a feast. The crops had been good, and Ezra slaughtered a yearling so that they could have a barbecue. The delicious smell of roasting meat filled the Carters’ yard, and a festive air was about the place.
When they all were gathered around the dining room table, Dan Carter asked a long and earnest— and excited—blessing over the food. He ended by saying, “And God, we’re glad that our friends andneighbors are back home again. In the name of Jesus we thank You. Amen.”
Every place at the table was filled, and extra chairs had been brought in. The table seemed to groan under the weight of the meat and vegetables and glasses of tea and cider.
There was happy laughter—and talk, not the least of which was between Rosie and his fiancée, Charlie Satterfield. She was a tall girl from the hills of Georgia. She had fallen in love with Drake at first, but it was Rosie who had finally won her heart. She sat beside him, her curly hair framing her face, and she smiled shyly as Drake teased her about becoming a bride.
Across the table, Lori Jenkins sat as close as she could to Royal. These two had had a long courtship. Lori was a small girl with auburn hair, brown eyes, and an oval face. She was very pretty and very much in love.
At the foot of the table sat Nelson with Uncle Silas on his right and Eileen on his left. After the babble had died down somewhat, he said, “Dan, you’re looking at a man who doesn’t have one single idea in his head about what to do next.”
Mr. Carter, who loved the Majorses as if they were his own flesh and blood, said, “Let God make the plans. You just wait until He tells you what they are.”
Nelson grinned abruptly and looked at Eileen. “There’s our theology. We just wait on God.”
Eileen took his hand. “I can’t think of a better way to live.”
The former colonel looked about the table. “I thank God for bringing us back here, but I don’t want to be a burden on anybody.”
“God owns the cattle on a thousand hills, and He owns all the hills,” Uncle Silas said suddenly. “Don’t ever sell God short, Nelson.”
“That’s right.” Dan Carter nodded. “He’s going to provide for His own, and you’re His own.” He looked around the crowded room then. “Don’t anybody eat too much. I think I smelled some peach pie cookin’ earlier in the day!”
Rosie said dolefully, “That’s good. My stomach’s been actin’ up, and I reckon peach pie’s just the thing to calm it down some.”
And Leah looked across at Jeff, thinking,
When he was fourteen, I thought he was the handsomest boy I ever saw—and now he’s the handsomest man
.
From across the table, Jeff was looking at Leah. He appreciated her green eyes and blonde hair and the smoothness of her skin.
There’s gonna be lots of fellas come courting Leah
. He remembered the old days when they had hunted birds’ eggs together.
I reckon courting’s a little bit different from hunting birds’ eggs
.
Studying her more closely as she laughed and her white teeth flashed, he thought,
But she’s pretty enough to fight for, and that’s what I aim to do!
8
“Go Home, Rebel!”
F inding a place to live proved to be both complicated and simple.
Although the Carters would have been glad to put up the three Majors men and Mrs. Majors, Nelson was almost frantic with anxiety to be in his own house.
“I appreciate your offer, Dan,” he said the morning after they arrived, “but you know how it is. A man just needs his own place.”
Dan Carter nodded slowly. “Ordinarily I’d agree with you, Nelson, but situations change. Right now you’re in kind of a bind. It looks to me like the best thing for your wife would be to stay here and let us kind of take care of her.” He scratched his thinning hair and shook his head. “She doesn’t seem too pert, does she?”
“No, she’s not well. She had trouble with her first child, and that worries me.” Nelson shuffled his feet. The two men were standing in the
When they all were gathered around the dining room table, Dan Carter asked a long and earnest— and excited—blessing over the food. He ended by saying, “And God, we’re glad that our friends andneighbors are back home again. In the name of Jesus we thank You. Amen.”
Every place at the table was filled, and extra chairs had been brought in. The table seemed to groan under the weight of the meat and vegetables and glasses of tea and cider.
There was happy laughter—and talk, not the least of which was between Rosie and his fiancée, Charlie Satterfield. She was a tall girl from the hills of Georgia. She had fallen in love with Drake at first, but it was Rosie who had finally won her heart. She sat beside him, her curly hair framing her face, and she smiled shyly as Drake teased her about becoming a bride.
Across the table, Lori Jenkins sat as close as she could to Royal. These two had had a long courtship. Lori was a small girl with auburn hair, brown eyes, and an oval face. She was very pretty and very much in love.
At the foot of the table sat Nelson with Uncle Silas on his right and Eileen on his left. After the babble had died down somewhat, he said, “Dan, you’re looking at a man who doesn’t have one single idea in his head about what to do next.”
Mr. Carter, who loved the Majorses as if they were his own flesh and blood, said, “Let God make the plans. You just wait until He tells you what they are.”
Nelson grinned abruptly and looked at Eileen. “There’s our theology. We just wait on God.”
Eileen took his hand. “I can’t think of a better way to live.”
The former colonel looked about the table. “I thank God for bringing us back here, but I don’t want to be a burden on anybody.”
“God owns the cattle on a thousand hills, and He owns all the hills,” Uncle Silas said suddenly. “Don’t ever sell God short, Nelson.”
“That’s right.” Dan Carter nodded. “He’s going to provide for His own, and you’re His own.” He looked around the crowded room then. “Don’t anybody eat too much. I think I smelled some peach pie cookin’ earlier in the day!”
Rosie said dolefully, “That’s good. My stomach’s been actin’ up, and I reckon peach pie’s just the thing to calm it down some.”
And Leah looked across at Jeff, thinking,
When he was fourteen, I thought he was the handsomest boy I ever saw—and now he’s the handsomest man
.
From across the table, Jeff was looking at Leah. He appreciated her green eyes and blonde hair and the smoothness of her skin.
There’s gonna be lots of fellas come courting Leah
. He remembered the old days when they had hunted birds’ eggs together.
I reckon courting’s a little bit different from hunting birds’ eggs
.
Studying her more closely as she laughed and her white teeth flashed, he thought,
But she’s pretty enough to fight for, and that’s what I aim to do!
8
“Go Home, Rebel!”
F inding a place to live proved to be both complicated and simple.
Although the Carters would have been glad to put up the three Majors men and Mrs. Majors, Nelson was almost frantic with anxiety to be in his own house.
“I appreciate your offer, Dan,” he said the morning after they arrived, “but you know how it is. A man just needs his own place.”
Dan Carter nodded slowly. “Ordinarily I’d agree with you, Nelson, but situations change. Right now you’re in kind of a bind. It looks to me like the best thing for your wife would be to stay here and let us kind of take care of her.” He scratched his thinning hair and shook his head. “She doesn’t seem too pert, does she?”
“No, she’s not well. She had trouble with her first child, and that worries me.” Nelson shuffled his feet. The two men were standing in the
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