his own breath, steeling himself against the worst.
Leah was now holding Abe's small hand in her own, cradling it as she took his pulse, glancing up at the round day clock, high on the kitchen wall. "Seems a mite too slow," she whispered, eyes locking on Abram. "Where's Smitty?"
"Gone for Dr. Schwartz," Miriam answered quickly as she reached an arm around Leah and pulled her near.
109he J r o d i (j a L
Mil's iIiniiIi weighed heavily on Abram's mind after
levin Inii),: years, images of that night were still vivid: the
hliihril, siul lone of the midwife; Leah's ashen face and the
V^iiy kIip IiiuI lield Ida's wrist so gently, taking her pulse just as
Ijllir WHH iliis minute lovingly caring for Abe. "Dr. Schwartz'll
nt Iwi'c in no time," he heard himself say for Leah's benefit.
i'Wo enn't lose hope."
"Oh, my sweet, precious Abe," cried Leah, putting her (tii ncxl to his now. "I love ya so . . ." Her soft crying shook Ivi Nlituilders.
Plrtclng his hand on Abe's ankle, too aware of the stiffness, j'1-1 tin wrestled to bring to memory one or two Scripture i i i-N (hat dealt with troublesome times so many there |i> M- hut why couldn't he recall a single one? And why was m I (In ;il ways seemed to have had a fitting verse on the tip of to tongue for nearly every occasion?
^H|dn had ignored the brethren in all of that, he thought. She
^^w/u disobeyed by studying the Bible, even memorized certain
^Hp, because she couldn't keep herself from it, as she'd always
Hp, Her yearning had caused her grief for Abram, too but
Mpftt'hovtteor other she'd managed to keep from having the
Biinn put on her by the bishop, maybe because Ida agreed to
1<> i-|i her opinions on Scripture to herself. Although, in the
iiil, his wife had felt comfortable enough to keep sharing her
i- ws on the Bible with him, for she had known him all too
V' II. Never, ever would he have turned her in to the bishop
ii .my of the brethren. His love for Ida had been stronger
Lin his devotion to Bontrager or to the church.
IAi last the words of the psalmist David crept into his iiiiuI: f le shall call upon me, and 1 will answer him: I will be with i/im in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
109
'110
' / ii J~^ e iv L -.
Reaching now for Abe's other hand, Abram clutched it between his own rough and callused hand and closed his eyes right along with Miriam and Leah.
O Lord God and heavenly Father, hear my desperate prayer. ... ,
Leah was astonished to see her father's head bowed as they waited for Smitty to return. Silently, she joined him with a prayer of her own. Lord, please allow Abe, our dear boy, to live ... let him open his eyes and suffer no lingering ill effects from this nasty fall, she prayed. I trust your grace and mercy, Lord, your many kindnesses to us.
The prayer was the best she knew to offer, and she wished either Aunt Lizzie who'd remained at home with Dawdi John or Mary Ruth were on hand to offer a spoken prayer of faith. She certainly didn't feel comfortable beseeching the Lord almighty out loud herself, and her heart fell as she again looked at Abe's stony white face.
Sighing deeply, she felt as if her own heart might stop beating if Abe did not soon blink his shining eyes open or twitch one of his childish fingers. Anything at all.
110
T" '" '"" """r "T T"111- - --
- e^t,
1
i* e,sn>
Abe
/"Ybe Ebersol, seven years old," the young nurse repeated, writing Abe's vital information on her clipboard. "Date of birth?" .. . ,
Leah replied quickly, "December 27, 1949." \
"Does he have any allergies?"
"None that I know of." Leah glanced over at Dat, who was sitting, slumped in a heap, on one of only two chairs in I he semiprivate hospital room. Her father was unable to be of much b^elp after his ride in Dr. Schwartz's front seat, where he'd stiffly braced himself for dear life while Leah and Aunt Lizzie sat in the backseat with unresponsive Abe stretched out between them. Drawn by her growing concern, Lizzie had shown up
Leah was now holding Abe's small hand in her own, cradling it as she took his pulse, glancing up at the round day clock, high on the kitchen wall. "Seems a mite too slow," she whispered, eyes locking on Abram. "Where's Smitty?"
"Gone for Dr. Schwartz," Miriam answered quickly as she reached an arm around Leah and pulled her near.
109he J r o d i (j a L
Mil's iIiniiIi weighed heavily on Abram's mind after
levin Inii),: years, images of that night were still vivid: the
hliihril, siul lone of the midwife; Leah's ashen face and the
V^iiy kIip IiiuI lield Ida's wrist so gently, taking her pulse just as
Ijllir WHH iliis minute lovingly caring for Abe. "Dr. Schwartz'll
nt Iwi'c in no time," he heard himself say for Leah's benefit.
i'Wo enn't lose hope."
"Oh, my sweet, precious Abe," cried Leah, putting her (tii ncxl to his now. "I love ya so . . ." Her soft crying shook Ivi Nlituilders.
Plrtclng his hand on Abe's ankle, too aware of the stiffness, j'1-1 tin wrestled to bring to memory one or two Scripture i i i-N (hat dealt with troublesome times so many there |i> M- hut why couldn't he recall a single one? And why was m I (In ;il ways seemed to have had a fitting verse on the tip of to tongue for nearly every occasion?
^H|dn had ignored the brethren in all of that, he thought. She
^^w/u disobeyed by studying the Bible, even memorized certain
^Hp, because she couldn't keep herself from it, as she'd always
Hp, Her yearning had caused her grief for Abram, too but
Mpftt'hovtteor other she'd managed to keep from having the
Biinn put on her by the bishop, maybe because Ida agreed to
1<> i-|i her opinions on Scripture to herself. Although, in the
iiil, his wife had felt comfortable enough to keep sharing her
i- ws on the Bible with him, for she had known him all too
V' II. Never, ever would he have turned her in to the bishop
ii .my of the brethren. His love for Ida had been stronger
Lin his devotion to Bontrager or to the church.
IAi last the words of the psalmist David crept into his iiiiuI: f le shall call upon me, and 1 will answer him: I will be with i/im in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.
109
'110
' / ii J~^ e iv L -.
Reaching now for Abe's other hand, Abram clutched it between his own rough and callused hand and closed his eyes right along with Miriam and Leah.
O Lord God and heavenly Father, hear my desperate prayer. ... ,
Leah was astonished to see her father's head bowed as they waited for Smitty to return. Silently, she joined him with a prayer of her own. Lord, please allow Abe, our dear boy, to live ... let him open his eyes and suffer no lingering ill effects from this nasty fall, she prayed. I trust your grace and mercy, Lord, your many kindnesses to us.
The prayer was the best she knew to offer, and she wished either Aunt Lizzie who'd remained at home with Dawdi John or Mary Ruth were on hand to offer a spoken prayer of faith. She certainly didn't feel comfortable beseeching the Lord almighty out loud herself, and her heart fell as she again looked at Abe's stony white face.
Sighing deeply, she felt as if her own heart might stop beating if Abe did not soon blink his shining eyes open or twitch one of his childish fingers. Anything at all.
110
T" '" '"" """r "T T"111- - --
- e^t,
1
i* e,sn>
Abe
/"Ybe Ebersol, seven years old," the young nurse repeated, writing Abe's vital information on her clipboard. "Date of birth?" .. . ,
Leah replied quickly, "December 27, 1949." \
"Does he have any allergies?"
"None that I know of." Leah glanced over at Dat, who was sitting, slumped in a heap, on one of only two chairs in I he semiprivate hospital room. Her father was unable to be of much b^elp after his ride in Dr. Schwartz's front seat, where he'd stiffly braced himself for dear life while Leah and Aunt Lizzie sat in the backseat with unresponsive Abe stretched out between them. Drawn by her growing concern, Lizzie had shown up
Similar Books
