Looking back at the West in Movies, television, and books a man and woman either kiss or ride off together at the end. In truth, more men moved West of the Mississippi during the 1800's than women. After a man managed to get a ranch, farm, mine, or business started he wanted a family -- a wife and children. For those that could not afford the time or money to go back East courting that was a problem. The shortage of women and the distances in the West required courting adjustments, just as raw living conditions of the frontier forced on people changes in making a living. This book of two dozen short stories deals with the fictional creation of Western familes from 1860-1900.