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H (25)

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FN: Spanish name of a character in the biblical apocrypha (goes by an English nickname)
MN: Spanish name of a biblical angel
LN: one Spanish surname with a meaning related to trees (https://surnames.behindthename.com/names/usage/spanish/tag/trees)

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W (22)

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FN: a serious, cold name (goes by a nickname)
MN: a warm, friendly name
LN: English, occupational and related to animals

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H (25) is the illegitimate son of a Californio ranchero and one of his mestiza mistresses. He was born near Monterey, when California was still under Mexican rule. After the Mexican-American War ended and California's ownership shifted to the US, he found himself caught between cultures - no longer Mexican, but not yet American either. He turned to prospecting, journeying eastward with one hope: finding gold. Practical, reserved, and resourceful, he is a man of few words but deep convictions. He dreams of owning a piece of land he can call his own.

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W (22) is the daughter of New England abolitionists who moved to Illinois in the 1830s. Raised on a farm, she grew up reading Emerson and Thoreau by candlelight and learning practical skills like weaving, cooking, and horse care. Her parents hoped to build a utopian community in the West, but a series of savage winters broke their spirits. She is headstrong, idealistic, and fiercely independent. She would like to start a school to educate children of settlers and Natives alike.

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The couple met in the spring of 1847 near Independence, Missouri. W (22)'s family had joined a wagon train heading west, while H (25) served as a guide and interpreter for the group. They clashed to begin with - W (22) fiery temperament forming a sharp contrast against H (25)'s dry wit - but they eventually developed a grudging respect for each other as they forded rivers, negotiated with Native tribes, and survived a cholera outbreak.

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By the time the wagon train reached the foothills of the Rockies, they young couple were in love. They married in a small ceremony among the wagon train travelers. The bride wore a borrowed dress, and the groom offered her a simple pewter ring he made himself. W (22) parents were initially concerned about their daughter's future: they hoped their daughter would help them build a stable, enlightened community in the West, and not become the wife of a transient trader. However, they came to admire him for the same reasons their daughter did: his hard work and resourcefulness.

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The couple settled near Sutter's Fort in California just as the Gold Rush began. W (22) has opened a small boardinghouse, which she runs like the navy. So far, her married life with H (25) has been blissful - but soon, their savings will run out, and he will have to return to work as a prospector and trader, and leave his bride alone for months on end.

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masculine list: https://www.behindthename.com/pnl/191050/124079
feminine list: https://www.behindthename.com/pnl/191050/124080

This message was edited 11/17/2024, 10:53 AM