Abram's brother Jesse
fllu^'Hol's place. It was right nice to see Leah participating in
llii1 ficliviiies with the young folk again; Lizzie's heart was
{inly yliul.
Wlu'ii she returned from the trip, she took her time unhitching the horse and carriage, in no hurry to head toward lln house. The evening was pleasant, and what with having I il cu the girls to the singing, she was feeling a slight bit sorry (i herself. Not like her, really. She knew she ought not to filli-w her thoughts to stray back to her own courting years, I nit A brain had told her rather falteringly on several occasions lli 11 Leah had been asking questions of him, wanting to know .il" nit her father namely who he was. If Lizzie had her druthii, she'd just as soon never say.
Straightening now, she looked toward the woods and her l"r house, put there by Abram and his brothers back when -11' was in sucht^i bad way, expecting Leah and scarcely but a nil I herself . . . not knowing anything about her baby's father. ,\i least, not back then. And now didn't it beat all for Leah I" In1 so interested in knowing?
Just what was she to tell Leah? She certainly couldn't
l'i mi: herself to make known the whole story how she'd run
in' miuI something terrible as a teenager, thumbing a car ride
yfrllli a complete stranger, an Englischer at that. Oh, the idea
H| revealing such a thing to precious Leah made her feel
HilKsy with embarrassment. She almost wished to roll back
Hp calendar, thinking it might've been better to leave things
73
sPf74Id e o e r I y J
as they had been, with Leah thinking Ida was her one and only mamma.
If I could relive the worst of my youth, what would I do differently? she wondered, shuddering at the sudden thought. If she had not had her hair cut or her face made up on New Year's Eve back when and drunk far too much moonshine dear
sweet Leah would never have been conceived. Truly, the Lord God had wrought a miracle of life and joy out of her great sin.
Feeling glum, she found herself heading toward the Ebersol Cottage, hoping she might offer to help Ida with something, anything at all, as an excuse to stay. At the moment she could not face her own empty house.
She discovered Ida giving Lydiann a bath in the middle of the kitchen in the big galvanized tub. "Here, let me do that for you." She knelt down to splash her little niece while Ida rose and went to sit across the room in Abram's hickory rocker.
"I'm all in," Ida admitted, fanning her face with her apron.
"You just rest there, sister." And to Lydiann, she said, "Now, ain't that right? We'll let your mamma be for a bit while you get all soaped up and clean." She couldn't help it; the baby talk came flying fast out of her mouth as she enjoyed bathing the adorable toddler.
Soon Abram clumped indoors to wash his hands. He made over Lydiann, still sitting in four inches or so of water that had been warmed by the kettle on the wood stove. Lydiann tapped a wooden spoon on the water's surface, making more and more bubbles.
"Well, now, Ida, looks like we've got ourselves a tidy
75C^neQ)acrlfice
pUftHNter," said Abram, standing near the tub and watching.
I "Soon it'll be Ida's turn in the bath, jah?" Lizzie said,
Ulli'ing ;i1 Ida, who was grinning at her wee daughter, lath-
nd up I mm head to toe.
I "I should say so," Ida replied. "Goodness knows, I must
lilt II like a pig, what with the awful heat this week."
I I izzie offered to tuck Lydiann in for the night, but the girl
It'll up a storm when she went to pick her up. "Aw, you
Mtilin I'liiy longer?" She set her back down.
I Aluam chuckled. "You're spoiling the child; that's plain to
I, "
I "She's only two once, ain't?" Ida said, beaming with love
km the rocking chair.
I I loing to sit on the bench, Abram leaned back against the
He, His elbows spread behind him. "You's oughta guess who
Hit into this morning," he said.
"Who?" Lizzie said.
"Peter Mast." On any given day, Abram would have Miiiilod all discussion
fllu^'Hol's place. It was right nice to see Leah participating in
llii1 ficliviiies with the young folk again; Lizzie's heart was
{inly yliul.
Wlu'ii she returned from the trip, she took her time unhitching the horse and carriage, in no hurry to head toward lln house. The evening was pleasant, and what with having I il cu the girls to the singing, she was feeling a slight bit sorry (i herself. Not like her, really. She knew she ought not to filli-w her thoughts to stray back to her own courting years, I nit A brain had told her rather falteringly on several occasions lli 11 Leah had been asking questions of him, wanting to know .il" nit her father namely who he was. If Lizzie had her druthii, she'd just as soon never say.
Straightening now, she looked toward the woods and her l"r house, put there by Abram and his brothers back when -11' was in sucht^i bad way, expecting Leah and scarcely but a nil I herself . . . not knowing anything about her baby's father. ,\i least, not back then. And now didn't it beat all for Leah I" In1 so interested in knowing?
Just what was she to tell Leah? She certainly couldn't
l'i mi: herself to make known the whole story how she'd run
in' miuI something terrible as a teenager, thumbing a car ride
yfrllli a complete stranger, an Englischer at that. Oh, the idea
H| revealing such a thing to precious Leah made her feel
HilKsy with embarrassment. She almost wished to roll back
Hp calendar, thinking it might've been better to leave things
73
sPf74Id e o e r I y J
as they had been, with Leah thinking Ida was her one and only mamma.
If I could relive the worst of my youth, what would I do differently? she wondered, shuddering at the sudden thought. If she had not had her hair cut or her face made up on New Year's Eve back when and drunk far too much moonshine dear
sweet Leah would never have been conceived. Truly, the Lord God had wrought a miracle of life and joy out of her great sin.
Feeling glum, she found herself heading toward the Ebersol Cottage, hoping she might offer to help Ida with something, anything at all, as an excuse to stay. At the moment she could not face her own empty house.
She discovered Ida giving Lydiann a bath in the middle of the kitchen in the big galvanized tub. "Here, let me do that for you." She knelt down to splash her little niece while Ida rose and went to sit across the room in Abram's hickory rocker.
"I'm all in," Ida admitted, fanning her face with her apron.
"You just rest there, sister." And to Lydiann, she said, "Now, ain't that right? We'll let your mamma be for a bit while you get all soaped up and clean." She couldn't help it; the baby talk came flying fast out of her mouth as she enjoyed bathing the adorable toddler.
Soon Abram clumped indoors to wash his hands. He made over Lydiann, still sitting in four inches or so of water that had been warmed by the kettle on the wood stove. Lydiann tapped a wooden spoon on the water's surface, making more and more bubbles.
"Well, now, Ida, looks like we've got ourselves a tidy
75C^neQ)acrlfice
pUftHNter," said Abram, standing near the tub and watching.
I "Soon it'll be Ida's turn in the bath, jah?" Lizzie said,
Ulli'ing ;i1 Ida, who was grinning at her wee daughter, lath-
nd up I mm head to toe.
I "I should say so," Ida replied. "Goodness knows, I must
lilt II like a pig, what with the awful heat this week."
I I izzie offered to tuck Lydiann in for the night, but the girl
It'll up a storm when she went to pick her up. "Aw, you
Mtilin I'liiy longer?" She set her back down.
I Aluam chuckled. "You're spoiling the child; that's plain to
I, "
I "She's only two once, ain't?" Ida said, beaming with love
km the rocking chair.
I I loing to sit on the bench, Abram leaned back against the
He, His elbows spread behind him. "You's oughta guess who
Hit into this morning," he said.
"Who?" Lizzie said.
"Peter Mast." On any given day, Abram would have Miiiilod all discussion
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