Virginia's Vocation by Zina Abbott

Author:Zina Abbott [Abbott, Zina]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-04-12T05:00:00+00:00

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Chapter 15

~o0o~

Elyria, Ohio – May, 1859

V irginia seated herself in an empty bench of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway coach. With a sigh of relief, she had completed her morning activities so that she could catch the train on time. The homework for her morning classes would have to wait until she arrived back in town before dusk. Fortunately, the days were getting longer, and she would not return to the Oberlin train station after dark.

She knew she should have a payment waiting for her at the Elyria Post Office. Her latest article had been published in the issue of the Heartland Monthly she received the previous Thursday. It certainly resulted in some lively discussion at the table at the conclusion of supper.

Martin, as usual, expressed his displeasure with the Arkansas legislature for giving freed blacks in the state such miserable choices—either exile or a return to slavery.

The other young men responded with varying degrees of enthusiasm, but it was apparent all were interested. The only one who refrained from participating in the discussion besides Virginia, and who appeared to be to grow more morose as the discussion continued, was Avery Wilson.

Virginia found a certain amount of gratification that her fellow students appreciated the article she wrote. However, she also knew Mr. Wilson held a very poor opinion of her writing. After the scene that followed the last time the residents at Mrs. Chilton’s boardinghouse discussed one of her articles, she decided it was best to draw as little attention to herself as possible.

However, the presence of the article in the magazine signaled to her that she should have a draft waiting for her at the Elyria Post Office. From there, she would take the draft to the bank and deposit it. Then, it was a matter of waiting for the westbound train to arrive so she could return to Oberlin.

The only problem with her plan was that she could not arrive back at the boardinghouse in time for supper. She had already warned Drusilla she had personal business she needed to take care of that would keep her away until later.

Drusilla agreed to ask Mrs. Mabry to fill a plate and keep it warm until her return.

At least, it she would not arrive back at the boarding house after dark like she had in March. Drusilla had thoroughly chastised her for being out not only alone unescorted but at such a late hour. She insisted that next time she go somewhere to conduct personal business, she asked a friend to go with her. If she would not return by suppertime, then Drusilla requested she make arrangements for one of the men in the house to meet her and walk her home.

Virginia chafed at the thought that she must be escorted everywhere she went. Her landlady rivaled her brother when it came to insisting on such things. Convinced that she would be perfectly safe while making the short train trip to Elyria and back, she had not shared the details of her plan, nor had she made arrangements for an escort.

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