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Authors: Wanda E. Brunstetter
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the buggy.
“I’m doin’ all right. How about you?”
“Can’t complain.” Andrew crossed his arms and leaned against the side of his buggy.
“Were you needing your horse shoed?”
“No. I actually came by to talk to you about my sister.”
“Did you put in a good word for me like you said youwould?” Amos asked hopefully. If Andrew had achieved any measure of success, then maybe it was time for Amos to invite Miriam on another picnic.
Andrew shook his head. “My mamm spoke to her, but I’m afraid she didn’t get very far, so I figured it would be best if I didn’t stick my nose in where I’m sure it’s not wanted.”
“I see.” Amos couldn’t help but feel disappointed. If Anna hadn’t been able to get through to her daughter, it wasn’t likely that anyone else in the family could, either. “Maybe it would be best if I gave up on Miriam,” he mumbled.
“Or maybe you should try a little harder.”
Amos dug the heel of his boot into the ground. “I invited her to go on a picnic with Mary Ellen and me, but she said no. I sent some wild pansies to school with Mary Ellen, but your sister didn’t seem to appreciate them. I even got up the nerve to tell Miriam I wanted to court her, but her response was that I should find someone else.”
“My sister’s not allergic to flowers, if that makes you feel any better,” Andrew said with a slanted grin.
“The only thing that would make me feel better would be if I could see Miriam smile the way she used to do when we were kinner.”
Andrew pulled his fingers through the end of his beard as his smile turned upside down. “I don’t think I’ve seen her crack a full-fledged smile since William Graber ran off to Ohio and married some other girl, leaving Miriam with a broken heart and a horrible mistrust of men.”
“She doesn’t mistrust her daed or any of her
bruders
, does she?”
“I don’t believe so. Of course, none of us has ever given her any reason to mistrust us.”
Neither have I
.
If she had given me a chance instead of William when we were teenagers, she would have found out that I wouldn’t have let her down the way he did
. Amos kicked at a small stone with the toe of his boot.
Course she didn’t know the way I felt back then, and she still doesn’t know it. Probably wouldn’t care even if she did
.
“You okay?” Andrew asked, taking a step toward Amos. “You’re not taking it personally because Miriam’s shown no interest in you, I hope.”
Amos shrugged. “It’s hard not to take it personally.”
“I can still put in a good word for you if you think I should.”
“It’s probably better that you don’t. No point in ruffling your sister’s feathers any more than they already are. If it’s meant for us to be together, then it will happen in God’s time. I just need to pray more and leave things in His hands.”
Andrew nodded and thumped Amos on the back. “Now that’s good thinking.”
I
As Nick sat at his office desk, studying the pictures he’d taken of several covered bridges in the area, he thought about Miriam Stoltzfus. He couldn’t believe she had affected him so much that he’d willingly deleted those great shots he’d taken of her drying her hair by the stream. Even though she had explained the reasons for not wanting her picture taken, it made no sense to him. In fact, he didn’t understand much about the Amish way of life, and he foundMiriam’s reference to God and the Bible a bit irritating. Ever since Nick’s dad had been killed in a car accident, Nick had made his own decisions about life, and he didn’t need any religious crutches in order to deal with life’s problems. He believed that a man could be anything he wanted to be, do anything he wanted to do, and deal with whatever came his way.
Sure hope I get the opportunity to see Miriam again
, Nick thought.
I should have asked for her phone number so I could call once in a while
. He slapped the side of his head.
Dummy. Amish
“I’m doin’ all right. How about you?”
“Can’t complain.” Andrew crossed his arms and leaned against the side of his buggy.
“Were you needing your horse shoed?”
“No. I actually came by to talk to you about my sister.”
“Did you put in a good word for me like you said youwould?” Amos asked hopefully. If Andrew had achieved any measure of success, then maybe it was time for Amos to invite Miriam on another picnic.
Andrew shook his head. “My mamm spoke to her, but I’m afraid she didn’t get very far, so I figured it would be best if I didn’t stick my nose in where I’m sure it’s not wanted.”
“I see.” Amos couldn’t help but feel disappointed. If Anna hadn’t been able to get through to her daughter, it wasn’t likely that anyone else in the family could, either. “Maybe it would be best if I gave up on Miriam,” he mumbled.
“Or maybe you should try a little harder.”
Amos dug the heel of his boot into the ground. “I invited her to go on a picnic with Mary Ellen and me, but she said no. I sent some wild pansies to school with Mary Ellen, but your sister didn’t seem to appreciate them. I even got up the nerve to tell Miriam I wanted to court her, but her response was that I should find someone else.”
“My sister’s not allergic to flowers, if that makes you feel any better,” Andrew said with a slanted grin.
“The only thing that would make me feel better would be if I could see Miriam smile the way she used to do when we were kinner.”
Andrew pulled his fingers through the end of his beard as his smile turned upside down. “I don’t think I’ve seen her crack a full-fledged smile since William Graber ran off to Ohio and married some other girl, leaving Miriam with a broken heart and a horrible mistrust of men.”
“She doesn’t mistrust her daed or any of her
bruders
, does she?”
“I don’t believe so. Of course, none of us has ever given her any reason to mistrust us.”
Neither have I
.
If she had given me a chance instead of William when we were teenagers, she would have found out that I wouldn’t have let her down the way he did
. Amos kicked at a small stone with the toe of his boot.
Course she didn’t know the way I felt back then, and she still doesn’t know it. Probably wouldn’t care even if she did
.
“You okay?” Andrew asked, taking a step toward Amos. “You’re not taking it personally because Miriam’s shown no interest in you, I hope.”
Amos shrugged. “It’s hard not to take it personally.”
“I can still put in a good word for you if you think I should.”
“It’s probably better that you don’t. No point in ruffling your sister’s feathers any more than they already are. If it’s meant for us to be together, then it will happen in God’s time. I just need to pray more and leave things in His hands.”
Andrew nodded and thumped Amos on the back. “Now that’s good thinking.”
I
As Nick sat at his office desk, studying the pictures he’d taken of several covered bridges in the area, he thought about Miriam Stoltzfus. He couldn’t believe she had affected him so much that he’d willingly deleted those great shots he’d taken of her drying her hair by the stream. Even though she had explained the reasons for not wanting her picture taken, it made no sense to him. In fact, he didn’t understand much about the Amish way of life, and he foundMiriam’s reference to God and the Bible a bit irritating. Ever since Nick’s dad had been killed in a car accident, Nick had made his own decisions about life, and he didn’t need any religious crutches in order to deal with life’s problems. He believed that a man could be anything he wanted to be, do anything he wanted to do, and deal with whatever came his way.
Sure hope I get the opportunity to see Miriam again
, Nick thought.
I should have asked for her phone number so I could call once in a while
. He slapped the side of his head.
Dummy. Amish
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