Eighteen and on Her Own

"Are we really ready to be schoolteachers?"There are times when Mabel isn't too sure, despite the optimistic encouragement of her best friend, Sarah Jane. Cold stoves, scarlet fever, and a break-in at the schoolhouse are only part of her worries in her first year of teaching. How should she handle the threats of Cy Lawton, whose son comes to school bearing the marks of his father's anger? Or the gossip about her "setting her cap" for Leaonard Williams, the young minister?Meanwhile, letters from her high school friend Russ keep coming, regular as clockwork, offering Mabel a comfortable, secure future as a banker's wife. Mabel thinks she is too young to be facing such important decisions even with God's help, but as Sarah Jane reminds her, "Life keeps moving on, whether you're ready or not."