Abram's Daughters 03 The Sacrifice (3 page)

Since she was "running around" now, Mary Ruth was able to openly read for pleasure, as well as study books at home, but the novelty of getting together with other Plain young people, especially fine-looking boys, had tempered her intense craving for escape into the world of English characters and settings. If she wanted to experience the modern world, she didn't have to rely on fiction any longer. Besides, it was great fun spending time with Elias Stoltzfus, who was as much a free spirit as she, within the confines of the Plain community, of course. She loved riding in his open courting buggy through Strasburg and the outskirts of Lancaster, soaring fast as they could through the dark night though always in the company of Hannah and Ezra.

"How's Dottie Nolt these days . . . and her little one?"Aunt Lizzie asked unexpectedly. , ,..., . . . ..,, ,,.

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"(tori moves right quick round the house. Dottie has to I'lih li linn awful close," Mary Ruth readily replied. I :'\ 'spi'ti so. He's what two now?" :

I ' .1 it- 11< >dded. "A delightful child, but he's definitely on theli

I IIic lu)rse turned off the road and headed down a long l|iI Line, coming up on the old clapboard farmhouse. Aunt ll-vic pulled on the reins, and the carriage came to a stop. IWt'll, ii certainly looks like a nice gathering of young folks." I Mary Ruth was happy to see the big turnout. What a Mkk'i'lul-good night for a barn singing, not to mention the tic afterward under the stars with Elias. "Come along, Hanblli," She hopped down out of the carriage. "Denki, Aunt liMid!" she called over her shoulder.

I "Hon't worry a smidgen 'bout us," Hannah said more in 11 y lo Lizzie.

I Mary Ruth waited for Hannah to catch up, and then they kilkt-il Together toward the two-story bank barn in their forIhhI blue dresses and long black aprons. "Why'd you say liiii!" asked Mar^Ruth. "Do you really think Lizzie worries?" I "Well, I 'spect Mamma does, so I wouldn't be surprised if ^iini Lizzie does, too."

I "They ought to know how nice the Stoltzfus family is," Id.11 y Ruth spoke up in defense of Ezra and Elias. "Everybodyli ir1,,

I "l((/i. . . but our eldest sister's wild rumschpringe days must In fly haunt Mamma."

I "Our sister was ever so foolish," Mary Ruth said, being refill not to mention Sadie's name outright. They had been rbklden to do so by Dat and the bishop following the Bonn.

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"Foolish, jah. And downright dreadful .. . stealing Leah's beau."

Mary Ruth didn't want to worry herself over things that couldn't be changed. She was caught up in the excitement of the moment and tried hard not to gawk at the many courting buggies lined up in the side yard. Which one belongs to Elias? she wondered, a thrill of delight rushing up her spine.

Abram sat next to Ida on the front porch swing, watching the stars come out. He also noticed the lightning bugs were more plentiful than in recent summers, maybe due to frequent afternoon showers. " 'Twas right kind of Leah to settle Lydiann in for the night," he said.

Ida nodded, sighing audibly. "Jah . . . even though she's as tuckered out as I am, prob'ly. She's such a dear . . . our Leah."

"That, she is."

Ida leaned her head gently on his shoulder. At last she said, "We did the right thing treatin' her as our very own all these years."

Hearing his wife speak of their great fondness for Leah made him realize anew that his own affection for Lizzie's birth

daughter was as strong as if Ida had given birth to her. For a moment he was overcome with a rare sadness and remained silent.

Their flesh-and-blood Sadie was a different story altogether. Her defiance in not returning home after all this time had stirred up more alarm in him than he cared to voice to beloved Ida.

"The Good Lord's hand rests tenderly on us all," Ida said softly, as if somehow tuned in to his thoughts. "I daresay we'd

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Ih Htl awful pickle otherwise." J

I I If had to smile at that and reached over to cup her face

I IiIn ciillused hand. Sweet Ida . . . always thinking of the

Lit11 UikI heavenly Father as if He were her own very close

llt'lid,

I "Where do you think our twins are tonight?" He stared at

M seemingly endless cornfield to the east of the house, over

Imwi'iI Ninithy Peachey's place.

I "I Xm'tcha mean whom the girls are with?"

f Mr lot out a kindly grunt; Ida could read him like a book.

|i niifinued. "Deacon's wife told me in so many words that

|-i 'I her sons are spending quite a lot of time with Hannah

In! Mary Ruth."

| "Which boys . . . surely not the older ones?"

I "I'm thinkin' it must be Ezra and Elias." Ida snuggled

It I'u i,

I "A right fine match, if I say so myself. I best be givin' my

Iphiviil lo Deacon here 'fore long."

I Me heard the small laugh escape Ida's lips. "Best not get

I 11 ii- way, Abram. Let nature take its course."

I "I s'pose you're thinkin' I shouldn't have interfered with

It him and Leah back when."

I Ida sat up quickly and looked at him, her plump hands

in iiiio a clasp in her wide lap. "Leah would be happily mar-

pil hy now if you hadn't held out for Smithy Gid."

I "Arc ya blamin' me for what went wrong?" he said.

I Kin pushed her feet hard against the porch floor, making

U swing move too fast for his liking. When she spoke at last,

If voice trembled. "None of us truly knows what caused

Ulr breakup." , , ,,, , . .......... , .,. ,

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He inhaled and held his breath. Ida didn't know what had caused the rift between Jonas and Leah, but he knew and all too well. Abram himself had gotten things stirred up but good by raising the troublesome issue of Leah's parentage with Jonas. He had never told her that, at Peter Mast's urging, he'd put Jonas to a fiery test of truth, revealing Lizzie's carefully guarded secret. When all was said and done, Jonas had failed it miserably. "Best leave well enough alone. Jonas is married to our eldest now."

"Jah, and worse things have happened," Ida whispered, tears in her eyes. "But I miss her something awful."

Abram didn't own up to the same. "What's done is done," he said. "Thing is we've got us a son-in-law we may never lay eyes on again. Could be a grandchild by now, too."

"All because our daughter was bent on her own way. . . ."

He leaned back in the swing and said no more. At times an uncanny feeling gnawed at him, made him wonder if Ida who seemed to know more about Sadie than he did might've disregarded the bishop and read a few of their eldest's early letters,, after the law was laid down about returning them unopened.

But no, now was not the appropriate time to speculate on that. Clearly Ida needed his wholehearted companionship and understanding this night. , , .... . , :

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liinnah was surprised how warm the night was, with little i ii i breeze. Her eyes kept straying toward the moon, and

II u.ix grateful for the hush of the evening hour, especially

11 living sung so robustly. Now she sat eating ice cream in I* hunt seat of the open carriage with Ezra Stoltzfus, who

1 > ilp ii constant if not contagious smile.

She hoped Elias was not able to wrestle the reins away

i '(il K",rn tonight. It seemed both boys liked to trade off sit-

>

n fiiirly sure they were actually sharing ownership of the

'lilting buggy, though she'd never heard of this done in

11 KM" families with many sons. As keenly interested as the

I icon's boys had been in Mary Ruth and herself for the past

1 (Till years, it was no wonder Ezra and Elias might share a

Itaulr buggy now that the foursome were courting age.

H Hannah's heart leaped with excitement. She was truly

Htl of auburn-haired Ezra, but more than that, she was most

B)py to see Mary Ruth putting aside her dream of becoming

jhoollvacher. At least it appeared to be so in the presence

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of her dashing young beau. If Elias was the reason for Mary Ruth to set aside her perilous goal, then all was well and good and Hannah could simply use the money she'd saved from selling handiwork for something else altogether. If Mary Ruth didn't end up needing the money for future college expenses, maybe several pretty wedding quilts would do.

Thinking about this, Hannah felt she could accept Ezra's affections if for this one reason alone to keep the double courting going full speed ahead, for the sake of a peaceful household and for Mary Ruth's future as a baptized church member. The latter she knew their parents wished for above all else.

"Let's find another courtin' couple to race," Elias said nearly the minute they were finished eating ice cream.

"Not tonight," Ezra replied firmly.

Hannah bit her tongue. She hoped her beau got his way, being older and all.

"Aw, lookee there. It's Sam Ebersol and Adah Peachey." Elias pointed to an open buggy some distance behind them, then waved his arms, trying to get the couple's attention.

"I'm driving," Ezra said at once.

But Elias persisted. "Onion, it'll be fun. What do you say, Mary Ruth?" .-:,

"Sure, why not?" her twin was quick to say.

Hannah grew tense. The last time Elias persuaded his brother to let him race, they'd nearly locked wheels with another courting carriage on the way to a railroad crossing down on Route 372. In the end, Hannah had let out a squeal . . . and Elias had stopped. He'd apologized promptly, saying he hadn't meant any harm by it. He had also said,

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111 heir's plenty other things to do to have fun after singing."

I'lcnty other things is right, thought Hannah. She figured at thr inic he was going, Elias wouldn't be ready to settle down Ullil I arm, probably, or marry, for another couple of years. But JthVd seen the love-light in her twin's eyes for the redheaded Mini handsome young man, and in his for pretty Mary Ruth. ;'" hut or later, the both of them would start thinking about

I' >nling church.

I Just then Sam and Adah pulled up beside them. "What's ll'iin' on?" asked Sam.

"Thought you might wanna race," Elias called to them I nun the backseat.

Sam looked at Adah, then answered, "Oh, that's all right. We've got some talking to do, Adah and I."

"Okay, then," Elias said, sitting down.

Hannah was relieved and felt herself relax against the Kent. Sam hurried his horse, passing them, and she was glad to Nee Ezra let Sam gain on him. Ezra, after all, was most steady and dependable. At nearly eighteen, he was taking baptismal instruction classes $jid might be looking to settle down and marry within a year or so. Hannah wondered if she was truly mature enough, though, to accept if he should ask her to be his wife. Was she ready for the duties of home and motherhood? Mamma's sisters had married young. All except Aunt Lizzie, of course. And Mamma, who, though she'd been but seventeen when first she'd met Dat, had waited until her early I wenties to tie the knot.

Behind her, she heard Elias whispering to Mary Ruth, probably with his arm draped around her shoulder; they'd done their share of snuggling, for sure. , :

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As for herself, the rest of the night would be most pleasant watching for shooting stars with Ezra, playing Twenty Questions, and letting him reach for her hand as they slowly made their way back home before dawn.

Once Leah had safely nestled Lydiann into her crib for the night, she crept toward the stairs. Having just kissed the little girl's tiny face, she realized sadly that Sadie might never know about Mamma's coming baby their new sibling-to-be.

Downstairs, she spotted the tops of her parents' heads through the front room window. She wouldn't think of disturbing them. Much of their energy, too, went into thinking of Sadie; Leah was sure it had been so since her sister's shunning.

Turning from the room, she decided it was best to leave Dat and Mamma be. They deserved some quiet time together.

She went to the kitchen and poured a glass of water, thinking now of Smithy Gid. More than likely, he could be found in his father's big barn playing with the new brood of pups. "Tonight's the night," she said to herself, "ready or not."

Slipping out the back door, she headed past the barnyard and through the cornfield. She'd kept Gid waiting long enough too long, really, as he'd made his thoughtful invitation to her two days ago. She mustn't be rude and keep him guessing by the hour. She'd had several opportunities to speak privately with him yesterday, but she had still been uncertain, though she knew Gid was as stalwart in his soul as he was in his frame. He wasn't just "as good as gold," as Dat liked to say; Gid was superior to Dat's proverbial gold, and the girl who consented to be his wife would be truly blessed.

37C^heCjacrifice

I Is it to be me? she wondered. Can I trust the Lord God to I guide my faltering steps?

I In vain, she tried to imagine being held in his strong arms. (Would she be gladdened by his tender affection . . . ready for (their courting days to begin? All these things and more Leah |Contemplated as her bare feet padded the ground on her way | to find the blacksmith's son before Dat and Mamma wondered (where on earth she'd taken herself off to on a night set apart I for singings. ,

| She found Smithy Gid in the haymow, amusing himself with a new pup. "Hullo," Leah called up to him.

Quickly he rose and made his way down the long ladder to her, carrying the tiny dog. "I wasn't expecting to see you tonight, Leah." He looked at her with gentle eyes. "But it's awful nice," he added with a warm smile.

They stood there looking at each other by lantern light, Leah feeling ever^o awkward. She glanced down for a moment, breathed a sigh, and then lifted her face to his. "I'm ready to give you my answer," she said softly.

"Jah?"