Paul as they had come, in disarray. Edwin thought he had found a job in the claims office of the Burlington Railroad in Springfield, Missouri, so they packed up and boarded the train to Springfield en famille. Upon arrival Edwin went into the Burlington claims office at the station, to find there had been a terrible mistake; there was no job. They spent that night at a cheap railway boarding house hard by the tracks. For Amy this was the last straw. The stress of the year in St. Paul had been enormous; she was so exhausted and nervous that the slightest noise made her jump, and several times she had shivering fits during which her legs stopped working. Amelia, on whose shoulders Amy’s care had fallen, was so worried, she went to discuss Amy’s symptoms with their doctor, who told her that Amy was on the verge of a nervous breakdown and needed rest and quiet. Old friends, the Shedds, had previously offered to take them in until Edwin could get back on his feet.
