When You Were Young

"What must I do, Reverend?"

"In a land this impure, this corrupt, there's nothing that can be done. God has not granted you a child because He does not want the babe raised in this foul country."

Prudence considers this. She thinks of their little house burned to the ground two years ago by the king's men. She sees Rodney standing distraught in the field this summer after a hailstorm ruined the crops. "Where then must we go?"

"I've talked with Mr. Applegate and some of the other families in the congregation about financing a venture to the New World. With your husband's wealth we could surely outfit a ship to reach Massachusetts. In such a pure, untainted place God would surely grant you as many children as you wish."

After dinner that night, Prudence tells Rodney what Reverend Crane said. He pats her hand and smiles. "Dear, you worry too much. We'll have a baby eventually," he says.

"We've been trying for six years now. How much longer can we wait?" she says.

"Sailing to Massachusetts isn't like going to London. It's very dangerous. And more so to live there."

She takes his arm. "I'm not afraid. I want to do this," she says. "This would be a chance for us to start a new life away from the fighting and corruption."

"Let's not act too rashly, darling," he says.

When he asks to try again that night, she refuses. There's no point in trying, not here. She can't produce a child in this festering sewer. Her child awaits her in the New World.

Sometime in the night, he leans over to her and whispers, "Perhaps it is time we leave this place. Start over fresh in a beautiful new country."

"Oh, thank you," she says. There are tears in her eyes as she kisses him. A new life in the New World. I'm coming, she says to the baby waiting for her across the sea.

"Is something wrong?" Rodney said, having finished his conversation with Reverend Crane.

"Oh, Rodney, this is my fault," she said. The tears of joy from her memory are now tears of sadness at condemning her husband to this awful place to die. "I never should have asked you to come here."

"No, my darling you mustn't say that. Nothing is your fault. I made my own decision."

"You came here on my account. It's my fault we're doomed to die in this wilderness."

"Prudence, you must have faith that everything will work out in the end. God has not abandoned us and so we must not abandon hope."

He walked her back to the tent, where Molly awaited them. "Can I get you anything, Mrs. Gooddell? You look as though you've had an awful fright. Do you think this place is haunted? I was collecting firewood in the forest and I heard this terrible howling. Chilled my blood-"