Saul Hartzler rose with the large King James Bible and followed the lines with a calloused finger as he read aloud. “ ‘Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new,’” he said in a voice that filled the room. “ ‘And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.’”
“‘The ministry of reconciliation,’” Jeremiah repeated purposefully. “Stop and think, my friends. How many times this week did you practice reconciliation with the folks you know? Did you try to reconcile with your neighbor rather than thinking harsh thoughts or saying unkind words to him or her—or about him or her?”
In the moments of silence that followed, Matthias wondered if Saul was a man who practiced reconciliation, or if he used his wealth like a pedestal from whence he could look down upon those he considered lesser souls. When Matthias had gone to the carriage shop on Friday afternoon to deliver some harnesses, Saul had stopped the assembly line and was delivering a stern lecture to one of the workers who’d done a less than satisfactory job of applying the second coat of paint to the three courting buggies they were working on.
“Jake’s already on probation for a shoddy job a couple weeks ago,” Saul had told Matthias when they’d gone into his office. “One more mess-up and he’s out. And if I fire him, there won’t be many other local shop owners who’ll give him a job.”
Matthias considered this as Bishop Jeremiah asked Saul to reread the last two verses of the fourth chapter of Ephesians. He wondered what Jake, who sat a couple rows behind him, might be thinking as his boss stood up again, cradling the big Bible in one arm.
“ ‘Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice,’” Saul read confidently. “‘And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.’”
As Jeremiah continued preaching, exhorting his congregation to reconcile and forgive, Matthias was aware that Shetler was considerably younger than the bishops in Willow Ridge and Cedar Creek, but his word carried weight all around the Plain communities in this area. Matthias considered himself blessed to be in this bishop’s congregation now.
After they’d prayed again and sung the final hymn, Bishop Jeremiah held up his hand to give the benediction. He remained in place to make some announcements, and then gazed at the men’s side until he found Matthias. “We welcome Matthias Wagler into our fellowship, now that he has moved to Morning Star from Willow Ridge. Stand up so these folks will know who you are, Matthias.”
With a rush of adrenaline, Matthias rose from the pew bench, nodding at the men around him and smiling over at the women who faced them.
“Matthias has a harness shop, and it behooves us all to support his business,” the bishop continued. “I hope you’ll become better acquainted with our new brother during the common meal.”
The men stood up and began pumping Matthias’s hand as they introduced themselves. As the tables were put up for the meal, the women began to carry out platters of cold cuts, bowls of chilled salads, and baskets of fresh bread. Many of the members said hello to Matthias, and he immediately realized it would take a while to learn everyone’s name. He sensed these folks were very friendly and were pleased that he’d joined their church district. When he waved to Anne Hartzler, Martha Maude’s face lit up. She grabbed her daughter-in-law’s hand to lead her through the crowd.
“Matthias, we’re so pleased you’re officially one of us now,” Martha Maude said when they’d stopped in front of him. “I can’t believe you enjoy living all alone—being new here in town, especially—so we’d like you to come for supper Friday night, to meet a very nice young woman. We’re just crazy about her and we think you will be, too.”
Matthias blinked. Saul was watching him with a sympathetic shake of his head. He wanted to inform Martha Maude that he already had a lady friend, but he was caught between a rock and a hard place. It didn’t help that Anne, who stood slightly behind her mother-in-law, wore an expression he couldn’t read. She appeared dumbfounded and embarrassed by Martha Maude’s loud invitation, and Matthias thought he detected some fear on her face as well. Why would that be?
With a fleeting thought of Rose and Gracie, Matthias hoped they would understand if he felt he had to eat supper with the Hartzlers and whomever they were fixing him up with. How could he gracefully turn down the invitation while Saul was watching him, and with Martha Maude gazing at him, silently insisting upon his compliance?
“Well, you’re not the first folks who’ve tried to pair me up with somebody,” he murmured reluctantly. “It’s kind of you to think of me being lonely, so jah, I’ll come on Friday—”
“Glad to hear it!” Martha Maude exclaimed.
“—but I hope you’ll understand if I don’t choose to see this woman again,” Matthias continued firmly, hoping he still sounded grateful. “My wife, Sadie, was the love of my life, and I’m not rushing into another relationship just to have somebody keeping house for me. Truth be told, I’m seeing a nice gal who lives in a different district.”
Martha Maude smiled knowingly. “Maybe Friday’s supper will change your mind,” she said.
Anne flashed Matthias a shy smile. Was he imagining things, or did she wink at him?
“Gut for you, speaking your mind about this, Matthias,” Saul said as he joined the three of them. “You know how women are, thinking everybody has to be matched up every minute of their adult lives. But there’s a lot more to marriage than having a woman to cook for you and give you children—it’s a huge responsibility. We fellows have to stick together on this, jah?”
“Jah,” Matthias heard himself say. He was touched by the expression on Anne’s face when she’d heard Saul’s pronouncement about wives providing children. Then her smile waxed secretive, as though she was again trying to reassure him. But Matthias knew better than to question her.
And you know better than to cross Martha Maude and Saul, too.
Chapter 26
On Monday morning, Rose felt haggard, struggling to catch up after serving the residents’ breakfast about fifteen minutes late. She’d been so tired Sunday night, after working all day Saturday around the house and attending church and the meal afterward, that she’d forgotten to set her alarm. Gracie had fussed at her all morning, too. Then after leaving home a half hour later than they should have, it began to rain. It was a blessing that Matthias had still been waiting for them when they arrived at the Morning Star Senior Center. When he stepped out the side door to greet them, however, Rose sensed he had something troublesome on his mind.
“See you sometime this week—and you, too, Gracie,” he said after he’d walked inside with them. He’d left very quickly, too.
As she wrapped the breakfast leftovers, Rose still felt baffled by his befuddled tone. You’d better set aside your social life and get busy on lunch and supper, she scolded herself.
“Is everything all right, Rose?” Sherrie asked. She was rolling a cart loaded with dirty dishes from the dining room because Alison had called in sick. “Take a break if you need to, dear. Nothing drastic will happen if you leave the kitchen.”
Rose smiled gratefully. “It all started when my alarm didn’t go off,” she murmured. “I’ll be fine, really—”
“And I was bein’ cranky, too,” Gracie put in with a wary glance at her mother. “So I’m sittin’ here drawin’ birds and stayin’ out of Mamma’s way.”
Sherrie went to stand behind the school desk, looking over Gracie’s shoulder. “Look at that!” she said. “You’ve drawn the bluebird of happiness, and because he’s here, I bet you won’t feel cranky anymore, Gracie. Don’t you feel happier just looking at those bright blue feathers?”
Gracie tilted her head, gazing at her drawing. “Jah. A little.”
Sherrie smiled at Rose and crouched beside the little desk. “I’ve got a little present
for you, Gracie. Shall we go to my office and see what it is?”
Gracie’s eyes widened. As the two of them left the kitchen, Rose sighed gratefully. She felt blessed to be working for such a kind, generous woman—especially since Sherrie hadn’t said anything about breakfast being served late. She rinsed the plates and arranged them in the dishwasher the way Alison had shown her. She was working on the cups and saucers when she heard footsteps coming into the kitchen.
“My word, do you know how to run that contraption, Rose?” a familiar voice asked. “Looks to me like you’ve nearly got those dishes washed before you put them in there.”
Rose straightened to smile at Martha Maude and Anne. “That’s the way it seems to us Plain women, jah,” she replied. “The health department requires dishwashers in facilities like this because they sterilize the dishes in a way you can’t when you’re washing them in the sink.”
“I can see how that could come in handy at canning time,” Anne put in as she watched Rose load the coffee mugs. “You could have all your jars clean and sterile and hot—a bunch of them at a time—instead of having to dip them in and out of a big pot of boiling water.”
“Where’s your little shadow today?” Martha Maude asked, glancing at the unoccupied school desk. She brought a white plastic bag from behind her back, holding the curves of two hangers that stuck out from the top of it. “We thought we’d deliver Gracie’s dresses—and invite you two to supper at our place Friday night,” she added quickly. “There’s a nice fellow who’s joined our church—”
Rose felt her face heating up. Martha Maude wasn’t a woman who took no for an answer, even though Rose had a couple of good reasons to decline her invitation before she’d even heard the rest of it.
“—and we thought if you met him at our place—neutral ground—maybe you and Gracie could see him again sometime.” Martha Maude gazed intently at Rose, obviously expecting an answer that would keep her plans for Friday evening—and probably for Rose’s future—intact.
“That’s very kind of you,” Rose began hesitantly, “but Gracie and I head back to Cedar Creek on Friday afternoons so we can—”
Martha Maude waved her off. “No reason you couldn’t stay over, since you’ve got an apartment here,” she insisted. “The fellow we’ve got in mind has already agreed to come.”
But the fellow I’ve got in mind already thinks in terms of XXs and OOs, Rose thought frantically. She glanced at Anne, who stood a few steps behind her mother-in-law. Anne was smiling and nodding as she silently mouthed, “It’s Matthias.”
Rose pressed her lips together so she wouldn’t laugh out loud and expose her mother’s little trick. She wondered if Martha Maude had approached Matthias the same way, not revealing Rose’s name—which might explain his odd behavior this morning. Or did he already know these women were fixing him up with her, and he was nervous about eating with her and Gracie at the Hartzler place . . . with her mother? Her relationship to Anne was getting trickier by the day. She was about to answer when Gracie skipped into the kitchen, smiling brightly, gripping a large tablet in one hand and a box of colored pencils in the other.
“Mamma, look what Sherrie—oh!” Gracie cried out when she saw their guests. “I was hopin’ to see my mammis today! I prayed about it, and here you are!”
Rose noticed Anne’s face growing pale as Martha Maude stooped to hug Gracie with her free arm.
“Look what I’ve brought you,” Martha Maude said, shaking the plastic bag to make the dresses whisper inside it. “What do you suppose it is?”
“My dresses! Yay!” Gracie replied, hopping on her toes. “Lemme see ’em!”
“Gracie,” Rose warned her daughter.
Her little girl immediately stood still. “Please may I see ’em?” she asked contritely. “And denki for makin’ me some pretty dresses.”
“You’re very welcome,” Martha Maude said as she lifted the white plastic sack over the dresses. “Green and orange, just right for springtime.”
“Pickles and sherbet,” Gracie murmured. She set her tablet and pencils on the worktable so she could finger each dress.
“Denki so much for taking the time to make these dresses, Martha Maude,” Rose said as she admired them. “Gracie’s growing like a weed, and once my mother took sick with her cancer last fall, I fell behind on making her clothes.”
“We all need a helping hand now and again.” Martha Maude smiled knowingly at Anne and Gracie. “So, back to our other subject, we’d really enjoy having you girls over for supper on Friday—”
“Mamma, let’s go!” Gracie blurted. “We don’t even hafta go home for more clothes, coz I’ve got two new dresses!”
Rose had to laugh, even though she suspected that Martha Maude had used Gracie’s presence to get her way. “All right, then, we’ll come,” she murmured. “But I’ll be wearing black for several months yet, so that fellow you’ve invited might as well understand—”
Gracie sucked in her breath. “Is it Matthias? Is Matthias comin’ on Friday, too?”
Rose nearly choked. Anne’s eyes widened in surprise, mingled with fear. They both were watching Martha Maude’s reaction as she teasingly placed a fist on her hip.
“You have a friend named Matthias?” she asked Gracie. She glanced at Rose. “What’s he look like?”
“Matthias looks just like Jesus!” Gracie crowed. “I’ll get my book and show ya!”
As Gracie raced out the kitchen door, Anne stepped up to the counter where Martha Maude had laid the two little dresses. “If this is Matthias Wagler we’re talking about,” she said, sounding pinched but determined, “it should be a lovely evening. Matthias is Saul’s partner now, so we’ve gotten to know him and we like him a lot.”
Aware that Martha Maude was studying her closely, Rose smiled. She hoped she and Anne could speak of this situation in a way that wouldn’t make her stalwart, steely-haired mother-in-law suspicious. “Matthias Wagler was kind enough to dig my mother’s grave, and he looks after our mare now that we stay here in town all week,” Rose explained. “I haven’t known him long, but he’s crazy about Gracie—”
“See there?” Martha Maude interrupted with a chuckle. “I knew he’d be a gut fellow for you to get acquainted with, and you’re a few steps ahead of me. That’ll make things a lot less complicated Friday night, since the two of you won’t be nervous about meeting each other—and Gracie will enjoy having him there, too.”
Rapid footsteps crossed the dining-room floor. Gracie hurried into the kitchen, clutching her new Bible storybook. “See?” she exclaimed as she held a page open for Anne and Martha Maude. “It’s Jesus, and He’s got long reddish-brown hair and a beard, but He’s got a nice smile, just like Matthias.”
Anne gazed at the page in the book, a smile warming her face. “Jah, you’ve got it right, Gracie,” she murmured. “Do you suppose Matthias has a halo, too?”
Gracie giggled, delighted that Anne and Martha Maude agreed with her. She handed Anne the book and then put the thumb and digit fingers of her hands into a circle above her kapp-covered head. “I’m a little angel, so I can let Matthias share my halo, jah?”
Rose laughed along with her two visitors, grateful that Gracie had a way of making everyone relax and share her happiness.
But on Friday night, once they sat at the table with Martha Maude, Anne, Matthias—and especially Saul—an unwitting slip of Gracie’s tongue could place Anne in a very difficult position. Especially if Saul quizzed his wife about how Rose had come to be her child.
Be with us all, Lord, she prayed as the Hartzler women took their leave. We have gut intentions, all of us . . . but the road to Hell is paved with those, they say. Please help us follow Your will rather than the wrong road.
* * *
As Anne walked out of the Morning Star Café, she felt full and grateful. It was their wedding anniversary, and Saul had taken her—and Martha Maude, of course—out for dinner. Although she sometimes wished for time alone with her husband, she
’d long ago become accustomed to the fact that Saul didn’t like to leave his mother home alone. Anne smiled when he took her hand—a rare show of his affection in public—as they strolled along the sidewalk.
“Seems to be a lot of folks in town for a Wednesday evening,” Martha Maude remarked as she walked behind them.
“The merchants are hosting a customer appreciation week in honor of last Sunday being May Day,” Saul explained. “Some of the stores have special sales, or goodies for customers who come in. I don’t know that the Plain shopkeepers are joining in, seeing’s how most of them do business out in the country.”
Anne wasn’t surprised by Saul’s remark, because she’d never known him to have a sale on his buggies or to offer any sort of price breaks. Nearly all of his customers were Plain folks, who depended upon the vehicles built in his shop, yet they never complained about paying full price—nor did they joke with him about possibly lowering what he charged. His basic enclosed buggies started at more than seven thousand dollars—quite an expense for a large family whose father earned a modest income.
Anne, however, never challenged her husband’s pricing system. Martha Maude kept close tabs on the cost of parts and the labor involved in producing each vehicle, so it was doubtful that she or her son would ever back down from the amount they charged.
And who are you to protest what Saul charges? Anne’s thoughts niggled. You live a fine life in a large, comfortable home because he runs a profitable business. And because he’s a successful businessman, he donates a great deal of money to the church, which, in turn, helps folks who need it.
Setting aside her musings about money, Anne squeezed Saul’s hand. He was in a fine mood—and he’d closed the shop early so he could take her to dinner—so she didn’t want to fret away these pleasant moments of their sunny evening stroll home. As they approached the senior center, she thought about Rose and Gracie. She hoped they’d enjoyed a good meal and were taking some time off after the kitchen was cleaned up for the day.
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