Miriam and the Stranger (39 page)

I have spoken last Sunday with Bishop Mullet on this matter, and he also expressed his grave concerns about Miriam’s mental, physical, and spiritual health. I told him I planned to write you, although we did not discuss details. I’m sure Bishop Mullet will wish to have conversations with you if you should decide to visit. But
in observing Miriam’s present state of mind and emotions, something must be done.

Again, may the Lord’s greatest blessings be upon you,

Deacon Phillips

Mose snorted and laid the pages down. “Now what kind of letter is that?” he asked the empty house. “Here I am all alone without a
frau
, suffering with my own cooking, the load of the church on my shoulders, and now they think I’m not taking care of Miriam.” His voice had risen higher until it echoed up the open stairwell. “Tenderness and affection!” Mose declared. “That comes after the vows are said and the woman lives in the house of her husband. Whoever heard of such newfangled ideas among the people of our faith?”

Mose paused to listen to the echo of his words. He ought to preach more at home, he thought with a smile. His voice sounded
gut
.

But Mose soon sobered. From the sound of it, it was entirely possible William and his
frau
, Fannie, had read his letters, along with Deacon Phillips. Mose grimaced and got up from his chair to pace the floor. The pages of the deacon’s letter fluttered down, but Mose ignored them.

The nerve—reading his letters! Exactly what did they think was wrong with his letters anyway? He had written nothing inappropriate. Well, maybe he shouldn’t have made a joke about Minister Kemp’s sister Bethany, but that was meant as a compliment to Miriam. What was this nonsense about tenderness and affection and another trip out there? And what of the whole community being concerned for Miriam’s welfare? The Oklahoma community must be more liberal than he had noticed when he visited.
This explained why Bishop Mullet had watered down the necessary discipline on Miriam to one week instead of the two weeks he had asked for. That’s what happened when the hand of the church was too light. No wonder Miriam was struggling with her recovery. She had not been properly cleansed of wrongdoing.

He would remember that in the future and not give in next time. Now Miriam was being influenced by these liberal ideas. What if Miriam brought these ideas with her when she moved back to Possum Valley and to Wayne County after the wedding? He’d end up with a
frau
with these fancy ideas in her mind, and he’d never get them out. Nay, he certainly wouldn’t go out to Oklahoma for another visit. That was out of the question. The arson fires in the Clarita community had given him cover the last time, but he’d be the laughingstock of Wayne County this time. Minister Kemp would call him Eager Beaver Bishop or some such thing.

No, there was but one way out of this. The deciding factor was the liberal church drift that had been exposed in this letter. He’d have to lose Miriam, and that was a shame. He truly didn’t want to give her up, but the situation was what it was. He shouldn’t think about this too long, or he’d give in to Miriam’s charms again. His relationship with Miriam was no longer a position he could justify, and his office in the church came first.

Mose grabbed up a pen and paper from his desk but paused. No, he would do this his way. No one need know he wrote the letter to Miriam. He couldn’t mail the envelope until the morning anyway.

Mose hurried to the washroom and took his hat and coat off the hook. If he hurried he could be back before his regular bedtime. Bethany lived in a little tenant house behind her brother’s larger home, and he’d sneak in the back way. Dusk would fall soon, and Minister Kemp wouldn’t have to know until Bethany told him in the morning.

Mose hitched his horse to the buggy as his thoughts raced. Surely Bethany wouldn’t turn him down, and so it was best this way. Miriam hadn’t been
gut
for him all along anyway. She had tried his patience to the limit, and a bishop shouldn’t have such a
frau
. With the problems he had with Miriam so far, what would she do to him if he lived with her and they had
kinner
together? That could be nothing but a road filled with more pitfalls than he wished to envision.

Mose urged his horse on and didn’t slow until he turned into the bouncy gravel lane near Minister Kemp’s home and parked behind the small barn. Mose tied his horse quickly and took rapid steps toward the tenant house.

Bethany’s surprised face appeared at the front door before he arrived, her ample frame filling most of the opening.

“Bishop!” she exclaimed.

“Can I come in?” Mose nearly bowled her over as he brushed past. He felt better now that he was out of plain sight.

Bethany still looked puzzled. She bounced down on the couch and motioned for him to do the same. “What a surprise. I’m trying to collect myself. What on earth?”

Mose laughed. “Well, it’s not hard to figure. I’ve come to see you.”

“Me!” The puzzlement still hadn’t left.

“
Yah
,” Mose acknowledged. He wasn’t sure how to proceed exactly, but he felt perfectly at home here. That much comforted him. This might actually work, he told himself.

Bethany still stared at him. “Are you hungry perhaps?”

Mose laughed again. “I’ve had supper, thanks.”

For the first time, Mose noticed the faces of Bethany’s two small girls peering out from the kitchen.

Bethany followed his gaze and stood up to shoo them into
the bedroom, where she closed the door. With a smile Bethany lowered herself back onto the couch. “This is quite unexpected, Bishop, but a great honor.”

Bethany had begun to comprehend, Mose told himself. He allowed a smile to creep over his face. “Your brother has spoken highly of you. I thought I would speak with you myself on the matter. Time is slipping away, you know. I’m not getting any younger, and neither are you.” He gave her an appraising look. Bethany would definitely need to lose some weight, but he would deal with that later.

She had colored slightly. “I thought you were writing to Miriam Yoder. Didn’t you make a trip out there not so long ago?”

Bethany knew good and well that he had, but Mose nodded as if this were a serious question. “My duties did call me out there, but I’m back now to stay. And my relationship with Miriam… well, you don’t have to worry about that. It may be at an end.”

That didn’t make a whole lot of sense, but Bethany didn’t seem bothered.

“My girls and I have greatly appreciated your sermons, Bishop.” Bethany’s smile was nervous. “I’m glad you’ve come tonight. I had never dared hope this day would come.” She laid her hand on his arm, and he didn’t pull back. There was no need to, and he did appreciate her admiration.

“I’m glad you do,” he said.

“Our souls have been fed greatly, Bishop. More than I can ever say. The Lord has clearly been at work in our community of late, even if I must say so when my brother was also in the lot for bishop.”

“Then the Kemp family didn’t take things too hard?” Mose gave her a sideways glance. He hadn’t planned to speak on this matter, but she had brought it up.

“There are no hard feelings.” Her hand stroked his arm. “We saw clearly what the Lord’s will was, and everything since has pointed in that direction.”

Mose cleared his throat. “Then I might as well say why I’m here. I need a
frau
, Bethany. Would you consent to say the vows with me before too long?”

Bethany got on her knees with tears in her eyes. She clung to his hand with both of hers. “Words fail me, Bishop. You know what my answer is. What else could I say, but
yah
? I never dared dream of this day.”

“Then come up!” he ordered. “We are to kneel only before the Lord.”

Bethany trembled and struggled to stand. She lowered herself back on the couch.

“When can this happen?” Mose was all business now.

“The wedding?” she whispered.

“
Yah
, of course.” He was brisk. “I need a
frau
, and you need a husband. Look at you!” He gave her another sharp glance that took in her ample girth.

“Oh, Mose.” She sighed but seemed to miss the point. “Happiness fills my heart so I can hardly speak, but I will talk with my brother in the morning, and
yah
this can happen soon. Very soon. Oh, the Lord is blessing me and my daughters more than I can ever say! Can I kiss you before you leave? So I can think of your kind words and tender heart in the days ahead?”

Mose smiled. “I suppose so.” He leaned toward her and Bethany took her time. Her face glowed when she finished. “Oh, Bishop, thank you. You don’t know…”

Mose silenced her with a wave of his hand. “Speak no more of it. We have a lifetime in front of us, and you will have your duties as a bishop’s
frau
. I suggest you begin by showing some restraint
with your eating. You must be an example to the other women in all godliness and holiness.”

Bethany’s smile faded. “I will fast until the wedding!” she declared. “I will not disappoint you, Bishop.”

She might or she might not, Mose figured. At the moment her willingness was all he asked for. “I’ll be back soon,” he said over his shoulder.

Bethany didn’t ask when but stood on the porch to wave goodbye. When Mose turned for one last glance, the faces of Bethany’s two girls peered out from her skirts. The road had been long and rough in his travels to his second marriage, Mose told himself, but he had finally found the right woman.

Now there was only Miriam’s letter to write, and the thing would be done.

Chapter Thirty-Nine

D
usk had fallen and Miriam was sitting on the couch in the living room with Uncle William and Aunt Fannie seated in their rockers. Jonathon was nestled against her, smiling up into her face. Miriam tried to return the smile, but the effort was feeble. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders instead and pulled him tightly against her. Uncle William glanced at them as he reached for the family Bible and opened it. Without comment he began to read, “Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord. Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.”

Miriam let her thoughts drift as Uncle William read on. The words didn’t provide as much comfort tonight as they often did. For one, the Scripture talked of a person who had things right in her life. Miriam didn’t. Not anymore. And for another, an unopened letter from Mose was tucked in her dress pocket. Aunt Fannie had handed it to her with a concerned look when she
arrived home from school. Miriam hadn’t found the strength to open it yet. No doubt the letter would say more of the same about Mose’s farm life and how successful he was in his ministry. In the meantime she could barely get out of bed in the mornings. The only comfort she had was the kind words so many of the community people had said to her these past Sundays. Had Aunt Fannie shared her problem with the other women? Or perhaps Deacon Phillips’s
frau
, Katie, had done so.

Katie had been the first to touch her elbow after the church services yesterday and whisper in Miriam’s ear, “Dark clouds always have their silver linings, dear. We all love you, Miriam. Remember that.”

Miriam had been unable to respond properly, other than to squeeze Katie’s hand.

Katie had moved on, but the encouragement didn’t stop. Others had approached her, and the touches and soft whispers were delivered with sincere smiles.

“I know life’s hard sometimes, but we’re praying for you.”

“Just cry out to the Lord, Miriam, and He’ll see you through.”

“Our children so appreciate you. Don’t forget that.”

“We pray for you every night at devotion time, Miriam.”

In spite of their comforts, Miriam felt she was to blame for her situation and needed to straighten out her life. In any event, tomorrow she’d have to answer Mose’s letter. That would take a great effort, but it must be done. What could she say to a man whose life seemed so perfect when your own was such a mess? Had God perhaps forsaken her? This wasn’t the first time the question crossed her mind, and she certainly wouldn’t have blamed the Lord if He had.

Miriam focused again on Uncle William’s words. “Make me to understand the way of thy precepts: so shall I talk of thy wondrous works. My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according to thy word.”