister and brother-in-law. After dinner he headed up to his room, where Uncle Roderick had told him he had a letter waiting from Evangelina . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

Heading up to his room, Josiah found the letter to which Uncle Roderick had referred, which had Evangelina’s neat hand spelling his name across the envelope.

Josiah carefully opened the letter without breaking the seal — he’d yet to break one from Evangelina’s letters, and was pleased with his success thus far — before unfolding it and beginning to read.

Arundel,

Before I should respond to what you have written me in your latest letter, I would like to extend an official invitation to you, that you would come to Glasgow on not this coming week-end — which is likely when you shall read this letter — but the week-end following, for we are having a celebration.

Radcliff has proposed marriage to his belle, Agatha MacMillan, and she has accepted his proposal, thus our family and hers are hosting a joint betrothal ball in celebration of the fact that they will be married, likely some time next year, although an official date has not been set.

I know I was wanting to come again to visit you, but that will have to wait, unless you should have an important ball to attend on your end, but I have my suspicions that no such occasion is awaiting you.

Also, I know that you and Radcliff are, as yet, not on fond terms, but it is my hope that Radcliff will not make any sort of fuss about your being present since you are my invited guest whom I look very much forward to spending a good deal of time dancing with — although it shall not be the whole night because I, unfortunately, have not the strength to do so, even though there are certainly times where I wish that I did — additionally, you are my beau, despite the fact that he harbours qualms against you.

It is my hope that you shall be not merely able, but willing to attend, and that we will be able to spend a delightful time together over the week-end, as I certainly would not want you to come only for the party, you might as well come for the whole week-end if you are going to make such a trip; there are others who shall be coming for the whole week — but that, of course, is because of the fact that they do not attend medical school, or any other school, that would require them to attend classes during the week.

Now that I have formally invited you — which I had not wanted to neglect doing, thus I elected to open the letter therewith — I must respond to what you have sent to me in your latest letter.

Josiah set the letter aside and looked at the small calendar which he had, there was nothing written on the calendar to suggest that he would be unable to spend the upcoming week-end in Glasgow, so he would be able to accept the invitation, even if he did feel a little uncomfortable with the thought of seeing Radcliff again.

Whatever It Takes: Day 11

 Word Count: 66,084

Summary of Events:

Josiah returned to Linlithgow for the weekend and talked with Uncle Roderick about his MacEachern relatives, who were described to him as being the sort of people who had worked hard to get where they were, and had no intentions of taking any backward steps, also saying that he believed the Glaswegian MacEacherns were anomalous, not Josiah's father. The following day Josiah was given a letter by his mother that she wanted him to include in his next letter to Evangelina; concerned about what it might contain, Josiah decided to read it for himself before he decided whether he would send it or not . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

Miss Dunbar,
I find it quite difficult to extend a greeting to you, considering that you are quite effectively a stranger to me, nonetheless, owing to your nascent relationship with my son, I have every intention of communicating with you favourably, for his need for a woman in his life is quite great.
However, in marrying Josiah you must not merely be a suitable wife to stand by his side, you must also be suitable to bear his children, for it would be no good for a man to have a wife who is unable to bear him children, as we are commanded of the Lord to be fruitful and multiply, and such is achieved through childbearing.
To that end I am quite concerned that you would not have the stamina nor ability to carry an infant to the full time without it or yourself — or both — dying, and I certainly don’t think Josiah should make a good father without a wife, if I am quite frank with you, for his rather ungainly frame could make him rather careless with an infant; to be frank the fact that he made the choice to enter into medicine is quite beyond me, for I certainly think that his size is rather unsuitable to the care necessary for practising medicine, nonetheless, he seems to be doing well in his studies, so maybe the care I have often associated with medical practitioners is not as much of an asset I thought it was.
Your poor health also gives me concern about your suitability for the mission field, for I am sure you are well aware that the climes of the mission field are rarely akin to those of home, which could bode well for your health, but also could not, and considering your ultimate destination, I should think the latter would be true.
It is my hope, thus, that you do realise what you are getting yourself into, for even if the climate is a warmer one, by and large, the conditions are also reasonably squalid, and thus there are great risks to those weak in health — after all, even the physically strong can be sundered by disease in squalor, for my husband was no weakling, and yet he is now twenty years in the grave, forcing our labours to an end, although it pleases me to no end that my son will be going to the field to take them up again since I have been unable to do so.
If you are able to survive childbirth, I am very concerned for your ability to survive in the midst of all the squalor which you shall know, and I do hope that you are well aware of it, nonetheless if I may take the liberty of informing you of the details of the conditions which are rarely made clear to those destined for the field before their arrival.
Josiah skimmed the disturbing accounts, he’d heard them too many times before and was still worried about being given nightmares by them, for Mother was not one who could make even frightful things sound pleasant.

Whatever It Takes: Day 10

 Word Count: 60,120

Summary of Events:

Upon returning to Edinburgh from his weekend in Glasgow, Josiah decided to write Uncle Roderick so as to ensure Uncle Roderick would be available the following weekend to talk with him about his paternal relations, as Uncle Roderick was someone he was certain would know what the MacEacherns were like, seeing as he'd been alive when Josiah's parents had been courting; he also used the letter to explain the reason why he was only now expressing a curiosity about his paternal family . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

Apparently a friend of Radcliff’s met and became quite enamoured with a Miss Ophelia MacEachern who lives in Glasgow with her family. Her family were reportedly very controlling, and she soon began to behave similarly, to the point that Radcliff’s friend had a great degree of difficulty extricating himself from the relationship when he came to find it undesirable.

Radcliff had been advising him to terminate the relationship much sooner than he had, and apparently harbours a significant grudge against people bearing the MacEachern name as a result, and is, thus, unsurprisingly, rather unfavourably disposed toward me.

He made his concerns known to Mr. Dunbar, which was why Mr. Dunbar came to call, and between having made an official face-to-face acquaintance with you — and having known much good about you so as to make that acquaintance a favourable one — and my responses to his enquiries, was assuaged that I am not at all like these Glaswegian MacEacherns.

Unfortunately conflicts of schedule have prevented him from being able to apprise his son of what he learned, thus Radcliff is still hostile toward me, and in the only real conversation I had with Radcliff, he questioned me about what I knew of my paternal relations, and all indications from his knowledge and my responses are that I and this Ophelia MacEachern — and her family — are related, thus Radcliff is certain that I will bring nothing but ill and harm to Evangelina.

Evangelina has no concerns toward me, nor does Mr. Dunbar, but I am troubled that Radcliff seems intent on judging me based on his experiences with other MacEacherns instead of hoping that I will be different, for the sake of his sister at the very least.

Considering the disfavour with which Radcliff regards me on account of the Glaswegian MacEacherns, I am curious to know if my paternal family is really a rotten family, or if they are decent persons, and since you would know something of them, having been alive when Mother and Father were courting, I would like to know if my father was, in fact, an odd good MacEachern, or if the Glaswegian MacEacherns are odd bad ones.

I do not expect you to respond to this letter in writing, but wanted to let you know of this so that we could speak of it on this coming week-end, as I do believe being able to have an in-person dialogue on the matter will be better than conversing by pen and page, I merely wanted to ensure that you were available to speak with me on the matter, and to apprise you of some of the reasons why I am seeking this information now, as opposed to having ever sought it before, so that we can get into the plain facts of who my paternal relations are when we are able to speak in person.

Whatever It Takes: Day 9

 Word Count: 54,047

Summary of Events:

Josiah travelled to Glasgow for the weekend to formally meet Evangelina's family. Evangelina was delighted to see him and ran to greet him; concerned she might trip and fall, Josiah ran to her and after catching her in his arms lost his balance and bruised his tailbone, but refused to let himself be hindered by the pain, even going for a short ride with Evangelina before he decided to take the time while she was changing out of her riding habit to go speak to her father about courting her . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

As he turned the corner to head down the corridor he was sure Mr. Dunbar’s study was located down Josiah startled rather violently to see Radcliff standing in the corridor as if waiting for him.

Although instinctively alarmed, Josiah elected for politeness. “Good afternoon.”

“Good afternoon Mr. MacEachern,” Radcliff replied, sounding somewhat annoyed, and practically spitting out MacEachern like it was a profanity.

“Your father is in his study, right?” Josiah asked.

“What are you wanting to speak to him about?” Radcliff asked.

“I don’t think that should take much guessing,” Josiah replied.

“You’ve hardly known each other for a month,” Radcliff said. “Don’t you have two years yet before you can leave?”

“I’m not asking for marriage,” Josiah replied. “Just courtship.”

“Oh,” Radcliff said, sounding sceptical.

“I’ve heard that you’ve met some not-so-nice MacEacherns,” Josiah said.

“That is rather understating the facts,” Radcliff said.

“Well what are the facts then?” Josiah asked.

“The facts are that they were controlling, vicious, and utterly contemptible,” Radcliff replied. “They had every intention of crushing the life out of my friend and turning him into their puppet. That’s the last thing I want happening to my sister.”

“And it won’t,” Josiah replied.

“How can I trust that?” Radcliff asked sharply.

“Have I given you any reason to believe otherwise?” Josiah asked. “Have you noticed any unfavourable change in your sister?”

“I haven’t yet determined whether the change I’ve observed is favourable or not,” Radcliff replied. “But there has been a change, and I’ve seen rather little of you, considering your fainting act.”

“I sustained a rather minor injury in efforts undertaken to protect your sister from worse,” Josiah replied.

“Is that so?” Radcliff challenged.

“What do I have to do to prove that I’m not one of those MacEacherns?” Josiah asked, a touch of frustration tightening his voice. “Just tell me.”

“Who is your father?” Radcliff asked.

“Reverend Knox MacEachern,” Josiah replied.

“That’s where the name came from,” Radcliff said. “What about your grandfather?”

“I never met my paternal grandfather,” Josiah replied.

“You don’t have to have met him, you just have to know his name,” Radcliff snapped.

“I don’t know it,” Josiah replied. “I’ve never met my father’s family.”

Radcliff looked sceptical.

“I never even met my father,” Josiah said.

“Why not?” Radcliff probed.

“He died before I was born,” Josiah replied. “I don’t know what the disease was that killed him, but it killed one of my older brothers too.”

“Do you know where your father’s family lives?” Radcliff asked.

“I’ve been told they live at Kirkcaldy,” Josiah replied.

“Is that so?” Radcliff asked.

“Yes,” Josiah replied.

“If you were wanting me to like you, you just gave me the wrong answer,” Radcliff said.

“The nasty MacEacherns are from Kirkcaldy?” Josiah asked.

“The uncle lives there, yes,” Radcliff replied. “In the old family house.”

“But I’ve never met them,” Josiah said. “Doesn’t that count for something?”

“You could be lying through your teeth to me,” Radcliff replied.

Whatever It Takes: Day 8

 Word Count: 48,107

Summary of Events:

Josiah went back to Linlithgow for the weekend and found a reply letter from Evangelina, who was utterly delighted by Josiah's statement that he would be inclined to go to the Navigator Islands with her — although he was unnerved when he realised this meant he had to tell his mother he wasn't going to China. The following day his mother asked to speak with him about Evangelina . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

“As much as I can see a desire to do good works in Evangelina,” Mother said. “I just don’t think that she is a suitable woman for you.”

“Why not?” Josiah asked, feeling cold fingers of fear seize about his breastbone.

“She was only able to join us for two meals before she had to retire and was unable to do anything with us for the rest of the time that she was visiting,” Mother replied. “A woman who cannot handle the rigours of socialisation here in Scotland is going to be even less able to handle life in China, you need a stronger woman.”

“But doesn’t her heart matter?” Josiah asked.

“That’s exactly what I’m talking about,” Mother replied. “If her heart doesn’t have the strength for her to be able to socialise more than half a day with people then it’s not going to be able to keep her alive long at all in China, and I don’t want you to become a widower nearly before you can consummate the marriage. Overall she is a reasonably decent young woman, the best candidate we’ve found so far, but I still think that you could do better because of those health concerns. I know you are studying to be a doctor and will be able to give her, thus, the health care that she is going to need, but I really can’t say you’re likely to be all that effective of a missionary when you’re constantly having to attend to your invalided wife, if she even lasts that long.”

That wasn’t what Josiah had meant, but he said nothing.

“Now I certainly think it would be best for you to go to the field as a married man, as I’ve already said that you need a wife to keep you steady,” Mother continued. “But if a weak-hearted woman is the best that you can find, then I think maybe you need to wait a bit longer, see if there isn’t a young woman when you go to take your training before you leave, or maybe you’ll even find a suitable young woman in China, I really don’t think you need to settle for such a feeble creature when there are assuredly stronger women whom you could marry.”

Josiah nodded, hoping that Mother wasn’t noticing how uncomfortable he was getting.

“Of course, her desire to be a missionary shouldn’t be stifled,” Mother went on. “But there are just some people who, despite their desire, are unfit to do what they wish, and should be informed that they need to find something else to do with their lives. You are fit and young, it would be no good for you to be weighed down and burdened by a wife who simply cannot serve alongside you as you deserve. You need a better woman than her.”

Whatever It Takes: Day 7

 Word Count: 42,015

Summary of Events:

Josiah struggled to focus on the bit of class-related work he had to do after supper, owing to a great desire to continue reading Evangelina's favourite book — which he'd been loathe to pause reading the night before — but was able to get it done, only to be interrupted in his reading by a summons to the slums, as  his landlady engaged in ministerial visits to the slums of Edinburgh not unlike Evangelina did in Glasgow, and needed his help. He later recounted what happened to Evangelina in a letter . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

I do believe Mother secured me a room in the Campbell home so that I could accompany Mrs. Campbell in her ministries, however, my classes do keep me quite busy and prevent me from being able to offer much for aid, on one hand, on the other, I do believe Mrs. Campbell is sufficiently medically capable to handle most of what she is presented with, and that she also is not inclined to trouble me unnecessarily.

However, two nights ago she sent a man to fetch me to his home, where his daughter was in distress and even Mrs. Campbell didn’t know what the problem was.

The daughter is fourteen years of age, and was complaining of abdominal pain. I was rather at a loss of what to do myself until I noticed that, although Mrs. Campbell had reported the young woman to have rather explosively relieved herself in the bed in which she was lying, that there wasn’t the odour of ammonia, even when I put my nose quite near to the wetted blanket.

I then enquired as to what the pains felt like and was told they felt like someone seizing about and squeezing her abdomen quite tightly, leading me to a suspicion that the fluid the young woman had discharged was, in fact, amniotic fluid, meaning that she was giving birth to a child, despite being little more than a child herself.

Owing to Mrs. Campbell having delivered six children of her own — at the least — I sought her advice, and I will share it with you, as I did find it rather a fascinating idea, and especially as I’ve spoken with her about it in days since.

When I told her my suspicions that we were attending on a childbirth, Mrs. Campbell urged the young woman to rise from the bed and squat, instead, at the foot of it.

Apparently Mrs. Campbell, with her third pregnancy, had discharged her amniotic fluid, but wasn’t feeling that birthing was imminent, and so was doing something while upright, when she felt rather as if she needed to relieve herself, but yet not quite.

Suspecting it was her baby, she assumed a position so as to relieve herself, but over a pillow, and, after a bit of strain to bring out the shoulders, delivered the baby quite easily — especially contrasted with the long and painful deliveries of her first two children — and from that point onward she refused to lie down while birthing; her husband came round to the idea eventually.

Although I must confess it was a touch of a challenge to know what was going on, the young woman certainly seemed in lesser distress once she was upright, and the delivery went quite smoothly, yielding a healthy mother and child, and leaving me without regretting that I had brought no medical equipment with me.

Whatever It Takes: Day 6

 Word Count: 36,112

Summary of Events:

Josiah took Evangelina out for a ride, with her borrowing one of his aunt's horses, and they talked mostly of horses and family members as they rode casually through the Scottish countryside. Unfortunately, the ride wearied Evangelina significantly, preventing her from even being able to join Josiah at church the following morning, so Josiah took lunch up to the sitting room where she'd been moved and kept her company as she dined . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

“Where do you believe God has called you to serve on the mission field?” she asked.

Josiah was silent. He felt torment swell and stir in him. The truth of the matter was that he didn’t think God had called him to the mission field at all, but, at the same time, considering that he’d been introduced to Evangelina as someone who was going to be a missionary, he didn’t dare disappoint her and tell her that.

He also had no intentions of telling her that Mother wanted him to go to China, because he’d certainly never been captivated by a desire to go there, as the way Mother talked about China made it sound more fearsome than the slums; on the other hand, letters and stories of the colonies in North America, the Caribbean, Africa, and Australasia had captivated him and filled him with a deep desire to see them all.

“I don’t know,” he finally admitted. “I’ve not really had a specific place in mind.”

Evangelina nodded.

“What about you?” Josiah asked.

A smile came over Evangelina’s face and despite there still being signs of weariness, it was overwhelmed by a joy, enthusiasm, and anticipation that Josiah wished he could feel about going as a missionary.

“I want to go to the Navigator Islands*,” she replied, looking at him with a near-rapturous gaze.

“Where are those?” Josiah asked.

“In the South Pacific,” Evangelina replied.

“Oh,” Josiah said. “Somewhat close to Australia and New Zealand?”

“Yes,” Evangelina replied.

“How did you hear about them?” Josiah asked.

“My favourite book,” Evangelina replied. “John Williams was a missionary to the South Pacific, and he describes the Navigator Islands. As soon as I read about them I knew that I had to go there, and I had to minister to those people.”

“Oh,” Josiah said. “Why?”

“I don’t know that I can explain it,” Evangelina replied. “Sometimes such a call can’t really be explained.”

“Well, I would presume you have a copy of the book,” Josiah said.

“Yes,” Evangelina replied.

“Do you think I could borrow it, to read it?” Josiah asked.

“Absolutely,” Evangelina replied. “I’ll make sure to leave it with you.”

“You mean you brought it?” Josiah asked.

“Yes,” Evangelina replied. “It has a bit of a dictionary and grammar of the languages of the South Pacific in it, and I’ve been studying it so that I know the language, I do a little bit of study every day.”

“Oh,” Josiah said. “Well, then, I wouldn’t want to interrupt your studies.”

“But if I’m waiting to apply to a mission society until you’re a doctor, I have time yet to study the language, besides, I have memorised a good deal of it already,” Evangelina assured him. “I also don’t think you would necessarily be a slow reader who would struggle, considering that you’re studying to be a doctor.”

“No,” Josiah agreed. “Uncle Roderick thinks I need to read slower because I can’t possibly take in all the words with how fast I do.”

*the Navigator Islands was an early European name for what is now Samoa.

Whatever It Takes: Day 5

 Word Count: 30,028

Summary of Events:

Josiah returned to Linlithgow from his first week of medical classes for the year in Edinburgh to spend the weekend at home, where he would be hosting Evangelina for her first visit to Linlithgow. After collecting her from the train station Josiah took her to the house, where they sat down for dinner right away and the conversation was dominated by Uncle Roderick and Aunt Samuela talking with Evangelina, including about her work among the less fortunate in Glasgow, which caused her to reveal she'd been involved in the delivery of over half a dozen babies — while Josiah, the medical student, hadn't even attended one . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

“You could be a nurse or something,” Uncle Roderick said.

“It might be an idea,” Evangelina said. “Considering my practical experience and such, and it would be useful on the mission field, as there is the possibility that a man might be unwelcome in some circumstances, depending on the culture.”

“You are wanting to be a missionary?” Aunt Samuela asked.

“Yes,” Evangelina replied. “My father and stepmother are rather concerned about the idea, considering the fact that I was given much grace to survive my first few hours, much less now nearly two decades, but I am quite certain and convinced of my calling, and they are striving to trust that God will take care of me and would not give me this calling if I had not the fortitude to fulfill it insomuch as He intends me to.”

“But what about your work in Glasgow?” Uncle Roderick asked.

“That I am considering my practise,” Evangelina replied. “I’m not alone in the work, my father and stepmother wouldn’t let me be involved at all if I were, there are many others, and owing to concerns of my health, some of which I do believe are unwarranted, they do a lot more of the work than I do. For the most part I champion the cause among the wealthier people who have the means to contribute to the care of these people in need.”

“Well I am certainly interested in offering subscriptions wherever I can,” Uncle Roderick said. “Even if I have little to do in Glasgow, should you have any pressing needs I would be willing to offer a contribution.”

“I don’t believe we have anything pressing at the moment,” Evangelina said. “But if we do I will certainly apprise Josiah so that he can inform you.”

“That would be more than fine,” Uncle Roderick said. “Not that there aren’t a good plenty of causes around here too, and more beyond Scotland. I do a lot of subscribing, but even still it feels as if a drop in the ocean.”

“It probably is,” Evangelina said. “Notwithstanding, it’s probably better to contribute a few drops to the ocean than to merely gaze upon it.”

“Surely it is,” Uncle Roderick agreed. “Even if they are the tiniest of little diamonds fitted into a heavenly crown, a myriad of tiny diamonds is better than none at all, and even better than just one great one.”

“Indeed,” Evangelina agreed.

Everyone, surprisingly, lapsed into silence. Josiah’s biggest surprise was that Mother was silent, and had been silent for the bulk of the time. Had it not been for Uncle Roderick and Aunt Samuela the entire meal would have thus far passed in silence, which was highly out of character for Mother.

Part of Josiah wondered if it had something to do with the fact that Uncle Roderick had chastised her for thanking him in Chinese, or if it was because she harboured disfavour toward Evangelina, despite the fact that Evangelina had — he was certain — quite clearly stated her intentions to become a missionary, just as Mother wanted him to do.

Pronunciations:

Samuela: sahmyouellah

Whatever It Takes: Day 4

 Word Count: 24,011

Summary of Events:

Upon returning from a ride, Josiah was surprised to be informed that he had a caller waiting for him up at the house, and he was even more surprised to find that it was Evangelina's father. Mr. Dunbar chatted with Josiah mostly about his family and relatives, revealing that one of Evangelina's older brothers had met a person with the MacEachern surname who hadn't been all that nice, and Mr. Dunbar had wanted to know if Josiah had any connection with that person, but since Josiah had never actually met any of his MacEachern relatives, he didn't know. Before Mr. Dunbar left he gave Josiah a letter from Evangelina in response to the one he'd written — which he'd been able to send when he found the paper he'd been looking for in his trunk — which Josiah eagerly read as she told him about her family, just as he'd done . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

Radcliff is not expected to remain a member of the household for too much longer, for he is courting at present, the daughter of another good friend of Father’s, and we expect that announcement of their engagement shall happen by the end of the year, with the wedding happening sometime next year. I would hope that you would be able to come and be my escort for the occasion, although I am concerned.

Little has been explained to me, but I must confess that I noticed Radcliff seemed to be unfavourably disposed to you when I introduced you to him, and he looked quite disturbed all the way home, not to mention he has been looking at me rather peculiarly every time that I mention you — and I have certainly mentioned you quite a bit since I met you, my friends who missed our introduction are just dying to meet you because of how much they have heard about you from me — but I have been given no explanation regarding why he is behaving in such a fashion, nor why Father seemed particularly interested in looking at your letter before it was given to me.

Do you happen to know Radcliff from somewhere previously that he should be behaving as he is? I certainly do not want him to dislike you, but I am afraid that I may not be able to do anything about the matter already, considering the way that he has been behaving.

Certainly Radcliff has never been the closest companion of mine; in fact, I am not really the closest with any of my siblings, but that is because I was quite delicate in my early years, and thus unable to play with them; notwithstanding, I should not like for him to be in any way hostile toward me, or you either.

Hopefully as we spend more time together and, particularly, as you come here to Glasgow, we will be able to determine what the problem is and make the appropriate corrections so that a good relationship can come to exist between the two of you, as there already exists between all of us as siblings and the spouses of our siblings, and even Radcliff’s belle, even if you and I are not going to be spending too much time in Scotland, I am not inclined to think, following your graduation from medical school, our marriage, and whatever missionary training we should be in need of before we shall depart for the field.

I am sure that Father and Theodora approve of you, as they have spoken well of you and have seemed to not be at all upset or annoyed by my rather consistent mention of you, and also are inclined to listen to all that I have told them of you, although I have probably told more of you to my friends than to them, mostly because my friends are desperate to hear, as they are just as eager to be married as I — saving, of course, the ones who are already married, but who are eager to see me join their ranks.

Whatever It Takes: Day 3

 Word Count: 18,068

Summary of Events:

Upon arriving home, Josiah encountered his Uncle Roderick, whom he decided to ask about what his mother had said on the train, wanting to know if his uncle, like his mother, thought that he needed a wife in order to be worth anything — as Josiah felt his mother's comments had implied — and his uncle began by stating that he didn't believe any man needed to be married, but that it was considered a good thing, even in the Bible, and he himself was a happily married man . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

“And what about me?” Josiah asked.

“Well, I certainly think you need to leave your mother,” Uncle Roderick replied. “Of course that is mostly a bias on my part, and you know well our disagreements on your upbringing, but I think you could survive without one. The question is a matter of whether you want to or not.”
“I don’t,” Josiah replied.

“Then I think you should pursue a wife,” Uncle Roderick said. “But that you should do so maturely and responsibly, as you have suggested that you will, not wanting to hurry into anything yet, seeing how you have two more years of medical school yet.”

Josiah nodded.

“But I wouldn’t force you to be married, by any means,” Uncle Roderick went on. “I didn’t force any of my children to be married, they all just chose to be married, and they all have fine spouses and families that I couldn’t be prouder of. I also wouldn’t want your mother to be forcing you to get married.”

Again Josiah nodded.

“And I really doubt you’d want to be forced into marriage either,” Uncle Roderick added. “You are reasonably independent, after all, and I certainly think you should be allowed to choose something about your future.”

It would certainly be nice, Josiah mused as he nodded a third time.

“Additionally, if you would like, I would be willing to put my foot down and keep Olethea from forcing you into anything you don’t want in that regard,” Uncle Roderick offered. “Notwithstanding, you ought to be able to enforce your own will when it comes to that sort of a thing because you’re the one who’s going to have to live with her, not Olethea, but if you need me to tell that to Olethea, I would be willing to do so.”

“Thank you,” Josiah said.

“Overall, though, I don’t think you need to worry,” Uncle Roderick concluded. “If you choose to not be married, even if just for a time, you won’t shrivel up and die just because you’re not married. A wife isn’t essential to your survival, but I’ll tell you from having had one of my own for thirty five years, she’s a fine creature to have around.”
“I would hope so,” Josiah said.

“And the bairns are dear treasures, even when they’re giving you grand-bairns,” Uncle Roderick added.

“I don’t want to think that far,” Josiah said.

“No good counting the babies before they’re born than there is in counting the chickens before they’ve hatched,” Uncle Roderick agreed. “What matters now would be getting to know this young lady, and deciding whether you’d like to court her, and whether you’d like to marry her too.”

Whatever It Takes: Day 2

 Word Count: 12,044

Summary of Events:

Since Miss Dunbar had been invited to the luncheon after the service, Josiah was able to spend more time with her; in fact, he spent the entire afternoon talking with her and exchanged contact information so they could write to one another once he returned home to Linlithgow before she left with her father, stepmother, and siblings. The following morning, it was Josiah's turn to head home, via train, in the company of his mother, sister, and brother-in-law . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

Gradually the structures of the train station disappeared and then followed buildings of Glasgow, before finally the countryside of Lanarkshire rolled away from them, rich and green still.

“Josiah,” Mother said.

Josiah turned away from the lovely view to look at her. “Yes Mother.”

“Who was the young lady you spent all afternoon with yesterday?” she asked.

“Miss Evangelina Dunbar,” Josiah replied.

“Oh, I met her mother,” Mother said. “Rather a dear woman, even if she was slightly frivolous.”

Subtly Josiah nodded, not because he agreed with Mother that women who enjoyed socialisation for its own sake were frivolous, but just because that was what she expected him to do — besides, Mrs. Dunbar was Evangelina’s stepmother, not her mother.

“How old is she?” Mother asked.

“I didn’t ask,” Josiah replied.

“She looked like a frivolous sort of girl with the dress she was wearing,” Mother said.

“It was a lovely dress Mother,” Vina said. “It’s coming along with the latest of fashions.”

“Nonetheless,” Mother replied. “She looked frivolous, why did you spend the whole afternoon with her Josiah?”

“She’s called to be a missionary,” Josiah replied.

“Oh,” Mother said. “Oh she is, is she?”

“Yes,” Josiah replied. “And already she’s an avid fundraiser for charitable causes supporting the hungry and needy in Glasgow. She even goes and does some work to minister to them for herself, but her parents are worried about her coming to harm, so she doesn’t do as much as she wishes to.”
“I wouldn’t have expected it of her,” Mother said. “I think I would like to meet her.”

Josiah nodded, feeling a fear that Mother was going to ask where Evangelina was called to, as he wasn’t altogether sure, he only hoped that it wasn’t China.

“It will be a very good thing for you to have a wife before you go to the mission field,” Mother said. “Someone like you needs a woman by his side to keep him steady, but, then again, so do most men. They can’t function rightly without a wife.”

“Even I Mother?” Alvin asked.

“Yes, but of course for you, the need of a wife is to produce an heir, which you’ve already received,” Mother replied. “And as a hostess for soirées and things. You don’t need a wife quite in the same way that Josiah needs one, and I’m glad to think that we’ve finally found a young woman who is interested in the prospect, but, of course, we will have to see how everything falls into place from there.”

Josiah felt somewhat insulted, but, at the same time, he felt quite confused and puzzled. What did Mother mean? Why did he need a wife more than Alvin? And what did he need a wife for above having his own companion and someone who could produce heirs for him too?

Whatever It Takes: Day 1

 Word Count: 6,065

Summary of Events:

Josiah, his mother, and his oldest sister's family all arrived in Glasgow, where they settled in at the home of his second sister's in-laws for the night before attending the christening of his second sister's third child and first son the following morning. Following the christening Josiah drifted around, not really sure what to do, and feeling like he was in the way of people wanting to admire his little nephew . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

Josiah’s attention was caught by a rather fetching maiden with rich, auburn hair fashionably styled with fine ringlets just ahead of her ears who was standing and talking with Tremaine’s youngest sister.

Her complexion was somewhat light, but it was matched well by the dress she was wearing, which was also quite fashionable, and brought out the lovely peridot green of her eyes.

He didn’t realise how close he’d wandered until Tremaine’s sister reached out a hand and grabbed the sleeve of his morning coat, drawing him into the group of mostly people about his age and slightly younger — all of whom he was taller than, even the few young men.

“This is the one I wanted to introduce you to Eve,” Tremaine’s sister said. “This is Berta’s little brother Josiah MacEachern, and he’s going to be a medical missionary.”

The beautiful young woman who’d caught his attention had immediately turned her attention to Tremaine’s sister at the utterance of Eve, and Josiah wanted to run away and hide in mortification that he’d been introduced to one of the fairest maidens he’d ever seen as a missionary-to-be.

His despair was penetrated, however, by a registration in his brain of the expression on the young woman’s face.

It wasn’t the typical look that was pleasant, but disappointed, having been interested in him until his ‘calling’ was made known, but, instead, her face had gotten more radiant, even delighted, as if Tremaine’s sister had just given her some of the best news of her life.

“Oh so do I,” the young woman said. “How delightful that someone so intelligent and so, so, if I may say, handsome, would have the same interest.”

Josiah didn’t know what to say, but he felt he ought to say something.

“Really?” he asked.

“Yes,” the young woman said. “Yes, I’ve wanted to be a missionary for some time, but I felt that I ought to have a husband who shared the same call, as even though going on one’s own as a woman is doable, I have to confess that I really couldn’t picture myself doing it.”

Josiah nodded, feeling a little dazed.

“Her name is Evangelina Dunbar by the way,” Tremaine’s sister said.

“Oh, yes, of course, I’m so sorry, I was just so excited,” the young woman said, a subtle flush rising to her cheeks.

Although he felt disordered within, Josiah immediately took up her hand like an impeccable gentleman. “Pleased to meet you.”

He touched his mouth subtly to the skin that covered her proximal phalanges and released her hand, feeling a flush over his face that he’d never felt at any time previously when he’d greeted a woman in the impeccably gentlemanly fashion he’d been taught to.

“Pleased to meet you also,” Miss Dunbar said. “Dr. MacEachern.”

Josiah reached up and touched the silk of his tie nervously, he felt the flush rising further.

“As lovely as that sounds, I’m not a doctor yet,” he admitted. “I still have another two years.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Miss Dunbar said. “So you won’t be heading to the field very soon?”

“Not really, no,” Josiah replied. “If you consider two years a long time.”