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Back The Orchard Save as PDF
Chapters (57)
  1. Cover
  2. Half Title Page
  3. Books by Beverly Lewis
  4. Title Page
  5. Copyright Page
  6. Dedication
  7. Epigraph
  8. Prologue
  9. 1
  10. 2
  11. 3
  12. 4
  13. 5
  14. 6
  15. 7
  16. 8
  17. 9
  18. 10
  19. 11
  20. 12
  21. 13
  22. 14
  23. 15
  24. 16
  25. 17
  26. 18
  27. 19
  28. 20
  29. 21
  30. 22
  31. 23
  32. 24
  33. 25
  34. 26
  35. 27
  36. 28
  37. 29
  38. 30
  39. 31
  40. 32
  41. 33
  42. 34
  43. 35
  44. 36
  45. 37
  46. 38
  47. 39
  48. 40
  49. 41
  50. 42
  51. 43
  52. Epilogue
  53. Author’s Note
  54. About the Author
  55. Back Ads
  56. Cover Flaps
  57. Back Cover

“He’s quite right, I daresay. And I believe your Dat is torn between that and wanting to make Evan see the folly of his ways.”

“Seems to be takin’ its toll on poor Dat. I wish there was somethin’ I could do to make all of this better.”

Mamm opened her arms to hug her. “We’ll stick together and cast this burden on the Lord.”

Later, after Dat had returned and led family Bible reading and prayer—without Evan, who’d once again left the house—Ellie slipped off to her room and opened her heart to Leah, ever so far away.

Dear Leah,

How are you doing?

I know it’s been a short while since my last letter, but I need to tell you some troubling things. Honestly, I wish I could talk to you face-to-face. While I was thinking about everything that’s happened today, I knew I should write to you right away. If I wait too long, the gloom of it all might make me feel like burrowing into a hole somewhere. I really don’t know how else to describe what I’m feeling.

You see, Evan received his draft notice from the army today. I’ve said all I can think of to him, so I’m plain numb now.

I hope that for your sake and mine, you have happier news when you write, Leah. For one thing, you must be relieved that your brother Sol is a devout young man and already baptized, following God and the Old Ways of our forefathers. If only Evan was that earnest.

Ellie set down her pen and rose from the desk, then meandered down the two flights of stairs to the kitchen. From the open window, she could hear Dat talking on the back porch as she poured cold water from the faucet into a tumbler and then drank nearly half of it.

She recognized Evan’s voice now, and it sounded like they were discussing orchard-related things. She wondered at their apparent calmness.

Who will take Evan’s place while he’s gone? she thought as she headed back to her room. She picked up the pen and letter she’d written to Leah and sat on the bed to read through it. Without enough pleasant news to share this time, she decided to simply sign off.

After closing her door, she removed the bobby pins from her hair bun and let it down. She shook out her lengthy tresses and brushed them with long strokes, watching the reddish half moon rise on the horizon line.

15

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