Ella's Wish by Jerry S. Eicher

Author:Jerry S. Eicher [Eicher, Jerry S.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780736928052
Publisher: Thorndike Press
Published: 2011-01-01T08:00:00+00:00

Twenty-four

Ivan drove the hay cutter. The click of the blade was loud in his ears. His three horses pulled steadily as streams of sweat ran off their bodies. He knew the time had come to give them a rest, but he drove on. He was distracted. Why didn’t my intentions work? Will God hold me accountable for this breach, this affection for Ella?

It seems there is but one thing to do. I must move on whether I want to or not. I must force myself to the act, even though my courage failed me last time. Today when the hay is done, it will be time for another attempt—another trip to ask for the widow Weaver’s hand in marriage. Ella has the girls, so there will be no need to tell Susanna. I can make the trip over to the widow’s place, return, and still be home in plenty of time for chores.

He was resolved to do this even though his heart sank. This will be a good marriage. Our children will get along well. They’ll be a perfect match—three girls and three boys. Nancy Weaver will make just the right kind of wife for me, a preacher. She is steady, sure, and gut. No, my heart won’t pound in her presence, nor will my hands grip barn door handles till they are white, but I will find a measure of joy with her.

The sweat streaks on the horses came into focus so suddenly he almost fell off the mower seat, jerking the lines so hard. One of the horse’s sides already quivered. What is wrong with me? Am I a man outside the will of Da Hah? No mistake about it. A loss of one of the Belgians would simply be too hard to bear, a sure smiting from on high, even if it is my own fault. The horses will have to be saved at all cost.

With great haste he unhitched the traces and walked the horses back to the barn. He left them to drink in the shade and ran to find a five-gallon bucket to dump water repeatedly over their backs. The one whose side had quivered, he paid extra attention to.

Ten minutes later, he was satisfied he had saved them, but what was to be done with the rest of the day? Now that he had overheated them, the horses would need more time to rest. There was danger in taking them out again. Yet the hay field needed to be cut today. Ivan’s mind raced for options. Two of the horses could probably work the rest of the day. The third, whose side still flinched at intervals, was out of the question. The horse could probably work tomorrow, but not today.

Perhaps I should leave now and call on the widow and finish the hay when I return. But that won’t help much, and a man ought to care for his farm duty first. Things like the search for a wife should come afterward.

The young colt was in the barn, not quite trained yet, but perhaps he could work with the colt.

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