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Chapters (153)
  1. Beulah Land
  2. Dedication
  3. PART ONE
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. PART TWO
  27. 1
  28. 2
  29. 3
  30. 4
  31. 5
  32. 6
  33. 7
  34. 8
  35. 9
  36. 10
  37. 11
  38. 12
  39. 13
  40. 14
  41. 15
  42. 16
  43. 17
  44. 18
  45. 19
  46. 20
  47. 21
  48. 22
  49. 23
  50. PART THREE
  51. 1
  52. 2
  53. 3
  54. 4
  55. 5
  56. 6
  57. 7
  58. 8
  59. 9
  60. 10
  61. 11
  62. 12
  63. 13
  64. 14
  65. 15
  66. 16
  67. 17
  68. 18
  69. 19
  70. 20
  71. 21
  72. 22
  73. 23
  74. 24
  75. PART FOUR
  76. 1
  77. 2
  78. 3
  79. 4
  80. 5
  81. 6
  82. 7
  83. 8
  84. 9
  85. 10
  86. 11
  87. 12
  88. 13
  89. 14
  90. 15
  91. 16
  92. 17
  93. 18
  94. 19
  95. 20
  96. 21
  97. 22
  98. 23
  99. 24
  100. PART FIVE
  101. 1
  102. 2
  103. 3
  104. 4
  105. 5
  106. 6
  107. 7
  108. 8
  109. 9
  110. 10
  111. 11
  112. 12
  113. 13
  114. 14
  115. 15
  116. 16
  117. 17
  118. 18
  119. 19
  120. 20
  121. 21
  122. 22
  123. PART SIX
  124. 1
  125. 2
  126. 3
  127. 4
  128. 5
  129. 6
  130. 7
  131. 8
  132. 9
  133. 10
  134. 11
  135. 12
  136. 13
  137. 14
  138. 15
  139. 16
  140. 17
  141. 18
  142. 19
  143. PART SEVEN
  144. 1
  145. 2
  146. 3
  147. 4
  148. 5
  149. 6
  150. 7
  151. 8
  152. Copyright
  153. Books by Lonnie Coleman published by Classica Libris (digital editions)

Frowning, Selma removed the slippers and then sat like a child with her feet in the water. She arched her feet slowly and stared at them with fascination. They might have been pale fishes there just beneath the surface. Then she drew them out of the water up onto the log, making a high angle of her knees and resting her arms and head on them.

The wedding was to be at noon. The only house guests at Beulah Land were her Aunt Nell and Uncle Felix. Others, who had come from a distance and required lodging, stayed at Oaks; and there was a large family of cousins who had temporarily taken over Nell’s house in town. The rector of St. Thomas’s, the Reverend Curtis Lamont, was to marry Selma to Bonard. He and his wife, even now, readied themselves to drive in their new buggy the three miles from Highboro to Beulah Land.

The ceremony would take place in the wide center hall which yesterday had been cleared and lined with great pots of Boston fern, and this morning would be further furnished with chairs at the sides for the elderly and infirm (others would stand) and decorated with fresh cut flowers of all the kinds the gardens of Beulah Land afforded, as well as branches of the waxen-leafed magnolias that seemed appropriate to every special occasion, summer and winter.

The kitchen had for the last several days been a tense and temperish center of activity where cakes were baked and hams were boiled, and where this morning chickens would be fried, salads prepared, jars of various delicacies opened and set out ready for consumption after the wedding had been performed. Though a Friday, it was a holiday for the people of Beulah Land; they would feast on fried chicken and cake, corn and melons.

Selma closed her eyes and tried to bring to focus in her mind an image of her lover’s face, but it would not be summoned, and presently she opened her eyes to look about her. She would be going soon. She must, or they would wonder where she was. The notion of causing her mother worry pleased her.

Deborah had long wanted this day, and now it was come. She had for so many years made observations on the suitability of such a union, the blessings and convenience that were bound to ensure if it were effected; and now it was to be.