keep his emotions in check, but the strange chalky pallor of his boy's face caused him grave concern. He shook Abe and called to him, "Can ya hear me, son? Wake up!" but to no avail.
"I best be ridin' for the hex doctor," Smitty said, resting his big hand on Abram's shoulder.
The smithy turned and was heading toward the back door to begin the process of hitching up when Miriam let out a moan. She shook her head and was weeping, which brought the smithy back into the kitchen. "Why must ya first think of powwowin'?" she asked. "Why not call for a real doctor Dr. Schwartz, not but a mile down the way? He's ever so much closer, ain't so?"
"Ach, Miriam, can't ya see Abe's in trouble here? There's no sense callin' for Dr. Schwartz when what the boy needs is the Amish doctor," Smitty replied, his brow creased with a deep frown.
Abram struggled greatly, going back and forth in his mind, knowing full well the time might be short. M51 boy could bedying, he thought. M;y only son ... I can't let what happened to dear Ida befall my Abe. : . : < .
107Tike '.Prodigal
I Always before he'd decided for the powwow doctor it Lhm iIk- best way, the method that made the most sense to him.
I Ihii what would Ida want me to do? She sacrificed her lifemvinji birth to our boy. He labored over this, feeling the burden u Ncconds ticked away. He must hurry and do something . . . Ihlnk on it later.
I Yet he knew the answer knew it in his innards for not Wily bad his devout wife made her wishes known in her wholehearted disapproval of the powwow doctors, she'd also Mil lu-r legacy of beliefs in the form of her own Bible, marked lip almost to the point of irreverence. Abram knew this as well as anybody, because, for the past several months, he had If en reading every New Testament Scripture Ida had underIll ml on healing and other issues.
I Smitty stepped out to the utility room within Abram's ll^'hl and pulled an additional woolen scarf off the wooden If I,'. "Well, who's it gonna be? Dr. Schwartz or the hex doctor? By I he looks of Abe all conked out like that..." Smitty's lokv faded.
I Abram could #jst imagine Lizzie having her say if word got In her ears about this, and even though he had always put his Iriisl in the sympathy healers, all of a sudden he experienced I Miong desire to please Lizzie, as well as his beloved Ida. I With a conviction that surprised him, he made his choice. IRide to Dr. Schwartz, and make it quick!" I Miriam sighed, obviously relieved. Then, as if in prayer, My closed her eyes while Smitty rushed out the back door. I Watching Miriam kneeling there beside Abe, he wished lizzie were here with him, too, for though she had a regular ildency to share her opinions a bit too freely, she might
107
1 FT yyTTTTfTT ffTyTT
T t f^Tr^Tf T ! T T
1 I . I I i ,1 1108
iu ,
know what to do for Abe's frostbite at least that. And she was as encouraging as the day was long, which would be of help to Abram at this terrible moment.
Now that Smitty was gone, he hoped against hope he had done the right thing. This being New Year's Day, what chance was there of the doctor being home? A niggling fear crept in at the back of his mind.
He continued to sit cross-legged on the floor next to Abe as worrisome thoughts nagged him. When he thought he might lose the ability to keep his chin from quivering, Leah startled him by flying in the back door.
"Dat . . . what on earth!" Immediately she slid to her knees beside Miriam, close to her little brother lying on the floor ... in truth, her son. "Oh, Abe . . . Abe." Then to Abram she asked, "Whatever happened? Where did ya find him?"
"He must've gone walking out on the pond and tripped . . . fell forward, hitting his head. When I found him, he was knocked clean out. . . near frozen, too." Abram could hardly manage that much.
"Splash some water on him, maybe," Leah suggested, and they tried that, but Abe lay still as death, his breath mighty shallow.
Will he ever open his eyes again? Abram held
"I best be ridin' for the hex doctor," Smitty said, resting his big hand on Abram's shoulder.
The smithy turned and was heading toward the back door to begin the process of hitching up when Miriam let out a moan. She shook her head and was weeping, which brought the smithy back into the kitchen. "Why must ya first think of powwowin'?" she asked. "Why not call for a real doctor Dr. Schwartz, not but a mile down the way? He's ever so much closer, ain't so?"
"Ach, Miriam, can't ya see Abe's in trouble here? There's no sense callin' for Dr. Schwartz when what the boy needs is the Amish doctor," Smitty replied, his brow creased with a deep frown.
Abram struggled greatly, going back and forth in his mind, knowing full well the time might be short. M51 boy could bedying, he thought. M;y only son ... I can't let what happened to dear Ida befall my Abe. : . : < .
107Tike '.Prodigal
I Always before he'd decided for the powwow doctor it Lhm iIk- best way, the method that made the most sense to him.
I Ihii what would Ida want me to do? She sacrificed her lifemvinji birth to our boy. He labored over this, feeling the burden u Ncconds ticked away. He must hurry and do something . . . Ihlnk on it later.
I Yet he knew the answer knew it in his innards for not Wily bad his devout wife made her wishes known in her wholehearted disapproval of the powwow doctors, she'd also Mil lu-r legacy of beliefs in the form of her own Bible, marked lip almost to the point of irreverence. Abram knew this as well as anybody, because, for the past several months, he had If en reading every New Testament Scripture Ida had underIll ml on healing and other issues.
I Smitty stepped out to the utility room within Abram's ll^'hl and pulled an additional woolen scarf off the wooden If I,'. "Well, who's it gonna be? Dr. Schwartz or the hex doctor? By I he looks of Abe all conked out like that..." Smitty's lokv faded.
I Abram could #jst imagine Lizzie having her say if word got In her ears about this, and even though he had always put his Iriisl in the sympathy healers, all of a sudden he experienced I Miong desire to please Lizzie, as well as his beloved Ida. I With a conviction that surprised him, he made his choice. IRide to Dr. Schwartz, and make it quick!" I Miriam sighed, obviously relieved. Then, as if in prayer, My closed her eyes while Smitty rushed out the back door. I Watching Miriam kneeling there beside Abe, he wished lizzie were here with him, too, for though she had a regular ildency to share her opinions a bit too freely, she might
107
1 FT yyTTTTfTT ffTyTT
T t f^Tr^Tf T ! T T
1 I . I I i ,1 1108
iu ,
know what to do for Abe's frostbite at least that. And she was as encouraging as the day was long, which would be of help to Abram at this terrible moment.
Now that Smitty was gone, he hoped against hope he had done the right thing. This being New Year's Day, what chance was there of the doctor being home? A niggling fear crept in at the back of his mind.
He continued to sit cross-legged on the floor next to Abe as worrisome thoughts nagged him. When he thought he might lose the ability to keep his chin from quivering, Leah startled him by flying in the back door.
"Dat . . . what on earth!" Immediately she slid to her knees beside Miriam, close to her little brother lying on the floor ... in truth, her son. "Oh, Abe . . . Abe." Then to Abram she asked, "Whatever happened? Where did ya find him?"
"He must've gone walking out on the pond and tripped . . . fell forward, hitting his head. When I found him, he was knocked clean out. . . near frozen, too." Abram could hardly manage that much.
"Splash some water on him, maybe," Leah suggested, and they tried that, but Abe lay still as death, his breath mighty shallow.
Will he ever open his eyes again? Abram held
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