1910s: Josephine: Awaiting Nash's return

 

For Josephine, the end of the war means one thing more than others. Nash will return and she can finally get married! She is delighted when she receives his letter telling her that he's coming home: 

My darling girl! 

I am finally coming home! I'm sure by now you've seen the headlines. We've been told there was celebrations in the street. There sure was here. 

I cannot wait to return, but it won't be long now. I'm shipping out tomorrow and will be back before you know it. How does a Christmas wedding sound? Then you can be with me when I start university. My stepdad is making the necessary arrangement for a place to stay, if we're married it can't be in a dorm, that's not allowed, so he's setting up some apartment for us. 

See you'll be setting up a home of our own sooner than you thought! 

I cannot wait to be your husband. Your portrait has been keeping my spirits up all these months (and made a whole lot of other soldiers jealous). I saw your sister in Glimmerbrook. She didn't seem herself, more serious and sad somehow, but then she's been out here longer than most men and many of those are a wreck. She's a strange one, your sister, but she's got more guts than most men I've ever met. You must be proud of her. 

She promised she'll return in time for our wedding, even if it's at Christmas, so you can start planning. It will have to be in Willow Creek church, my step-dad would not have it any other way, but other than that, you can have whatever you want. I cannot wait to see you. 

Yours fondly, 

Nash 

But barely has she received it when she's starting to feel unwell. Apparently celebrations in the street and meeting family members who have just been sick was not a good way to prevent the flu from entering your home. For Josephine, it's fairly serious: 

She spends the next few days in bed, unable to get up. Abigail, worried sick about her little girl, refuse to leave her side and spend all her time by her bedside, refusing admission to the rest of the family. "There is no need for anyone else to be sick!" she firmly states.

In truth she is terrified. What if they lose their baby girl? What if it's a funeral rather than a wedding they'll need to attend? So many have died, why would their daughter be spared?

But by some miracle, she is, and Abigail can rejoice when Josephine for the first time in days says the words: "I'm hungry". She's still shaky and weak, but she gets up from bed and eats something, and has a bath, before returning to bed.

In the next few days she is progressively stronger, but remains mostly inside and takes it easy. Instead a new interest has taken her over. She has never been a great reader. Homework, schooling...none of it has ever made sense to her or interested her at all, but now she's found something that has. Housework. 

Being spoiled enough to live in a home with a maid, and hearing how John and the other kids complain about the lack of good food now when Emily is the cook at home, she has come to the realisation that she is woefully unprepared to be a wife. She's sort of always assumed that there would be a maid, but Emily has none, and so how can she expect one when Nash is only a student still? 

She will not let Nash be disappointed with either food or the household, so now she reads. Cookbooks, baking manuals, flower arranging... if it's about housekeeping, she will read it. She will be the most prepared wife in history of wives she's decided. Her mother, still hovering, doesn't complain. Reading seems like a sensible thing to do.

Thanksgiving is a quiet affair. They decide it is better not to invite the others in the family when someone has just been sick in the house, but with Josephine's recovery and Nash's soon return from the war, there is still much to be thankful for.

Meanwhile, Joseph has become more and more involved in the prohibition movement. He knows his son is in trouble, and he now is firmly convinced that the only way to save him is to save everyone - by banning alcohol. He starts a petition, and goes around the neighborhood looking for signatures to repeal the juiced community NAP that is plaguing their town.

Interestingly enough, he finds that more women sign than men, and he starts to believe that maybe his daughter was onto something when saying women should have the right to vote. If they did, surely alcohol would already be forbidden? And so in fighting for prohibition, Joseph more and more starts to see himself as a supporter for women's suffrage too. 

As winter approaches, the Spanish flu continues to wreck havoc on Louisiana, taking several of their friends. Ashley Doughtry who lives just down the street dies, leaving her three children and husband behind. Caroline, the eldest daughter, just turned young adult, will now be responsible for raising her younger siblings. Abigail and Josephine, dutifully visits the family and offer their condolences, though they do not stay long. No need to take chances by visiting those who has just had the illness in their house. Especially not since Josephine just recovered.

A few days later, they learn that George Addington's father, Frank, has also passed away. He was no close friend, but surely when she returns Anna will want to visit her friend and offer her sympathies. Abigail, for her part, cannot wait to see her daughters again. As 1918 gives way to 1919 almost four years has passed since she last saw either of them. All she can hope for now is that no new illness might keep them from returning home to her.