Chapter Nine
Congregational Church on I Street between 12th and 13th Street Modesto
(First major church built in the city)
"Zella, scoot down a bit. Rosemary wants to sit by you."
"Of course." and the impeccably and modestly dressed Zella Darby moved a bit so Rose could sit by her and Jack. Her husband wore a dark-tailored suit with a simple dark burgundy vest and a western tie. He was quite the opposite of his flashy vests and tails. The group of five chose seats in the middle of the church. Jarrod made sure they arrived early. He knew the minister from Reverend Stacy in Stockton. He stood up and introduced them to his family and the Darbys.
Jarrod squeezed Tessa's hand as he glanced down the pew. The Darbys looked like the perfect Victorian couple, proper and reserved.
Several men averted their eyes from Jack. They hoped he wouldn't acknowledge he knew them from his establishment. Their wives were in the dark about their whereabouts several nights a week, and working late or prayer meetings were common excuses.
Jack smiled recognizing the uncomfortable grimaces on several of his best customers. Zella politely greeted the ladies that would make eye contact with her proudly fidgeting with the new diamond Jack had added to her wedding bands. Jarrod had brought it with him from Abraham for the occasion.
Rosemary as usual stole the attention of the congregants. She waved at people, smiled widely and told them she loved Jesus, and said her prayers—quite loudly before the service began. Even the harshest of the Darby critics could not hate on the small child. They returned her smiles and waves even subtly. Jarrod hid his grin, pleased with his idea.
"Jack, I think the tide can turn for you. Lots of grumbling from the anti-teetotalers citizens. Thinks that they will press their opinions on the town. Let's make you more respectable so they don't feel guilty about voting for you. Give them a reason to explain it to their wives. Church this Sunday? I know the minister and he will welcome you despite Matthias Finn being an elder there. Tessa knows some people who attend from Knight's Ferry before the church closed. Let's try?"
"My mother would be proud. I did learn all my Bible stories with her. I keep my thoughts about the good Lord to myself; he and I have had some talks. I respect him, let's call it that. I know Zella despite everything is a believer. She believes in Jesus just not church people. She has been hurt by them. My wife reads her Bible every day believe it or not—-Blazes, how many times can I say "believe" in a comment!"
Zella and Tessa agreed with Jarrod's idea and he contacted his friend. He told his associate minister from Knight's Ferry who was excited to reconnect with the Knight sisters he knew growing up.
—-&—
"Mrs. Barkley, could Reverend Barrett impose for a moment in the back?" asked a young deacon.
She frowned at Jarrod and he stood up, "Your decision?"
"I have known him my whole life and he moved here when the church at Knight's Ferry closed. Do you mind, Jarrod? Church won't start for another ten minutes."
"I would like to walk you back there. Rosemary, stay with your Aunt and Uncle, please."
"Otay."
Zella watched over her shoulder as the elderly minister and deacon talked to her sister. Tessa was blushing and Jarrod had his hand on her arm. He looked pleased.
"I tell you Jack Darby if they kick us out of here, I will publicly disclose every deacon and elder that owe us money and are fresh with our girls in the parlor."
"Shush. I don't think it's that. Jarrod looks very calm."
They watched Jarrod whisper in his wife's ear. She took a deep breath and walked out the side door with the minister. Jarrod walked back down the aisle and sat down. Rosemary crawled into his lap.
He winked at Zella, "It is fine."
—-&—
Matthias Finn and his four children came into church seconds before the congregational singing began. They quietly filled in their long pew and picked up their songbooks. Three strapping boys, spitting images of their tall handsome father and a little girl with strawberry blonde ringlets of about four years old. She discreetly sucked her thumb buried into his waistcoat. He patted her lovingly and settled into the song service. His family stood beside him straight and proper.
The congregation spent as much time watching the two families as pretending to sing. This was a Sunday to remember.
Jarrod's and Jack's strong baritones along with Zella's perfect alto caught his attention across the church.
He stopped singing and said to himself, "What the blazes?"
"Forgive me, Lord, cursing in your church. What are Jack Darby and his lawyer doing in the Lord's house? Sacrilege I say."
His boys noticed their father's discomfort and the sudden loss of his bass voice. They shared looks and wondered what they might have done to upset him.
"He's got the look. Somebody gonna get whooped," they whispered.
Matthias struggled to find his voice and the attention to the words in front of him. His boys continued to share looks of confusion. Their father was serious about his time in church. They were surprised they did not garner a look for whispering in church.
He couldn't quit staring. Jarrod and Jack had seen him arrive one row behind them on the other side; they put on their poker faces and continued to sing. They barely shared a look knowing exactly what the other was thinking.
Jarrod had shared with Jack his rationale, "There are so many folks happy with your part in taking down the rustlers and owning a business—-and honestly keeping those young girls off the street and feeding the poor of the town. You have a shot at this. Some are scared of the teetotaling of Finn and his aversion to gambling. You both agree on the opium dens. Bad news for a town. So it's going to come down to a secret ballot box vote. They may not come out and say they support you—-but they may vote you in. We need to show you as an upright citizen, too and that includes the church. We are going to let Dorothy hang herself. I have another plan for your supposed wife."
Zella was having a hard time not shooting him a look of daggers. Jack kept a tight rein on her hand.
They sat down as a deacon read the announcements and prayer requests. Zella couldn't help but shoot a glance at Finn. She caught him staring and looking uncomfortable. She smiled sweetly and turned around. Jack nudged her. She bent down and straightened Rosemary's stocking.
"What?" She whispered.
"You know what, Missy" he whispered back.
"Let us stand for another chorus." and they all rose.
Matthias knocked his songbook to the floor by accident and it thudded in the silent room. His boys shared more looks. They would have been scolded for such a clamor.
The tall Swede reddened even more and picked up the book. His little girl began to cry and he picked her up with his other burly arm. Finn could only muster every other word or so trying to keep up.
"Where have I seen that woman before? I have never been in Zella's or the High-And-Low or such. Women like her aren't around much in the daylight. I am home on the farm most days; only come to town for meetings or supplies or church. She looks so familiar to me. Darby's wife? Why does she make me feel like I know her?"
Zella took one more quick glance back as the minister stood up to begin. Finn was staring at her again.
She winked quickly. So quickly that the crowd couldn't decide if it was on purpose or intentional.
Finn knew it was and he raged.
"Harlot" he muttered under his breath.
His boys only heard the grumble. Their eyes widened even further, "Somebody's in trouble."
The minister spoke for about an hour but most of his message was lost on the crowd. They were too engrossed watching Matthias Finn openly glare at his opponent's pew.
The town clerk even whispered to the jailer on the back row, "I woulda placed money on this one."
"Me, too."
"But which one?"
"Darby. Finn isn't even hiding his tells right now."
—-&—
The minister concluded with a prayer.
"We have a special guest today. Mrs. Miller had to leave to see to her sick Pa. Remember them on the prayer list. Our associate minister saw a former member of the congregation in Knight's Ferry. She graciously accepted our request to step in. I had the blessing myself five years ago to hear this young woman share her gift of song. I want to introduce Mrs. Contessa Knight Barkley of Stockton; she will sing our closing hymn. I asked her to sing a song I oft heard her sing in Knight's Ferry as her grandparents sat in the pew—and her sister on the piano."
"The story behind this beautiful song is a sermon unto itself. Seventeen-year-old Robert Robinson ran the streets of London in gangs, caring not for anything spiritual. He was just a small boy when his dad died. He had to go to work while still very young. Without a father to guide and steady him, Robert fell in with bad companions. Ever happen to any of us, brethren?"
The congregants nodded and murmured.
"Finally, at the age of twenty, Robert made peace with God and immediately set out to become a preacher himself. Two years later, in 1757, he wrote a hymn that expressed his joy in his new faith. It was this song."
"Years later Robert did wander away from God. In a spiritually backslidden condition, Robert was traveling in a stagecoach one day. His only companion was a young woman unknown to him. In the providence of God, and not realizing who it was she spoke with, the woman quoted Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing, saying what an encouragement it had been to her. Try as he might, Robinson could not get her to change the subject. She asked him what he thought of the hymn she was humming. He responded, "Madam, I am the poor unhappy man who wrote that hymn many years ago, and I would give a thousand worlds, if I had them, to enjoy the feelings I had then." Gently, she replied, "Sir, the 'streams of mercy' are still flowing." He was deeply touched by that. As a result of the encounter he repented. His fellowship with the Lord was restored through the ministry of his own hymn, and a Christian's willing witness."
Jarrod beamed as the hesitant Tessa came out of the rectory door. Jack and Zella smiled widely as Rosemary said, "Mam" aloud. She crawled into Jarrod's lap pointing.
"Thank you, Reverend."
She began singing acapella. The crowd was immediately awed by her clear alto. All eyes were on her and she closed her eyes in reverence.
? ﾟﾎﾵ? ﾟﾎﾵ? ﾟﾎﾵ
Come Thou Fount of every blessing
Tune my heart to sing Thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above.
Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it,
Mount of God's unchanging love.
Here I raise my Ebenezer;
Hither by Thy help I'm come;
And I hope, by Thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interposed His precious blood.
O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be!
Let that grace now like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.
—&—-
Matthias Finn couldn't take his eyes off of Tessa and her voice was stirring up his soul. A tremble went through him. the uneasiness overtook him.
"That hymn?"
An errant tear or two filled his eyes and he wiped them pretending to attend to his nose. His boys cut their eyes again at their father. They didn't know what to think.
The service concluded as many rushed up front to thank Tessa for such a lovely song.
Finn growled at his sons, "Bring your sister. Watch her until I get back. I need some air." and he made his way upstream from the crowd.
Jarrod was completely confused. "Finn's not angry. His face looks like—grief?"