He had done for them. They worshipped the pagan idols of the people they had been sent to conquer. In the book of Samuel, she read the story of a poor shepherd boy, David, who slew a giant Philistine warrior named Goliath. Without sword or shield, David had brought down his foe with a rock and sling, and then he had cut off Goliath’s head with his own sword. As David’s reward, the king gave him one of his daughters in marriage.
So much bloodshed in the Old Testament, she thought and turned to the New Testament to read about how a large crowd had heard of Jesus’ miracles and had followed Him to where He was in a remote area. That evening Jesus told His disciples to feed the hungry people, but they could only find two fish and five loaves of bread. After Jesus blessed the food, the disciples distributed it among more than five thousand people. After everyone had eaten their fill, twelve baskets of scraps were left over. The disciples had been skeptical, even though they had witnessed great miracles firsthand.
I need to turn this problem over to God. If I have faith and trust the One who fed thousands from so little, surely He can solve the problems of one insignificant Amish woman sitting in a Wayne County jail. With that thought, she closed the Good Book and slept the deep, blissful sleep of a baby.
“Daed, I want to learn to ride a horse. Is that okay?” asked Laura at the supper table.
If her niece’s question took Catherine by surprise, it downright flabbergasted Daniel. “What?” He dropped his spoon into his soup bowl. They had all been enjoying a pleasant supper of chicken noodle soup with corn bread and deviled eggs. Conversation had centered on the weather, the outlook for the corn crop, and how poorly the newest Cleveland Indian pitcher had been doing since midseason. Occasionally, Daniel listened to a ball game on his transistor radio while driving his team of draft horses through the fields. His father-in-law wouldn’t approve if he knew, but other than his fondness for baseball, Daniel was a pious and humble man.
Instead of eating, the kinner were sulking and picking at their food. Daniel had still not inquired about a visit to their mamm in Wooster. Laura seemed intent on drowning a carrot by pinning it to the bottom of her bowl. “I want to learn to ride a horse like Isaiah,” she repeated.
“You are only six years old,” Daniel pointed out.
“How old do you have to be? How old was Isaiah when he first rode a horse?” The girl finally ate the submerged carrot.
Daniel thought a moment and frowned. Apparently, the answer didn’t suit his argument.
“Probably about that age, but let’s not forget that Isaiah is a boy, not a girl.”
This comment drew a stare from Catherine, but she chewed on the inside of her mouth to avoid trouble.
“Do you mean girls don’t ride horses?” Laura’s forehead furrowed with wrinkles. “I thought that Aunt Meghan rode around barrels in races with other girls.” She drew a figure-eight pattern on the table’s oilcloth cover with her finger and peered up at her other aunt.
“That’s true,” said Catherine. “She did. I believe she even won a race one summer.” She smiled at her niece. “But she used a saddle with bit, bridle, and stirrups, which is not the way Isaiah rides. It’s much harder to stay on the horse when riding bareback, not to mention getting on and off the beast. He probably used a saddle when he first learned.”
This gave the girl something to ponder. In the silence that followed, Daniel cleared his throat. “May I have another ladleful of soup, Catherine? I like how you added lima beans to the other vegetables. And it might be time to slice that apple pie I’ve had my eye on in the windowsill.”
She rose to her feet to get his soup, but Laura wasn’t so easily distracted. “Daed, you have a small saddle in the barn. I saw it hanging on the wall. Can I use it to learn to ride?”
He released an exasperated sigh. “I’m sure your Aunt Meghan wasn’t six when she started. You’re too little, Laura. Your legs won’t reach the stirrups even if we shorten them to the highest notch. Maybe in a few years. Why don’t you ask Aunt Catherine to teach you to embroider? That’s a good female pastime.” He began eating his second helping with