THE JOURNEY OF ESTHER MORRIS
(For Grades 3-6 By Steve Caton / Links by Rebekah M. Sorensen)
The train rumbled down the track as Esther wearily waited for the train station to come into view. This was probably one of the longest trips that she had ever made. Even excluding the train ride it was probably one of the longest, and hardest journeys she had ever had to make. It was not easy saying good-bye to her husband and sons and not seeing them for over a year. The letters were encouraging and let her know that they were all fine but it did not ease the stress of preparing for an upheaval. Who would have known when they first got married and started a family that years later they would take off for the western frontier in search of gold and a life better than before. Hopefully things would be better now just because of the fact that everyone will be together and they will be a family again but even more so because the house and the store had been sold at last, releasing Esther from her duties that kept her from her family.
The train seemed to slow and the weariness of travel shook loose as Esther had visions of her husband and sons waiting to great her, how long she had waited for this time. The conductor came through informing everyone that they would be at their destination soon. Passengers began to come alive out of their seats as their weariness faded as well. No doubt there were faces they longed to see too, as well as longing to get their feet on solid unmoving ground.
The train neared the station and Esther could barely stay in her seat. The minutes were so few between now and the long awaited greeting she wished to just skip over them altogether. Esther glimpsed the face of her husband as people milled around outside the train. As she stepped off, it seemed her feet scarcely touched the ground as she made the way to her approaching husband. The embrace they exchanged was more than words could describe as all the anticipation of almost 15 months vanished at this one moment.
Her sons had waited for her arrival at the home of which her husband was telling her all about as they ambled along the meager wagon trail road. She had pictures in her head of what it might look like and what it could become and again anticipation was welling up inside as she longed to see it and her sons who were fifteen months more mature that when she last saw them. As the house came into view it was practically what she had imagined, not quite as developed as she thought but it would definitely due. Her sons came rushing to great her, how wonderful it was that they could all be together again.
They took her inside and ushered her around the house that would soon become a home. It was much larger than she expected it to be but all the more space to fill with warmth and comfort. (Photographs of the American West)
The next few weeks were busy, placing an object here and a picture here or right here. Everything had to find it's rightful place in her mind and soon the house looked and felt like a home rather then the form and function arrangement of the men in the family.
It seemed that no sooner had she gotten her home in the shape she wanted it that guests were coming and going. It was a pleasure to have people into a home that she was proud of but it was particularly interesting to have the kind of company that they had been entertaining.
It seemed that as her husband became acclimated to the people and goings on of Pass City he became more and more involved in the government of this new area and more and more popular among the people that lived there. As a result he had become well acquainted with many of the government officials of the area and was soon becoming one the more influential ones among them. Many of his fiends enjoyed coming to the home of the Morris family, comfort and charm were always to be found there. As they would sit around after a wonderful dinner drinking coffee the conversation was quit stimulating especially now that Wyoming was soon to become a territory. All participated in discussions about what should be done for this great land and how it should be run. All of Mr. Morris' friends were very impressed with the wit and intelligence of his wife and always gave attentive ear to what she had to say.
One night, as it so often was, everyone was enjoying the satisfaction of another wonderful meal and the discussion, as it frequently did, turned to the political development of the growing government. The question had been raised as to how to determine the rights and privileges of the people living in that territory, soon to be state. Esther Morris collected her thoughts about this topic which had often crossed her mind and proceeded to tell the influential gentlemen at the table about her ideas and thinking on womens' rights in a land which they were as much a part of as the men were. As it always was everyone listened attentively to what she had to say and as usual everything she had to say made perfect sense. Before the night was over Esther Morris had convinced the men in the room that if any of them secured office that they be committed to presenting a bill for the equal rights of women.
It wasn't any more than a year later that one of those men that happened to be seated at that influential dining room table did secure substantial position in the government of the territory of Wyoming. As was promised a bill was presented and passed that made Wyoming the first territory in the world to grant women equal rights. If it weren't for Esther Morris and the events in her life who knows what womens' rights would be like today if they would even exist at all. (Suffrage in the 19th century.)
Questions for Esther Morris History Story
1. Why did Mr. Morris and his sons go west? _____________________________________
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2. Did Esther Morris travel west by a wagon train? How do you know? _____________
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3. Did Esther Morris and her family move to an actual state? __________________ What
was this place called? __________________________________________________________
4. What was the name of the city to which the Morris family moved? ________________
5. Why wer the guests of the Morris family so interesting? _________________________
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6. What significant contribution did Esther Morris make to the growing government? _
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How did she accomplish this? __________________________________________________
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Written from the reference of the imagination of Steve Caton
Factual data confirmed by:
Holt Basic Reading, Bernard Weiss. Holt, Rinehart and Winston Publishers, New York. Copy Right 1986
Outline
I.Rumbling down the tracks
A. Longest trips, hardest journeys
B. Saying good bye, letters
C. First got married, better life
D. Selling the store, releasing esther - family
II. Train Slowed
A. Shook loose - visions
B. How long
C. Conductor
D. Everyone - alive out of their seats
E. They - faces to see, feet on unmoving
III. Train neared
A. Moments - skip over them
B. Glimpsed
C. Stepped off, barely touched
D. Embrace, more than words, 15 months of anticipatiion
IV. Sons waited at home
A. Pictures
B. Longed to see sons, 15 months mature
C. Came into view - practically, not as developed
D. Together again!
E. Inside, ushered, house soon to become home
V. Next few weeks, busy objects here there
A. Rightful place, looked felt like home
B. Guests, pleasure, interesting
C. Husband, acclimated Government
D. Acquainted, government officials, became one of the more
E. Friends enjoyed Morris house, comfort and charm
F. Sit around the dinnig room
G. All participated, all impressed with Esther - intelligenc, wit
VI. One night
A. Question had been raised - rights and privileges
B. Esther collected thoughts - ideas on the rights of women
-as much theirs as the men that lived there
C. As always - listened intently
D. Before the night was over - convinced, office, bill
VII. Not more than a year later
A. One of those men - secured substantial position
B. As promised bill presented - passed
C. Wyoming - first territory in world
D. If it weren't for Esther who knows - womens rights, if at all.
Answers to Questions
- To look for Gold
- No, the story talked about a train station.
- No, a territory - Wyoming, Pass City etc.
- Pass City
- The were influential Government men
- She convinced the man that secured a position in the government of the Territory of Wyoming to pass a bill that would grant equal rights to women. By being hospitible and entertaining the man that secured the position and participating in good conversation.