but Mamm used lamps and candles and our kitchen stove was gas; we used electric for heat during the winter. We didn't have room for a garden, but she bought produce from farm stands and she canned. She made clothing for us both, even though she insisted I wear jeans and dress like the other kids I went to school with. She feared that I would stand out too much if I did not, but she always dressed Amish."
Levi nodded, impressed. "Your mamm sounds like a true Amish woman. She did her best to raise you with the Ordnung . This reassures me that you are sincere, Samuel. The Bishop would not proclaim you ready for baptism if he did not believe you would live the faith."
"You need not fear I would pull Sadie away from all that is familiar to her, sir. I would never permit her to suffer what Mamm suffered."
Levi nodded, then cleared his throat. "I asked Sadie to respect my wishes about courting and she told me that you would not court her without my knowledge and blessing. This shows respect, Samuel. If you continue to see Sadie at our meetings and the singings, I will allow you to court her once you are both baptized. To stand in your way then would show a lack of faith on my part."
"Thank you, sir. I can be patient that much longer. Sadie is worth the wait."
Levi smiled and nodded. He got to his feet and said, "I must be going now. If you find you need help, Samuel, all you need to do is ask. You are part of our community now, and we help each other."
"Thank you, sir."
Levi nodded, and then climbed into his buggy and turned his horse and headed down the lane.
Samuel let out the breath he'd been holding and smiled. He had permission to court Sadie... once they were both baptized. He could wait and he hoped that Sadie felt the same.
* * *
Sadie was bored and she couldn't help but wonder what Samuel was doing. He was probably plowing his fields and getting ready to plant his crops, just like her Dat and brothers were doing. She had a day off from the restaurant and wanted to do something fun and special. Her mamm and Mary were visiting ill members of the community and taking them gifts of food, and while Sadie promised she would fix the noon meal for her father and three of her brothers, that was a simple matter. Sadie tried to sew, but found she was all thumbs. Quilting did not interest her, either. She missed Samuel, and seeing him every two weeks was simply not enough.
Sadie decided there could be no harm in filling a basket and taking it to Samuel that afternoon. Surely her Dat would not consider that 'courting'. Sadie busied herself baking some cookies, and a shoofly pie, and adding a loaf of Mamm's bread. She took some of the potato salad she made for lunch and put it into a plastic container, and then put some chicken salad into another container. She also decided to put in some chow chow, and a couple small jars of jelly and jam. Sadie remembered how much Samuel loved the milk and butter her father's cows produced, and she added that as well. Satisfied, she put the basket aside and had lunch on the table when her Dat , Atlee, David, and Mary's twin, Mark came inside, more than ready to sit down at the table and eat. They had their silent prayer, and ate heartily of the simple meal.
"This chicken salad is goot, daughter," Levi complimented her.
"The potato salad is better, Dat ," Mark offered his opinion.
"They're both goot ," Atlee argued, and everyone laughed.
"How is your work going?" Sadie asked quietly.
"No complaints. Gott has given us a goot day to be outside. The sun feels good on our backs today." Levi loved farming.
"It is hard work, Sadie, but it goes faster with all of us tending the fields," Mark said solemnly.
She nodded. "I am sure you are a big help, Mark."
"He is," Levi confirmed. "I am a fortunate man to have such goot sons to help with the work."
The talk centered on the weather and other farm matters while Sadie quietly refilled glasses and cut pieces of shoofly pie for dessert. Finally,
Levi nodded, impressed. "Your mamm sounds like a true Amish woman. She did her best to raise you with the Ordnung . This reassures me that you are sincere, Samuel. The Bishop would not proclaim you ready for baptism if he did not believe you would live the faith."
"You need not fear I would pull Sadie away from all that is familiar to her, sir. I would never permit her to suffer what Mamm suffered."
Levi nodded, then cleared his throat. "I asked Sadie to respect my wishes about courting and she told me that you would not court her without my knowledge and blessing. This shows respect, Samuel. If you continue to see Sadie at our meetings and the singings, I will allow you to court her once you are both baptized. To stand in your way then would show a lack of faith on my part."
"Thank you, sir. I can be patient that much longer. Sadie is worth the wait."
Levi smiled and nodded. He got to his feet and said, "I must be going now. If you find you need help, Samuel, all you need to do is ask. You are part of our community now, and we help each other."
"Thank you, sir."
Levi nodded, and then climbed into his buggy and turned his horse and headed down the lane.
Samuel let out the breath he'd been holding and smiled. He had permission to court Sadie... once they were both baptized. He could wait and he hoped that Sadie felt the same.
* * *
Sadie was bored and she couldn't help but wonder what Samuel was doing. He was probably plowing his fields and getting ready to plant his crops, just like her Dat and brothers were doing. She had a day off from the restaurant and wanted to do something fun and special. Her mamm and Mary were visiting ill members of the community and taking them gifts of food, and while Sadie promised she would fix the noon meal for her father and three of her brothers, that was a simple matter. Sadie tried to sew, but found she was all thumbs. Quilting did not interest her, either. She missed Samuel, and seeing him every two weeks was simply not enough.
Sadie decided there could be no harm in filling a basket and taking it to Samuel that afternoon. Surely her Dat would not consider that 'courting'. Sadie busied herself baking some cookies, and a shoofly pie, and adding a loaf of Mamm's bread. She took some of the potato salad she made for lunch and put it into a plastic container, and then put some chicken salad into another container. She also decided to put in some chow chow, and a couple small jars of jelly and jam. Sadie remembered how much Samuel loved the milk and butter her father's cows produced, and she added that as well. Satisfied, she put the basket aside and had lunch on the table when her Dat , Atlee, David, and Mary's twin, Mark came inside, more than ready to sit down at the table and eat. They had their silent prayer, and ate heartily of the simple meal.
"This chicken salad is goot, daughter," Levi complimented her.
"The potato salad is better, Dat ," Mark offered his opinion.
"They're both goot ," Atlee argued, and everyone laughed.
"How is your work going?" Sadie asked quietly.
"No complaints. Gott has given us a goot day to be outside. The sun feels good on our backs today." Levi loved farming.
"It is hard work, Sadie, but it goes faster with all of us tending the fields," Mark said solemnly.
She nodded. "I am sure you are a big help, Mark."
"He is," Levi confirmed. "I am a fortunate man to have such goot sons to help with the work."
The talk centered on the weather and other farm matters while Sadie quietly refilled glasses and cut pieces of shoofly pie for dessert. Finally,
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