title: Old Sins Cast Long Shadows
author: Gidding, Joan
description: The sky - river and land lay empty  Then there was movement  Two tiny wagons on the edge of the flood plain made their way up a tract above the river to claim ten acres each. Another "squatter" joined them settling halfway to the top. The three settlers were - Lewellyn Lewis from Wales - Abel Hardy from Dorset both from the 'Old Country - England and Frederick Rush native-born American. From the back hills came exuberant, enterprising Alfie Hicks a former indentured servant from England - a Cockney born and bred - who had worked off his debt who now claimed fifty and more acres  And why not? For here was 'land for the taking ' He never dreamed that naming the town "Hicksville" would become a synonym for "backwoods"-"backwater"-"backward" in the next century  From the 'Rush' household - there emerged Joel with the looks and demanor which would set his mother to prod him - obsessively - to being a preacher. Joel however was destined to become the leader of the survivors of a disaster: he led them into 'the Promised Land' to start a new life. The story follows the loves - lives - sorrows and joys of the group who find it necessary to welcome "new blood" to keep "Rushburg, West Virginia" a viable town. The new arrivals are Irish whose irrepressible good humor and determination to succeed awaken sleepy Rushburg. Most of all this story is about love in its various forms: true love yes  but love that is also 'possessive' 'oppressive' and 'corrupt." Then there is 'pure love' which is surely Divineely ordained