Authors: Mary Christner Borntrager

Tags: #Fiction, #Action & Adventure, #test

Ellie (13 page)

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she knew there would be trouble. Not because she wasn't going to behave; oh, no, not that! Her father had instructed her very well concerning proper conduct.

It was her two Amish friends, Rachel and Alta. They were not quite as old as Ellie, and still dressed as children. Until they, too, could wear young ladies' garb, they were cruel to Ellie, whispering about her and poking fun. They accused her of being proud. For several Sundays, Ellie spent her time after services standing alone, looking forward to when it was time to go home.

Then a new family moved into the South Church district, and once again Ellie found a real friend. Her name was Cora, and right away the two girls were attracted to each other. They were about the same age, and both had just finished school. Now when Rachel and Alta whispered or made snide remarks, it didn't really matter. There was someone else to befriend her and to share her dreams and secrets.

"Want to come home with me after church next Sunday?" Ellie asked Cora. "I'd really like to have you."

"Oh, I don't know if I could. They need me to help chore."

"Yes, I know what that's like. I always have to help at home, too."

"Wonder, if I'd ask, if I would be allowed to come Saturday evening after chores and spend the night? Sunday morning the men could do the chores alone. since they needn't go out to do the field work."

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"That would be fun. Please ask your folks," begged Ellie.

Cora asked and was granted permission to go. That was just one of many nights and days that the girls spent together at each other's homes.

Ellie learned many new tasks. Soon she was baking bread, pies, and cakes just as well as her mother could. Now she also made her own clothes, plus those of her brothers and sisters. When she made her first cape and apron, she had to think of the hired girl they had when they moved back to the settlement, and with satisfaction rejoiced that Mattie was not here now to boss her.

When Ellie turned fourteen, another baby was born into the Maust family, but Mama said they did not need a
Maut
this time. Ellie would be able to take the responsibilities of seeing to the household. This new little girl was named Esther. Ellie had plenty to do, what with so many diapers to wash, the cooking to look after, and seeing that everything else was taken care of. The baby seemed to be more fussy than Andy or the twins had been, and Ellie often spent several hours during the night taking care of her new sister. She was glad that since she was the oldest girl of the family, she was needed at home and didn't have to work for someone else.

Ellie looked forward to turning sixteen. Then she would be old enough to begin attending the young folk's singings. These were held on Sunday evening at the home where church services had taken place during the day. First, songs were taken from the German book, and later, English hymns were sung.

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After Ellie had been sixteen for about six months, church was held at her house, and she experienced her first evening singing with the other young people. She thoroughly enjoyed it. Several months later, Cora asked her after church if she wanted to come to the singing that evening.

"My brother and I will come by and take you along, if you want to come."

Want to! Oh, yes, she would like nothing better, but she knew she must ask her father.

"Just because you are sixteen now doesn't mean you have to start your
Rum-schpringe
already." said her father. So she didn't go. But by the time she was almost seventeen, she had been to several singings and now was allowed to go almost regularly.

Mrs. Maust was busy working bread dough when she heard a knock at the front porch door.

"Ellie, see who is at the door," she said. "My hands are all doughy."

What a surprise awaited Ellie. When she opened the door, she stood face-to-face with Susie Glick.

"Why, Susie, come in! I sure didn't expect to see you. How have you been?" asked Ellie.

"Just fine," answered Susie. "Is it really you, Bussli? Oh, but I can't call you that anymore. My, how you have grown! And so pretty. I always knew you would be!" Ellie blushed at this remark, but made no comment.

"Oh, hello, Lizzie," Susie addressed Mrs. Maust. "How are you?"

"Alright," answered Mama. "What brings you over here?" She noticed Susie was wearing Con-

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servative Mennonite dress and a covering without ribbons to tie. Her hair was parted slightly on the side.

"Well, I really came to talk to Jake. Is he home?"

"Yes, he and the boys are out in the barn. They were doing some repair work on the hayracks."

"Well, then, maybe I should go out and find him," Susie replied.

"Oh, here he comes now," said one of the twins.

Mr. Maust had seen a car parked in the driveway and thought possibly some salesman had come to see him. You can imagine how surprised he was when he came into the kitchen and saw Susie Glick.

"Hello, Jake," Susie greeted him. "I want to talk with you."

"Well," was all he said.

"Maybe it would be better if we talked in private," she suggested.

"What you have to say can be said right here," Jake grunted.

Susie saw his dislike for her had not changed. "Well," she began, "I came to ask you to forgive me."

"For what?" he asked.

"I'm afraid I did not have a Christian attitude toward you when I worked for you. I even tried to persuade Ellie to do and have things you didn't approve of. That wasn't right. It's been bothering me. Can you please forgive me?" Susie asked, and Ellie observed tears in her eyes.

Jake cleared his throat and mumbled something, but no one understood what he said.

Susie tried again. "It would mean so much to me,

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and I want a clear conscience. I know I did wrong, and I'm sorry. Am I forgiven, then?"

"Yes, yes," said Jake, rather irritably.

"Well, I'll feel better. I'm sorry I acted that way. Is it all taken care of then?"

Jake didn't say another word, but turned and walked out of the house.

"Oh, I see you have another baby. Is it a girl or boy?" asked their former
Maut.

"It's a girl," answered Ellie. "We named her Esther."

"I like that," Susie said. "Say, Ellie, why don't you walk out with me, and we could talk a little yet before I go. I must leave soon. William is expecting me home by four."

"Who is William?" asked Ellie.

"Oh, he is my husband. The one who had the fancy buggy. Remember?" she laughed.

"But now you have a car."

"Yes, we did not join the Old Order. But, Ellie, I have learned so much, and I understand the Bible better than I did before. But you just listen to your parentsand to God. Don't let me or anyone else influence you. Do only what God tells you in your heart to do. Have you had any dates yet?" she asked.

"Oh, no," Ellie answered, blushing again.

"Well, you will," she said. "Ellie, I've been so happy since I married William, and we are both Christians. Just be sure to get a Christian boyfriend. The Lord will lead you, if only you ask him to. I must go now. Maybe we will see each other again. Goodbye, Ellie."

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''Good-bye," answered Ellie. In her mind, Ellie thought Pop would still say,
Susie is some fancy. More so than ever now.

When Ellie was eighteen, she had her first date. And the words that Susie said came to her: "Do only what God tells you in your heart to do. Be sure to get a Christian boyfriend." And so Ellie grew to womanhood, and wondered about many things.

Page 115

17
Commotion in the Henhouse

Another summer came and wentwith its days of endless canning, gardening, sewing, cleaning, baking, and loads of washing. If Ellie had learned to work as well as her mother, her brothers had learned just as much about farming and caring for the livestock. In fact, the Maust parents were seriously contemplating taking a long-delayed vacation to visit relatives in several different states.

"Do you suppose the family can get along without us?" Lizzie asked her husband. Jake was the one who had been really eager to go.

"I don't know why not," he answered. He assured her that the boys could do just as well as he did with the farm. "Besides, if we go now, we can be home again by corn-husking time. After that will come the butchering for ourselves and helping the neighbors. You know we will just put it off again if we don't go now."

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Lizzie saw how much Jake looked forward to seeing his uncles, aunts, and cousins, and she just couldn't say no.

"But I have a few late setting hens," Mama remembered.

"Ach," said Ellie, "I can take care of them. And if I can't take care of the peeps, the mother hens can."

Even Papa laughed at that remark. So it was decided they would leave on the tenth of October.

"We will be taking the two youngest children along. Ellie, you will need to make a few new dresses for Esther to wear on the trip. She grows so fast. Seems I can't keep her and Andy in clothes anymore. Andy will need a couple of shirts, yet, too," said Mama.

"I'll sew them up in the evenings, if need be," answered Ellie.

"Sounds as if you young folks want to get rid of us, as anxious as you seem to see us leave," Lizzie remarked.

"Oh, no! We just feel you and Papa need a rest," they all agreed.

The morning of departure arrived, a bright sunny October day. Roy was to drive Papa, Mama, Andy, and Esther to the train depot, where they would leave for Indiana, their first stop.

"Now, be sure to check those hens twice a day," Mama admonished Ellie. "The chicks should hatch anytime now."

"I will," promised Ellie.

"And, girls, you help good with the work, and mind Ellie."

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"Oh, Mom," they answered. "Don't worry. We know."

"Come on, Mama," encouraged Jake. "We don't want to miss the train."

Mama looked back and waved several times. Finally they rounded the bend in the drive and lost sight of the house. She turned and listened to Jake instruct their son about his duties during their absence.

"And just because we are gone, don't think you young folks have to run all over the countryside. Take good care of the horses. Curry them every day. Put the milk check in the bank. We left enough money with Ellie for groceries or whatever you might need."

"You are beginning to sound like Mom," Roy teased.

"It pays to remind you," said Jake. "Just remember whose son you are."

The first day went real well. Jake's youngsters learned a long time before how to get along with each other. They found it was much more pleasant to laugh and show kindness and concern than to quarrel. In their youth, the hickory stick taught them many of these things.

After supper that first night, they decided to sing awhile. They loved singing together. Gathering the hymnbooks, they made their way to the front porch. The three girls sat on the swing, and the boys found a place on the steps. Annie chose her favorite song first.

"We knew it would be 'Take It to the Lord in

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