Winter of Faith Collection

by Rachel Stoltzfus

  “So, you heard about what happened to Elizabeth Hoffstetter, too?” he asked.

  “Ya. Mamm thinks the state is going to be looking very closely at Jacob,” Miriam said quietly.

  “And they should. He has always had an . . . odd . . . attraction to teenagers. Mamm and I talked after she had a good, hard cry . . . Mrs. Beiler, how are you feeling?”

  “Angry. I agree with you. Pennsylvania should look hard at Jacob Hoffstetter. I know that some of our families intermarry and this makes some health problems worse. But, for a grown man to have such an interest in a girl who has barely left her own childhood behind – there’s a word for it, Miriam. I believe he’s a pedophile – someone who has an unnatural interest in children,” Sarah said, frowning in distaste.

  Miriam, who was innocent of all sexual matters, began to blush.

  “You mean . . . there are men who are interested in . . .” she clamped her mouth shut against the bad taste at the thought and idea of a man touching her when she was young. Looking at John, she saw he was experiencing the same distaste.

  “Okay. Enough of bereavement and sadness. You two focus on yourselves. Let the community and state deal with Jacob Hoffstetter. Go, now,” Sarah said, shooing John and Miriam to the living room.

  Miriam and John sat in the living room talking. It took Miriam a few minutes to pull herself out of what she had been learning about Jacob Hoffstetter. John seemed to have a hard time coming back to the present, as well.

  “Would you like to go for a buggy ride?” he asked.

  “Ya. Let me tell my parents and get a sweater,” she said, hurrying to the kitchen. Coming back, she said, “It’s fine as long as I’m back before nightfall.”

  “Let’s go. I want to allow nature to get those ugly thoughts out of our heads,” John said grimacing.

  Driving the buggy down the road, John went to a large tree by the river. Jumping down, he took Miriam’s hand and helped her come down. Keeping her hand in his, he walked to a large rock sitting under the tree.

  Miriam sat down next to John, letting out a huge sigh. God, allow Your beauty to drive away that ugly knowledge I now have about Jacob Hoffstetter! I want to thank You for sending others to protect me from him. If I had not had them around, I could have been the one giving birth.

  “Why so quiet?” John asked. He took Miriam’s hand in his, holding it securely.

  Miriam enjoyed the soft touch of his hand enveloping hers.

  “I am just grateful to God for protecting me from Jacob when I was fourteen and getting ready to graduate from school. Having my friend and her daed there to help me get home from school safely means that, today, I don’t have to worry about being married to him or having to deal with . . . with . . . whatever his sickness is. It could have been me giving birth and not Elizabeth.”

  “It is a sickness. I thank God that He intervened and protected you.” John fell silent, gazing around that the cool spring evening. Seeing the light-green buds coming out on the tree, he sighed deeply. Raising her hand still caught in his, John kissed the back of it as he gazed at Miriam.

  “Miriam . . . I brought you out here for a very specific reason. We have been seeing each other since last fall and I have begun to fall in love with you. We are both going to be baptized into our community. I know you’re still on your rumspringe. I spoke to your daed and mamm a few weeks ago, and I asked them for permission to propose to you.”

  “Oh! Oh. Really?”

  “Yes, really,” John said laughing.

  “And? What did they say?”

  “Yes . . . but . . .”

  “‘But?’ But . . . what?” Miriam was tense, waiting to hear.

  “‘But’ they want us to wait a year or two until you are older. Until you’ve been baptized in the Kneeling Vow. And, of course, I still need to do the same . . . so . . . will you marry me in a few years?”

  “Yes! Yes, I will!” Miriam said, laughing. Her previous sadness had been blown away with her excitement over John’s proposal. “And, I agree – this time before we get married gives us time to get to know each other much better.”

  John swept Miriam into his arms, rejoicing. Lowering his head, he kissed her.

  THE END.

  TEST OF FAITH

  CHAPTER ONE

  Several weeks after Miriam Beiler had agreed to marry John Fisher, she was returning home from the weekly Amish market where she had just finished talking to a wealthy Englischer couple about quilts they wanted to order for their grown children and grandchildren. They wanted a Wedding quilt for their youngest daughter, who would be marrying her fiancée in about nine months. The couple also wanted quilts for their three young grandchildren.

  “If you can make these four quilts, we are prepared to pay you well for your work and materials. We’ve been looking at quilts for some time now, and yours stand out as the best-made. We also love your use of color,” said the Englischer woman. “So, can you do it?”

  “Ya, I can. Denki for your trust in me! Now, we need to talk about what colors you want for each quilt. For the kinner, I can make smaller quilts that will easily fit their beds,” Miriam said, holding a pencil over a writing pad.

  “Well, Robyn’s wedding colors are gold and purple – can you make a Wedding quilt using white, gold and purple? For the . . . kinner? . . . Andrew loves the primary colors, Becky goes nuts for pink and lavender and Ashley enjoys shades of the same color. I’m thinking for her, two or three shades of green would go well in her room. Can you do all this?” asked the woman.

  “I can, but I need to look through my supply of fabrics to see what I already have. I believe I have the green, but it’s a darker green, like my dress. How old is Ashley?”

  “She’s seven, going to be eight this year. If you could, maybe lighter and brighter greens?”

  “Ya, I can do that. I will buy the fabric and get started. This will take me to the end of the year – probably between Thanksgiving and Christmas – before I finish. If you would be so kind as to write your phone number down, I will call when all four quilts are done,” Miriam promised.

  “Excellent! We will be telling friends and family about your work - that’s how you advertise, right?” asked the Englischer man.

  “Yes, it is. Let your family and friends know that, when I’m done with your order, I will be happy to meet with them to discuss anything they might want me to do,” Miriam asked.

  “Will do! You have a wonderful day!”

  “Denki!” Miriam said.

  As she walked out with Anna, Miriam told her about her big order.

  “So, why are you so worried? You are the best quilt-maker in Ephrata, if not Lancaster County! You learned from your grossmudder. Is your machine oiled and working well?” Anna asked.

  “It is, but I don’t want it stopping mid-stitch. Can your daed check it for me today?

  “Ya, I will send him over today. Now, why don’t we go shopping for our supplies tomorrow? I have a big order of my own!” Anna said with a twinkling smile.

  “Yes? How big?”

  “I have two large cross stitch projects to make for the Englischer woman that always stops here. She finally decided what she wants and asked me to do the work!”

  Both girls looked at each other with big grins.

  “Anna, things are finally starting to pay off! My customers said they would tell their friends and family about my work!”

  The two friends parted after promising to meet after dinner the next day. Miriam, caught up in the excitement of her huge order, was thinking about that rather than paying full attention to what was going on as she drove home. She came to reality when the horse reared, giving a frightened whinny.

  Miriam looked in horror at the shiny, late model black truck that had almost run her over. Her temper flared. She opened up the door to the buggy and shouted at the driver, “Be careful!”

  “Whoa, miss, I’m sorry!” the driver said. He jumped out of the truck, babbling, “I’m lost . . . and I missed seeing
the stop sign.” His tone was flustered, but his eyes seemed strangely cool.

  Miriam took a breath, reminding herself that allowing herself to let her temper get out of hand was not what God would want for her. “Well, vehicles like yours can do a lot of damage to our livestock,” Miriam explained. “I would appreciate it if you would pay attention to the road.”

  “Do you know where the high school is?” the man asked. “All I know is that it’s north of Ephrata. With no street signs, it’s pretty . . . pretty easy to get lost...”

  Miriam let out a sigh. Of course, now that she wasn’t yelling at him, he wanted to be her best friend. All she wanted was to get home.

  ‘Phillipians 2:4,’ Miriam reminded herself, ‘Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.’

  She forced a smile and said, “Turn right onto this road. Look for a two-story house with black shutters and a white fence surrounding the yard. Turn right onto the road just past that house. When you come to a four-way intersection, turn left and the Englischer high school should be down the road a ways.”

  “Say, what’s your name?” the man asked, giving her an appraising look.

  Miriam felt distinctly uncomfortable. “I have a lot of work to do and I need to get started right away,” she said, raising the reins to flick the horse’s back and start moving again.

  “Please. I like to know the names of those who help me out, so I can thank them appropriately,” said the man with an grin.

  “A simple ‘thank you’ will do. Now, if you don’t mind . . .”

  “Please? Your name? Miss . . .”

  What was wrong with this man? “Miriam,” she said. It was a common enough name. “Now, I really must go.” She flicked the reins, and the horse, picking up on her nerves, trotted away, carrying her home to safety.

  Behind, her, the man stared. His icy-blue eyes held a cold, appraising look. “Miriam. Lovely Miriam. You won’t be racing off again very soon. I can guarantee that,” he said. He waited a bit longer before getting back into his truck. Better not to be too obvious about things. When he got back into his truck, he drove in the direction Miriam had indicated, hoping he could spot her and find out where she lived.

  ***

  After brushing down the horse and feeding him, Miriam raced into the house, shouting for Sarah.

  “Mamm! Mamm! I have a huge order from an Englischer customer! I am so scared!”

  “Calm down, daughter! Calm down! You’ve made quilts before and you’ll do well on this quilt . . .”

  “‘Quilts,’ mamm. In the plural. I have a Wedding quilt and three children’s quilts to make! Oh, and Anna and I are going to buy the fabric tomorrow. Her daed might be stopping by today to service my sewing machine.”

  “Four! This is your biggest order! It’s good you thought about the sewing machine –do you have the fabric and thread you need?”

  “Nee. That is why we are going to town tomorrow. I have to buy fabric for every quilt, even the shades of green one.”

  “You have a bolt of green fabric,” Sarah said, opening the large armoire that held all of Miriam’s fabrics.

  “Too dark. This is for a child, so they want me to find light and bright green fabric,” Miriam said, rustling through several pages of notes.

  “Let me see . . . White, gold and purple. That will be a colorful wedding! One child’s quilt in primary colors, one in the shades of green and one in pink and lavender. Lovely! Did they give you an idea of what patterns they want?”

  “Ya, these here, Miriam pointed, showing Sarah the different patterns.

  “Ach! Well, your sister will be here after dinner, so you work on the quilting. She will help me with supper and the housework today. How much are they paying you?”

  “Three thousand dollars, mamm! I have half of that now, so I can buy the fabrics and threads. I will pay Mr. King for servicing my machine, too. Will the kinner be here?” Miriam said.

  “Nee, they won’t. Their grossmudder is taking care of them for the afternoon. Okay, let’s eat dinner, then you can get started on your work. Very good, Miriam!”

  “Oh, and they said they would tell their family and friends about me, so I might have more orders coming in!” Miriam said, following Sarah to the kitchen.

  “What’s this I hear about a big order?” Joseph said with a big grin, washing his hands.

  “Ya, daed, I have a huge quilting order and I have to have all four quilts done before Christmas!” Miriam said.

  “Thank God they gave you the time to do the work! Do you have anyone looking at your machine first?”

  “Ya, Mr. King is coming later on this afternoon,” Miriam said. As the family sat down, she had completely forgotten about the unsettling encounter with the insolent Englischer man on her way home.

  After dinner, Miriam settled in the quilting room, opening the drapes and sheers wide for sunlight. Adjusting the drafting table to a comfortable angle, she began expertly drawing out the patterns, using the colors her customers had requested. As she worked, she heard the familiar sounds of her sister and mamm conversing as they worked. Noticing that the room was becoming dim, she looked up and realized how late it was.

  Looking at the work she still had left to do, she lit a kerosene lamp and set it on a sturdy table, then finished the last of the pattern-drawing. As she looked at her work, she nodded, satisfied with her effort. Standing up, she blew out the flame of the lamp, then stretched her kinked back muscles.

  After supper, John came by. The couple went for a buggy ride, talking as the horse clopped along. John aimed the buggy for a large, spreading tree near the river. After parking the buggy and pulling the brake, he looked at Miriam.

  “Cold? Come here,” he murmured, wrapping one arm around Miriam’s slender waist.

  Miriam scooted closer, nudging her shoulder under John’s arm. She allowed her head to rest on his shoulder.

  “Denki. This is good. It is a little bit cool, so this feels . . . oh!”

  John had hooked a finger under Miriam’s chin so he could give Miriam a few soft kisses. Miriam closed her eyes, safe and warm in his embrace, a tingle of passion running through her from where their lips met.

  ***

  In the distance, a black truck was parked. Its lone occupant, a tall, blonde man with ice-blue eyes spied on the young couple. His name was Lance Newman, and he was in love.

  “Sure, you’re kissing someone else, for now,” he murmured. “But you’ll be kissing me – and much more – before too long.”

  He continued to spy on John and Miriam until he saw John release the buggy’s brake. Not wanting them to know he’d been spying on them, he started his truck and drove off, the tires of his truck kicking up a plume of dust behind him.

  “I’d better get you home. It will be dark before long – and daed and I have a long day ahead of us,” John said. He cocked his head and pointed towards where they’d just heard the sound of a car engine. “I wonder who just took off? Look at that dust!”

  Miriam, still wrapped in the warm haze of John’s kisses, glanced up at the dust plume. “Hmmm, it could be kids... No, it’s too much dust, and the Englischer teens don’t drive their cars off the road in places like this.” She shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  “Doesn’t matter. I’ll get you home.”

  They kissed again, and then John drove Miriam home. When they crossed back onto the paved road, the steady clip-clop of the horse’s hooves sounded on the asphalt. Occasionally, an Englischer car would pass. Miriam and John paid it no mind. Nor did they notice the black truck in the driveway of the next house they passed, not even when it pulled out and followed them slowly from some distance behind.

  The truck kept pace with them until John turned up the dirt driveway towards Miriam’s family farm.

  CHAPTER TWO

  The next day was a Saturday, and Anna came for Miriam after dinner.

  “Be home before it gets dark!” Joseph said.

  “Ya,
we will, daed,” promised Miriam. As they drove off in Anna’s father’s buggy, they talked about what they had done to prepare for their large orders.

  “I checked my supply of embroidery flosses. I have to buy several to make sure I don’t run out. How did your mamm like the size of your order?” Anna asked.

  “She was shocked how big it is! She thought it was just one quilt, then when I told her it was four, she was just as excited as I was – well, I’m still excited. I drew out the patterns yesterday, so now I’m ready to cut the pieces out and start sewing them together. I will spend over one hundred dollars easily today. I need to buy thread, too. I’m going to need quilting batting as well. I want to have everything ready so that, when I need it, I won’t have to stop working,” said Miriam.

  “Ya, I am the same way. I need cross stitching fabric as well. Mamm told me to get extra-big hoops so I can put them on the frame. As busy as I will be, I think I’ll need the quilting frame to get everything done,” Anna said.

  At the store, the two friends loaded their carts with the items they needed. As the Englischer clerk saw the number of fabric bolts Miriam had loaded in her cart, her eyes rounded.

  “Will you be buying every bolt you have in your cart?” she asked.

  Miriam looked at the girl’s name tag.

  “Yes, Kelsey. I have a huge quilt order to work on and I’d rather have the fabric on hand so I don’t get stopped by not having what I need,” she said.

  “Smart girl! Okay, have you had . . . you do use sewing machines, right?”

  “Yes, we do. I had it serviced yesterday, so it should work just fine on this order,” said Miriam.

  “Well, right on the ball there, aren’t you? Okay, your order total comes to . . . two hundred-sixty-six dollars. You’re lucky you came in today. We’ve got a sale going on the fabric . . . and your friend will be lucky as well. Our crafting items are also on sale,” said the tall, friendly girl.

  Miriam counted out the money, handing it over. After Anna had paid for her items, they stashed their purchases in the back of Anna’s buggy. On the way home, they talked about their beaus.