Sarah's Choice

by Wanda E. Brunstetter

  The pleading look on his sister’s face made Elias alter his decision. “Oh, all right. We’ll spend the night in Walnutport and go to church there in the morning.” I just hope Sarah won’t give me a cool reception.

  Chapter 27

  On Sunday morning when Sarah entered the church with her children, she was surprised to see Patrick standing in the foyer talking to Pastor William. While she’d seen him in Sunday school a few times when they were children, she couldn’t remember him ever coming to church since he’d become a man.

  Sammy, Willis, and Helen gathered with a group of other children to visit, so Sarah headed over to say hello to Patrick.

  “It’s nice to see you here today,” she said, joining him and the pastor.

  “Figured it was the only way I’d get to—” Patrick halted his words, his face turning a light shade of red. “Uh…what I mean to say is, I figured it was about time I exposed myself to some religion.” He looked over at Pastor William and grinned. “Sure don’t want to end up like some of them rusty old canalers who only speak the Lord’s name when they’re mad about somethin’.”

  Pastor William’s brows furrowed. “It’s a shame to hear the way some of those men talk, and I’m hoping some of the services I’ll be holding down at the canal will reach several of them for the Lord. Maybe some will seek Him this afternoon during the baptismal service we’ll be having down there.”

  “I think I might like to attend that service,” Patrick was quick to say.

  “Are you planning to be baptized?” Sarah questioned.

  Patrick shook his head. “Uh, no. Don’t think I’m ready for anything like that.”

  “Well, let me know when you’re ready to talk more about it.” Pastor William glanced across the room. “I see Deacon Simms motioning to me, so if you two will excuse me, I’d better see what he wants.”

  When the pastor walked away, Patrick moved closer to Sarah. “Would you mind if I sit with you during church?”

  Sarah hesitated but finally nodded. She didn’t want people to get the wrong idea and think she and Patrick were courting, but she didn’t want to discourage Patrick from coming to church again either.

  Probably the best way for me to handle this, she decided, is to put Helen on one side of me and Willis on the other. That will mean Patrick will have to sit beside Sammy.

  As Patrick sat on a blanket with Sarah and her children, sharing a picnic lunch after church, he was grateful that she’d invited him to join them. Not only was the fried chicken she’d prepared delicious, but he was finally getting a chance to visit with her. Of course, that was only when one of her kids wasn’t blabbering about something he thought was unimportant. He couldn’t believe that three little kids would have so much to talk about. Truth was, he wished they’d go off somewhere by themselves and play so he could talk to Sarah without any interruptions.

  Just then, Patrick remembered the lollipops in his pocket. As soon as the kids were done eating their meal, he pulled the candy out and handed a red lollipop to Helen and the two orange ones to Willis and Sammy. “Here you go…a special treat from me,” he said with a smile.

  “Thanks!” Willis removed the wrapper and swiped his tongue over the lollipop.

  Helen did the same. “Yum…good!”

  Patrick looked over at Sammy and was rewarded with a scowl. “I hate orange. Ugh, it makes me sick!”

  A wave of heat shot up the back of Patrick’s neck. He remembered now that Mike had said Sammy liked cherry but didn’t care for orange.

  “Sorry about that. I really meant for the red one to be yours.” Patrick looked over at Helen. “Would you trade your lollipop with your brother’s?”

  “No way!” Sammy shouted before Helen could respond. “I ain’t eatin’ that after she’s licked on it!”

  “I’ll tell you what,” Patrick said, “I’ll buy you another lollipop the next time I go to the store.”

  “Don’t bother,” Sammy muttered. “Oh look, there’s Elias.” He pointed across the way, scrambled to his feet, and dashed off.

  “Oh look, there’s Sarah,” Carolyn said to Elias as they finished their picnic lunch. “I’d go over and talk to her, but it looks like she’s kind of busy right now.”

  Elias glanced to the left and winced, feeling as if he’d been punched in the stomach. Sarah sat on a blanket next to Patrick. He knew he had no right to feel jealous, because he certainly had no claim on Sarah. But he couldn’t help the urge he felt to go over there and tell Patrick to stay away from Sarah.

  Carolyn rose to her feet. “I think I’ll go talk to Sarah’s sister, Kelly, awhile. She’s sitting on the grass near the lock, sketching a picture. I’d like to see what it is.”

  Carolyn had just walked away when Sammy ran up to Elias and gave him a hug. “I’m glad you’re here today! Why don’t ya come over and sit on the blanket with us?”

  “I don’t think that’s such a good idea,” Elias said.

  “Why not?”

  “Your mother’s visiting with Patrick, and I don’t want to interrupt.”

  “I don’t think she’d care.” Sammy frowned. “Besides, if you go over, maybe Patrick will leave.”

  “I doubt that, but I’m curious. Why would you want Patrick to leave?”

  Sammy wrinkled his nose. “He hangs around Mama all the time, and he says mean things to our dog.”

  Elias wasn’t sure how to respond. It was clear that Sammy didn’t care much for Patrick. The truth was, neither did he. One thing was clear: If Sarah was getting serious about Patrick, then Sammy might have to accept that fact whether he liked it or not.

  Elias was about to suggest that he and Sammy go down to his boat so Sammy could meet Frank, who’d stayed on the boat with Ned, but Pastor William had just made the announcement that the baptismal service was about to begin.

  “I’d better get ready to play along with the songs,” Elias said, slipping the straps of his accordion over his arms and rising to his feet.

  “Can I stand beside ya?” Sammy asked.

  “Sure, that’d be just fine.”

  The pastor opened the service by leading the people in several lively songs. Elias enjoyed accompanying on his accordion, just as he’d done during church today, and Betsy, who’d apparently felt well enough to come, played along with her zither.

  When the singing ended, Pastor William opened his Bible. “Proverbs 16:9 says, ‘A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.’ ” He smiled and stretched out his hands, as though encompassing the crowd. “Some folks think they know what’s best, and they wander through life never asking God for direction. Some folks think they can do whatever they choose, and believe they don’t need God at all.”

  Pastor William moved closer to the crowd. “In 1 Samuel 16:7, it says, ‘The Lord seeth not as a man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.’ We should all ask ourselves what the Lord sees when He looks on our hearts. Are we clean before the Lord, or does He see our sin—ugly and black?”

  A hush fell over the crowd. No doubt everyone was taking to heart what the pastor had said.

  “Before I begin baptizing, I want to invite any who haven’t yet done so to confess their sins and accept Christ as their personal Savior.”

  To Elias’s surprise, Ned, who’d obviously left the boat, stepped forward, lifted his gaze to the sky, and said, “Oh Lord, if You can care for a man as vile as me, then let it be so. I know I’m a sinner, and I ask You to forgive my sins and make me a new man.”

  Pastor William asked Ned to kneel before him, and then he placed his hands on Ned’s head and prayed for him. Then he guided the tearful canaler through a prayer of repentance. Following the prayer, the pastor explained that those who were about to be baptized would be following Christ’s example, and that the act of baptism was an outward public showing of an inward faith. Finally, Ned and several others followed Pastor William into the canal, where he baptized each of them.

&
nbsp; When Ned came out of the water, he wore a huge grin. “I’m now a clean vessel for my Master’s use,” he said, stretching his arms open wide. “I’m a changed man. My thoughts are different, and from this moment on, my actions will be different. I’m going to give up chewing tobacco, smoking cigarettes, swearing, and drinking. I’m going to try and live the way a Christian should.”

  Pastor William smiled, and then he reminded those who had been baptized that the Lord was stronger than the devil. “Remember, too,” he said, “no matter what troubles come your way, never give up.”

  Elias pondered those words and realized that he needed to take them to heart. With all the troubles he’d had since he took over his grandfather’s boat, he’d been on the verge of giving up several times. From now on, he was going to trust the Lord and take one day at a time.

  Chapter 28

  On Monday morning, as Elias headed his boat in the direction of Easton, he was pleased to see how well Frank was doing with the mules. The boy had caught on quickly and didn’t complain about a thing. With the exception of Sarah giving Elias the cold shoulder on Sunday while she became friendlier toward the blacksmith, things were looking up for Elias. He was quite sure that she was still angry with him for asking if Sammy could lead his mules.

  “Hey, Ned,” Bart Jarmon called as they passed his boat, going in the opposite direction, “I hear ya went for a dip in the canal yesterday.”

  Ned leaned over the boat and waved at Bart. “Found the Lord and got myself baptized, that’s what I did!”

  Bart leaned his head back and roared. “So you’ve done got religion now, huh?”

  “That’s right. I’m a new man in Christ, and I’ve given up chewin’, cussin’, smokin’, and drinkin’. From now on, I’ll be totin’ a Bible everywhere I go.”

  Bart put his hands around his neck and coughed, like he was gagging. “Well, you’d better stay far away from me then, ‘cause I sure don’t want none of that holier-than-thou religious stuff rubbin’ off on me.”

  “You’d be surprised how good you’d feel if ya confessed your sins and got right with God,” Ned shouted in return.

  Bart shook his head vigorously. “No thanks! I’m happy just the way I am.”

  As Bart’s boat went past, Elias turned to Ned and said, “You handled that well, my friend. There was a day when I don’t think you would have responded so nicely.”

  “That’s true. I’d of shouted a few cuss words and waited until I saw Bart again, and then I’d have knocked his block clean off. Now I know it’s best just to turn the other cheek.”

  Elias smiled. It was good to see such a positive change in Ned. Elias knew that his grandfather would have been pleased to see his old friend and helper witnessing to one of the other canalers.

  Elias motioned to the tiller. “Would you mind steering the boat awhile? Carolyn’s going to be washing some clothes soon, and I should go down there and see what I have that needs to be washed.”

  “Sure, boss, I’ll do whatever ya ask.”

  “Thanks, I appreciate that.” Elias thumped Ned on the back. “I shouldn’t be gone too long.”

  When Elias went below, he found Carolyn in the galley, fumbling around in one of the cabinets.

  “What are you looking for?” Elias asked.

  “I thought I had two bars of that soap that floats, but there’s only one in here now.”

  Elias frowned. “That’s strange. Do you think you can get by with just the one until we stop at Cooper’s store again?”

  “I’m sure I can manage.”

  “How’s your hand feeling?”

  “Just fine.”

  “Are you sure you’re up to washing clothes?”

  She held up her hand. “It’s almost as good as new, and it certainly won’t hurt for me to get it wet.”

  “All right then. I’ll go to my room and see what I have that needs to be washed.”

  “Ned gave me some of his clothes already, and Frank just had one shirt he said I could wash.”

  “I know. That poor boy and his family have been practically destitute since his father died. When Frank quits working for me at the end of the season I plan to see that he goes home with some money he can give his mother to help with expenses.”

  “You’re a good man, Elias. I’m pleased to call you my brother.”

  He grinned. “I’m pleased to have you for a sister.”

  When Elias entered his cabin, he gathered up his dirty clothes, and then opened the drawer where he kept the pocket watch his grandfather had given him for his birthday several years ago.

  “Now that’s sure strange,” he murmured when he saw that the watch wasn’t there. I wonder if I put it someplace else and forgot. Well, I don’t have time to look for it right now, so hopefully I’ll find it later on.

  “I’m going out to the garden to pull some carrots,” Sarah told Hortence after they’d washed the breakfast dishes. “I want to do it before more boats come through.”

  “That’s fine. I’ll get started washing some clothes while you’re in the garden.”

  “Thanks. Since the kids are playing upstairs in their rooms, the two of us should be able to get a lot done.” Sarah smiled and hurried out the door.

  When she stepped into the garden, she gasped. Not only were all of her cucumbers missing, but someone had taken most of her carrots. Everything had looked fine yesterday. This had to have happened sometime during the night or early this morning.

  Sarah wondered if one of the mule drivers had come along and stolen the vegetables. It had happened before to several others who had gardens near the towpath.

  She bent down and pulled six of the carrots that were still left, then turned toward the house. She was almost to the door when Kelly showed up.

  “I haven’t talked to you since Sunday, so I decided to come over and let you know that someone broke into our store and stole several things.”

  Sarah frowned. “I’m sorry to hear that. When did it happen?”

  “We think it must have occurred either while we were in church, during the baptismal service, or sometime during the night.”

  Sarah pointed to her garden. “I wonder if it was the same person who stole from my garden.”

  Kelly folded her arms and tapped her foot. “It’s always a concern when someone steals, especially when we don’t know who it is, or if and when they might steal again.”

  “I know.” Sarah frowned as she slowly shook her head. “Taking some things from my garden’s a minor thing, but breaking into your store and stealing things is robbery. I hope that whoever did it will be caught and punished.”

  Chapter 29

  A few weeks later, Elias decided to stop at Cooper’s store to buy some more soap that floated, as well as several other items they were nearly out of. While he did the shopping, Ned and Frank waited on the boat, and Carolyn headed over to the lock tender’s house to visit Sarah.

  “It’s nice to see you,” Mike said when Elias entered the store. “How are things going?”

  “Fairly well. I’ve got a new mule driver, and he’s working out pretty good.”

  “Glad to hear it. I know Bobby was disappointed when he broke his leg and had to quit leading the mules.”

  “How’s Bobby doing?” Elias asked. “I didn’t get to see him the last time I was in Walnutport.”

  “He’s getting along okay, but according to his aunt Martha, he’s bored and doesn’t like to sit around.”

  “Guess that’s how it is with most kids.”

  “Yeah. My two never sit still.” Mike chuckled. “From the looks of their rumpled bedsheets, I think they must keep moving even when they’re sleeping.”

  Elias smiled. “How are things going here at the store? Is your business doing well?”

  “It won’t be if we keep getting broken into.”

  Elias’s eyebrows shot up. “You had a breakin?”

  Mike nodded. “It happened on the Sunday we were at the baptismal service. Whoever did it stol
e some groceries, as well as two of Kelly’s paintings.” Mike frowned. “The same day, Sarah had some vegetables taken from her garden, so we’re thinking it might have been done by the same person who broke into our store.”

  “That’s a shame. Any idea who might have done it?”

  Mike drew in a quick breath and released it with a groan. “Here on the canal, we have so many poor folks, not to mention the rugged canalers who don’t seem to have a conscience at all. It could have been most anyone, really.”

  “You’re probably right.”

  “I’m always glad when any of the boatmen find the Lord, because then they give up their sinful lifestyle.”

  “I know I’ve seen a big change in my helper, Ned. He’s not only given up his bad habits, but now he’s begun witnessing to some of the other boatmen.”

  “That’s good. Maybe if one of them’s responsible for breaking into my store, they’ll repent and won’t do it again. And who knows…they might even make restitution.” Mike shrugged. “I figure it was either done by one of the boatmen or maybe some desperate kid.”

  Elias thought about Carolyn’s missing bar of soap and the pocket watch he hadn’t been able to find, and wondered if Frank could be responsible. Might the boy have also stolen from Sarah’s garden and broken into Mike’s store? He did have an opportunity to do those things while Elias, Carolyn, and Ned were at the baptismal service that Sunday. He hated to think the boy would do such a thing, but knowing how poor Frank’s family was, there was a chance that he might be the one. Elias debated about whether he should confront Frank and decided to wait for the right time to mention that things had been taken and then see if the boy acted guilty or owned up to it.

  “It’s so good to see you again,” Sarah said, giving Carolyn a hug.

  “It’s good to see you, too. I’ve really missed our long talks.”

  “Same here. How’s your hand feeling? Are the burns completely healed?”