she shared with Mary and threw herself down on her bed. She had no desire to be around people today, and she especially did not wish to see Samuel Hilty. He was as guilty as her parents.
Martha was saddened by Sadie's decision not to attend church services with them. Claiming to be ill and staying home from the worship service automatically meant she would not be permitted to go to the singing that evening, and, in effect, she was taking away the punishment her Dat gave her since she would not be permitted to go to the singing since she did not attend church. Martha knew that Levi would not be pleased with Sadie. She was not accepting responsibility for her actions.
Surprisingly, Levi had nothing to say on the matter. He encouraged all of them to eat and clear the table so they could be going. They took two buggies, as was normal, and arrived early. Martha and Mary went inside to offer their help to the hostess, and Levi made sure the horses were taken care of before going to the barn to discuss farming matters with the other men. The kinner ran around playing, and the adults thought it was a goot thing for the children to expend some energy before the long service began and they were expected to sit still for the next several hours.
Levi saw Samuel enter the barn and saw the worried expression on his face. He excused himself from the group and walked over to greet the young man. " Gudermariye , Samuel."
"Good morning, Mr. Miller," Samuel replied in kind. "I did not see Sadie in the kitchen and thought perhaps she was out here...?"
"Sadie chose to stay home this morning," Levi said quietly. He sighed. "My daughter is very unhappy with me; she feels I misjudged her intentions in bringing you a basket."
"I also told her she broke trust with you. She left my place crying and thinking me a terrible man because I told her she earned a bletching ."
Levi looked at him in surprise and then he chuckled. "Samuel, it is not wise to promise a young woman a spanking after she has gone out of her way to make you a basket of food. I can only imagine how my Martha would feel if I scolded her for bringing me food when she thought she'd done a wondrous goot thing!"
" Ja , I understand, sir. But, I truly care about Sadie and I could not, in good conscience, let her think that coming to my home without your knowledge and permission was a goot thing. I hoped to discuss this with her today, but it will have to wait since she is not feeling well." He hoped his disappointment was not as obvious to Levi as he feared it was. Samuel looked forward to the Sundays that services and singings were held. Now it would be another two weeks before he had the right to see Sadie.
"My daughter is sulking and pouting because I forbade her to attend the singing tonight. That is why she chose to skip worship this morning; she means to show me she disagrees with me by taking away the punishment. In our home if you do not attend worship, then you do not go to a singing in the evening. She put staying home from the singing on another basis by refusing to come to services this morning."
"She is refusing to accept responsibility for her actions," Samuel said, his tone of voice filled with sadness.
" Ja . I have prayed about this matter, but Sadie remains stubborn."
"She needs a good bletching ," Samuel said with conviction.
Levi nodded in agreement, but said, "I am no longer the right man to offer that correction, Samuel. Sadie's heart is with you and right now it is her need to be with you that is causing such stubbornness. In her heart, she feels she was doing nothing wrong to come to you with a basket, and my telling her differently only makes her angry. I have prayed that Gott would help her realize her choice was the wrong one, but Sadie can only think of you and her need to be with you. I fear that if you should choose not to be baptized she would follow you into the Englisch world without looking back."
"You need not fear that, sir. I give you my word
Martha was saddened by Sadie's decision not to attend church services with them. Claiming to be ill and staying home from the worship service automatically meant she would not be permitted to go to the singing that evening, and, in effect, she was taking away the punishment her Dat gave her since she would not be permitted to go to the singing since she did not attend church. Martha knew that Levi would not be pleased with Sadie. She was not accepting responsibility for her actions.
Surprisingly, Levi had nothing to say on the matter. He encouraged all of them to eat and clear the table so they could be going. They took two buggies, as was normal, and arrived early. Martha and Mary went inside to offer their help to the hostess, and Levi made sure the horses were taken care of before going to the barn to discuss farming matters with the other men. The kinner ran around playing, and the adults thought it was a goot thing for the children to expend some energy before the long service began and they were expected to sit still for the next several hours.
Levi saw Samuel enter the barn and saw the worried expression on his face. He excused himself from the group and walked over to greet the young man. " Gudermariye , Samuel."
"Good morning, Mr. Miller," Samuel replied in kind. "I did not see Sadie in the kitchen and thought perhaps she was out here...?"
"Sadie chose to stay home this morning," Levi said quietly. He sighed. "My daughter is very unhappy with me; she feels I misjudged her intentions in bringing you a basket."
"I also told her she broke trust with you. She left my place crying and thinking me a terrible man because I told her she earned a bletching ."
Levi looked at him in surprise and then he chuckled. "Samuel, it is not wise to promise a young woman a spanking after she has gone out of her way to make you a basket of food. I can only imagine how my Martha would feel if I scolded her for bringing me food when she thought she'd done a wondrous goot thing!"
" Ja , I understand, sir. But, I truly care about Sadie and I could not, in good conscience, let her think that coming to my home without your knowledge and permission was a goot thing. I hoped to discuss this with her today, but it will have to wait since she is not feeling well." He hoped his disappointment was not as obvious to Levi as he feared it was. Samuel looked forward to the Sundays that services and singings were held. Now it would be another two weeks before he had the right to see Sadie.
"My daughter is sulking and pouting because I forbade her to attend the singing tonight. That is why she chose to skip worship this morning; she means to show me she disagrees with me by taking away the punishment. In our home if you do not attend worship, then you do not go to a singing in the evening. She put staying home from the singing on another basis by refusing to come to services this morning."
"She is refusing to accept responsibility for her actions," Samuel said, his tone of voice filled with sadness.
" Ja . I have prayed about this matter, but Sadie remains stubborn."
"She needs a good bletching ," Samuel said with conviction.
Levi nodded in agreement, but said, "I am no longer the right man to offer that correction, Samuel. Sadie's heart is with you and right now it is her need to be with you that is causing such stubbornness. In her heart, she feels she was doing nothing wrong to come to you with a basket, and my telling her differently only makes her angry. I have prayed that Gott would help her realize her choice was the wrong one, but Sadie can only think of you and her need to be with you. I fear that if you should choose not to be baptized she would follow you into the Englisch world without looking back."
"You need not fear that, sir. I give you my word
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