Miriam's Story: Part 2 Romance in Amish Country Read Online Free PDF Page A

Buggies continued to arrive as daylight took hold, the men bearing tool belts and their wives bringing food for the feast. Children were running around, exploring the farm, as they waited for the excitement to begin.
    Finally, it was time. The women all gathered on the porches and in front of the house to see the raising of the barn walls. There were braces and ropes, but it was mostly sheer brute human strength that pulled the framed walls upright where they would be pegged together in the traditional manner. The walls were not as high as most barns, because, as Daniel had explained, this design was for a stable, not a cow barn, and horses had different needs. The first floor would have a higher ceiling than the cow barn, and here there would be only a single-story second floor, half of which would serve for storing feed while the other half was turned into a small apartment where Daniel would live until they could afford to hire a full-time groom.
    As the men climbed higher onto the new construction, Miriam felt her stomach drop. She looked around for Ezra and found him standing between his two grandfathers, each of whom had a comforting hand lying on one of the boy’s shoulders. They were obviously explaining things to Ezra, gesturing and pointing, and while Ezra was not nearly as animated as he had been earlier, he seemed to be coping with the day.
    Miriam glanced back at the barn to see Abram and her brother-in-law, Benjamin, climb to the top of the near corner to drill and peg, and she just had to turn away. While she knew there was not a man on the job today who was not thinking of Jacob—and being extra careful because of his accident—Miriam simply could not watch.
    She found Rachel in the kitchen, squeezing lemons for the gallons of lemonade for the men who worked in the hot September sun. Ruth was with her, and she sent Miriam an understanding look, before wiping her hands on a towel and coming to give her a quick hug.
    “You should stay inside where it is cooler, today,” Ruth said, pulling out a chair for her niece.
    “I can help you with something,” Miriam protested. “I am not an invalid.”
    “Of course you are not,” Rachel said, bringing a cutting board that held lemons cut in half. “Here. You can squeeze the lemons. My hand is tired already.”
    She brought Miriam the juicer and the large glass four-quart measuring cup they were using for the lemon juice.
    “I will get started peeling apples. We will need plenty, if we are to have enough fritters for everyone.”
    The women worked companionably and were soon joined by others. Miriam let her mind wander as she squeezed and sliced lemons, and she knew she was feeling better when she realized that the smell of frying apple fritters was making her hungry rather than queasy. Occasionally, someone new would come in and offer her a one-armed hug when they learned about the baby. Later in the morning, Hannah Yoder arrived with her tiny first-born baby in tow, and Miriam finally got a welcome break from being the center of attention.
    Feeding everyone at noon was quite a job. The young women set boards on sawhorses outside under the trees and filled the makeshift tables with platters and bowls of food. There was a veritable smorgasbord to choose from, as everyone had brought something to contribute to the feast. Then men ate and drank deeply, while the women kept the serving dishes laden then fed themselves and the children. Miriam could see the barn was already taking shape, with rafters already going up to carry the weight of the roof. She tried not to picture anyone falling and instead attempted to focus on Ezra’s running commentary of the morning’s events as he shared them with his sisters. He was not as animated as he might have been at another time, but the men in his family had obviously kept his mind on the building and off of his father.
    Miriam glanced up at one point to see Daniel watching her. His eyes shifted to Ezra for a moment then