He drank more of his lemonade. “Ain’t somethin’ I care to talk about. But Sol here needs to know he’s not alone. Many young men have been battered and even tortured for their stand for pacifism and non-resistance over the years. Plain men and others. Doin’ the right thing can be an awful hard road.”

Sol reached to set his teacup on the small table near the bed. “I’m sorry ya had to go through that.”

“Well, now, in that war, sixteen thousand men refused to take up arms for either religious or political reasons. For many of us, it was about wantin’ to obey the sixth commandment: ‘Thou shalt not kill.’”

“I can’t imagine carryin’ a weapon meant to harm or kill another,” Sol said, his voice weaker now. “I’ve been determined to keep the peace, no matter what. Guess that resolve was tested today.”

Ellie looked at Sol, realizing that though he hadn’t gone to war, he’d suffered serious injuries all the same—and in their own backyard.

“It’s a blessing you live in this era, Sol, and are free to exercise your right to object to military service.” Dawdi’s eyes were moist. “I’m thankful, indeed, for how things have changed.”

After hearing some of what Dawdi had endured, Ellie was, too.

Long after Dat and Mamm had returned and while Ellie was making a light supper for herself, she couldn’t stop thinking about Sol and Dawdi’s shared misery. Or the courage Sol had demonstrated by not striking back at his attackers.

After hearing about the attack, her father had gone right over to look in on Sol. When he came back to the house, Ellie heard him tell Mamm that he and Dawdi planned to take turns keeping Sol awake till sometime around three o’clock in the morning. Twelve hours after he was hurt, Ellie thought, truly sad for Sol, weary and hurting as he was.

Following Bible reading and prayers with her parents while Dawdi stayed with Sol next door, Ellie went up to her room and prayed some more. There was simply no way she felt up to going to Singing tonight.

25

The temperature was already approaching sixty degrees when Ellie and Mamm finished pinning the washing to the clothesline around six-thirty the next morning. They’d gotten up while it was still dark so they’d have time to make a nice hot breakfast for Ellie to take over to Dawdi and Sol. If Sol’s up to eating, Ellie thought.

“Dawdi might ask ya to stay and eat with them,” Mamm said as she covered the scrambled eggs and German sausage. The meal included orange slices, buttered toast, strawberry jam, and a small pitcher of apple juice.