Hope Chest Read Online Free PDF Page A

fellows?”
    Reuben’s brows furrowed. “You planning on telling anyone what I say to you?”
    Silas shook his head. “Thought I’d ask, that’s all.”
    Reuben grunted. “I haven’t done anything wrong—just going through rumschpringe, same as you did before joining the church. I’m smart enough to know what I’m doing.”
    Silas shook his head. “One thing I’ve learned is never to mistake knowledge for wisdom. One might help you make a living, but the other helps you make a life.”
    Reuben flicked a fly off the end of his paintbrush. “Let’s just say I’ve learned that we only live once, and until I’m ready to settle down, I aim to have me some fun. I plan on keeping my truck for as long as I can, too.”
    Hearing the way his friend was talking put an ache in Silas’s heart, the same way it had when he’d spoken with Anna yesterday. He didn’t understand why some of the young people he knew seemed dissatisfied with the old ways. Well, he might not be able to do much about Reuben, but Anna was another matter. If he could figure out a way to get her thinking straight again, he was determined to do it.

CHAPTER 3
    The following morning, Rachel awoke to the soothing sound of roosters crowing in the barnyard. She loved that noise—loved everything about their farm, in fact. She yawned, stretched, and squinted at the ray of sun peeking through a hole in her window shade. Today the family planned to go to the outdoor farmers’ market, where they would sell some of their garden produce as well as a bunch of plants and flowers from Mom and Dad’s greenhouse.
    Before Rachel headed down the stairs to help with breakfast, she looked out her bedroom window and saw Dad, Joseph, and Perry out by the buggy shed, getting their larger market buggy ready to go.
    The sweet smell of maple syrup greeted Rachel as she entered the kitchen a few minutes later, and she noticed right away that Mom sat in her wheelchair in front of one of the lower counters, mixing pancake batter. Anna stood in front of the stove, frying sausages and eggs, while Elizabeth was busy setting the table, which held a huge pitcher of fresh maple syrup.
    “Guder mariye,” Rachel said cheerfully. “What can I do to help?”
    “Good morning to you.” Mom glanced up at Rachel, then back to the pancake batter. “You can go outside and tell the men we’ll be ready with breakfast in about ten minutes.”
    Rachel nodded, then made a hasty exit out the kitchen door. Dad and Perry were still busy loading the back of the buggy, while Joseph hitched the brawny horse that would pull it.
    “Mom says breakfast will be ready in ten minutes,” Rachel announced.
    “You can go get washed up,” Dad said with a nod at Perry.
    Rachel’s freckle-faced brother pointed to the boxes of green beans sitting on the grass. “What about those?”
    “You stay,” Dad said, nodding toward Rachel, “and you go,” he instructed Perry. “I’ll see to the boxes.”
    Perry straightened his twisted suspenders and took off in a run. Looking at his long legs from the back side, Rachel thought he appeared much older than a boy of twelve. From the front, however, Perry’s impish grin and sparkling blue eyes made him look like a child full of life, laughter, and mischief.
    Rachel stood quietly beside her father, waiting for him to speak. His shirtsleeves were rolled up to the elbows, and she marveled at how quickly his strong arms loaded the remaining boxes of beans. When the last box was put in place, Dad straightened and faced her. “Do you think you could do me a favor?”
    Rachel twisted one corner of her apron and stared at the ground. Her father’s favors usually meant some kind of hard work. “I—I suppose so. What did you have in mind?”
    Dad bent down so he was eye level with Rachel. “Well now, I know how close you and Anna have always been. I was hoping you might let your mamm and me know what’s going on with her these days.”
    Rachel opened her mouth to