Spring's Gentle Promise by Janette Oke

Author:Janette Oke [Oke, Janette]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 0100-12-31T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 15

Beginnings

WITH THE WEATHER TURNED for the better, our household back in order and my wife nearby, I got back to the haying again. Mary immediately took over her kitchen. My, how she did scrub and clean. I’m embarrassed to admit we menfolk had let things get even worse than I had realized.

She organized the rest of the house too—like moving the rest of my belongings from my old room to our new one, straightening the pantry, properly patching my worn overalls, sorting out the canning jars in the cellar and all sorts of other tasks. Every time I came in she was busy with something, though she often stopped to give me a hug and a kiss.

On Wednesday night the Turleys came for supper. Mary did herself proud, but then I guess her pa and Lilli were used to Mary’s good cooking. I had to remind myself that Mary had likely cooked Pa Turley more meals than she had cooked for me.

Mary made life totally different for me when she was there. I could hardly wait to get in from the field at night—and I’d always enjoyed field work. I looked toward the house a dozen times a day just to see if I could catch a glimpse of her. And she often slipped out with a drink of cold water or fresh buttermilk. She even came to the barn when I was milking and laughed as I squirted milk to the farm cat, chatting about her day, her plans for the house or garden while I did my chores.

Of course Grandpa and Uncle Charlie were awfully glad to have her back as well. Uncle Charlie seemed to walk a little jauntier, and Grandpa took to chuckling a good deal more. Though I was quite willing to share Mary’s return with them, I marveled at the fact that she was really mine—just mine—in a very unique and special way. Every day the word “marriage” took on a new meaning for me, and I thanked God over and over for her and that He had thought of such a wonderful plan.

Friday night after all the chores had been done, the supper dishes washed and back in the cupboard, and we were gathered around the kitchen table enjoying various activities, I suddenly remembered my resolve to look up the word cherish.

My dictionary was up in my old room, I thought. But when I climbed the stairs to get it, I found that Mary had moved my few books as well. I went to Lou’s room—I had to get that change made in my mind, to stop thinking of that room as Lou’s—it was mine now, mine and Mary’s. After rummaging around for a bit I found the dictionary. I flipped through the pages and came to the word.

“Cherish—to hold dear, to treat with tenderness, to nurse, nourish, nurture, foster, support, cultivate.”

Wow! I read it again—and again. I had promised before God to do all that! I marveled. It had seemed to me that my loving Mary was sort of beyond my control.

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