Abram's Daughters 04 The Prodigal by Unknown Read Free Book Online Page A

she
    55 56 J~- e w i s ,
    observed the little gathering, which included their three German-shepherd dogs King, Blackie, and Sassafras in the nearly balmy atmosphere of the barn's stable area.
    "God put the notion in the animals' heads?" Abe asked, touching the glistening wood with the full palm of his hand, clearly intrigued.
    "Jah, I believe so." Dat stooped down, tugging on his long beard.
    Lydiann looked up at Sadie just then, and Sadie put her arm around her young sister, who said, "The Lord God must've planned way ahead of time for Jesus to be born in a barn, ain't so?"
    Dat nodded, even chuckled. "The Lord doeth all things well, and I daresay this is one of them."
    Leah continued to watch silently as Dat spoke openly with the children. A long time comin', she thought, ever so glad. . :' . ....- ' . : . .
    Hours later, after Dat had gone to fetch Gid, Hannah, and their girls in his sleigh, and after Mary Ruth had arrived by Dan Nolt's car, their father had everyone gather in the front room. He seemed almost too eager to read the Christmas story from the Gospel of Luke before the noon meal.
    But as intriguing as all this was, Leah was most captivated by the attentive way Aunt Lizzie watched Dat during his read' ing of the old Bible. Can it be she has feelings for Dat, too?
    After the noontime feast, and once all the dishes and utensils were washed, dried, and put away, the family was
    56 57
    ir;idy for the gift exchange Lydiann and Abe had been awaiting so patiently.
    They assembled in the front room once again, and Abe promptly marched to Dat's side and presented his gift of a I Kind written, homemade book. Dat smiled when he turned to I he first page and saw the printed names and birth dates of each family member, along with several Scripture verses, all In Abe's own hand. "I learnt them from Aunt Lizzie," the boy : explained, looking over at Lizzie and grinning.
    Next Lydiann approached Leah. "I drew your name, Mamma," she said, holding out her gift.
    "Oh, Lyddie, how perty!" Leah accepted the embroidered handkerchief.
    "I made it myself," whispered Lydiann, "but with Aendi's help."
    I Leah hugged her girl close. "Denki, dear one . . . I'll treasure it for always."
    "Look at the butterfly," Lydiann said, pointing to a fanciful green butterfly suspended over a yellow rosebud.
    "I see . . . and it's very nicely done." For a moment Leah likenedsjit to the butterfly handkerchief hidden deep in her hope chest, although this one featured a simple embroidery stitch, not the elaborate cutwork style that Hannah had longago made for Sadie.
    Glancing now at her elder sister, who was seated next to Hannah with eighteen-month-old Katie Ann on her lap, Leah wondered when or if she might return the beautiful hankie to Sadie. But no, the connection to Sadie's stillborn son might easily mar the holy day, and that would be heartless. She dismissed the idea quickly, at least for the time being. j When Aunt Lizzie was not so occupied with Dawdi John,
    57 58 , . IO e d e r I y Jl^ e 10 i s ' '
    Leah slipped to her side and gave Lizzie the gift she'd purchased. "I had your name," she whispered, handing her a small case filled to the brim with many colored spools of thread and sewing notions.
    Lizzie was pleased. "Oh, just what I needed!" she said, giving Leah a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you ever so much."
    Hannah and Gid's oldest daughter, three-year-old Ida Mae, giggled as she licked a candy cane. Squirming out of Sadie's lap, Katie Ann toddled to big sister, Ida, for repeated tastes. "That's awful nice of you to share your treat," Hannah said, touching Ida's chubby cheek.
    Gid sat with his arm protectively draped behind his wife's chair, looking mighty pleased about the box of saws and other items given him by his father-in-law. Leah suspected Abe wanted to tell in the worst way how Dat had "kept at it" to win them at the auction.
    "Now, don't be tellin' stories out of school," Dat was heard to say to his exuberant son.
    Abe frowned