Chapter 14
Blessed are Those Who Mourn
Early afternoon found the women of Cougar Rock gathering at the crossing of the Clearwater. Several carriages had lined up along the edge of the street. Sarah Long stood in a small group of other women near the water, discussing the sad events of the last week. Kate Valley joined them with a basket in her hand. A meal had been prepared for a farewell for Aggie Stonewell.
Sarah was an average sized woman and not anything special to look at, but she was a good wife to Joseph and worked hard to keep the store in order. She had never had children, even though she had been married to Joseph for a number of years. As they stood at the water, other woman began to gather.
“Cougar Rock will never forget this day,” said Sarah. “I can’t imagine how it must b
