a finger!
For five satisfying years, he had enjoyed such benefits yet hadn't consciously taken modern technology for granted. Nor did he wish to, though at times he agonized over the guilt of it. The deeply ingrained taboos, church rules, and regulations ....
He had not been raised with electricity Or fast cars. His father's father and three generations of men--great-grand- fathers before him--had lived their lives according to the Old Ways, das Alt Gebrauch.
Yet his emotions often became jumbled when he thought of his father.., the prospects Jacob Fisher had had for him. In an Amish household, the youngest son was expected to take over the family farm at the appropriate age. Daniel had chosen another path for his life.
Surprisingly, in spite of all that had transpired between them--the passionate arguments over doctrine and such-- he did not foster bad feelings toward his strict father. He had forgiven Jacob Fisher years ago.
Now the time was ripe to offer his father the same opportunity. And to speak the truth of what had happened on
105 that fateful day in Atlantic City.
Dan glanced around his comfortable rental home, sparkling with holiday lights and trim. Too many Decem- bets had come and gone since his "accident." Home fires burned brightest at Christmas. As for Katie, she was still to him the dearest girl in all the world.
His thoughts flew back to their first Sunday night Singing together. Back when Katie had just turned sixteen ....
The sky was filled with a thousand stars that early June evening. As if someone had sprinkled out a silo full of them all over the heavens. Daniel, eighteen, was hoping--without letting on to anybody--that Katie Lapp just might be coming to Singing. Her first ever. And if she did, she'd be riding over with Benjamin, her eighteen-year-old brother, in his open buggy, the way all the older teen girls in Hickory Hollow showed up for such things.
He remembered the Neilicht--new moon--shining its crescentshaped light down on the barn, 'cause he kept peering out through the loose, rickety boards every chance he could, looking for her. Looking and waiting.., wishing there'd been a big yellow full moon high in the sky to spotlight beautiful red-haired Katie.
Ach, the Mennonites had yard lights--made perfect sense to him. 'Cept he was Amish and none of that kind of thinking was bound to do a body good. Electricity was wicked, in any way, shape, or form.
Ach, Katie, he thought. Where are ya? What's takin' your brother so long?
When would Ben ever figure out how to gallop that young driving horse of his? Puh, he'd best be taking some lessons, and from somebody who knew how to get a pretty girl to Singing on time.
Pacing back and forth, trying to pretend nothing special was on his mind--least not one certain girl--he picked up
106
a long piece of straw, stuck it in his mouth, and sauntered over to yak at Chicken Joe. Now, here was a boy who never seemed to have a speck of trouble finding a girl to talk to or take home after Singings.
"What's got ya frettin'?" Chicken Joe asked. "Didn't say nothin' was." "Mighty restless you are."
"Not any more than anyone else around here." He glanced over his shoulder at the young men milling around, probably fifty or more of them. All wearing wide-brimmed straw hats, which they never took off, not even in warm weather.
Chicken Joe grinned, showing his upper gums. "She'll be comin' soon. You know she will."
Daniel bristled at the comment. Chicken Joe had no right to say anything like that. To pop out with something so bold. The fellow was brazen and even worse, a flirt. Biggest one around.
For himself, Dan had decided long back, about the time he was turning fourteen, that he wouldn't so much as wink at a girl lest he liked her enough to kiss er. 'Course, he wouldn't go doing any such a thing for a long time from now. Still, he knew exactly how he planned on treating Samuel Lapp's daughter. Treat her right fine, like the vivacious beauty she
For five satisfying years, he had enjoyed such benefits yet hadn't consciously taken modern technology for granted. Nor did he wish to, though at times he agonized over the guilt of it. The deeply ingrained taboos, church rules, and regulations ....
He had not been raised with electricity Or fast cars. His father's father and three generations of men--great-grand- fathers before him--had lived their lives according to the Old Ways, das Alt Gebrauch.
Yet his emotions often became jumbled when he thought of his father.., the prospects Jacob Fisher had had for him. In an Amish household, the youngest son was expected to take over the family farm at the appropriate age. Daniel had chosen another path for his life.
Surprisingly, in spite of all that had transpired between them--the passionate arguments over doctrine and such-- he did not foster bad feelings toward his strict father. He had forgiven Jacob Fisher years ago.
Now the time was ripe to offer his father the same opportunity. And to speak the truth of what had happened on
105 that fateful day in Atlantic City.
Dan glanced around his comfortable rental home, sparkling with holiday lights and trim. Too many Decem- bets had come and gone since his "accident." Home fires burned brightest at Christmas. As for Katie, she was still to him the dearest girl in all the world.
His thoughts flew back to their first Sunday night Singing together. Back when Katie had just turned sixteen ....
The sky was filled with a thousand stars that early June evening. As if someone had sprinkled out a silo full of them all over the heavens. Daniel, eighteen, was hoping--without letting on to anybody--that Katie Lapp just might be coming to Singing. Her first ever. And if she did, she'd be riding over with Benjamin, her eighteen-year-old brother, in his open buggy, the way all the older teen girls in Hickory Hollow showed up for such things.
He remembered the Neilicht--new moon--shining its crescentshaped light down on the barn, 'cause he kept peering out through the loose, rickety boards every chance he could, looking for her. Looking and waiting.., wishing there'd been a big yellow full moon high in the sky to spotlight beautiful red-haired Katie.
Ach, the Mennonites had yard lights--made perfect sense to him. 'Cept he was Amish and none of that kind of thinking was bound to do a body good. Electricity was wicked, in any way, shape, or form.
Ach, Katie, he thought. Where are ya? What's takin' your brother so long?
When would Ben ever figure out how to gallop that young driving horse of his? Puh, he'd best be taking some lessons, and from somebody who knew how to get a pretty girl to Singing on time.
Pacing back and forth, trying to pretend nothing special was on his mind--least not one certain girl--he picked up
106
a long piece of straw, stuck it in his mouth, and sauntered over to yak at Chicken Joe. Now, here was a boy who never seemed to have a speck of trouble finding a girl to talk to or take home after Singings.
"What's got ya frettin'?" Chicken Joe asked. "Didn't say nothin' was." "Mighty restless you are."
"Not any more than anyone else around here." He glanced over his shoulder at the young men milling around, probably fifty or more of them. All wearing wide-brimmed straw hats, which they never took off, not even in warm weather.
Chicken Joe grinned, showing his upper gums. "She'll be comin' soon. You know she will."
Daniel bristled at the comment. Chicken Joe had no right to say anything like that. To pop out with something so bold. The fellow was brazen and even worse, a flirt. Biggest one around.
For himself, Dan had decided long back, about the time he was turning fourteen, that he wouldn't so much as wink at a girl lest he liked her enough to kiss er. 'Course, he wouldn't go doing any such a thing for a long time from now. Still, he knew exactly how he planned on treating Samuel Lapp's daughter. Treat her right fine, like the vivacious beauty she
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