An Amish Family Reunion by Mary Ellis

Author:Mary Ellis [Ellis, Mary]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Harvest House Publisher
Published: 2012-06-27T16:15:12+00:00

Winesburg

Without a cloud in sight, the July sun began to fry the two Miller women like bacon on the griddle. Hannah and Phoebe had been hard at work all morning, picking green beans in the garden. After lunch they returned to the straight rows as soon as the dishes had been washed. Hannah wiped her brow with a sodden handkerchief, trying not to think about the bee buzzing around her head. “A couple more rows and we’ll be done. Then tomorrow we’ll blanch and can. I’ll bet we’ll be able to put up at least a hundred quarts this year.” Despite her cheery tone, Hannah received nary a word in response. Phoebe, kneeling on a cushion between the rows, was concentrating on the low beans hiding behind leaves.

“How about green beans for supper? I’ve worked up quite a taste for them today,” asked Hannah.

“Sure, mamm, that will be fine.” Phoebe advanced her kneeling pad like a robot, but didn’t look up from her work.

“That was a joke, daughter.”

Phoebe peered up, wiping sweat from her eyes with a sleeve. “A joke? What do you mean?” The girl looked pale and wan, and perhaps even thinner than her usual one hundred pounds.

“Never mind.” Hannah rose shakily to her feet. Her legs had stiffened in the uncomfortable position. “That’s enough gardening for today. It’s sweltering out here. We’ll finish the last rows tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow? No, please let’s get this done now.” Phoebe kept plucking with her small fingers with feverish determination. While Hannah watched, a bead of perspiration ran down her already streaky cheek as she added the beans to her overflowing basket.

Hannah hoisted her bushel basket to one hip. “Come on. At least let’s head to the house for some cold water.” She stretched out a hand.

Phoebe’s expression could only be described as terrified. “But if we don’t get them all picked, how will we do the canning tomorrow?”

“Will it be the end of the world if we don’t finish canning?”

The young woman’s face indicated it might very well be. “But I had hoped to spend most of Wednesday at the library after morning chores. Please don’t drag this out so I miss my day in town.”

Hannah smiled down with pity. “I haven’t forgotten your date to work on the book with Eli, but we don’t need to suffer heatstroke in the meantime. Come,” she ordered, and again offered a hand. “If I must finish picking by myself, so be it.”

Phoebe dusted off her palms and then allowed Hannah to pull her up. She hefted her basket to her almost nonexistent hipbone. “The librarian, Mrs. Carter, will help me look up addresses on her computer this week. I want to allow as much time as possible. Eli won’t be there. He has…business with a Mennonite woman and will use his day off to go to Kidron. I’ll see him next week.”

Hannah studied her as they climbed the porch steps. An afternoon in front of a library computer screen during the best weather of the year? Her shy stepdaughter was growing up if she took this project so seriously.

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