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Authors: Barbara Cameron
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more than what his father had given him and to pass it along to his son and daughters.
Well, on one occasion he thought about leaving, at the end of one summer when what he was had been more important than who he was. . . .
"Matthew?"
"Hmm?" He looked at her and saw that she was wearing the exasperated expression only a sister could wear no matter what her age.
"We were talking about Jenny before you wandered off on me there."
"Well, you wandered off in Mary Elizabeth's direction. . . ."
Hannah leaned forward, looking earnest. "I know when Jenny first came here I reminded you of how you felt about her all those years ago. I admit I wondered if she had come here to be part of your life again."
Ah, here she was. Destination, thought Matthew wryly.
"But I was wrong."
Matthew blinked. "Wrong?"
"I'm afraid she's just a shell of what she was before."
"A shell?"
"Her injuries are more severe than I had thought," Hannah said regretfully, shaking her head. "And she's so quiet."
"She was quiet because you and the children talked so much," he reminded her.
"It's as if her spirit has been broken," Hannah continued."And when she speaks, she has difficulty—"
He frowned. "But aren't you judging her by the same standards as the Englisch world you mentioned?"
Hannah lifted her shoulders and let them fall. "Perhaps. But it's just that we work hard here, Matthew. How could she manage with her injuries?"
"Phoebe says Jenny is getting stronger every day, walking better, talking better. I saw that myself today when she visited."
"You said yourself she fell and you had to carry her."
She would bring that up, he thought without rancor.
Hannah studied him. "I know you always brought home wounded animals, bruder. But it is time for you to think about marrying again, and I don't think you should be looking in Jenny's direction."
"You were the one who was just trying to point me there a few weeks ago."
"Like I said, I was wrong. You deserve a healthy woman, especially since you lost Amelia. One who'll be your helpmate, the mother to these children and any you have together."
Matthew stood, nearly knocking over his chair. "I can't believe the way you're talking, Hannah! Aren't you the one who hates it when people judge? I see a different woman than you do, one who risked her life to make people care about children, who's trying hard to recover without whining about what she's lost."
He shoved a hand through his hair. "Jenny is not broken, she's just—" he stopped, trying to find the words. "She's had to walk through a valley few people have to in life. And from what I saw today, she is getting stronger from it." He stood and started out of the room.
"Where are you going?"
"To tuck the children in. They, at least, accepted Jenny the way they should."
Hannah watched him leave and smiled.
Matthew's children came to visit Jenny two days later, bearing an invitation, carefully lettered and colored, for Jenny and Phoebe to have dinner with them. Annie handed it to her with a big smile, while the other children waited expectantly.
"How sweet. Thank you."
"You'll come, ya?" asked Mary.
"I have to ask my grandmother if she has plans, but yes, I would love to."
"Papa will come for you in the buggy."
Jenny started to say she could walk, but after what had happened before, perhaps that wasn't a good idea just yet.
"Okay. I'll see him then."
The children fairly tumbled out the door, and she watched them run back to their house. Phoebe walked up behind her then, and Jenny showed her the invitation.
"How nice." Phoebe smiled. "They're such sweet children. You will go?"
"Yes. I told them I wasn't sure if you had plans."
"I'm having supper with a friend. I prepared a casserole for you to put in the oven but now we will just save it for tomorrow."Her home had many modern conveniences, including a propane-powered refrigerator.
"Then we'll both have an evening out."
" Ya."
Her grandmother hadn't gone out for the evening
Well, on one occasion he thought about leaving, at the end of one summer when what he was had been more important than who he was. . . .
"Matthew?"
"Hmm?" He looked at her and saw that she was wearing the exasperated expression only a sister could wear no matter what her age.
"We were talking about Jenny before you wandered off on me there."
"Well, you wandered off in Mary Elizabeth's direction. . . ."
Hannah leaned forward, looking earnest. "I know when Jenny first came here I reminded you of how you felt about her all those years ago. I admit I wondered if she had come here to be part of your life again."
Ah, here she was. Destination, thought Matthew wryly.
"But I was wrong."
Matthew blinked. "Wrong?"
"I'm afraid she's just a shell of what she was before."
"A shell?"
"Her injuries are more severe than I had thought," Hannah said regretfully, shaking her head. "And she's so quiet."
"She was quiet because you and the children talked so much," he reminded her.
"It's as if her spirit has been broken," Hannah continued."And when she speaks, she has difficulty—"
He frowned. "But aren't you judging her by the same standards as the Englisch world you mentioned?"
Hannah lifted her shoulders and let them fall. "Perhaps. But it's just that we work hard here, Matthew. How could she manage with her injuries?"
"Phoebe says Jenny is getting stronger every day, walking better, talking better. I saw that myself today when she visited."
"You said yourself she fell and you had to carry her."
She would bring that up, he thought without rancor.
Hannah studied him. "I know you always brought home wounded animals, bruder. But it is time for you to think about marrying again, and I don't think you should be looking in Jenny's direction."
"You were the one who was just trying to point me there a few weeks ago."
"Like I said, I was wrong. You deserve a healthy woman, especially since you lost Amelia. One who'll be your helpmate, the mother to these children and any you have together."
Matthew stood, nearly knocking over his chair. "I can't believe the way you're talking, Hannah! Aren't you the one who hates it when people judge? I see a different woman than you do, one who risked her life to make people care about children, who's trying hard to recover without whining about what she's lost."
He shoved a hand through his hair. "Jenny is not broken, she's just—" he stopped, trying to find the words. "She's had to walk through a valley few people have to in life. And from what I saw today, she is getting stronger from it." He stood and started out of the room.
"Where are you going?"
"To tuck the children in. They, at least, accepted Jenny the way they should."
Hannah watched him leave and smiled.
Matthew's children came to visit Jenny two days later, bearing an invitation, carefully lettered and colored, for Jenny and Phoebe to have dinner with them. Annie handed it to her with a big smile, while the other children waited expectantly.
"How sweet. Thank you."
"You'll come, ya?" asked Mary.
"I have to ask my grandmother if she has plans, but yes, I would love to."
"Papa will come for you in the buggy."
Jenny started to say she could walk, but after what had happened before, perhaps that wasn't a good idea just yet.
"Okay. I'll see him then."
The children fairly tumbled out the door, and she watched them run back to their house. Phoebe walked up behind her then, and Jenny showed her the invitation.
"How nice." Phoebe smiled. "They're such sweet children. You will go?"
"Yes. I told them I wasn't sure if you had plans."
"I'm having supper with a friend. I prepared a casserole for you to put in the oven but now we will just save it for tomorrow."Her home had many modern conveniences, including a propane-powered refrigerator.
"Then we'll both have an evening out."
" Ya."
Her grandmother hadn't gone out for the evening
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