The Tender Flame (6 page)

He shook his head humbly, then said, “Are your parents going to be home tonight?”

“As far as I know.”

“Good. I’ll be over after supper. Have you said anything to them about our talk yesterday morning?”

“Not yet. I wanted to tell them about us, but at just the right time, and in the right way.”

“Is tonight okay for the time? And by my talking to your father, is it the right way?”

“I couldn’t think of a better time or way.”

“All right. I’ll be there tonight.”

“I’ll be waiting for your knock.”

Grant glanced toward the school building. “It’s almost time to go back in. Could we just take a moment and thank the Lord for the way He’s worked in our lives?”

“Yes, I’d like to do that.”

Grant led in prayer as they bowed their heads.

Grant and Lydia were standing in front of the school that afternoon when Billy came out of the building, greeted Grant, and said, “You ready to head for home, sis?”

“Mm-hmm. Let’s be going. See you later, Grant.”

“Sure will.”

“Bye, Grant,” said Billy, and walked his sister toward the street.

“Take good care of her, Billy,” Grant called.

Billy looked back over his shoulder and smiled. “You can bank on it.”

As they walked toward home, Billy said, “Sis, it seems to me that you and Grant have been spending quite a bit of time together lately.”

“Oh? What do you mean?”

“Well, I see you together at church a lot and at school, too. The past few days, he’s been waiting at your classroom door when we get to school. And then, today … the two of you spent almost a half hour together on the playground after lunch. Looks suspicious to me.”

“Suspicious?”

“Like maybe there’s some romance going on.”

There was a stretch of silence while Lydia pondered her brother’s words. “Little brother,” she said finally, “you are a perceptive person.”

Billy grinned at her as they crossed the street. “I try to be.”

“So you think there’s some romance going on, eh?”

“Sure looks like it to me.”

“Can you keep a secret?”

Billy leaped in front of her, causing her to stop. There was a sly grin on his face. “There is, isn’t there?”

“Yes. Grant has asked me to be his steady girl.”

Little brother laughed. “And you turned him down, of course!”

“Oh, sure!”

“Sis, I’m so glad. I know how you feel about him, and I’m glad he feels the same way about you. I really like Grant. In fact, I hope someday he becomes my brother-in-law.”

Lydia blushed. “We have to take these things a little at a time, Billy. First there’s going steady, then engagement, then marriage. But I don’t mind telling you … I hope he will become your brother-in-law too.”

“So when are you gonna tell Mom and Dad?”

“I’m not going to.”

“What?”

“Grant is.”

“
Grant
is gonna tell ’em?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“When?”

“Tonight. He’s coming over after supper. He wants to ask Daddy’s permission to be my beau.”

“Really? I’ve never heard of that. I’ve heard of fathers being asked when it comes to engagements, but not just for going steady.”

“You will keep this a secret until Grant talks to Daddy tonight, won’t you?”

“Of course.”

At supper that evening, Grant told his family that he had asked Lydia to be his steady girl. Scott and Marjorie were pleased. They had seen it coming.

“So what will you do when your friends tease you about robbing the cradle, son?” Scott said.

“I’ll tell them that Lydia is more mature for her age then most of them are.”

“And you’ll be right,” Sharon said. “Lydia is very mature for her age, and I really love her. I’m glad you finally took the step and asked her to be your girl.”

“Me too,” Theresa said. “In fact, I hope you and Lydia get married someday.”

“Now, Theresa, let’s not rush things,” Scott said.

“Lydia and I aren’t going to rush into anything,” Grant said. “We’ll take it one step at a time and let the Lord guide us as time passes.”

“That’s fine, son,” Scott said. “You’ve always had a level head, and your mother and I appreciate it.”

“After supper I’m going over to the Reynoldses’ house and ask Mr. Reynolds for permission to be Lydia’s beau.”

“Son, I’m proud of you for that. I’m sure it will sit well with both Duane and Beverly.”

“That it will,” Marjorie said. “Grant, please know that if it should turn out that Lydia is the one the Lord has chosen for you to marry, your father and I will be very pleased.”

When Grant knocked on the Reynoldses’ door, it was Billy who opened it. Billy smiled and said, “Hi, Grant. You all by yourself?”

“Yes. Is your father here?”

“Sure. Come on in.”

Billy led Grant into the parlor, where the family was seated. The young man greeted everyone, then said, “Mr. Reynolds, would you allow me the privilege, sir, of talking to you in private, just for a few minutes?”

“Why, of course, Grant. Let’s go into the kitchen.”

After Duane and Grant had left the parlor, Beverly looked at her children and noticed a gleam in Lydia’s eye. “Lydia, do you know what this is about?”

“I do, Mother. But it would be best that I not say any more until Daddy and Grant come back.”

Thirty minutes had passed before Duane and Grant returned to the parlor. Beverly was in her favorite overstuffed chair. Lydia was on the couch, trying to hide her excitement, and Billy was removing himself from his father’s chair, which sat close to Beverly’s.

Duane gestured toward the couch. “You can sit over there by Lydia, Grant.” Duane eased into his chair and said to Beverly, “Grant came here tonight to ask my permission to be our daughter’s beau. I gladly gave it.”

“Grant, this is highly unusual,” Beverly said, “but I want to tell you that I’m very pleased. I appreciate that you’ve asked Lydia’s father for permission. You are a true Christian gentleman.”

“I told him the same thing,” Duane said. “Grant and I had a good talk about Christian conduct in dating. I’ve set down some strict ground rules, for which he thanked me. I’ll go over them with Lydia also.”

Beverly smiled her approval, then looked at the couple who sat on the couch and said, “So! It’s now official! Grant and Lydia are steadies. How about some cool sarsaparilla to celebrate the occasion?”

In the months that followed, Grant and Lydia developed a sweet and pleasant relationship, growing closer together in heart and in the Lord. Both sets of parents were pleased at the way the couple complemented one another, and as each day passed, Grant and Lydia found themselves more and more convinced that the Lord had chosen them for each other. To Grant’s surprise, not one of his friends kidded him about robbing the cradle.

In late January 1842, after a church function for the young people, Grant drove Lydia home in the family buggy. One of Duane Reynolds’s rules was that the couple was not to be alone except for the few minutes it took them to travel about Montgomery Village. In the evenings, they were free, however, to sit in the parlor of either home, even after the other family members had retired for the night. In warm weather they could sit on the front porch instead of the parlor.

The Reynoldses were just heading for bed when Grant and Lydia came in from the church activity. They bid the couple good night and left them alone in the parlor, next to the crackling fire.

After some small talk Grant said, “Lydia, I’ve told you how much I admire my Uncle Rex Swanson, my mother’s brother.”

“The one who’s a major in the army?”

“Right. Well, I know we haven’t talked about this much, but I’ve decided to make a career in the United States Army. I’ve prayed about it, and my parents feel it’s the right thing for me too.”

“If you have peace about it, Grant, and your parents believe it’s the right thing, then it has to be.”

“I’m glad you see it that way. I’ve looked into going to West Point so I can be an officer when I go into the army. It takes an appointment from a congressman in order to enter the academy, but with the good grades I’ve received all through school, Uncle Rex says there’ll be no problem getting the appointment. It takes four years to graduate.”

“Will you be able to come home for the summer?” Lydia asked.

“Partly. There’ll be six weeks of practical training in June and half
of July, but I’ll also be able to come home for two weeks at Christmastime.”

Lydia smiled. “Then I will live for the times you can be home during your years at West Point. I’m proud that you want to be a soldier and serve your country.”

Grant took her hand, leaned close, and kissed her cheek. “I love you, Lydia.”

“And I love you, Grant,” she whispered. “With all my heart.”

The courtship continued, and as time passed the young couple found their love for each other growing deeper and stronger.

With his father’s help, Grant submitted to one of their congressmen his petition to enter West Point in September. A letter came back with forms to fill out. Grant completed the forms and sent them back to the congressman, along with a copy of his grades through the years.

Grant graduated from high school the last week of May and was hired again by the farmer he had worked for the previous summer. Four days after graduating, the notice came that he had been accepted at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York. Marjorie shed some tears as she realized her boy would no longer be living in their home come September.

That evening, Grant and Lydia sat on her front porch, enjoying the moonlight. Crickets were making their night sounds, and the sweet aroma of honeysuckle filled the air. They talked about their day, then Grant said, “Lydia, something came in the mail today.” He reached into his shirt pocket as he spoke.

“Oh, I know what it is! You’ve been accepted at the academy!”

“You guessed it,” he said, handing her the folded envelope. She took the paper out, angled it toward the moonlight, and read the acceptance letter. As she placed it back in the envelope, her lower lip quivered. “I’ll miss you, Grant, but I’m so proud of you.”

Grant embraced her, kissed her cheek, and said, “I’ll miss you,
too, sweetheart. You
will
wait for me, won’t you?”

Lydia drew back, looked up into his eyes, and said, “You
do
know the answer to that question, don’t you?”

“Yes, but I just want to hear you say it.”

Moonlight reflected in Lydia’s emerald eyes. “All right. Mr. Grant Swanson Smith, I, Lydia Jane Reynolds, solemnly promise that I will wait for you during the four years you are getting your military education.”

Grant sighed. “Music to my ears. Now, that brings up another subject. Something else I have to ask you.”

“All right.”

“Since my chosen career is with the United States Army, would you have any problem being an army wife?”

“Grant, if we marry, I’d be happy no matter what because I’d be married to you. Since the army is your chosen profession, then my profession will be as an army officer’s wife. I’ll back you all the way.”

He embraced her again and said, “I know we’re too young for a formal engagement, but here and now I am asking you to marry me soon after I graduate from West Point in the spring of 1846.”

Lydia pulled back once more to look into his eyes. “The answer is
yes
, my darling Grant,” she said through brimming tears. “Eighteen forty-six sounds like a long time from now, but it will be worth the wait. I’m so happy and honored that you want me for your life mate.”

On the first Saturday in June, Beverly Reynolds invited the Smiths over for a meal. At the table, in front of the young couple, the parents discussed Grant and Lydia’s promise to wait for each other and marry after Grant graduated from West Point. Both sets of parents said they would be very happy if it worked out.

“Grant … Lydia,” Beverly said, “you are both very young, and things might change between you in the next four years. Your young love is a tender flame. Time will prove if it is the genuine, lasting kind upon which to build a marriage.”

“Beverly is right,” Marjorie said. “Many things can happen in four years. If the love you have between you is the real thing, it will prove out.”