Hope's Promise

Pastor Randall Nathan (Retard), [To understand "Retard," see the post of 12-15-9], and his wife, Claire, drove over to the Christmas concert at Cratchit State U. Their first date was at a Christmas concert when they weere students there. CSU is located in the town, now a small city. of Hope's Promise.

As they drove home, along the river, a light snow falling, the last notes of "Silent Night" still floating in his ears, Randall Nathan thought about the name of the town...

It was back in the early years of the 19th century, when the whole state was pioneering. A farm girl named Hope was promised to Reuel, a boy from a farm on the other side of the river, beyond the town of Winkleblue. Hope's father had said that she could not marry until after the harvest was over. He had no sons, so she had to help with the harvest.

The rains were heavy, so it was a late harvest that year, into December, but it was finally done. Hope and Reuel anxiously awaited the arrival of the Methodist preacher. He rode a wide circuit, just a young man not much older than Reuel, and he was not due in Winkleblue until the day before Christmas. At last, he arrived. Hope's father, however, reneged on his promise. When he knew that the preacher had arrived, he told her she could not wed for another year, until another harvest was done.

There was no bridge across the river, and the rains that had delayed the harvest had swollen what was usually not much more than a big stream into a wide and fast flowing torrent. She knew that Reuel would be at the river with the preacher, trying to find a way across, so she slipped away and ran to the river herself.

She could see Reuel on the other side. She found an old boat and began to row across. The waters were strong, and she wasn't making much headway. Reuel and the preacher grabbed a boat and began to row to her. They met in the middle of the river. Hope knew her father would be coming after her. She insisted that the preacher read them their vows right then and there, before they could be stopped. So there, in the middle of the rushing river, they were married, each one holding fast to the other boat as the preacher gave them their vows.

Then a beaver dam upstream brokke. A quickening wave of muddy water rushed toward them. Hope was still in her boat. She tried to climb across into the boat with Reuel, but the waters hit, and her boat fell apart, and Reuel could not reach her hand. The last thing he heard her say was, "I promise I'll love you forever."

He built a cabin on the bank where they found her body and lived there the rest of his life. He called the place Hope's Promise. Years later, Cratchit State University was established there, when Mitch Cratchit was Governor.

Randall Nathan knows that story is true, for his great-great-grandfather, the Rev. Forrest Nathan, was the preacher in the boat that day. He knows it is true for another reason: it happened at Christmas. The message of Christmas is the promise of Hope, God's word, "I promise I'll love you forever."