other part of him, particularly his eyes.
“I would think so,” she said, still wondering what could be the reason for his visit.
“The girls—” he said. “The other night when Mary had her earache spell, I was thinkin’ that something would have to be done about their continued care. Susanna already has her hands full, and I have my work on the farm. It’s more than enough to keep one man busy, and I can’t exactly afford to hire farm help. Yet the girls need watchin’ during the day and sometimes a visit to the clinic like Mary did for her ear.”
Ella felt her whole body stiffen. So this is going to be another marriage proposal delivered like his sermons, like they were utterances from on high—straight, cold, and to the point . The thought chilled her to her toes. What does Preacher Stutzman think? That I will rush to my wedding day with him because his girls need a mother?
His voice continued. “I got to thinkin’ that perhaps there would be a way out for me, one that would please both my girls and you.” He glanced at her face but didn’t seem to see the anger rising in her eyes.
“See, I can afford to pay for their care but not farm-help wages. I suppose you think me a cheapskate.” A smile played on his face, his eyes remained focused on the floor, and his voice sounded apologetic. “But if I am, then I am. I cannot help it. But it would do my girls good to be taken care of by you. You are a responsible girl. You’re well brought up in our people’s ways. And I could trust them with you. Perhaps Monday through Friday? Just for a short time or until I can make other arrangements?”
The smile played on his face again, sad this time.
Ella’s mind raced to understand. Preacher Stutzman wants me to care for his daughters, and he will pay for the service. He isn’t speaking of marriage . Ella almost let out a sigh of relief.
“Would you consider it?” he asked in a voice just above a whisper.
“I…Well…Yah,” she replied, finding her voice, “it might be just what I am looking for.”
“Oh?”
“Ach, surely you know I’m needing to support myself. And I do have this big house.”
“I see,” he said, looking relieved.
“Oh,” Ella said, remembering, “I should tell you that Ronda and Joe are moving into the first floor after their wedding. I’ll be upstairs or in the basement. But perhaps that would even work better since Ronda could help with the girls sometimes.”
His face brightened. “That does look like Da Hah’s hand, and I’m pleased. So you can start next week?”
“Next week?” Ella asked. Her mind started spinning as she considered this new direction. “Of course. There’s no reason why not.”
“I will bring them Monday mornin’, then. And I hope your supper isn’t cold.” He nodded, reached for the knob behind him, and backed out of the room, shutting the door after himself.
Ella stood still, staring after him. Amazing .
Fifteen
E lla allowed the memory of Preacher’s Stutzman’s girls at their mother’s funeral to swim before her eyes. They seemed to be lost in a haze of incomprehension. She sat down at the kitchen table, but her uneaten food had lost its appeal. The casserole would be long cold now, but it didn’t matter. Her mind was no longer on food. Before her the small faces of the girls refused to fade. She was to care for them. Is this an answer to prayer, an answer to my need?
The empty house was quiet again, but if the girls were to come to her, that silence would soon be a thing of the past. By next week this house will be full of people, life, energy, and children—as it is meant to be. Who would have thought of such a thing? She nibbled at the casserole, oblivious to how cold it was.
Ella got up from the table, washed the dishes, and drained the water into the bucket below the sink when she was finished. She carried the bucket outside and behind the house, where the garden would be planted next spring, and dumped the
“I would think so,” she said, still wondering what could be the reason for his visit.
“The girls—” he said. “The other night when Mary had her earache spell, I was thinkin’ that something would have to be done about their continued care. Susanna already has her hands full, and I have my work on the farm. It’s more than enough to keep one man busy, and I can’t exactly afford to hire farm help. Yet the girls need watchin’ during the day and sometimes a visit to the clinic like Mary did for her ear.”
Ella felt her whole body stiffen. So this is going to be another marriage proposal delivered like his sermons, like they were utterances from on high—straight, cold, and to the point . The thought chilled her to her toes. What does Preacher Stutzman think? That I will rush to my wedding day with him because his girls need a mother?
His voice continued. “I got to thinkin’ that perhaps there would be a way out for me, one that would please both my girls and you.” He glanced at her face but didn’t seem to see the anger rising in her eyes.
“See, I can afford to pay for their care but not farm-help wages. I suppose you think me a cheapskate.” A smile played on his face, his eyes remained focused on the floor, and his voice sounded apologetic. “But if I am, then I am. I cannot help it. But it would do my girls good to be taken care of by you. You are a responsible girl. You’re well brought up in our people’s ways. And I could trust them with you. Perhaps Monday through Friday? Just for a short time or until I can make other arrangements?”
The smile played on his face again, sad this time.
Ella’s mind raced to understand. Preacher Stutzman wants me to care for his daughters, and he will pay for the service. He isn’t speaking of marriage . Ella almost let out a sigh of relief.
“Would you consider it?” he asked in a voice just above a whisper.
“I…Well…Yah,” she replied, finding her voice, “it might be just what I am looking for.”
“Oh?”
“Ach, surely you know I’m needing to support myself. And I do have this big house.”
“I see,” he said, looking relieved.
“Oh,” Ella said, remembering, “I should tell you that Ronda and Joe are moving into the first floor after their wedding. I’ll be upstairs or in the basement. But perhaps that would even work better since Ronda could help with the girls sometimes.”
His face brightened. “That does look like Da Hah’s hand, and I’m pleased. So you can start next week?”
“Next week?” Ella asked. Her mind started spinning as she considered this new direction. “Of course. There’s no reason why not.”
“I will bring them Monday mornin’, then. And I hope your supper isn’t cold.” He nodded, reached for the knob behind him, and backed out of the room, shutting the door after himself.
Ella stood still, staring after him. Amazing .
Fifteen
E lla allowed the memory of Preacher’s Stutzman’s girls at their mother’s funeral to swim before her eyes. They seemed to be lost in a haze of incomprehension. She sat down at the kitchen table, but her uneaten food had lost its appeal. The casserole would be long cold now, but it didn’t matter. Her mind was no longer on food. Before her the small faces of the girls refused to fade. She was to care for them. Is this an answer to prayer, an answer to my need?
The empty house was quiet again, but if the girls were to come to her, that silence would soon be a thing of the past. By next week this house will be full of people, life, energy, and children—as it is meant to be. Who would have thought of such a thing? She nibbled at the casserole, oblivious to how cold it was.
Ella got up from the table, washed the dishes, and drained the water into the bucket below the sink when she was finished. She carried the bucket outside and behind the house, where the garden would be planted next spring, and dumped the
Similar Books
