Sunday.

He nodded. “I am sure Anna and her Josephus .will be grateful for them. It is wonderful the things you find in those old papers. I am sure many will benefit from the books and papers you will add to the library in the years to come. As your husband will from the care you will show and the home you will make. Do not take me wrong, I am glad you went and took the test and saw the world. It is a wide and confusing place. But I know you will remain in the light, even if you feel you must go to the other church to be happy. I don’t want you to go to them, I do not like some of there ways, but will understand if you if you do. You have a mind that need more than the challenges of home and family to keep it busy. If you need to go learn more then go, but remain in the light. I know you have had temptations, but I know you are strong enough to not try and be what you are not intended to be. You are meant to be the hart of a home, to raise smart and brave son’s and wise and holy daughters. To see the light goes on and to help it grow though the next generation. It is not given to you to solve the world problems, but to train and guide the men who will. I know you were taught well and know the light sings in you. You will not stray from the path, but might find it necessary to take the other branch. It is there for the ladies who have more active minds. It will see you are challenged in the right ways, and given what you need to be happy without straining yourself with things not meant for you. I do not want you to say anything to me right now, I just wanted you to know I will not be disappointed should you go to the other church. I can see the thirst you have, and have no problem with you seeking the right answers.”

Sara was not sure how to respond, she understood her fathers concerns and shared them in part.. After all it was nothing the teachings didn’t say, that a woman’s place was in the home, raising and guiding the next generation, setting the example, being the light. It was her duty to see her house was a home and that the light shined, that her sons feet were firmly set on the path of knowledge and her daughters had what they needed to see their own sons were firmly planted. Yet what was wrong with wanting more? With wanting to know, with wanting to use all the gifts she had? Was it really wrong to speak up when the answer was clear to her but not to the man next to her? Wasn’t that the same as turning her back on the talents the light had seen fit to give? However she couldn’t say any of that so instead she kept her eyes down and said. “I do have an offer from one of the sister church’s schools. But I am. Well I don’t know yet. I want to take my vows, but yet I wonder if that is what I should do. It is what I will be using my mediation time to ask the Lord about. I don’t know that I will have the answer ahead of the ceremony. I am sorry, but I cannot in good faith say which road I will take. I hear the wisdom of your words and want to be sure I do what the light wishes for me.” That was true yet it wasn’t, and the half lie made her uncomfortable. For the offer from Jourdan was not one she ever thought of accepting. It was not a good fit.

When her father looked at her Sara was sure he knew what she was thinking. He just said. “I know you will do the right thing, and make the right choice. You belong in the light, and I know you will stay in it. You are to strong to let the foolish ideas of the world take root in you and let you think you can handle matters best left in other hands. Here we are, they should have the meal well in hand by now so you won’t be to tempted to help.” He smiled at her as he walked up to the door.

Anna and Josephus were all ready there and were looking at the things left in the front room that were to go with them. Anna looked up as they entered and smiled. “Thank you father. This will truly see my house turn into a warm home.”

Isaac said. “Most is your mothers and sisters doing. I just saw they had what they needed. You are going to have it hard out there, but you will do well. You have the skills needed to help make a thriving town.”

Anna said. “Joe, it is Sara here that found that book, and I bet the others there with it.”

Sara said. “I didn’t have time to make but one copy, but expected others in your community will need one. So I thought the blank books would be handy, and then to perhaps you would like a book to record your experiences.”

Josephus picked up one of the journals and said. “I had been looking for a good book to record these first years in but found nothing I liked. Yet you did. It is lovely, and the other book will be most welcome. Just glance at it I can see where it will help us avoided some mistakes we were close to making. Thank you sister.”

Sara blushed. “I am not reasonable really for those two journals. I had four laid out I was trying to chose between when I went to sleep. Then I woke this morning to find those two so decorated and knew they were meant to go to you. I am glad you like them. I hope the book will help you. I found it to be interesting as I was copying it. But not knowing much about city building I do not know how useful it will truly be.”

He said. “I am sure it will be handy, and that copies will be wanted. So thank you for the blank books. I can’t say I would have thought of them, and paper is going to be one thing we won’t have a lot of these first years. It takes five years at least to get a good mill going, and the weather will likely slow that down even more.”

Sara said. “It was the book that made me think of it. There were a lot of storms as they were building in that book. I think he said they had to buy paper for the school for the first eight years of operation, and it was a few more before there was enough easily attainable for domestic use.” Isaac frowned a bit.

Josephus smiled at her. “Now I know that book is going to be handy. You have to include any other bits like that you uncover in the letters to you sister. Even small things can make a big difference out there. It will be rough, but I will keep your sister safe. You needed worry about that. Nor about letters being turned away. You are family, now and ever.”

Isaac said. “It is amazing the things that can be found in those old papers. I am sure she will be more than willing to pass on anything bout founding a city. Just hope you don’t get buried under the bits.”

Sara said. “I am hoping that one of many answers to be found in the old papers will be a better understanding of why so many settlements failed. It is one of a dozen things there hasn’t been time to look into. The number of a failed settlements is far high than the number that made it those first years, and not just among the church towns. There has been greater success with the more recent ones, but no one is sure just why there was so much trouble with the first groups.”

Josephus said. “I didn’t realize that it was all settlements. Each new church settlement must now have an exit plan do to the losses the first years, and we do not start it out with full families, as those first ones did.  There were no women in the town until it had been going six months, and then none with young children. That is why we had to wait so long, it is only at this point that children are allowed, and new marriages. We are still in the danger window, but fewer fail after the first year than during it. Don’t worry the possibility of failure is something we went over toughly. I made sure Anna knew the risks we would be taking. Still know why those others failed would go along way to seeing less do. Two others started about the time we did have folded, and another is not looking to good. So far we are, but we are not safe until we make it five years, and the storms coming will make it that much harder.”

Anna said. “As I said, we will make it work. I know it won’t be easy, but I am ready for it. I look forward to the challenge of being a part of shaping a new town out of the wilds. It will be exciting to be there to watch it grow as our family grows with it.”

Sara said. “I didn’t mean to sound grim, or like I was trying to scare you. I just am amazed at the questions there has been no time to answer about the world we have. So much has changed, and so little is really known about the changes. It is good that so much of the old world was saved here, for we would be far worse off. Yet so much had to be set aside to save it, I am hoping to find some that had to be left, and maybe my feeble works will inspire others better suited to take up the task set aside in the rush to save what we could.”

Josephus smiled. “Oh I can see it know, your house full of books and papers and you and husband arguing over some piece of history. You so need to be a researcher’s wife, you would bring much to the table. You sound a lot like my older brother with that passion.  Though his is directed at the future not the past, but still I can see it.”

Edith said. “What good wife would argue with the head of her house? Supper is ready when you are.”

Josephus stood and bowed. “Right you are that was a poor choice of words. They would not be arguing so much as pointing out relevant details to each other.”

Sara found her self liking this new brother in law. She hoped time would bring them together again. She should have known when the fairs said they approved of him that he was the right sort. He and Anna will be happy together. They fit well. She felt them looking at her and hastily said. “I was just remembering something I read. That the key to knowing what will come lies in knowing what was.”

Isaac looked at her, then at the others. “We had best not let the food grow cold.”

As the others moved toward the table Sara went to the self by the door, and looked to pick something up. Anna said. “Letting Violet know you are alive? I hope she isn’t worried.”

Sara said. “She’s not she is used to me being unreachable for long periods of time on holy days. But I was missing the feel of the charm. It feels odd not to have it on. There that’s better.”

Isaac frowned a bit, wondering if he had said enough. “It must be hard for you to be so fart apart and not knowing if you will see each other again.”

Sara said. “It is enough to know it is in the Lights hands, it was the Light that brought us together and it is the same that will choose what happens as time moves. Still I am glad of the time we had, I am better for have my heart sister, even one so far away.” Sara was glad that the focus turned away from her once they were at the diner table.

Once the meal was done the boys helped Josephus load his car as the newlyweds would be leaving early the next morning. Sara took out the necklace and was talking to Viv. She looked up when they came back on. “Violet says the ocean is quite, but it is like it is waiting for something, the way it feels before a storm hits. There is nothing in sight but they live by reading the waters, and are beaching the boats. Sorry, I just thought, well they said we could be in for bad storms.”

Josephus said. “We expect the weather to change fast, that is why we are planning on leavening early in the morning. We will put in at the first sign of a storm. I will not take any unnecessary risks, better we get home late then not at all. Don’t you worry sis. We will be carful. Thank you for checking, that will see to it we are extra watchful. Big storms out there have a way of making trouble in here, and for a fishing village to beach the boats they are expected a big storm. I spent a few weeks at a church settlement out on the coast one year. Those boats are a pain to beach and worse to get back into the water.”