Awake Unto Me by Kathleen Knowles Read Free Book Online Page A

though it seemed like it should be simple enough.
    “Please have a seat here,” Reverend Svenhard told Beth, who tried to seat herself comfortably in the hard cane chair. She had been fetched with a very fine carriage that had exchanged its passenger, a Negro maid, with Beth. Svenhard had, for some reason, offered his maid’s services on the days that Beth would be at Bible study.
    Beth waited silently for the reverend to turn around. He was fussing with something on his desk, but all she could see was a large expanse of black wool. Heat radiated from him; the room was warmish from afternoon sun coming in through the large bay window.
    The reverend turned around and handed her a Bible. “Open it.”
    She obeyed wordlessly. On the flyleaf, Reverend Svenhard had written an inscription:
     
To Miss Elizabeth Hammond:
     
May you find peace, knowledge, and comfort from this book now and for the remainder of your life. It is my privilege to teach you the lessons of our great Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and of his heavenly father, almighty God.
     
Yours very sincerely,
Egon Leif Svenhard
28 April 1891
     
    “Treasure this with all your heart, Miss Elizabeth. Keep it by you and read it every day. It’s a well that never runs dry.”
    She swallowed and remembered her manners. “Thank you, sir.”
    “You are welcome, child. Now open to Romans 1, verse 20, and let me hear you read aloud.”
    She complied and though the reverend appeared to be merely attentive to her voice, she felt his eyes on her, as though he was studying her, probing her. He had an air of expectation that she didn’t understand.
    They would repeat this pattern for many weeks. She would read while he listened. He would talk to her about the passage, then tell her to write out her thoughts to bring with her the next week. He would read them aloud and mostly he would murmur approvingly; rarely did he have any criticism. In spite of her discomfort in the reverend’s presence, Beth glowed with pride at his praise. For the first time she felt like she was good at something.
     
    *
     
    The major harvest in the year occurred in October, and the Rocco family spent several weeks at the farm. They harvested grapes, apples, hay, pumpkins, and many other things. The family’s children, it was understood, would be absent from school to help, and Theresa invited Beth to come for a few days. It took some persuasion, but Frieda managed to induce George to let Beth go with them. He had successfully gotten the loan from Eric Svenhard, and Reverend Svenhard would always speak to them after church in a friendly fashion and praise Beth’s reading and attentiveness. George would beam and thank the reverend warmly, but Frieda was more reserved.
    Beth was wildly excited at the opportunity to join the Rocco family for the harvest. Her shyness was long gone; she felt at home with the family. Theresa’s brothers teased her as they did Theresa, but more gently. They extravagantly admired her long blond hair and light greenish-hazel eyes. She was exotic to them, which was an interesting, and not unwelcome, feeling for Beth.
    It was a warm day and Beth and Theresa joined the farm workers and two of Theresa’s brothers in the apple orchard. Theresa competed with her exuberant brothers for how many apples they could grab in the least amount of time. Theresa, determined and nimble, made Beth drag the tallest ladder over to one of the big apple trees and told Beth to steady it.
    “We will win. Pietro is afraid of heights so he does not like to pick up high.”
    She called to him, a few trees down the road. “Pietro, look at me! Pietro, spavento !” she taunted him. For Beth’s benefit, she said, “Scared.” She laughed merrily.
    Beth grabbed the apples Theresa threw down as fast as she could, tossed them in her basket, and soon had all within reach. Theresa climbed to the very top step of the ladder.
    “Theresa, it’s too high!”
    “Just hold steady, Beth. It will only