This letter reached our newsroom from a village in New York.
Dear S. Clemens,

        As a faithful, God fearing Christian woman,  I find your column is perfect to find those lost souls who are in need of prayer. You recently mentioned  our town bachelor, Mr. David Moses Van Hoyton, was recently seen escorting an unknown female into his hotel.
 I’m sure the people of the church will appreciate any further information you may acquire as we wish to pray for her by name. I’m sure she will not be found in the hotel register as she clearly was NOT a guest. I also am an eye witness to this event and  I can honestly state, her clothes were definitely not of high quality.  Though you speak of her being “a pretty thing with big expressive eyes”, I am only concerned with her soul and any possible harm she may cause the above mentioned man. We do not want any backsliding to occur on his part. I was told by a very reliable source, this very woman  was seen near the train station earlier in the day. The train master, an honorable Christian, seemed infatuated by her and was seen enticing her with some sort of gift . It wasn’t  long after that Mr. Van Hoyton passed by and she quickly chose our local hotel owner as a better–how do I say it–friend?
Again, any further news on this clearly lost soul will be used discreetly and shared only with the good people of the church’s sprayer group. Thank you,
A concerned Christian woman

About the Series

This bit of fiction is in reference to characters in a work in progress that is part of Camille Regholec’s series Looking on the Heart.
Book 2, Secret Way to the Heart
Though far from the battlefields, the Civil War brings many changes to Jayne’s family and neighbors in the Hudson Valley of New York. As she struggles to keep her family united in the midst of a country torn apart, Jayne seeks God for answers and protection to keep her heart from falling for a mysterious Southern preacher who appears on the scene.