at last?
Mrs. Grace Stahl . . . She considered Henry’s family name. There were plenty of Stahls locally, but they weren’t Amish, except for Henry’s extended family. His grandfather had settled in Bird-in-Hand from south of Somerset County, where Stahl was a common Amish name. Sighing while Mandy decided where to move her only king, Grace was drawn to the card Adam had slipped under her plate before supper. A placid ocean scene with a lone seabird walking the shoreline. He knew well her desire to see the ocean for herself one day. She hadn’t paid close attention to the inside of the card, at least not until now. Adam’s note made her smile: If you keep having birthdays, you’ll soon catch up to me. Your older brother, Adam.
Joe had made a squiggly, smiling figure beside his name, and Mandy had signed, With love to my best sister, Mandy.
“How silly,” she said, showing Mandy what she’d written. “I’m your only sister, in case you forgot.”
Mandy pulled a face, which made Grace laugh even more. Then, looking for her grandparents’ names, she was delighted to see Mammi Adah’s shaky hand. Yet the Lord will command his loving-kindness in the day time, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.
“My favorite verse . . . she remembered,” Grace said, showing Mandy. “Psalm 42:8.”
“Mammi Adah always writes Scripture in her cards,” Mandy said, all smiles. “What did Mamma write?”
Grace searched the card, blinking . . . looking. “Well, that’s odd.”
Mandy reached for it. “Let me see.”
“She must’ve forgotten,” Grace said, befuddled.
Mammi Adah had once told her, during last September’s walnut-picking time—their hands stained brown from the nuts—that it wasn’t what you intended to do in life that mattered, but what you actually did. “I’m sure Mamma meant to sign it,” she said.
“Ain’t gut enough.” Mandy got up, waving the card.
“What’re you doin’?”
Mandy marched straight to the kitchen. “Mamma?”
“Ach no . . .” Grace’s voice faded to a whisper, her heart sinking. Mamma had seemed so content earlier. She hadn’t wanted anything to ruin this day.
chapter
eleven
G race had just curled up on her little love seat to write in the pages of her new blank book when her mother knocked on the slightly open door.
“Come in, Mamma.”
Her mother wore a tentative expression as she lingered in the doorway. Then she slowly moved toward the dresser, where the birthday cards were lined up, returning the card given to Grace by her family.
That done, she made her way to the bed and sat down gingerly, drawing in a long breath. “I’d planned to sign your card before supper,” Mamma said softly, a little hitch in her voice. “Truly, I did.”
Grace suddenly felt sorry for her. “You had a lot on your mind.”
“Well, seems the time got away from me.” Her mother looked as embarrassed now as Grace had been earlier at the thought of Mandy’s bringing the card to Mamma’s attention.
“The supper was wonderful- gut ,” Grace said, changing the subject. “Denki, Mamma.”
“You certainly seemed to enjoy yourself.”
Grace smiled. “Mammi Adah told some stories on me, jah?”
“We all have stories. . . .” Mamma paused and a frown crossed her brow. “Gracie, there’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you.”
Grace caught her breath. Never had Mamma looked so serious. Was she about to reveal her heart at last?
Mamma straightened and folded her hands. “I don’t mean to seem nosy, dear. But I’ve guessed that Henry Stahl might be courtin’ you.”
Grace didn’t feel comfortable letting on that the hunch was correct, but she was curious as to what her mother might say.
“Now, I know he’s a nice boy . . . his parents are hardworkin’ and God-fearin’ and all, but—”
“But what, Mamma?”
Her mother looked down at her hands for a moment. “It’s just that . . . well, have you
Mrs. Grace Stahl . . . She considered Henry’s family name. There were plenty of Stahls locally, but they weren’t Amish, except for Henry’s extended family. His grandfather had settled in Bird-in-Hand from south of Somerset County, where Stahl was a common Amish name. Sighing while Mandy decided where to move her only king, Grace was drawn to the card Adam had slipped under her plate before supper. A placid ocean scene with a lone seabird walking the shoreline. He knew well her desire to see the ocean for herself one day. She hadn’t paid close attention to the inside of the card, at least not until now. Adam’s note made her smile: If you keep having birthdays, you’ll soon catch up to me. Your older brother, Adam.
Joe had made a squiggly, smiling figure beside his name, and Mandy had signed, With love to my best sister, Mandy.
“How silly,” she said, showing Mandy what she’d written. “I’m your only sister, in case you forgot.”
Mandy pulled a face, which made Grace laugh even more. Then, looking for her grandparents’ names, she was delighted to see Mammi Adah’s shaky hand. Yet the Lord will command his loving-kindness in the day time, and in the night his song shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.
“My favorite verse . . . she remembered,” Grace said, showing Mandy. “Psalm 42:8.”
“Mammi Adah always writes Scripture in her cards,” Mandy said, all smiles. “What did Mamma write?”
Grace searched the card, blinking . . . looking. “Well, that’s odd.”
Mandy reached for it. “Let me see.”
“She must’ve forgotten,” Grace said, befuddled.
Mammi Adah had once told her, during last September’s walnut-picking time—their hands stained brown from the nuts—that it wasn’t what you intended to do in life that mattered, but what you actually did. “I’m sure Mamma meant to sign it,” she said.
“Ain’t gut enough.” Mandy got up, waving the card.
“What’re you doin’?”
Mandy marched straight to the kitchen. “Mamma?”
“Ach no . . .” Grace’s voice faded to a whisper, her heart sinking. Mamma had seemed so content earlier. She hadn’t wanted anything to ruin this day.
chapter
eleven
G race had just curled up on her little love seat to write in the pages of her new blank book when her mother knocked on the slightly open door.
“Come in, Mamma.”
Her mother wore a tentative expression as she lingered in the doorway. Then she slowly moved toward the dresser, where the birthday cards were lined up, returning the card given to Grace by her family.
That done, she made her way to the bed and sat down gingerly, drawing in a long breath. “I’d planned to sign your card before supper,” Mamma said softly, a little hitch in her voice. “Truly, I did.”
Grace suddenly felt sorry for her. “You had a lot on your mind.”
“Well, seems the time got away from me.” Her mother looked as embarrassed now as Grace had been earlier at the thought of Mandy’s bringing the card to Mamma’s attention.
“The supper was wonderful- gut ,” Grace said, changing the subject. “Denki, Mamma.”
“You certainly seemed to enjoy yourself.”
Grace smiled. “Mammi Adah told some stories on me, jah?”
“We all have stories. . . .” Mamma paused and a frown crossed her brow. “Gracie, there’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you.”
Grace caught her breath. Never had Mamma looked so serious. Was she about to reveal her heart at last?
Mamma straightened and folded her hands. “I don’t mean to seem nosy, dear. But I’ve guessed that Henry Stahl might be courtin’ you.”
Grace didn’t feel comfortable letting on that the hunch was correct, but she was curious as to what her mother might say.
“Now, I know he’s a nice boy . . . his parents are hardworkin’ and God-fearin’ and all, but—”
“But what, Mamma?”
Her mother looked down at her hands for a moment. “It’s just that . . . well, have you
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