Pass Me Not: Hymns of the West Novellas, #2

By Faith Blum

Let me at Thy throne of mercy/Find a sweet relief/Kneeling there in deep contrition/Help my unbelief

Timothy is at his wit's end. His twelve year old half-sister has run off five housekeepers in almost a year. Since their parents died, she has grown wilder than ever. What can he do? As he looks for a new housekeeper, his eye catches sight of a mail order bride advertisement. One young lady has a younger sister and sounds like a God-fearing woman. Could this be the answer to his dilemma or will Louise run her off, too?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Faith Blum
• Release date: Jul 26, 2015
• ISBN: 9781386314943

Book preview

A Hymns of the West Novella

Pass Me Not

By Faith Blum

Text and cover copyright 2015 by Faith Blum

All rights reserved. This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be resold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

eBook Edition

July 2015

Cover design by Kendra’s Kovers (kaymart1984.wix.com/kreativekovers)

Girl: Stock Photo ID: 51696976 © BCFC http://www.bigstockphoto.com/

Cowboy: Stock Photo ID: 7418773 © Alan and Vicena Poulson http://www.bigstockphoto.com/

eBook Layout: Penoaks Publishing, http://penoaks.com

Pass Me Not is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and incidents are from the author’s imagination. Any similarities to real people, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.

All Scriptures are quoted from the King James Bible as found on www.biblegateway.com.

Other Titles by Faith Blum

Hymns of the West Series

A Mighty Fortress

Be Thou My Vision

Amazing Grace

Lily of the Valley

The Solid Rock

Hymns of the West: The Complete Series

Hymns of the West Novellas Series

I Love Thee

Pass Me Not

Redeemed

Hymns of the West Novellas: Volume One

Just a Closer Walk

Just As I Am

Blessed Assurance

Hymns of the West Novellas: Volume Two

Short Stories

Where the Light May Lead

Heaven’s Jubilee And Other Short Stories

Faith is the Victory

The Light Leads to Hope and Peace

To my word war buddy and faithful beta reader.

Thanks for the laughs (and help), Travis!

Table of Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Epilogue

Preview of Amazing Grace

Preview of I Love Thee

Preview of Redeemed

Special Thanks

About the Author

Chapter One

Let me at Thy throne of mercy

Find a sweet relief;

No more housekeepers advertised. God, why can’t more women advertise as housekeepers? For that matter why can’t Louise be less wild so I don’t have to find a fifth housekeeper in the last year? Timothy buried his head in his hands, letting the paper fall on the floor. He felt tears prick his eyes. "I can’t do this anymore. Dad and Mom have been dead almost a year now and I just know I’ll be a disaster that day. And Louise. God, I know she’s at least half related to me because we have the same dad, but...

Okay, Tim, you need to stop complaining. He took a deep breath, held it for a few seconds, and let it out. That’s better. Sorry about that, God. I know You know how tough all this has been the last year. He sniffed. The last ten years, really. Losing Ma like that, having Dad remarry so soon, getting a little sister who has the energy of fifty bull calves, then Dad and Mom both dying in that stampede.

Timothy raked his hand through his hair and leaned back in the chair. You’re probably tired of me asking for strength and wisdom, Lord, but that’s really what I need. I don’t care about the money, I don’t care about the house, I don’t care if things go into shambles around here. What I need is strength to go on and wisdom on how to do it. I need something, God. I just don’t know what. Louise needs a steady womanly influence in her life and I need someone who can take care of the house and cook mine and Louise’s meals.

He stopped talking and sat up straight. What I need is a wife. He scratched his head. Except there aren’t any women around here. At least none I would want to marry. He grimaced when he thought about the two widows in town who were both older than him by at least five years. Of course, there were four sixteen year olds and a few a little younger than that, but there was no way they would work. They were not only too young to marry, they were too young to handle Louise.

A sudden memory hit him and he lunged forward to grab the newspaper. With hurried movement, he opened it to the advertisements again. After a quick skim he found the only three mail order brides in the paper. The one that caught his eyes was Abigail Simmons’s.

Hi, I’m Abigail Simmons. I’m 19 and there aren’t any young men here due to the War. I am looking for a God-fearing husband who will care for me just as I am. I am not plain, but I do limp from a childhood fall. I would also be bringing my little sister, 5, with me since my parents are dead. If interested, please write to me in Richmond, Virginia.

He wasn’t wealthy enough, or desperate enough, for Mona. Maggie was too old. Well, not really, just in his mind five years older was too much. Abigail though... He sat back in the chair. Abigail was six years younger, but that wasn’t too young yet. She knew what hardship was and had also lost her parents and been left with a younger sister to care for. Maybe Abigail’s sister could help tame his sister.

Timothy looked