The Safe Bridge

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The Safe Bridge is a novel written by Frances Parkinson Keyes. Released in 1934, it tells of a young woman marrying one man while still loving another.

Characters[]

Elizabeth Burr Anderson - the exiled daughter of a Scottish chieftan
James Anderson - Judge Cameron's hired man who falls in love with Elizabeth
Peabody Ladd - a travelling vendor of musical instruments whom Elizabeth befriends
Barzillai "Basil" Keith - Elizabeth's first love
David Sutherland - a Ryegate priest
Joe - a Native living in the Ryegate area
Judge Cameron - a judge in Ryegate
Mistress Cameron - Judge Cameron's wife
Archibald Burr - Elizabeth's father
Colonel Thomas Johnson
Colonel Asa Porter - a Loyalist colonel
Andrew MacPherson - one of Archibald's agents
Hazar Mir Khan - a messenger for "Mem Sahib"
Jeannie - Elizabeth's elderly serving-woman

Publisher's summary[]

THE TURBULENT STORY OF A YOUNG WOMAN WHO FOUND HER "SAFE BRIDGE" IN THE STRENGTH OF HER LOVE

In this romantic story, the celebrated author of Dinner at Antoine's, Senator Marlowe's Daughter, and The Great Tradition re-creates the days of great open fireplaces, tallow candles on rough-hewn tables, unblazed trails, virgin forests and sparse settlements - the adventure of life and love in the unknown wilderness of Old Vermont.

"The story of Elizabeth Burr and James Anderson which I have told in The Safe Bridge," writes Frances Parkinson Keyes in her fascinating Author's Note, "is true in every essential detail. Not only was each a real person, but so is every other character I have tried to portray."

Plot[]

Prologue: The Distant Vision[]

During the "latter part of the eighteenth century", a large portion of Scotland's inhabitants emmigrated from their homeland to America. Some of these immigrants built a city called Ryegate on the shores of the Connecticut River. These immigrants sought to make a model city but their dreams seemingly failed. One of these immigrants was a cotton manufacturer named Archibald Burr.

Part One: The Dark River[]

Several years later, Archibald's daughter Elizabeth is travelling with an agent of her father's named Andrew and a serving-woman named Jeannie to meet with one Judge Cameron in Ryegate. While travelling to Ryegate, Andrew and Jeannie discuss Elizabeth's village to the college of one Dr. Wheelock - largely known by them for teaching the Native peoples. Soon, the three of them cross the Connecticut River but hear something moving through the brush shortly after this crossing. Jeannie assumes it to be the Devil but it is soon revealed to be a Native named Joe. After briefly talking with Joe, the three travellers reach Judge Cameron's home. They find that the Judge and his wife are away and are greeted by a hired man named James Anderson.

The three presumably stay the night at the Judge's home. Upon awaking, Elizabeth finds that her serving-woman refuses to help her get dressed (something that has never happened before) and, after dressing herself and going outside, learns from James Anderson that the Judge and his wife still have not returned home and that Andrew is not home.

As the days go on, Elizabeth becomes a guest at the Judge's home and becomes a part of the Ryegate community. While she worked to improve her skills, she befriended several people living in Ryegate (including a travelling vendor of musicians named Peabody Ladd), she also gains the notice of the local church and its pastor David Sutherland for her "chattering and jestering". She is also noticed by James Anderson. As spring begins, Anderson hears Elizabeth crying in the woods and finds her collapsed from sheer exaustion. Once Elizabeth wakes up, she reveals that she was banished from her native Scotland by her father for falling in love with an English soldier.

The next day, Elizabeth reveals more details of her story to Anderson. Back in Scotland, Elizabeth's father married her out to a local landowner. Despite this, Elizabeth fell in love with a British soldier named Basil Keith and started an affair - with the two of them saying that they would spend the rest of their lives together. When Basil's regiment was ordered to travel to the Indies for several years, Elizabeth decided to say goodbye to him at his barracks. A storm forced her to stay overnight and, after dawn broke and the storm passed, her father confronted her before sending her away to America. Though Elizabeth wishes to spend the rest of her life alone, Anderson says that he will be there for her.

Part Two: The Building of the Bridge[]

As Elizabeth spends more and more time at the Camerons' house, she ingratiates herself into their home and the society of Ryegate more and more. During this time, the Camerons produce a young boy that they name "Thomas Jefferson" (in honour of the politician of the same name). Though Beth (as James Anderson begins calling her) has become a member of the Ryegate society, she still holds the memory of Basil. While talking with James, Beth reveals this to him and says that she will only marry him and only bring his children into the world.

The next morning, Elizabeth leaves to speak with Pastor Sutherland about marrying James - as she does not truly love her. Upon arriving at Sutherland's cottage, she finds only his wife and learns from her that Pastor Sutherland has been sent to England. Elizabeth decides to speak about her with Sutherland's wife about her fears. While she is initially understanding, Sutherland's wife soon begins to believe that Elizabeth is somewhat spoiled and imparts the local fundamentalist viewpoint that love is not important in a marriage (but only for women). While returning from her talk with Sutherland's wife, Elizabeth hears a young woman screaming in a nearby cabin. She rushes inside and finds that the woman has given birth completely alone and that both her and her baby are on death's door. As the woman is afraid that her baby will die unbaptised, Elizabeth performs a baptism on her own and christens the baby Basil Keith. Shortly after this, both baby and mother die at peace.

Unfortunately for Elizabeth, the churchgoing community of Ryegate views this with great scorn and disdain (believing that Elizabeth gave a baptism to a "scarlet lady" and her baby in the rites of the dreaded Roman Church). The Camerons begin to shun Elizabeth and keep her away from their children - much to the dismay of the children. Only Joe, Peabody Ladd, and Anderson do not shun Elizabeth in this time. Elizabeth is soon brought before an audience of church elders who plan to excommunicate her from the church. Before they can do so, Elizabeth uses her courageous spirit to shock them all and argues that her actions were the morally correct thing to do. With the hearing over, Elizabeth and Anderson take communion together.

Though Elizabeth still refuses to marry Anderson, the two become somewhat close - with the two of them attending an election ball in Newbury, Conneticut in October. While travelling to the ball, Elizabeth punches a lascivious harrasser. Once at the ball, Elizabeth finds that Peabody Ladd is also there and briefly dances with him while singing Scottish songs. Unfortunately, this depresses Elizabeth enough to make her flee the ball into a nearby corridor where she is found by the harrasser and nearly got raped by him before escaping.

For several days afterwards, Elizabeth waits in bed and awaits a letter from her beloved Basil. While Elizabeth is in bed, the Camerons move Elizabeth to the household of Colonel Thomas Johnson while Anderson tries to get Elizabeth to marry him. Though Beth initially holds out hope for her love, these hopes falter after her beloved does not reply to any of her letters for months. After several months, Reverend Sutherland sends Elizabeth a diary of his travels. Using this, Anderson convinces Elizabeth that Basil is gone and that she should marry him.

Once within the Johnsons' household, Elizabeth is effectively invited into their family and introduced to the Colonel's children. Throughout this time, James Anderson courts Elizabeth. Though Elizabeth should be able to return to Ryegate after several months of working for the Johnsons, the Colonel's wife convinces Elizabeth to stay. Shortly after this, Mistress Johnson takes Elizabeth on a tour of the countryside - visiting the estates of various somewhat powerful families. Elizabeth finds the first family (the family of Colonel Moses Dow) somewhat frigid and, while staying on the estate of Colonel Asa Porter for several days, is disturbed by the lechery that the Colonel shows to her and the cruelty he shows to his slaves.

After returning from this trip, Elizabeth begins to prepare for her marriage to Jim Anderson. During these preparations, David Sutherland returns from his trip through the Old Country. As such, Sutherland is able to officiate the wedding. Also present at the wedding is Peabody Ladd, Joe, and various members of the influential families - including Colonels Porter, Dow, and Johnson. Once the wedding ceremony finishes, Jim and Elizabeth ride away on horseback.

Part Three: The Crossing[]

Though Elizabeth and Jim's marriage is happy for several months, this bliss is pierced when Elizabeth has a stillbirth and is shattered when Jim (believing that having another baby will fix Elizabeth's sadness) forces Elizabeth to sire another baby. As the birth of this infant approaches, Jim is counselled by David Sutherland and his own parents that he should have a doctor on hand for the birth. While Jim is out working the fields, Elizabeth begins to give birth. Though David dawdles somewhat, he soon rushes to get a local doctor due to his fears that Elizabeth will die. Fortunately, once the doctor arrives Elizabeth is still alive and names the baby Sue after it is born. While leaving, the doctor warns Anderson to not be hasty in conceiving another child. Despite this, Elizabeth asks Anderson to give her another child almost immediately after recovering from giving birth.

While Sue is still a toddler, she is struck with spotted fever and nearly dies. Though Sue survives, her mother becomes extremely worried that her child will die. While fretting over this, Elizabeth gives birth to her second child - who, to Jim's disgust, is not a son but another daughter. Jim becomes antagonistic towards Elizabeth during this and becomes more slothful and wrathful in general. Around this time, one of Elizabeth's friends kills herself out of grief after her husband is essentially lost to insanity. Though Elizabeth tries to convince Jim to convince the church elders to bury this friend in consecrated ground, Jim refuses to do this and she is buried outside the village. Several months later, an extremely rough famine strikes the village.

While this famine rages on, Elizabeth is visited by Peabody Ladd, who is returning from a trip to Florida and brings with him a feast of food saved in ice and news of the War of 1812 (including Commodore Perry's victory on the Erie and the treaty that ended the War in all but New Orleans). Shortly after Elizabeth eats dinner with Peabody and speaks to him about the execution of Joe's son (due to killing his friend over a woman), Jim returns from the mill.

Shortly after Peabody moves into Jim and Elizabeth's home, Elizabeth begins to worry about entering her children into Ryegate's very barebones school. She soon forgets these worries and visits the nearby village of Hickory Village to visit the Goodwin family. While there, Elizabeth takes part in a Goodwin family ball with Peabody Ladd and watches as one of the Goodwins returns from the battlefield of the War of 1812 and another almost magically recovers from being paralyzed to run to him.

While these events become the talk of Ryegate, Peabody reveals that he plans to leave for a voyage to Canada and fears that he will never see Elizabeth again. His departure is closely followed by Jim travelling to Newbury on business. As such, Elizabeth is alone when Joe brings a very strange visitor to her home - a messenger for a "great Sahib" who brings a letter from Basil to Elizabeth. This letter tells Elizabeth to travel to the nearby Franconia Tavern.

Once at the tavern, Elizabeth finds that Basil is also there. Once the two reunite, Basil reveals what has happened to him. While Elizabeth was sent to America by her parents, Basil was sent to the distant corners of the Empire (mostly in Asia) and spent several years there. Upon returning to Scotland, he was told by Elizabeth's parents that she had died. Around the same time, one of Basil's parents died and left him an estate and title. Basil was despondent over Elizabeth's "death" for several years before he learned the truth from a deathbed confession. Upon finding this out, Basil left for America - arriving in New York just as a plague had struck the city. As such, Basil had to flee from customs and lodged with a fellow Scotsman for several days before making his way towards Ryegate. Once he has revealed this, Basil reveals that he still loves Beth and plans to keep his beloved around.

Though Elizabeth tries to convince Basil that she is happily married, Basil tries to convince her that her marriage is unhappy and that she will be better off living in England with him. When Elizabeth tries to leave, Basil reveals that he has locked the door. Shortly after this, Jim Anderson (who found out about his wife's visit to the Franconia Tavern upon arriving back home) breaks down the door. Jim then asks if Elizabeth wants to stay with him or leave with Basil. Though Elizabeth initially wants to leave with Basil, Jim convinces Elizabeth that Basil's love for her will be fleeting.

Epilogue: The Country Beyond[]

Several months later, as a snowstorm rages in Ryegate, Elizabeth muses with David Sutherland over recent matters in Ryegate. While doing so, she reveals that she named her new son "Barzillai" in honour of Basil and reveals how she knew Basil to Sutherland. She also reveals that Joe froze to death in a recent "Great Storm".

Notes[]

According to an author's note included in this book, the story of Elizabeth Burr and James Anderson is based on the real story of Elizabeth Todd and James Henderson.

Sources[]

Goodreads

Title	Author	Release date	Significance
The History of Ryegate, Vermont	Edward Miller and Frederic P. Wells	1913	A nonfiction book used by Frances Parkinson Keyes as a source for this novel
Unconquered	Neil H. Swanson	1947	A novel with a similar setting released around the same time
Love in the Time of Cholera	Gabriel García Márquez	1985	Another historical fiction novel with a similar story
Blue Camellia	Frances Parkinson Keyes	1957	Another historical fiction novel from the same author
Swear by Apollo	Shirley Barker	1958	A novel with a similar setting and a vaguely similar plot
The Scarlet Letter	Nathaniel Hawthorne	1850	A novel with similar religious themes
Blackrobe	Robert E. Wall	1981	A novel with a similar setting
Mason & Dixon	Thomas Pynchon	1997	A novel with a similar setting
The Bastard	John Jakes	1974	A novel with a similar setting

The Safe Bridge

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