What’s happening? Tim Murphy here.

You have undoubtedly heard from my wife and my loving sister-in-law.  Hen’s teeth those two can jaw! I am sorry to admit I provided them with much to complain about. It’s true; I brought them to Leadville with hopes of making our fortunes and tales of riches! However, I must admit that life has been a lot harder than I had anticipated.

You see, before the blazing fire started, everything in St. Jo, Canada, was going according to plan. Many families, including ours, were left with nothing but ashes when it destroyed the town. All their homes, careers, and hopes were destroyed. Both emotionally and financially, it hurt us a lot. Jobs became scarce and many families battled to make ends meet. When the future appeared to be uncertain, several people, including my family, started looking for new chances in America.

We expected to travel to New York when we left Ireland for the Americas, but fate led us to Canada. Both St. Jo’s and Quebec were flourishing cities, and it was in St. Jo’s that I met the lovely Annette, who is now my wife, at a church luncheon. Her beautiful, thick brown hair and those green eyes that reminded me of naughty pixies made me fall in love at first sight. We both shared the same Catholic faith, which served as the foundation of our community, despite the fact that she was French and I was Irish. Despite having come from diverse homes, our parents supported our love if we agreed to continue being churchgoers.

When I was given the opportunity to work as an engineer in the mines here in Leadville, I was overjoyed. I believed it would be a wonderful experience and a method to prepare us for life. Sadly though, life had other ideas for me. Soon after arriving, I became ill, and the silt and fine mining dust filled my lungs. It was difficult for me to do much but lie in bed and watch over Pat, our young child. Particularly considering that my wife and sister-in-law must handle everything, it feels so unmanly. I’ve started drinking to escape the sadness of my circumstance, and I’m not proud of it. I understand why Annette is upset with me; I don’t blame her. In my drunken stupor, I almost allowed our son to sustain injuries in a fire.

Now that the business has let me go, we risk being evicted from our small house. We don’t have enough money, and I have no idea how to bring in more. It feels like an admission of failure to send my family back to my parents’ house in Massachusetts or Louise to Quebec with her mother.

But, what the heck? I have chosen to swallow my pride after Louise recommended the dress shop concept. While they are at work, I’ll look after Pat while I’m at home. I might even master the art of cooking. Knowing how I tend to burn everything, including beans that wind up smelling like a babe’s shite, Annette says I don’t need to worry about that. I’m determined to provide for my family, even if it requires me to take a backseat to what I had imagined my role to be.

Thank you for listening, and good luck to me as I continue to learn new things and look for ways to contribute.  (Whispering mischievously “I’ve heard rumors about a developing ladies’ society!”)