Hidden Life (9781455510863)
Page 26
He gazed at her, then put his hat on slowly. “I hope it is just a means to an end, Emma. I hope that you will not become filled with pride and attract attention to yourself. You have a place to fill here that no one else can fill. If you get too big for that place, well…”
“I won’t,” she said. “I’ll make sure Tyler West understands that, too.”
He nodded. “I must be off to my horse. Good morning.”
When the door shut behind him, Emma grabbed little Zachary up off the floor and whirled him around the room. After one astonished look, he decided she had not gone mad and his shrieks of laughter joined hers.
Grant struggled to his feet and when her orbit brought her close to him, slid his arm around her waist and hugged the two of them up against his chest.
“The way is clear, my Emma,” he said gruffly as Zachary grabbed at his beard. “It is God’s will to take your talent out of its napkin and put it to work. May He cause it to increase.”
“Thank you for having faith in Him,” she said.
“In Him, ja. But mostly, I have faith in you.”
And then, for the second time in two days, he kissed her.
July 26, 2012
Dear Tyler,
Thank you for your letter. I’m afraid it is I who must ask your forgiveness for being proud and stubborn. Let us forgive each other and be friends again. What you said to Grant has opened so many doors that my hands cannot hold all the blessings God has given us.
In this envelope I’m enclosing the complete manuscript for Inherit the Earth. Please send it out to see if anyone will publish it—the sooner, the better. In fact, if we had a contract by the end of the month, that would be very good. This enterprise is in God’s hands, and I know He will make it successful.
I imagine you are very surprised at my change of mind. I’m surprised, too, and I’ll explain it all in another letter. For now, I’ll just say that I have the elders’ approval to do this, so you should go ahead.
I hope you will come and see us in Whinburg this summer. If you cannot come, I hope you will save November 1 on your calendar and come to our wedding. Grant says that you are responsible for all this fuss, and that you should be here to witness the consequences of talking too much.
I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Your friend,
Emma Stolzfus
Glossary
Spelling and definitions from Eugene S. Stine, Pennsylvania German Dictionary (Birdboro, PA: Pennsylvania German Society, 1996).
Aendi: Aunt
Alliebber kumm: Everyone come.
Bann: ban, state of being shunned
Bekanntmachung, die: advertising
Bruder, ein: a brother
Buhnesupp: bean soup
Daadi: Granddad
Daadi Haus: grandfather house
Daed: Dad, Father
Deitch: Pennsylvania Dutch language
Denki; denkes: thank you; thanks
Docher: daughter
Dokterfraa: woman who dispenses home remedies
Eck: corner; tables where the bridal party sits
Eireschpiggel: folk character full of wisdom and pranks
Flitterwoch, die: honeymoon visits to family and friends
Fraa: wife, married woman
Gelassenheit: self-surrender, yielding to God’s will
Genunk: enough
Gmee: congregation; community
Gott: God
Grossdaadi: Grandfather
Guder Mariye: Good morning
Guder Owed: Good evening
Gut: good
Haus: house
Hoch Deutsch: high German
Hochmut: haughtiness; pride
Ich wisse nichts: I don’t know.
Ischt gut. Aich gut.: It’s good. Very good.
Ja: yes
Kaffi: coffee
Kamille; Kamilletee: chamomile; chamomile tea
Kapp: woman’s prayer covering
Kinner: children
Leddich: single
Lieber: dear (adj.)
Liewi: dear; darling
Maedsche(r), die: the girl, girls
Mamm: Mom, Mother
Mammi: Grandma
Maud: maid
Meinding, die: shunning, the
Meine Freind: my friends
Nei, nix: no
Newesitzer(n): attendant(s)
Ordnung: discipline; order
Pickder, es: a picture
Plappermaul: blabbermouth
Rumspringe: running around
Schtobbe Dich.: Stop it.
Uns: us
Verhuddelt: confused
Was sagst du?: What are you saying?
Wie geht’s?: How’s it going?
Willkumm: Welcome.
Wunderbaar: wonderful
Youngie: young people
Crosses and Losses Quilt Instructions
(Part 2 of 3)
In the Amish Quilt trilogy, the characters make a quilt they call “Sunrise Over Green Fields,” signifying the hope of the Cross rising over our lives and work. I hope you’ll join me in making it as well, so I’ve divided the instructions into three parts to go with the three books in the series. In The Wounded Heart, we began by piecing the quilt blocks. (You can find those instructions on my website, www.adinasenft.com, and also on the FaithWords website, www.FaithWords.com.) In Emma’s book, The Hidden Life, we’ll assemble the blocks together with background blocks and triangles, then sew the borders. Then, in Carrie’s book, The Tempted Soul, coming in spring 2013, we’ll choose quilting patterns, mark them on the fabric, and quilt. Lastly we’ll bind the edges, and our quilts will be finished!
Design
Number of pieced blocks: 15
Number of solid blocks: 8
Number of side triangles: 12
Number of corner triangles: 4
Lay out your pressed 15 blocks on a clean surface, 3 across and 5 down. You can lay them on their points for one look. For another design, you can lay them horizontally on the flat side, alternating pieced and solid blocks and forgoing the triangles, so the design goes in a diagonal. Move the blocks around until the colors look good to you. For my quilt, I laid the blocks on point, so the design runs up, drawing the eye to the top. The colors in the piecing went from dark blue at the bottom to light peach at the top, like a sunrise. These instructions reflect the way I did it. Use your creativity and lay yours out in a way that pleases you.
On point, then, the blocks have empty spaces between them that we’ll fill with solid blocks and triangles of the background fabric. Cut the following:
Corners: 2 blocks, 6¾ inches square, cut to yield 4 triangles measuring 6¾ x 6¾ x 9½
Sides: 6 blocks, 9½ inches square, cut to yield 12 triangles measuring 9½ x 9½ x 13½
Interior: 8 blocks, 9½ inches square
Assembly
To keep things simple, I always try to assemble pieces and blocks using as many straight seams as possible (which is probably why I’ve never attempted a Double Wedding Ring quilt). If your blocks are on point and you look at them sideways, you’ll see the greatest number of straight lines is actually formed on the diagonal. So we’re going to assemble this quilt top in diagonal rows.
If you’ve laid your blocks on the straight side, your assembly is even easier, and you won’t need to use corner or side triangles at all. Just alternate pieced and solid blocks.
Row 1
Starting in any corner (I started at bottom right), with right sides together in a ¼-inch seam, sew a corner triangle to the bottom of the pieced block. Sew the short side of a side triangle to each of two sides of the pieced block, as shown. Press toward the background fabric.
Row 2
Assemble the next row. From the bottom, stitching order would be: side triangle + pieced block + plain block + pieced block + side triangle. Press toward the background fabric. Then, stitch the short side of this row to the long side of your corner row, as shown, matching the seams of t
he blocks together. Press toward the bottom.
Rows 3 through 5
Continue assembling your diagonal rows as you did Row 2, alternating solid and pieced blocks, with side triangles on the outer edges. Complete the corners as you did in Row 1. Press each row toward the bottom as you finish it.
Row 6
Sew side and corner triangles to the last corner block as you did in Row 1, and press toward the background fabric. Then stitch to Row 5, pressing toward the bottom.
Borders
Many quilters like to add borders to their quilts to add balance and visual appeal. Your borders can be simple strips of fabric from the yardage you used in the pieced blocks, or you can piece them in triangles or squares. My borders are simple strips of fabric, as seen in the diagram below.
First border
Step 1: From your background fabric, cut two 2½-inch-wide strips equal to the width of the pieced top.
Step 2: With right sides together, stitch one strip to the top, and one to the bottom. Press.
Step 3: From your background fabric, cut two 2½-inch-wide strips equal to the length of the pieced top, plus the length of the strips you just stitched on. You may have to cut four strips and stitch two of them together first to make up the length.
Step 4: With right sides together, stitch a strip to each side of your pieced top. Press.
Second border
In the story, the Amish women use blue for the second border, to symbolize the sky surrounding the fields. Choose whatever color appeals to you and looks good with your piecing.
Step 1: From a contrast fabric, cut two 2½-inch-wide strips equal to the width of the pieced top.
Step 2: With right sides together, stitch one strip to the first border on the top, and one on the bottom. Press.
Step 3: From the contrast fabric, cut two 2½-inch-wide strips equal to the length of the pieced top. You may have to cut four strips and stitch two of them together first to make up the length.
Step 4: With right sides together, stitch a strip to the first border on each side of your pieced top. Press.
Final border
Step 1: From your background fabric, cut two 9½-inch-wide strips equal to the width of the pieced top and its two borders.
Step 2: With right sides together, stitch one strip to the top, and one to the bottom. Press.
Step 3: From the background fabric, cut two 9½-inch-wide strips equal to the length of the pieced top and its borders. You may have to cut several strips and stitch them together to make up the length. Or, simply cut them with the grain in one long strip.
Step 4: With right sides together, stitch a strip to each side of your pieced top. Press.
Now that your quilt top is pieced, you’re ready to mark the patterns, add the batting and backing, and begin quilting. Instructions for the next steps will be in Carrie’s book, The Tempted Soul.
Reading Group Guide
Emma is the youngest daughter, unmarried, and expected to stay home and look after her aged parents. How does Emma feel about her place? Is she conflicted?
The Amish do not believe in divorce (Matthew 19:6). How do you feel about the fact that Grant could not marry again, even though his wife left him for another man?
Do you think Emma was committing a sin (Matthew 5:28) because she loved a man who was married, even though he was alone?
Emma, Amelia, and Carrie tell each other everything. What kinds of things do you talk about with your best friends?
Emma’s biggest struggle is that aside from Amelia and Carrie and her mother, no one really listens to her. Do you ever feel the same way?
What word would you have painted on the side of the house, if you knew it would be painted over and covered up the next day?
Do you think it was wrong of Emma to enter the contest when she had no intention of allowing her book to be published?
In the Bible, a “talent” is a weight measure of precious metal such as gold or silver. But Emma chooses to use the meaning of skill or ability when she tells the bishop she believes God wants her to use her talent, not hide it in a napkin (Luke 19:20). Do you think this is appropriate in this context?
What are the talents God has given you? How do you use them?
The character of Emma was inspired by real-life Old Order Amish author Linda Byler, whose novels of Amish life are very popular. Have you read any of her books?
Watch for Carrie’s story,
The Tempted Soul,
coming in 2013 from FaithWords.
Turn the page for an excerpt!
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God [is] faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear [it].
—I Cor. 10:13, KJV
Chickens and babies had a number of things in common.
They needed food and protection. They made their needs known with a variety of sounds. And they loved to be loved.
Carrie Miller sat on the top step of the porch, and within a few moments Dinah, one of her six Buff Orpington hens, had climbed into her lap and settled there with a contented sigh. If ever a woman were rich in love, Carrie was that woman. She had a husband who loved her and wasn’t afraid to show it. She had a home to care for, and friends she adored. And now, three quarters of her flock had seen her sitting, hopped up the wooden steps, and clustered around her. Some lay on their sides in the warm September sun, some preened their feathers, and some circled, waiting for Dinah to leave so they could have their turn in her lap.
Her best friends, Amelia Fischer and Emma Stolzfus, would laugh and ask if the chickens also sat at the table with her and Melvin every night. Or worse, make pointed comments about the intended use of barnyard animals, which God had said were for food. But Carrie would just smile and let them have their fun.
Most days, she enjoyed the chickens as comforting, affectionate companions who would never see the inside of a soup pot if Carrie had anything to say about it.
But on some days …
Days like today, when her monthly had made its scheduled appearance. On days like these, she teetered on the edge of grief and despair, knowing she must not fall in, and yet finding it impossible not to. On days like today, even the chickens couldn’t help. Her left arm tightened around Dinah’s fluffy golden body, making the shape of a cradle that, in almost eleven years of marriage, had never been filled with what she wanted most—a child of her own.
In their district in Whinburg Township, Pennsylvania—in every district, every Amish community, no matter where you were in the country—the Kinner were celebrated as a blessing from God. Some women had families of eight or ten, a miracle Carrie could hardly comprehend. In Whinburg, five or six was the average number, and if you weren’t expecting by the end of your first year of marriage, why, the married women would start asking gentle questions.
Some were more sensitive than others, when it became obvious their humor and concern caused her pain. Some, like her mother-in-law, Aleta Miller, saw it as their duty to act as a kind of coach, blissfully unaware that their remarks and hints and general helpfulness on the subject were enough to make a person run for the chicken coop, where she could find acceptance and blessed, blessed silence.
And some, like Amelia and Emma, had stopped asking altogether.
This was only one of the reasons why Tuesday afternoons meant so much to her. The three of them met every week, in the two hours before Amelia’s two boys got home from school, ostensibly to work on a quilt, but really to refresh themselves at the wells of each other’s friendship. There were some weeks, when Melvin’s work on the farm had not produced as well as it might have, that their time together literally saved Carrie from physical hunger. Certainly it saved her from a kind of hunger of the heart—the kind that a husband, no matter how beloved and caring—might not even know existed.
And today was Tuesday.
Emma had an eye for the little gift
s that the gut Gott sprinkled upon His children from the largesse of His hands. For Carrie, Tuesdays were among those gifts.
“All right, you,” she said to Dinah, sliding her hand under the bird’s feet and gently setting her on the warm planks of the porch, “it is time for both of us to give up our idle ways. I’ll be back in time to make Melvin his supper.”
Dinah stalked away to inspect the flowerbeds, the rest of the flock scrambling to their feet to follow her, just in case they missed out on something.
The quilting frolic was to be at the Daadi Haus where Emma lived with her elderly mother, Lena. The Stolzfus place being way over on the other side of the highway, it meant that either Carrie planned forty-five minutes’ walk or simply hitched up and drove. But today, as on most days, Melvin had the buggy to go to Strasburg to talk to one of the businesses there about building shipping pallets. She could take the spring wagon, which was their only other vehicle, but decided against it. Walking was good for you, and she often observed more on foot than she might when she was watching traffic and keeping an eye out for hazards that might spook Jimsy, their old gelding.
Besides, she knew a shortcut or two that Jimsy couldn’t manage, and that included a walk along the creek that ran through the settlement. It was a good place to watch birds and see the occasional fox or raccoon, and an equally good place to pick flowers and leaves to make things with.
By the time she let herself in through the back gate of the Stolzfus place, she had spotted out a loop of Virginia creeper and some wild grape that would make the perfect base for an autumn harvest wreath. Her sister Susan’s birthday was coming up, and she knew just the place in the hallway of her house where it would fit perfectly.