Questing Lights

By Belle Watson Anderson

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Chapter 7

Synopsis: Andrew Rumgay leaves his mother and his fiancee Jane Allison in Scotland and joins his friend Hugh Shand to emigrate to America. They meet Mother MacKinlay and her son Bob, whom they had known while doing missionary work, and become acquainted with Kathleen Coleman and her friend Margaret Purvis. Hugh and Kathleen are married on board the ship. While in Iowa preparing for the handcart journey across the plains, Margaret tells Mother Mac that she is in love with Andrew, and Kathleen tells the two women that she is expecting a baby. While crossing the plains Andrew is lost in a blizzard and is rescued by Margaret. She later leaves the Macs and goes to live in Tooele. The others later arrive in Zion. Kathleen and Hugh have a son and name him Mac Coleman Shand. Andrew farms and saves money to bring Jane from Scotland. When he finally sends it, he receives news that Jane has married someone else. Andrew is a grieved and lonely man and he sends for his small brother and sister, instead.

From the very first day Andrew went to see the Hunters, he had been interested in wool – it may have been because his mother worked in it at home. When the snow was too deep for timbering he spent his time, after the chores were all completed, carding wool.

Sister Hunter made the soap for washing the wool, soaked it in many waters in a vat especially made for that purpose, washed it, rinsed it, and put it out in the shade to dry. After picking and carding the soft white wool into batts for quilts, or spinning it into yarn, she knit the family’s underwear, socks, and stockings. Sometimes she dyed the wool into beautiful colors and knit sweaters and fascinators for her daughter and soft warm shawls for herself and friends. With the waste she made rugs for the floor.

Many people wanted her to process their wool but she never found time, so Andrew decided wool-processing would be a good business for him. He built a lean-to on the cabin and went to work.

He had woven too many dreams into the river bottoms and the forest – dreams which could never be fulfilled – to return to them.

Processing wool would be advantageous for a number of reasons. He would be at home to take care of the bairns – his brother and sister – when they arrived. He could catch up with his Church work. He was making up for lost time now. When there was no special activity planned in the ward, he went out to visit the sick, to encourage and help the poor, and to teach the gospel.

He had wanted to build a fence around his lot with the logs which he had cut when he was timbering, but he hadn’t found time. Now he decided to finish up a lot of odd jobs around his home.

The bairns came that fall in time for school. They brought love and comfort to their brother’s heart, and sunshine to the cabin. He desired his training to be just as profitable to them as had been his mother’s love, patience, and sacrifice to him. She had been father and mother to ten, so he felt that surely he could take care of two.

All preparations for the winter had been completed. The shelves and root cellar were full of food. His yard was stacked high with good wood to burn.

Andrew settled down to work, but no one ever really settled down in Resplendence. The water committee called on him for a few days of pick and shovel work on the millrace. He was asked to go out and talk to the people about buying stock in the factory company. Plans were made to organize a co-operative store in Resplendence. As Brother Rumgay’s responsibility in the bishopric was to look after the young people, he didn’t settle long in any one place.

Thanksgiving was the beginning of all winter activities in the ward. The people entertained themselves at the meetinghouse. They had programs of various kinds, operas, home dramatic, and dances. Often there were sleigh-riding parties.

Their favorite entertainment was the supper dance. They would all gather at some home for a hot cooked supper; then they would go to the meetinghouse for a program and dance.

At holiday time they decorated the ward house and planned entertainment for every night in the week between Christmas and New Years. Christmas day festivities were held at their homes.

Mother invited all the Macs to spend the day with her. After dinner they had a sacred program, in keeping with the occasion. Mother read the Christmas story from the Bible; Hugh led in singing Christmas carols; Brother Coleman played classical music on his violin; the bairns gave a dialogue.

Bob presented a short talk on gifts:

“I’m going to tell you how the MacKinlays received their greatest gift of all. My father was the only one in several generations who did not join the dominant church of Scotland. He wanted to wait and join the true Church. One day father was walking down the streets of Cowdenbaeth. A gentle breeze was blowing. It blew a piece of white paper right into father’s path. It fell at his feet. He picked it up and read the announcement of a Mormon meeting to be held in Cowdenbaeth. Father attended the meeting and knew from the first the young missionaries were preaching the truth.

“He studied their literature and prayed to his Heavenly Father and received a strong testimony. He applied for baptism, and soon Mother joined him. This is how we received our very greatest gift.”

It was a wonderful Christmas. New Years was the day the Scotch celebrated in the old country.

Andrew had suffered a lot of bad luck the past year, and Mother was eager to help a wee trifle to bring good luck to him in the new year. She got Bob out of his bed early, and, dressed up in Sunday clothes and new shoes, she sent him along to Andrew’s with a basket filled to the brim with every good thing to eat.

Andrew insisted on Bob’s coming in and eating a bite of breakfast, then he sent Bob back to his mother’s with the basket filled to the brim again. No bad luck would visit the Rumgays and MacKinlays – Bob had taken care of that. A dark-complexioned boy – with guid clothes and new shoes, carrying something filled to the brim – brought good luck. Mother felt just a wee bit easier when she thought of Andrew’s situation.

Spring came early. The women were doing their housecleaning and their sewing, the men building and repairing fences.

The wool business was successful Andrew, with the help of his brother and sister, Bill and Janet, had more work than they could do.

One evening in April all the Macs dropped by Andrew’s house for a little visit. As they were finishing supper a knock came on the door. Bill answered. It was the bishop, his second counselor, and the ward clerk – Andrew’s fellow workers, calling.

They talked about the crops and the weather. Then Andrew asked them why they were calling, as only the night before they had met in bishop’s meeting. Andrew was a little curious and a little anxious. He wondered if they intended to release him.

The bishop paused thoughtfully few a few moments, then explained, “Brother Rumgay, we are calling you on a mission to Scotland, if it can be arranged. The ward has some missionary funds you would be welcome to use.”

“A mission!” Mother exclaimed, “surely, Bishop, you do not joke about such sacred matters.”

“We are not joking. We were never more serious in our lives. Well, Brother Rumgay, what have you to say?

“A mission!” Andrew spoke slowly, weighing every word. “ I hadn’t thought about it, but it’s what I do want more than anything else in the world. I found something, on the plains, something priceless. I would like to share it with my loved ones and friends.”

“We thought as much,” returned the bishop. “Now we will leave you to do your planning. It can be worked out.”

The Macs were dumbfounded.

“And Andrew just after telling us he never wanted to cross the plains again,” Brother Coleman laughingly expressed himself.

“And the bairns just arrived,” Mother added.

“Andrew must go on his mission, but how?” the Macs questioned.

Bill and Janet complicated the picture. Their brother wanted them to stay at home and not add more responsibility for Kathleen and Mother. He did not want to take them back to Scotland as they loved the new country and were doing so well in school.

Mother studied a long time, and then thought she had the solution. “Maybe it will work out,” she said, “maybe it won’t – if it does it is the one way out and the only way that I can see.”

“Don’t keep us in suspense, Mother,” Andrew anxiously pleaded.

Mother looked around at all her companion. Strange that not one of them had thought about the missing member of the Macs.

“Why, Margaret, to be sure. Don’t tell me you’ve all forgotten her.”

“Margaret,” slowly Kathleen spoke. “That’s the most beautiful name and the most beautiful person I have ever known. Oh! I’m getting so lonesome to see her.”

“That’s it,” Andrew spoke up quickly. “Margaret is maybe just as lonesome for Kathleen and Mother. If she is, she will come.”

Margaret was very anxious to ee the Macs again. The Stuarts had made her as welcome as one of their own, yet the years had been long and very trying since she parted with the Macs on the plains.

She had tried to convince herself that work was the solution to all her problems. If she worked hard enough, long enough, eventually the past would be blotted out and she would become interested in new people and new place. She knew now this wasn’t true. Her anticipation of meeting the Macs thrilled her as nothing had done since she left them.

Mother and Bob went to Tooele to bring Margaret to Resplendence.

The day she arrived had been set apart for celebrating. Mother had insisted on them killing all the pullets, because, after all, she might not be able to buy cayenne pepper. Andrew’s missionary party was to be held at the meetinghouse that night.

Margaret helped Kathleen cook the supper, setting the table with Mother’s best dishes. She wore a pale blue dress with a fitted basque, full sleeves, and a long billowy skirt. The basque had a curved neckline and a vestee of fine, cream-colored lace. her long black hair was plated and wrapped around her head. She wore her mother’s cameo, gold and black earrings, and lovely flowers in her hair. Mother Mac’s description of her was perfect – slim and trim.

The door opened and Andrew walked in. “Margaret, let me look at you, young lady! Why, you’re beautiful! Twice as beautiful as you were when you left us on the plains. You’re good, too! Thanks for making my mission possible. I am sure the Lord will know it I your contribution as well as mine,” Andrew spoke from a full heart.

“I wanted you to go on your mission, Andrew. It is your opportunity to offer our kinsmen the gospel, with the wonderful blessings we have all received.” Margaret spoke quietly.

“It took a lot of faith and courage to accept a mission when I had a young brother and sister to take care of, but the bishop said it could be arranged, and now it is. The bairns are going to love you, Margaret! I hope you can learn to love them.”

“I’m sure I can. Leave it to us and the Lord.”

“Oh, Margaret, you are wonderful!”

Hugh called on Andrew regarding a detail of the program for his farewell party. While they talked, Margaret sat beside Mother Mac and covertly studied the face of Andrew. He had not been well when he left him on the plains, but she was hardly prepared for what she saw in him tonight. A spirit of righteous indignation rose in her heart against Jane Allison. Andrew was pale and nervous, yet she was sure the Mac hadn’t noticed it, because he had managed every day to do his full share of all the work.

Margaret believed that God had called Andrew on this mission, and she decided that there would be no home worries for the young man while he was away. He would take care of that. Margaret bowed her head and silently prayed that Andrew would be brought safely back to her.

She remembered the tree in tears on the plains and wiped her eyes.

They all had a wonderful time at the party which was planned like the Scotch entertainment on shipboard. Janet and Bill danced the “Highland Fling” and “Sword Dance.”

Andrew was different tonight – very different. He was happy, more like his old self than he had been in months. His friends thought it was the mission. He had the Macs wondering.

The bishop was anxious for Andrew to get started on his way to Scotland. It had been a long time since a missionary had left Resplendence, but Andrew waited while the bairns became acquainted with Margaret (because she wanted it that way), and Margaret became acquainted with the wool.

But before many months the young man was calling for his mail in King’s Kettle.

(To be continued)