Rachel said. “He knows how important harvesttime is.”
Ella spread a clean flour sack towel over the top of the basket. “Is it still all right if I take the buggy to the Hershbergers’?”
Jed nodded. “Please give Mrs. Hershberger our congratulations.”
As Ella drove, she prayed. Thanksgiving for Seth’s smooth adjustment to the new school. Mercy for David to accept Jed’s decision. Grace for Rachel’s palpable anxiety. Wisdom for Jed—and Gideon—if the
English
made trouble. Her prayers took her to the Hershberger farm.
As she lifted her basket from below the driving bench, the children’s voices clattered through the open windows. The latest birth brought the number of children to eight. The oldest was about Seth’s age. Walking toward the house, Ella cocked her head, trying to remember whether Seth had mentioned that the Hershberger boy was in his class.
She climbed the steps to the porch, listening to the cacophony of one child’s wail and another’s plea for maternal attention, while an older child’s voice warned a sibling to get down off a stool.
Ella paused as she raised her knuckles to knock. At least four of the Hershberger children were school age, perhaps five. The bus would have come to their stop at least half an hour ago. Why were so many of them at home? She knocked, and a mumbling shuffle progressed toward the door. When it opened, Ella looked into the eyes of the eldest Hershberger daughter.
“Gut mariye.”
Ella hid her speculations behind a smile. “Congratulations on your new baby sister.”
“
Danki.
Please come in.” The girl had a firm grasp on a four-year-old’s shoulder. “I’ll tell
Mamm
you’ve come.”
She left Ella standing alone in the front room while she hurried down the hall toward the kitchen at the rear of the old farmhouse. A few minutes later, Joanna Hershberger appeared with an infant in her arms.
Ella smiled again. A boy and a girl, school-age, eyed her from across the room.
“I’ve brought some food,” Ella said. “There’s plenty for all of you to have a good meal. You only need to warm the stew.”
Joanna tilted her head toward the oldest girl, who stepped forward to take the basket of food from Ella’s arms. When she left the room, several other children trailed after her, curious about the pot’s contents.
Ella turned to Joanna and put her arms out. “May I?”
“Of course.” Joanna laid the sleeping infant in Ella’s arms.
“Are you able to rest?”
Joanna shrugged. “Not at this age. But I will have her on a schedule soon.”
Ella glanced toward the kitchen. “Your oldest daughter seems helpful.”
“I don’t know what I’d do without Lizzy.”
“I’m sure you miss her when she’s in school,” Ella said. “Are they just out for a few days while you welcome your babe?”
Joanna looked away at nothing in particular. “John has decided our children will learn at home. I will teach them.”
So far Ella had seen nothing to suggest organized lessons in progress—or organized anything. She returned her gaze to the baby in her arms, who yawned but did not open her eyes.
“The Borntragers also will teach their children at home,” Joanna said. “We can work together on the lessons. We’ll begin soon.”
Ella nodded noncommittally. Her father. Gideon. John Hershberger. Isaiah Borntrager. Who else was defying the new laws?
Gideon, Aaron King, and Cristof Byler huddled around the harvesting equipment in Gideon’s alfalfa field. The mid-September morning brought an overcast sky. Gideon hoped it would burn off soon.
Cristof braced his foot against a stationary wagon wheel. “Don’t you think it would be better if we’re all of one mind?”
Gideon puffed out his cheeks in a slow exhale. “The men I’ve talked to seem to have made up their minds.”
“What about the bishop?” Aaron said. “In all these weeks, I haven’t heard him say anything.”
“Why don’t we meet with him?” Cristof raised his
Ella spread a clean flour sack towel over the top of the basket. “Is it still all right if I take the buggy to the Hershbergers’?”
Jed nodded. “Please give Mrs. Hershberger our congratulations.”
As Ella drove, she prayed. Thanksgiving for Seth’s smooth adjustment to the new school. Mercy for David to accept Jed’s decision. Grace for Rachel’s palpable anxiety. Wisdom for Jed—and Gideon—if the
English
made trouble. Her prayers took her to the Hershberger farm.
As she lifted her basket from below the driving bench, the children’s voices clattered through the open windows. The latest birth brought the number of children to eight. The oldest was about Seth’s age. Walking toward the house, Ella cocked her head, trying to remember whether Seth had mentioned that the Hershberger boy was in his class.
She climbed the steps to the porch, listening to the cacophony of one child’s wail and another’s plea for maternal attention, while an older child’s voice warned a sibling to get down off a stool.
Ella paused as she raised her knuckles to knock. At least four of the Hershberger children were school age, perhaps five. The bus would have come to their stop at least half an hour ago. Why were so many of them at home? She knocked, and a mumbling shuffle progressed toward the door. When it opened, Ella looked into the eyes of the eldest Hershberger daughter.
“Gut mariye.”
Ella hid her speculations behind a smile. “Congratulations on your new baby sister.”
“
Danki.
Please come in.” The girl had a firm grasp on a four-year-old’s shoulder. “I’ll tell
Mamm
you’ve come.”
She left Ella standing alone in the front room while she hurried down the hall toward the kitchen at the rear of the old farmhouse. A few minutes later, Joanna Hershberger appeared with an infant in her arms.
Ella smiled again. A boy and a girl, school-age, eyed her from across the room.
“I’ve brought some food,” Ella said. “There’s plenty for all of you to have a good meal. You only need to warm the stew.”
Joanna tilted her head toward the oldest girl, who stepped forward to take the basket of food from Ella’s arms. When she left the room, several other children trailed after her, curious about the pot’s contents.
Ella turned to Joanna and put her arms out. “May I?”
“Of course.” Joanna laid the sleeping infant in Ella’s arms.
“Are you able to rest?”
Joanna shrugged. “Not at this age. But I will have her on a schedule soon.”
Ella glanced toward the kitchen. “Your oldest daughter seems helpful.”
“I don’t know what I’d do without Lizzy.”
“I’m sure you miss her when she’s in school,” Ella said. “Are they just out for a few days while you welcome your babe?”
Joanna looked away at nothing in particular. “John has decided our children will learn at home. I will teach them.”
So far Ella had seen nothing to suggest organized lessons in progress—or organized anything. She returned her gaze to the baby in her arms, who yawned but did not open her eyes.
“The Borntragers also will teach their children at home,” Joanna said. “We can work together on the lessons. We’ll begin soon.”
Ella nodded noncommittally. Her father. Gideon. John Hershberger. Isaiah Borntrager. Who else was defying the new laws?
Gideon, Aaron King, and Cristof Byler huddled around the harvesting equipment in Gideon’s alfalfa field. The mid-September morning brought an overcast sky. Gideon hoped it would burn off soon.
Cristof braced his foot against a stationary wagon wheel. “Don’t you think it would be better if we’re all of one mind?”
Gideon puffed out his cheeks in a slow exhale. “The men I’ve talked to seem to have made up their minds.”
“What about the bishop?” Aaron said. “In all these weeks, I haven’t heard him say anything.”
“Why don’t we meet with him?” Cristof raised his
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