The Life and Writings of Barbara Nelson Blinn

“I Didn’t Do It” has a plot like that of the 1982 movie, Shawshank Redemption, and the 1872 Leo Tolstoy story, “God Sees the Truth, But Waits”. Barbara set her story in 1908 and it is doubtful she knew of those other similar writings that I took from yellowed, hand-written papers she wrote for extra credit in high school in 1958.  In Barbara’s story, Wes Rankin had the world by the tail until he was accused of a crime he did not commit. He was sent to prison and finally released fifty years later to a world he no longer recognized. If he had proper defense, Wes Rankin likely would have been found innocent of the crime. It was not until the landmark Supreme Court case of Gideon v. Wainwright where the United States Supreme Court unanimously ruled that states are required to provide an attorney to defendants in criminal cases who are unable to afford their own attorneys. Today, we often complain about the lack of civil rights, but easily forget that in the not-so-distant past people like Wes Rankin had even less rights.

​

“The Fishhook That Turned to Gold” is about a lonely little boy who wandered into a country church to listen to a sermon. He had seemingly nothing to offer God but taught a congregation of people the true meaning of giving.

​

“Happiness at Last” is the story of little Bobbie Carter who seemed lost in the world. All he wanted was parents to love him. His mother and father died in a car crash and Bobbie was just five years old. He went to live with his Grandma Carter who did not spend much time with him. Bobbie had no friends to play with and was lonely until new neighbors moved into the nearby previously deserted house. Would he ever be happy again?

​

“The Haunted House” is about a group of young boys living in the town of Millsville. The old mansion in that town had a reputation of being haunted. Terry wants to be a member of the boys’ play group, The Fearless Friends Club. His initiation task is to go in the house and up to the third story and shine a light out the window. Is he brave enough to do it?

​

“Inches Count” is about a young man, Johnny Sands, who loves the game of basketball, but he is not growing tall as fast as the other boys in his class. Johnny wants so badly to make the basketball team, but the coach will not play him until he grows taller. Johnny struggles with the unfairness of being unable to control his physical attributes and focuses on improving his basketball skills.

​

“The Christmas Dolly” is about a young mother and her daughter struggling to make it on their own at Christmas time. Daughter Mary Ann Brown wants a Christmas dolly more than anything in the world. How would her mother ever afford one when she could barely provide the necessities?