Marian L. Jasper
'How did Liza manage all her businesses?' wondered modern-day writer Ellie Fuller as she continued her research into Liza Marchant’s life. 'We have mobiles, computers, video calls but all she had were letters. The successful Transatlantic telegraph system didn’t come into play until after the Civil War.' But even with the lack of immediate communication, Liza and the Fuller family took advantage of an opportunity presented to them in the form of land and government investment near New York which resulted in farming, factories and the new township of Daltons. 'An opportunity not to be missed,' Liza had said, and she had been right. As Ellie continued with Liza’s story, she had reason to ponder the justice system in the 19th century, which was harsh, sometimes deservedly so, but at other times it was overly severe. She found that there were far reaching consequences for Liza and Jamie when they chose not to report the whereabouts of an escaped prisoner to the authorities. They had convinced them- selves that their only sin was one of omission, but it repeatedly came back to haunt them. Much to Liza and Jamie’s surprise, Bella, the Duchess of Berkshire and her two boys arrived on their doorstep one day. They all appeared to enjoy the experience so much that they rarely left, which led to a lifelong friendship between the two families. Having read through another of Liza’s journals, Ellie sat back and thought that if communication had been more streamlined in those days then she would not be able to read the letters and journals which pieced together all that happened in Liza’s life. 'I’m glad she didn’t live in the so-called paperless society.'
