Abram's Daughters: The Betrayal Part 5

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cutwork hankie might, in all truth, be the new owner of Sadie's birthday handkerchief. Is that possible? she thought sadly but said not another word to her sister.

Leah waited in the buggy, hand loosely touching the reins, while Aunt Lizzie hurried to the front door of the Nolts' redbrick house. Lavender statice and pale peach dahlias decorated the front yard of the fancy Englischers' house, neat as a pin and as tidy and well kept as the Amish neighbors' yards nearby.

Leah looked forward to this evening, when Dat planned to read to her from the family Bible, translating the verses highlighting baptism. Today at the noon meal Dat had suggested they do this "the sooner the better."

Gladdened, she felt secure in his fatherly love, in spite of his evident disappointment toward her approaching marriage. She was determined to make him proud, even though he was not so happy with her at present. The fact Dat was eager to open the Word of G.o.d and discuss the Scriptures meant he was rejoicing at least in her upcoming baptism a requirement for marriage. In spite of himself, he was making it possible for her to marry Jonas.

She heard footsteps and turned to see Aunt Lizzie coming down the walkway, swinging her arms and smiling. Once settled into the driver's seat, Lizzie shared with her that the Nolts' baby was "as cute as a b.u.t.ton."

Leah listened with interest. "I should've gone in with you."

"Another time, maybe." Lizzie clucked her tongue, and the horse pulled the buggy away from the curb. "The missus

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ihc could use a bit of paid help round the house a few itWons ; week. Maybe Sadie what do you think of that?" "JllNl so you know," Leah said, "I think you should steer I nl uskin' Sadie at all." "Mluht do her some gut, don't you think?"

1 I ween you and me, she's put off by our baby sister."

1 i ic nodded. "You think on it, honey-girl. Can you really i i he'd be any other way ... considering everything?"

I Innotion was talked over till the horse made the turn " 11 < road="" and="" pulled="" the="" carriage="" into="" dat's="" long="" lane.="" "=""> maybe Mary Ruth or Hannah, then?" Lizzie pulled 'ii I be reins. "I'll clear it with your father first, though I i he'll be any too eager." Tiuli'ly he'll nix the whole idea ... wouldn't surprise iini Lizzie smiled, a twinkle in her eye. "You just leave ' i ! hi me.

I I-.ill was puzzled at Lizzie's confident response, but she " I no more, hoping they'd take themselves off for a walk in d-woods.

lii ihe midafternoon light, they moved quickly up the hilII, Leah and Lizzie stopped for a moment to take in the "lids every little crack and rustle they might expect to !> H1 garter snakes seizing centipedes, and other tiny creaihh'H stirring beneath layers of brushwood and leaves teeming wlilillfe.

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Standing there in the midst of the woods, Leah was struck with a startling thought, one she spoke right out. "What do you s'pose would've happened if Sadie had delivered her baby full-term ... if her infant son had lived?" she asked. "How would Dat and Mamma have reacted Sadie not havin' a husband an' all?"

Lizzie paused for a moment. "Well, now, that's not so hard to say."

Surprised, Leah studied Lizzie. "Would Dat and Mamma have taken it in their stride?"

"I didn't say that ... just that I think in time they would've come to accept the baby their flesh-and-blood grandson, after all."

"Something we'll never know for sure, prob'ly."

"But when all's said and done, the Lord knew best. He saw fit to call the precious little babe home to Glory."

"Just think how torn Sadie would've been her whole life long over the baby's father bein' fancy and all ... not having him by her side."

"I doubt the lad much cared," Lizzie broke in, moving up the hill again.

Leah suddenly wondered who the father of Sadie's baby might've been. All she'd ever known was his first name Derry. Even that made her squirm; it sounded to her like someone who might double-dare you to do something you'd later regret.

She matched her stride to Lizzie's, pleased to see the locust tree not four yards ahead. "You found it. How on earth?"

Lizzie hurried to pat the thick, grand trunk. Such an

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^HltMisc and powerful tree. "Well, there aren't so many like ^Hoiu', ain't so?"

^H'll's mighty special... even scarce, I'd say." She turned to ^H limn whence they'd come. "How hard would it be to find ^Htany home from here, do you think?"

^H'l'll mark the way back." Aunt Lizzie reached down for a IRit'iliiun-sized stone to mark the trees.

I "Then, you won't fret over me coming here alone?"

I Lizzie's smile faded. "Oh, I'll never say that."

I Hie sun broke through the uppermost canopy, causing a Ifhlit stream of light to illuminate the gra.s.sy patch near their Id'i. "Lookee there!" Leah felt more confident than ever.

I" I .'f there be light.'"

I "Now, don't be thinkin' this is some heavenly sign or such lfiiiiiscn.se."

I At that Leah laughed along with Lizzie, yet she did won- Uci why the sunbeam had found them at that precise moment.

I When the kitchen was redd up after supper and Mamma PUnl none to her room to nurse Lydiann, Dat and Leah sat BuKt'ther at the table, the large family Bible open between Mir in. Sadie and Mary Ruth played a game of checkers on the in' ii >r while Hannah embroidered a bluebird on a white cotton Iliiimlkerchief. Dawdi John, who had come to share the supper Ihiiiir with the family, sat in a hickory rocker near the door llnuling to the back porch, a relaxed smile on his tanned and wrinkled face.

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iu jB( "We'll begin with the Lord Jesus being baptized by John," Dat said, his finger sliding down the page as he read. '"I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance... . '"

"Is that John the Baptist speaking?" Leah asked.

Dat nodded. "Our Lord set the example for us, even though He was the sinless Lamb of G.o.d."

Leah listened with rapt attention.

Dat continued. "Now, here's my favorite pa.s.sage in this chapter. 'And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of G.o.d descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.'"

Leah's ears perked up at the mention of a dove. Jehovah G.o.d had sent a gentle white bird, a symbol of peace, to rest on the Son of Man's head as a blessing.

"You must not take lightly this thing you're 'bout to do." Dat folded his callused hands on the Bible. "Membership in the church is a sign of repentance and complete commitment to the community of the People. It's also the doorway that leads to adulthood."

At this comment Leah noticed Sadie's head bob up as if she were listening, which was right fine. 'Specially now, thought Leah, recalling their recent p.r.i.c.kly exchange.

Dat began to quote Mark chapter sixteen, verse sixteen. " 'He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be d.a.m.ned.'" : "A divine p.r.o.nouncement, and ever so frightening," Leah said, in awe of the Scripture.

At this Dat closed the Bible and reached for another 79lOeirayal Iti Martyrs Mirror, over eleven hundred pages in length. It If heir recorded heritage of bloodshed and abuse in all, Ifllt'pn hundred years of Christian martyrdom. "Obedience 111 nl lends to a path of redemption, though it is exceedingly Iftw ... and few will ever find it," Dat said before beginlo rend.

I'Wr lire a people set apart we walk the narrow way,In E)ul nodded reverently. " 'Tis our very life and breath."

{"Without spot or blemish," Leah added, knowing the h taught to her all the days of her life.

l']Slow 1 want to read to you about my mother's ancestor tM'grandmother several times over." Dat turned the pages (triers Mirror carefully, as if it were a holy book. He began emI (he testimony of Catharina Meylin, who was fire plrd on her fair cheek for her beliefs. "'She held tena- y to the doctrine of adult baptism,'" he read.

Leah struggled with tears for the courageous and devout her of eleven children, wondering if she herself had that I of commitment. Am I willing to die for the Lord G.o.d? At lyery least she wanted to strive for strength of faith and hctcr.

WDid she... live on?" Leah asked softly. v: M ij_jer feet were bound hard, and she was carried off to the Pent prison, where she was given only bread and water for ly weeks,'" Dat read in response.

Ke sighed loudly, glancing up. "She was allowed to write I one time a testimonial letter to her grown children."

Leah listened intently. "Read the rest of the account, will

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Her father nodded and followed the words with his finger. " 'Daily, Catharina was beaten, and when she would not deny her faith she was, in due time, delivered by the grace of G.o.d from her earthly bonds.'"

Starved and beaten to death? Leah wondered, though she felt too pained by what she had learned to ask. Truly, Dat's ancestor was a faithful servant of the Lord G.o.d.

Dat's voice wavered a bit. "She wrote this to her dear children: 'Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.'"

She gave up her life for what she believed... .

Leah felt ever so convicted. Was she worthy to present herself to the almighty One in baptism?

Dawdi John grunted out of the rocker, standing there all wobbly in the middle of the kitchen. Leah looked to Dat for a signal, and his brow crinkled slightly, letting her know the end of their study time had come.

"Come along, Leah," said Dawdi John at last, leaning hard on his cane.

She hurried to her grandfather's side, steadying him as they made their way to the front room and the connecting door to his little Dawdi Haus. Gladly she would ponder the Scriptures and Dat's great-grandmother's stalwart conviction, as well as the many important things Dat had said this night. For now she was thankful both Deacon Stoltzfus and Preacher Yoder had given consent for this discussion of the Scriptures. Something Sadie had never consulted Dat about, far as Leah knew.

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tl'-v lie letters from Jonas continued to arrive in the Ebersol I Unix, and fast as she possibly could, Leah penned back a him', She still hadn't mentioned his father's visit to Dat.

hirj not to ponder it too much, ignoring the gnawing li .1 i-.ness that something might go awry.

mmmday, August 16 ; '< .ii="" jonas,="" i="" i'omorrow="" we're="" having="" preaching="" service="" here.="" actually,="" '.i/'s="" thinking="" fee="" ought="" to="" hold="" it="" in="" the="" barn,="" since="" it's="" a="" bit="" yolit="" out="" there.="" we've="" been="" having="" fairly="" regular="" afternoon="" mhnwers="" now,="" which="" is="" nice="" for="" the="" ground="" but="" not="" so="" helpful="" br="" the="" workers="" the="" third="" cutting="" of="" alfalfa="" is="" in="" full="">

I I've been spending several evenings a week with Dawdi o/in, who tells interesting stories of his youth. Might be nice br you to visit him when you return for baptism a month from mow. We could go together, maybe.

I I've agreed to be a bridesmaid in Naomi Kauffman's wedwing, which is November 11. After observing her at baptismal Mtructton cla.s.ses the past weeks, she seems to be ready to

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'la J2e turn her full attention to sewing the Lord G.o.d and the People. Maybe you and I will have some good fellowship with her and Luke once we're all settled in as young married couples.

Sometimes 1 worry about Sadie, with both Naomi and me being younger and soon to be married. It can't be easy for her.

1 want to share something with you. Dat's allowing Mary Ruth to do some light housekeeping and cooking for our English neighbors, the Nolts the new parents 1 wrote you about. It's puzzling to me because he was so steadfast about keeping us younger girls separate from the outside world after Sadie attended public high school. Do you think this is wise, letting one so young and innocent work for English folk?

As for me, I'm ready to follow the Lord in the ordinance of baptism and can hardly wait for that most holy of days when 1 will bow my knees before the bishop and the church membership.