Trials and Trails to Oregon

"Let's get a move on!" Papa shouts from outside as he stands next to the stairs leading to our front porch—if one can even describe the misaligned, rickety wooden beams as such.

Little blond, curly-haired Maggie comes running out with a big toothy smile and jumps into Papa's arms. "Ready!" Behind her is Thomas, walking slowly and sulking. "Do we have to leave? My friends are here. And this is our fourth home in the past few years." Thomas is just thirteen, but his shoulders sag under the weight of years that poverty has piled on them. It's all he has known, as he was born the year the economy went sour after the Panic of 1837, which ruined our family's financial life.

"We do, it's for the best," Papa replies in his deep voice while lifting Maggie into the small wagon parked on the dirt road in front of our home. Then, the rest of us climb in. "Are you sure we're doin' right, John?" Mama asks Papa with a rare hint of fear in her eyes. He gently takes her hand. "Aye, Mary, it's the right path. We need a fresh start. Think of the hundreds of acres we'll get, all for free. People say the land in Oregon is beautiful, too."