Henry Brother, the father of Civil War Marine Charles Brother, was soon back on the family farm in Geneva, but developing a routine of traveling to Bath, New York, every other Saturday, getting there in time for no serious driving on the Sabbath, and making sure he was in Bath for services at St. Thomas Episcopal Church.
He was not interested in buying or selling, but only in getting to know the men who would become business partners and future customers. He tested the waters for rapids at church socials and strolls in the park. He studied the land and test the flow and pitch of rivers for mill work, too.
The second or third time he slipped in the back of St. Thomas, he overheard Mrs. Metcalf report to Mrs. Howell the sad situation with Ira Pratt, who, at age 39, was called to the courts as an insolvent debtor with an appeal to the public not to send him to prison.
Upon hearing this, Henry looked around for young Mary Ann Pratt, knowing he would not be able to see her for her size, but thought maybe she could not skip church, surly, at a time when the Pratt family needed most of all their friends.
“Excuse me, ma’am,” Henry leaned in, “I am a judge of Miss Pratt’s bonnet work from Geneva. Am I understanding that her work has been compromised by this situation?”
The women looked him over. What judge?
“I am buying stock for my store with Mr. Dudley, near Rushville,” Henry continued, “Miss Pratt has been commissioned to provide her millinery. Can you help me find her this morning to determine if our agreement remains intact?”
The ladies, squinting, placed their hands on their scarves and adjusted their closures, but pointed out the pews rented out to the Pratts. While others were standing and visiting, Mary was sitting and swinging her feet.
Henry quickly wrote down his invitation to Mary, an order for five bonnets, their first contract to test her product. He handed it to her, testing her to see if she might choose hope, but it was also a gesture to fill that void of entertainment after his father died and she was all that and more. He must generate his own good news. When she nodded, business-like, he knew he could go on. He left in high spirits, more confident in Bath than ever.