Charlie Smith is a Lonely Man — Susan Hart

In the rugged landscape of Northern California during the mid-19th century, Charlie Smith found himself a lonely soul. At forty years of age, he had never taken a wife nor fathered children, a fact that weighed heavily on his kind heart. Though considered a respectable man about town - courteous to all he encountered and a tender caretaker of stray animals - his daily routines brought him little joy beyond the simple pleasure of strolling along the beach near his humble home.It was on one such walk that Charlie's yearning for companionship overcame him. Gazing wistfully at the crashing waves, he could no longer deny the emptiness of his solitary existence. In a moment of uncharacteristic boldness, he decided to take action to alter the course of his life forever. After returning home, Charlie sat down and carefully penned an advertisement seeking a mail order bride that he intended to submit to an East Coast newspaper. Though the very notion made his heart race with equal measures of hope and trepidation, he steeled his resolve and promptly dispatched the telegram.Weeks passed, and Charlie could hardly contain his excitement as he awaited a response to his earnest plea for companionship. Each morning, he would rush to the mailbox, hoping to find a letter waiting for him. And finally, on a crisp autumn day, his patience was rewarded.