Living Amish: Simple Pleasures by Rachel Stoltzfus

Author:Rachel Stoltzfus [Stoltzfus, Rachel]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: (¯`'•.¸//(*_*)\\¸.•'´¯)
Publisher: Global Grafx Press
Published: 2013-01-20T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 6

Now that the first semester of school had ended, Peace Landing began preparations for Christmas in earnest. Families all around the community began preparing for their own celebrations, as well as for the traditional, community-wide celebration.

In his parents’ home, Mark Stoltzfus looked ahead several days. Annie is very important to me. I love her and I want to share my life with her. If she accepts my proposal, God willing, there will be several little Stoltzfuses running around in a few years. I want to be her husband, and I want her to be my wife. If the Lord be willing, she will accept my proposal.

The closer Christmas day came, the more Mark found himself helping his parents with their family’s preparations. Their relatives would be coming from another Amish community to spend the day with them. Mrs. Stoltzfus stayed busy from dawn til dark, cooking roasts, hams and turkeys, baking and preparing side dishes. Mark and Mr. Stoltzfus moved furniture around to squeeze in more beds so they could accommodate their relatives.

In the Lapp home, preparations were overcast by the pending decision on Hannah’s status within the Peace Landing community. Mr. and Mrs. Lapp knew that any decision made by the ministers and bishop of the Peace Landing church would be final. Now that Hannah was even more closely watched, she rarely went anywhere – not that she felt welcome in Peace Landing. Word had gotten out about her actions against Annie Fisher, and others who had been victimized by her actions remembered the consequences of what they had experienced – everything from parental punishment to chastisement from the church ministers, all for actions they had not committed.

The first time Hannah tried to go to town with her family, as she tried to greet some of these people, she found herself ignored. The two women she had told about the Kurtz childrens’ involvement with an Englisher therapist came to her in the store.

“Hannah, how could you use me like that? My mamm came to my house and asked me if I had anything to do with that! I couldn’t lie – and now, she’s so angry with me!” said Miriam, the first woman who had learned of Hannah’s juicy gossip. Hannah, reeling, rushed back to the buggy, where Rachel Yoder was waiting for her. Her message to Hannah was identical, expressing sharp anger and distrust. “Never will I trust you again when it comes to anything you tell me about anybody in Peace Landing!” Rachel turned with her back stiff and stalked off in an angry huff.

Hannah had now begun to dimly realize the impact of her actions against Annie – yet she still continued to try and rationalize them. If I had been allowed more freedom around Peace Landing, I wouldn’t have had to try and destroy her reputation – although I am sorry about how this has affected Rachel and Miriam.

Two days before Christmas, the bishop and deacon met to discuss the situation with Hannah Lapp.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.