them as Jordan does.” She leaned over the table to see what Sarah had compiled so far. “ Gut. You have everything except the elder flowers, which you’ll find up in the copse at the top of our hill.”
“How much?”
“Two cups. This is for my daughter Amelia’s middle boy, Elam. We think he might be developing an allergy to pollens, and this will help get his lymph system working again to clear it all out.”
“I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
The copse of trees lay in a fold in the hill, where an underground spring probably bubbled up, the water forming a runnel in the spring but completely invisible now except for the extra verdancy of the grass where it ran. The early afternoon air smelled fresh, scented with something sweet that turned out to be both the elderflowers on the big, bushy tree, and a wild rose growing not too far away.
Sarah realized too late that she’d forgotten to bring a bowl for the flowers. Even a paper sack would have done the job. Ach, never mind. God had given her two hands, and she’d just fill them with His bounty and be grateful that He had provided a good cure for colds right here on this sunny slope.
Someone hallooed her and she looked over her shoulder as she broke off a cluster of the creamy flowers. Her mouth dropped open and she snapped it shut as Silas Lapp ambled up the last part of the slope and joined her under the trees.
“I thought you were in the barn looking at the potbellied pigs,” she said, reaching for another cluster. With Amanda. Where had she gone?
“It’s nice and cool up here,” he said, though it was perfectly cool in the barn. Half of it was buried in the old-fashioned system that maintained a fairly constant temperature for the animals, summer and winter. “What are those?”
“These are elderflowers. We infuse them with other herbs to make a tea for colds and flu. These ones are for Ruth’s grandson.”
“Isn’t it just as simple to take a pill from the drugstore?”
“That depends on whether you can get to a drugstore. But a walk up the hill, now…that you can do anytime, and enjoy the gifts God has given us in nature while you’re at it.”
He smiled to acknowledge that she was right, and turned to look out at the view. This consisted of the Lehman farm, the seam of trees growing down the side of the hill, and a good portion of the next farm over, which had been planted in oats that waved like an ocean under the weight of the breeze.
“Is Amanda on her way up, too?” Sarah asked. “She might remember to bring something to carry these back in. Which is more than I did, I’m afraid.”
“Do you need help?” Immediately, he stepped past a stand of spindly wild plums, and cupped his hands around hers. “Let me take these for you.”
Warm hands, callused by hard work, the fingers shorter than either Michael’s or Henry’s, imprisoned both of hers, the clusters of elderflowers held between them like a bouquet.
Sarah jerked her hands out of his and the flowers fell into his palms.
Or they would have, if he hadn’t jerked his own back, clearly startled that she was startled. Instead, they fell on the ground, which was littered with last year’s leaves and stones and wild grass. Sarah knelt to pick them up, blushing.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t expecting—”
“No, I’m the one who is sorry. That was forward of me. I thought—” He stopped.
She had all the flowers now. Never mind. She didn’t need anything to carry them in if she kept a good grip on the stems. Then his words and the way he’d cut them off penetrated.
“You thought what?” Straightening, she clutched the flowers with one hand while she looped her tied Kapp strings over her head with one finger so they hung down her back, out of the way.
“I didn’t think it would startle you, having a man touch your hand. After all, you have been married.”
It was a lucky thing she was standing on a level spot, or she might have tumbled backward down the
“How much?”
“Two cups. This is for my daughter Amelia’s middle boy, Elam. We think he might be developing an allergy to pollens, and this will help get his lymph system working again to clear it all out.”
“I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
The copse of trees lay in a fold in the hill, where an underground spring probably bubbled up, the water forming a runnel in the spring but completely invisible now except for the extra verdancy of the grass where it ran. The early afternoon air smelled fresh, scented with something sweet that turned out to be both the elderflowers on the big, bushy tree, and a wild rose growing not too far away.
Sarah realized too late that she’d forgotten to bring a bowl for the flowers. Even a paper sack would have done the job. Ach, never mind. God had given her two hands, and she’d just fill them with His bounty and be grateful that He had provided a good cure for colds right here on this sunny slope.
Someone hallooed her and she looked over her shoulder as she broke off a cluster of the creamy flowers. Her mouth dropped open and she snapped it shut as Silas Lapp ambled up the last part of the slope and joined her under the trees.
“I thought you were in the barn looking at the potbellied pigs,” she said, reaching for another cluster. With Amanda. Where had she gone?
“It’s nice and cool up here,” he said, though it was perfectly cool in the barn. Half of it was buried in the old-fashioned system that maintained a fairly constant temperature for the animals, summer and winter. “What are those?”
“These are elderflowers. We infuse them with other herbs to make a tea for colds and flu. These ones are for Ruth’s grandson.”
“Isn’t it just as simple to take a pill from the drugstore?”
“That depends on whether you can get to a drugstore. But a walk up the hill, now…that you can do anytime, and enjoy the gifts God has given us in nature while you’re at it.”
He smiled to acknowledge that she was right, and turned to look out at the view. This consisted of the Lehman farm, the seam of trees growing down the side of the hill, and a good portion of the next farm over, which had been planted in oats that waved like an ocean under the weight of the breeze.
“Is Amanda on her way up, too?” Sarah asked. “She might remember to bring something to carry these back in. Which is more than I did, I’m afraid.”
“Do you need help?” Immediately, he stepped past a stand of spindly wild plums, and cupped his hands around hers. “Let me take these for you.”
Warm hands, callused by hard work, the fingers shorter than either Michael’s or Henry’s, imprisoned both of hers, the clusters of elderflowers held between them like a bouquet.
Sarah jerked her hands out of his and the flowers fell into his palms.
Or they would have, if he hadn’t jerked his own back, clearly startled that she was startled. Instead, they fell on the ground, which was littered with last year’s leaves and stones and wild grass. Sarah knelt to pick them up, blushing.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t expecting—”
“No, I’m the one who is sorry. That was forward of me. I thought—” He stopped.
She had all the flowers now. Never mind. She didn’t need anything to carry them in if she kept a good grip on the stems. Then his words and the way he’d cut them off penetrated.
“You thought what?” Straightening, she clutched the flowers with one hand while she looped her tied Kapp strings over her head with one finger so they hung down her back, out of the way.
“I didn’t think it would startle you, having a man touch your hand. After all, you have been married.”
It was a lucky thing she was standing on a level spot, or she might have tumbled backward down the
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