Prologue Diary of Sarah McHenry Kelly
January 1, 1850: I awakened to a cold, bitter morning. Even though the sun was shining brightly, it did nothing to warm the room. I thought ,"the fire must have gone out sometime during the night". Normally, my husband, Jesse tends to keep the fire banked so that the room is always warm. As I lay there in my warm cacoon of quilts, I suddenly realized, today is the day. I rolled over and noticed Jesse was not in the bed or even the house. I jumped out of bed, dressed quickly in my woolen socks and extra petticoats with a woolen over skirt. Grabbed my shawl and raced out side to the porch.
It had not snowed the night before, as I prayed it wouldn't. I didn't want anything to spoil our departure . I saw Jesse hitching the oxen to the wagon that was to take us to our new home in Texas. Everything had been packed in the wagon the night before. We were taking everything we owned with us, except the bad memories of the past few years.
Chapter one
New York City, May 24,1839: 18th birthday
It was the night of my debutante ball. My parents, Joseph and Kathleen McHenry, were downstairs awaiting my descent. As I looked at myself in the full lenght mirror, I suddenly thought who is that woman. Where a child of a few years ago peeked out, there is now a grown woman. I was only 5'1" tall, with Blonde hair down to my waist, that my maid had artfully piled in curls atop my head and threaded silver ribbon throughthem.. I was wearing a shimmering silver ball gown with tiny silver shoes. I was so excited I could hardly wait, my cousin Albert was escorting me.
I have lived in this house my entire life. It is situated on Hudson Street. The house is not remarkable except for the fact that it is one of the oldest on the street and was built just after the revolutionary War. Someone once told my Father that Gearge Washngton had it built for his wife Martha, but she didn't like it and refused to live in it. There were balcones off each bedroom on the second floor. A winding staircase that lead down to an open entryway, a dining room that comfortably seated twelve, a large modern kitchen and a parlor that opened onto the patio. My father had commissioned landscape artists to design a patio that would be inviting and comfortable in the late summer afternoons.
I descended the stairs and looked into the faces of my parents. I could see joy, pride and happiness for me. Albert could only stare. My father came up to me as I reached the bottom step, extended his hand and pressed a velvet box into my hand. I opend the box to see, nestled inside, a diamond necklace and earrings of exquisite beauty. The center pendant of the necklace was a brilliant sapphire, in the shape of a heart. I exclaimed "oh father, how beautiful." As he placed the necklace around my neck he said, "always remember that you are the center of my heart". Mother, tearing up said "we better go now or we will be late." As Albert settled my cape around my shoulders he whispered" I have important news to tell you later". I wondered what it could be that he could not just tell me now rather than later.
We exited the house to the waiting carriage little knowing how this evening would end.
