Free Abram's Daughters 03 The Sacrifice by Unknown Page A
Authors: Unknown
. see what comes of it. See if they'll reply."
"What a waste of time and stationery. But go ahead, if you want."
"1 say, best ask Mamma what she thinks." Hannah seemed
81
- ! : - i * \ i I I t" 1 82 _3 e u> e r I u L s
to make a to-do of crossing her arms and sighing.
"Well, now, why are you upset at me, Hannah? I'm not the one ignorin' your letters." Mary Ruth paused. "Whoever said twins had to be baptized into the church the same year, anyway?" There she'd said exactly what was on her mind.
Hannah began to sniffle, which turned into a full-blown sob in a hurry. Mary Ruth had no desire to offer one bit of comfort. If Hannah wanted to cry her eyes out right here on the road, in plain sight . . . well, let her.
Half a mile later, she spotted Luke and Naomi Bontrager riding in their enclosed carriage. "You best dry your eyes," she cautioned. "Here comes the bishop's grandson. Word might get back that you looked mighty sour today."
Hannah turned to face her, quick as a wink. "What do I care? Truth is, the bishop himself already knows what you're up to!"
"What do you mean?" Mary Ruth didn't want to believe her ears.
"Bishop Bontrager has been askin' why you aren't joinin' church with me."
"And what're you sayin' to that?"
"Seems to me that's your problem."
Mary Ruth bit her lip. Luke and Naomi were smiling and waving now as they approached on the opposite side of the road. "Wave back," she whispered to Hannah.
Meekly Hannah did so, and Mary Ruth called to them, "Hullo, Luke and Naomi!" waving and grinning for all she was worth. Can't make things any worse . . . might actually helpsome, she reasoned. : ......
83h e O a c r I fI
acrifice
I "( 'oiildn't you offer a smile with your wave?" she asked
I 1(111! l.ll I.
I "I 'iiln't feel like it," Hannah said when the other buggyliiiil |hissed by.
I M;uy Ruth knew she could easily say the wrong thing if jiii' < ipciied her mouth just now, so she pressed her lips shut. I I himah, however, couldn't seem to drop the argument of Mtiry Ruth joining church. " 'To him that knoweth to do piod, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.'" Hannah stated the mil Ml i'd verse oft quoted amongst the People. I Wi i liout a shadow of doubt, Mary Ruth knew Hannah was llinj't-ther peeved at her about rejecting baptism this year. It jvii'. beginning to cloud nearly everything, even something as iiHHHcnt as a ride in the family carriage. I won't cut short my |l/m\r/i/)ringe.f she thought. I'll join church when I feel like it.
On Sunday, July 17, Leah met up with Naomi Kauffman huMiniger in Deacon Stoltzfus's barnyard. She, along with Mamma, Aunt Lizzie, and the twins, had been milling about pih the other women folk, waiting for the ministers to arrive ni'lorc Preaching service.
"Hullo, Leah, nice to see ya," Naomi greeted Leah pi inly, taking both her hands and squeezing them gently. [I've been wishin' we could talk."
They strolled away from the large group of women and [nting children. "Everything all right, Naomi?" I There was a distinct dampness to the day, which put a bit
83
' I I I : t I > t W I r"84
e a e r t y
Lu J2e
of a wave in Naomi's hair the wispy strands at the nape of her neck, at least.
"Oh, jah, things are fine." Naomi's eyes lit up. "I've been meaning to tell ya my news. I'm in the family way. Come this December, Luke and I will have us our first wee babe. Close to Christmas .. . when your mamma's baby is due."
"This is gut news and I'm ever so happy for you." She kissed Naomi's cheek. "Luke must be awful excited, too."
"He's holdin' his breath for a son, naturally."
"Maybe you'll get two boys," Leah replied, recalling that twins seemed plentiful on Naomi's mother's side. In fact, there was a set of triplet boys.
"I s'pose I wouldn't mind several babies at once. Whatever the Good Lord gives us will be all right."
"I'm glad I heard directly from you," Leah said as they walked back toward the women. She was truly happy for Sadie's former girlfriend, and
"What a waste of time and stationery. But go ahead, if you want."
"1 say, best ask Mamma what she thinks." Hannah seemed
81
- ! : - i * \ i I I t" 1 82 _3 e u> e r I u
to make a to-do of crossing her arms and sighing.
"Well, now, why are you upset at me, Hannah? I'm not the one ignorin' your letters." Mary Ruth paused. "Whoever said twins had to be baptized into the church the same year, anyway?" There she'd said exactly what was on her mind.
Hannah began to sniffle, which turned into a full-blown sob in a hurry. Mary Ruth had no desire to offer one bit of comfort. If Hannah wanted to cry her eyes out right here on the road, in plain sight . . . well, let her.
Half a mile later, she spotted Luke and Naomi Bontrager riding in their enclosed carriage. "You best dry your eyes," she cautioned. "Here comes the bishop's grandson. Word might get back that you looked mighty sour today."
Hannah turned to face her, quick as a wink. "What do I care? Truth is, the bishop himself already knows what you're up to!"
"What do you mean?" Mary Ruth didn't want to believe her ears.
"Bishop Bontrager has been askin' why you aren't joinin' church with me."
"And what're you sayin' to that?"
"Seems to me that's your problem."
Mary Ruth bit her lip. Luke and Naomi were smiling and waving now as they approached on the opposite side of the road. "Wave back," she whispered to Hannah.
Meekly Hannah did so, and Mary Ruth called to them, "Hullo, Luke and Naomi!" waving and grinning for all she was worth. Can't make things any worse . . . might actually helpsome, she reasoned. : ......
83h e O a c r I fI
acrifice
I "( 'oiildn't you offer a smile with your wave?" she asked
I 1(111! l.ll I.
I "I 'iiln't feel like it," Hannah said when the other buggyliiiil |hissed by.
I M;uy Ruth knew she could easily say the wrong thing if jiii' < ipciied her mouth just now, so she pressed her lips shut. I I himah, however, couldn't seem to drop the argument of Mtiry Ruth joining church. " 'To him that knoweth to do piod, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.'" Hannah stated the mil Ml i'd verse oft quoted amongst the People. I Wi i liout a shadow of doubt, Mary Ruth knew Hannah was llinj't-ther peeved at her about rejecting baptism this year. It jvii'. beginning to cloud nearly everything, even something as iiHHHcnt as a ride in the family carriage. I won't cut short my |l/m\r/i/)ringe.f she thought. I'll join church when I feel like it.
On Sunday, July 17, Leah met up with Naomi Kauffman huMiniger in Deacon Stoltzfus's barnyard. She, along with Mamma, Aunt Lizzie, and the twins, had been milling about pih the other women folk, waiting for the ministers to arrive ni'lorc Preaching service.
"Hullo, Leah, nice to see ya," Naomi greeted Leah pi inly, taking both her hands and squeezing them gently. [I've been wishin' we could talk."
They strolled away from the large group of women and [nting children. "Everything all right, Naomi?" I There was a distinct dampness to the day, which put a bit
83
' I I I : t I > t W I r"84
e a e r t y
Lu J2e
of a wave in Naomi's hair the wispy strands at the nape of her neck, at least.
"Oh, jah, things are fine." Naomi's eyes lit up. "I've been meaning to tell ya my news. I'm in the family way. Come this December, Luke and I will have us our first wee babe. Close to Christmas .. . when your mamma's baby is due."
"This is gut news and I'm ever so happy for you." She kissed Naomi's cheek. "Luke must be awful excited, too."
"He's holdin' his breath for a son, naturally."
"Maybe you'll get two boys," Leah replied, recalling that twins seemed plentiful on Naomi's mother's side. In fact, there was a set of triplet boys.
"I s'pose I wouldn't mind several babies at once. Whatever the Good Lord gives us will be all right."
"I'm glad I heard directly from you," Leah said as they walked back toward the women. She was truly happy for Sadie's former girlfriend, and
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