Mickey Westman

Long Journey Home Mickey Westman

The air was crisp and cold that morning when Charles Feldon and his friend Jed Brice rode off in the early morning Vermont sunlight, towards a new life in the uncharted territory of Oregon . . . The two young men traveled by horseback to Ohio, to join a wagon train out of St. Louis, where to their surprise they would meet distant cousins who were also traveling west. In that group of travelers was a young minister and his bride Lucy Baldwin. By the time they reached Fort Laramie for the winter season a deep friendship had grown between Charles and Lucy. It was only natural that Lucy would try to comfort him when he receives some bad news from home and as a result she becomes pregnant. In the spring time the weather permits and they resume traveling west. The wagon train now splits in two with Lucy's family beading towards California by way of the Overland Route, while Chancy continues to lead his group through the mountains towards Oregon. After the birth of Lucy's baby there was a series of circumstances where the child was declared missing and presumed dead. The loss nearly destroys them but nevertheless they continue to try to establish a new life for themselves in spite of the difficulties. There is much more to the story for there are many characters and story lines woven through out the chapters. They help move the adventures along with all the problems that life can bring. First and foremost this is Charles and Lucy's love story.