I’ll just—”
“Ruth will fetch the books.” Hannah’s eyes flashed. “You will come for dinner on Sunday. It is not a church Sunday, and I’ve already invited your uncle Roman and aunt Fannie. Now, you can help best by leaving us.”
Eli felt his face flush. “They did nothing wrong.”
“It is not your place to decide,” Hannah retorted. “Your uncle was looking for you. Best you hurry back to the school. Now.”
Eli looked at Ruth, excited at the thought of having Sunday dinner with her, feeling guilty about abandoning her, but Hannah was obviously giving him no choice in either matter. “Sunday, then,” he said. “I’ll be here Sunday for dinner.” Abruptly, he turned on his heel and strode back toward the cornfield and the path that led to the school. Ruth’s mother might have the reputation of being a pleasant woman, but now…
Now, he wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of whatever she would have to say to her daughters.
“Mam,” Ruth started, as soon as Eli was out of earshot. “It’s not Miriam’s fault. She was alone here when the cows got loose.”
“Not exactly alone,” Miriam admitted. “Anna and Susanna are in the house, and Irwin was here.”
“Irwin?” Mam demanded. “Irwin? What was he doing here?”
“He came to talk to you. He thought you’d be home from school. He was helping me move the cows from the little pasture into the pound next to the barn, and…” She left her sentence unfinished.
“Where’s the boy now?” Mam rested both hands on her hips.
“I told him to go home,” Miriam answered.
“Mam, it was an accident that they got out,” Ruth said quickly. “She just thought she could get them in quick if she took the horse.”
“To have Samuel and that boy see my daughter riding astride a horse, bareback, no shoes, no stockings, like some…some English jockey?”
Mam didn’t get loud when she was angry, but her words cut like briars.
“I’m sorry, Mam,” Miriam said. “I won’t do it again.”
“Is this the first time you’ve ridden the horses?” Miriam sighed.
“Or the second?”
“Ne.”
Ruth reached for her sister’s hand. “Mam…don’t be angry.”
“You be quiet,” Mam said. “I’m not speaking to you. I’m speaking to your sister.” She folded her arms over her chest. “Isn’t it bad enough that I had to listen to your aunt Martha chastise me in front of everyone at the quilting because you rode on Eli Lapp’s motorcycle?”
“Mam, that’s not fair,” Miriam protested. “It was just a ride and an ice-cream cone. And he bought one for Susanna, too. He’s nice, Mam. He didn’t mean any harm.”
“I’m at my wits’ end with you, Miriam. You are not a boy. You are a girl, a Plain girl.”
Miriam burst into tears and ran toward the house.
“Miriam,” Ruth called after her.
“You’re almost as much to blame as she is,” Mam said, turning on Ruth. “When you saw her on that horse, you should have told her to get down, not encouraged her.”
“I’m sorry, Mam.” Ruth met her mother’s gaze. “You’re right. I should have told her to get down the minute I saw her.”
Mam sighed, her face softening. “It’s only that I want my girls to be good women. Good Plain women.”
“I think we are, most of the time,” Ruth dared.
To Ruth’s surprise Mam smiled faintly. “I think you are, too. Now, come.” She headed toward the house. “There are chores to be done and Miriam’s dander to be smoothed.”
Ruth nodded. She could understand Mam’s concern for Miriam’s behavior, but she knew her sister, too. Miriam didn’t mean to break the rules about riding horses, showing her legs and losing her Kapp . She was just high-spirited. Inside, where it mattered most, Miriam’s soul was pure and truly Plain.
Hurrying to catch up with Mam, Ruth took hold of her hand. “Please don’t be upset with yourself. You were right and we were wrong. You’re the best mother in the world,” she said
“Ruth will fetch the books.” Hannah’s eyes flashed. “You will come for dinner on Sunday. It is not a church Sunday, and I’ve already invited your uncle Roman and aunt Fannie. Now, you can help best by leaving us.”
Eli felt his face flush. “They did nothing wrong.”
“It is not your place to decide,” Hannah retorted. “Your uncle was looking for you. Best you hurry back to the school. Now.”
Eli looked at Ruth, excited at the thought of having Sunday dinner with her, feeling guilty about abandoning her, but Hannah was obviously giving him no choice in either matter. “Sunday, then,” he said. “I’ll be here Sunday for dinner.” Abruptly, he turned on his heel and strode back toward the cornfield and the path that led to the school. Ruth’s mother might have the reputation of being a pleasant woman, but now…
Now, he wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of whatever she would have to say to her daughters.
“Mam,” Ruth started, as soon as Eli was out of earshot. “It’s not Miriam’s fault. She was alone here when the cows got loose.”
“Not exactly alone,” Miriam admitted. “Anna and Susanna are in the house, and Irwin was here.”
“Irwin?” Mam demanded. “Irwin? What was he doing here?”
“He came to talk to you. He thought you’d be home from school. He was helping me move the cows from the little pasture into the pound next to the barn, and…” She left her sentence unfinished.
“Where’s the boy now?” Mam rested both hands on her hips.
“I told him to go home,” Miriam answered.
“Mam, it was an accident that they got out,” Ruth said quickly. “She just thought she could get them in quick if she took the horse.”
“To have Samuel and that boy see my daughter riding astride a horse, bareback, no shoes, no stockings, like some…some English jockey?”
Mam didn’t get loud when she was angry, but her words cut like briars.
“I’m sorry, Mam,” Miriam said. “I won’t do it again.”
“Is this the first time you’ve ridden the horses?” Miriam sighed.
“Or the second?”
“Ne.”
Ruth reached for her sister’s hand. “Mam…don’t be angry.”
“You be quiet,” Mam said. “I’m not speaking to you. I’m speaking to your sister.” She folded her arms over her chest. “Isn’t it bad enough that I had to listen to your aunt Martha chastise me in front of everyone at the quilting because you rode on Eli Lapp’s motorcycle?”
“Mam, that’s not fair,” Miriam protested. “It was just a ride and an ice-cream cone. And he bought one for Susanna, too. He’s nice, Mam. He didn’t mean any harm.”
“I’m at my wits’ end with you, Miriam. You are not a boy. You are a girl, a Plain girl.”
Miriam burst into tears and ran toward the house.
“Miriam,” Ruth called after her.
“You’re almost as much to blame as she is,” Mam said, turning on Ruth. “When you saw her on that horse, you should have told her to get down, not encouraged her.”
“I’m sorry, Mam.” Ruth met her mother’s gaze. “You’re right. I should have told her to get down the minute I saw her.”
Mam sighed, her face softening. “It’s only that I want my girls to be good women. Good Plain women.”
“I think we are, most of the time,” Ruth dared.
To Ruth’s surprise Mam smiled faintly. “I think you are, too. Now, come.” She headed toward the house. “There are chores to be done and Miriam’s dander to be smoothed.”
Ruth nodded. She could understand Mam’s concern for Miriam’s behavior, but she knew her sister, too. Miriam didn’t mean to break the rules about riding horses, showing her legs and losing her Kapp . She was just high-spirited. Inside, where it mattered most, Miriam’s soul was pure and truly Plain.
Hurrying to catch up with Mam, Ruth took hold of her hand. “Please don’t be upset with yourself. You were right and we were wrong. You’re the best mother in the world,” she said
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