Then Joy Comes

6: Snow-Covered Hills

In the late eighteen hundreds Zackary Wellington owned a horse farm in the mountains near the Shenandoah River. He lived about ten miles from Victoria Lincoln. They grew up together and went to the same church. Victoria and Zackary would sometimes talk after church on Sunday. Zackary would look for ways he and Victoria could meet. He would ask his father what day they would be going to the Cheeleys’ Old Country Store. He and Victoria would plan to meet when their parents were visiting the store. Victoria would never tell her parents that Zackary’s father was coming the same day, since her father, James, didn’t care for Zackary or his father. He thought they were not good enough for his daughter.

Victoria worked tirelessly at home. Her sister, Marlene, was two years older but had never married. She wasn’t looking for a husband. Marlene didn’t like Zackary at all. Zackary sometimes put on airs and thought he was better than other people, but he loved Victoria and knew he would marry her one day. Zackary’s mother had passed away after suffering from a high fever. His dad made Zackary, his only child, work very hard and taught him not to be lazy. His father had a hard time dealing with the loss of Zackary’s mother and never got over it. Her death made him bitter and angry. He didn’t want anyone to mention her, not even Zackary.

Three years after his wife’s death, Zackary’s father passed away. Zackary had called him to dinner one night, and when James didn’t respond, Zachary went to the barn and found him dead on a stack of hay. The doctor thought James had suffered a heart attack. Zackary, now responsible for breeding and training the horses, worked hard and sold some of them to make a living and to pay taxes on the farm.

The Wellington farm was surrounded by hills and trees, and wooden fences kept in the horses. The Shenandoah River was beautiful in the summer, but in the winter, the snow made it breathtaking. The spacious white farmhouse had five large bedrooms, three fireplaces, and a wraparound porch. The house was well maintained, and Zackary tried his best to keep it clean while managing the horses and the rest of the farm animals on his own.

One day, three years after his father’s passing, Zackary met Victoria at the Cheeleys’ store and asked her to marry him. Two weeks later, they were married. James Lincoln was very upset with Victoria and told her she had lost her mind. “How could you do this? Honey, you are headed for a lot of heartache,” her father said.

“Please, Father,” Victoria said. “I need your blessing.”

“Okay,” he said, “but heartache is coming. You will see!”