Free The Judgment by Beverly Lewis

to push the boundaries of propriety.”
    “I’m just thinkin’ about what she told me,” Rose said.
    “What’s that?”
    “Something Annie Mast’s husband said.”
    “Oh?”
    “Apparently Noah hopes she’ll find a husband here.” Rose didn’t wait for Silas to respond. “I have to say I like her a lot . . . she’s grown up so much.”
    “We all have, jah?” He chuckled, reaching for her hand.
    She listened as he began talking about other things, but one comment he’d made niggled at her: What does he mean, Rebekah’s “solidly Amish”?
    She dismissed it as they strolled together out near a small pond, talking softly and enjoying each other’s company. It had been a long time since they’d gone walking, and she always cherished their private times. It would’ve been silly to stick her neck out and repeat what Melvin had mentioned earlier. Truly, the notion of there being something special between Silas and Rebekah seemed altogether flawed now.
    Rose breathed in the fresh, crisp night air, smiling as Silas’s hand interlaced with hers. I’m with my darling and nothing else matters!

    At first Beth seemed resistant to letting Hen help her to bed, then tuck her in for the night. Hen had taken great care to give Beth her privacy while she changed into her nightclothes, waiting in the hallway till she said she was ready. Meanwhile, Mattie Sue was downstairs at the kitchen table, talking to her own stuffed animals, lining them all up on the kitchen bench.
    “I miss Daddy,” whimpered Beth now as Hen sat on the edge of Rose’s bed. “I want him to come home soon.”
    “Your grandpa needs his help right now. I’m sure your father will return just as soon as he can.”
    Beth frowned. “If Grandpa dies, we’ll have to move again.”
    “Why do you think that?” Hen asked gently.
    “Daddy says Grandma’s too weak—she can’t live by herself. I remember how sad he looked when he told me. Almost as sad as when Mommy died.”
    “Well, let’s not worry about that now.” Hen pulled up the top quilt and folded it down near Beth’s willowy neck. “You’ll feel better when you see Rose, jah?”
    Beth’s face peeked out from the quilts. “She’s my best friend,” Beth said firmly. “I prayed for a friend . . . and God answered my prayer.” She closed her eyes for a moment, then opened them.
    Hen nodded, trying to understand her childlike faith, as well as the way she seemed to want to be treated. “When you wake up, Rose Ann will be right here, next to you.” She pointed to the other side of the bed. “I promise.”
    “Why’s she gone so late?”
    Hen smiled, recalling how she had asked her mom the same thing about her older brothers when they had been courting. At the time, Mom had shared her own concerns about the long hours. “How can it be wise for young folk to stay out most of the night?” A good many older parents felt the same way once their daughters, especially, turned sixteen and were considered courting age.
    “Rose is out with her fella,” Hen explained.
    “Her boyfriend?” Beth’s face beamed in the light of the gas lamp. “Who is he?”
    “That’s up to Rosie to say.” Considering Amish tradition, there was no way Hen would commit Rose to more.
    “Will you say a bedtime prayer?” Beth asked, bringing her hands out from beneath the covers and folding them under her chin.
    Hen agreed, wondering how much longer Mattie Sue would be content alone downstairs. To comfort Beth, she began to say the nighttime prayer she’d learned verbatim as a little girl. “Holy Father, we ask that we may spend this coming night—which you have ordained for our rest—and all the remainder of our lives under your divine protection and shield. O holy Father, defend us and cover us with the wings of your compassion . . . Beth especially. Amen.”
    Beth smiled up sweetly at her. “I’ve never heard that prayer before,” she said, eyes glistening. “Is it written down