Chapter 1

Samuel, son of Elijah, placed the last two potatoes into his barrow and stood up straight. He leaned on his shovel and looked to the west where he saw that the sun was approaching the horizon.

He turned and called out to his one and only son, “Come, Ezekiel, the sun is near to setting. We should put up today’s harvest before we lose the light.”

Ezekiel started and turned, quickly gathering his wits about him as he became aware he was being spoken to. “Yes, Father,” he replied.

Ezekiel balanced the scythe he had been leaning on across his barrow and steered the barrow carefully between the rows of plants to join his father. On the way, he hit a bump and the barrow tilted. He only just managed to prevent the entire contents spilling onto the ground but was able to right the barrow in time. The scythe dropped to the ground, however, and he had to pick it up and start again. Eventually he joined his father at the edge of the field.

“I have finished collecting the current crop of potatoes,” said Samuel. “How much of the corn did you collect?”

Samuel looked into Ezekiel’s barrow and was disappointed to see it only a little more than half full.

Ezekiel dropped his eyes. “I’m sorry, Father. I will work harder. I promise.”

“What was it this time?” asked Samuel.

“I saw Virtue, wife of Micah, walking out across their field to talk to Micah,” said Ezekiel.

Samuel shook his head. “A man has no business staring at another man’s wife.”

“I wasn’t staring,” protested Ezekiel. “I saw that she was wearing a new dress. It was made from a different pattern that I haven’t seen before. I began to wonder if perhaps Charity would like a new dress with that pattern.”

Samuel shook his head. “Your sister has a perfectly good dress. It is not old or worn and it is not in need of replacement. She has no need for a new dress. Your task was to harvest corn, not stare into the sky and think about dresses for your sister.”

“Yes, Father,” said Ezekiel. “I am sorry. I promise that I will work harder.”

Samuel shook his head as he pushed his barrow toward the barn with Ezekiel following along behind him. His son was strange. Who ever heard of a man worrying about the pattern of a woman’s dress?

They came around the side of the barn and saw Charity spinning on one spot with her arms wide and her long dress flaring out around her.

“What?” cried out Samuel in surprise.

Charity stopped spinning and adopted a demure pose.

“What are you doing?” asked Samuel.

“I am on my way to milk the cow, Father,” said Charity. She picked up the milk bucket from where it sat on the ground and showed it to him.

“It seems unlikely that such unseemly actions would hasten the milk from the cow,” said Samuel.

“No, Father,” said Charity. “I am sorry,”

“But what were you doing?” asked Ezekiel.

Charity’s eyes lit up. “It occurred to me that if I spun quickly enough, that perhaps I could see what was behind me at the same time as I could see what was before me.”

“And were you able to do so?” asked Ezekiel with a laugh.

“It doesn’t matter what she was doing,” cut in Samuel. “You are a grown woman, Charity, and soon you will be wed. It is time you put aside your childish ways.”

“Yes, Father, I am sorry,” said Charity.

“As you are aware, I invited Noah, son of Mattiah, to dine with us this evening,” said Samuel. “My intent is to allow you and him to become better acquainted before you wed. What would he think if he walked up the hill and encountered you behaving thus?”

“I shall go and milk the cow,” said Charity. Looking suitably chastened, she turned and walked over to where the cow waited patiently beside the paling fence.

Samuel turned to Ezekiel. “You do not help your sister become a Godly woman when you encourage her in her childish ways.”

Ezekiel nodded. “Yes Father, I am sorry.”

Samuel shook his head. “Everyone today is telling me they are sorry. God sees and hears what is in your heart. Only when you are sorry in your heart will God hear that you are sorry. Now come, we have spent enough time in idle talk. We must put these potatoes up before we lose the light.”

Together they pushed their barrows into the barn and transferred the produce they had harvested into the small root-cellar.

A short time later, Samuel and Ezekiel washed their faces and hands in the rain barrel and then entered the house. Inside, they found Charity setting out plates and cutlery on the table. Prudence, wife of Samuel, was transferring the food they had prepared from pots into serving bowls. Samuel and Ezekiel sat at the table while the women bustled around with the final preparations for their meal.

When all was ready, Prudence and Charity joined the menfolk in sitting at the table. There was a short pause.

Prudence looked at Samuel, “How goes the harvest, Samuel?”

Samuel smiled at her. “God has blessed us with a bountiful crop. The potatoes are plentiful, and I have finished gathering all the current crop. Ezekiel has made a good beginning on the corn. Tomorrow we should harvest the rest of the corn. The last of the squash are ready to be picked as well.”

Prudence was pleased to hear this and she smiled. “God has also blessed us with many eggs and...”

Her comment was interrupted by a knock at the door.

Samuel stood and strode to the door. The others stood and waited in their places at the table. Samuel opened the door and found Noah waiting outside.

“Welcome Noah, son of Mattiah. Please enter our home as a guest,” declared Samuel.

“God bless you, Samuel, son of Elijah,” said Noah, “and God bless this house and all who dwell here.”

“Amen,” said Samuel. “Our meal is ready to serve. Here, take your place at the table.”

Noah stepped up to the table and stood in the place that was offered to him. Samuel introduced his son, Ezekiel and the two shook hands. Then Samuel introduced his wife, Prudence, and his daughter, Charity. Noah nodded his head to each in turn.

“We should pray,” said Samuel.

They all joined hands around the table and bowed their heads.

Samuel, “God, we thank you for blessing us with the food we see before us. We thank you, God, for blessing us with the company of Noah, son of Mattiah, who is promised to our daughter, Charity. We ask that You guide our feet as we walk the path You have laid out for us. Amen.”

They all echoed, “Amen.”

They sang The Lord’s Prayer together. “Our Father which art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name...”

Then the men waited while the women sat in their chairs, before the men seated themselves.

The food was simple fare, consisting of a stew of meat and vegetables served with a corn mash. A similar meal was being served in most houses of the village. Samuel enquired about the progress of Noah’s farm and they discussed the appropriate time of the year to plant different crops. On the other side of the table, Ezekiel quietly told Charity about the new dress he had seen Virtue, wife of Micah, wearing.

Noah overheard this and thought to himself that it was strange to hear a man discussing a woman’s dress. But this was not the first time he had thought Ezekiel to be strange and he kept his opinion to himself.

Noah cleared his throat and said, “Samuel, I heard talk in the village which concerned me. There is talk that the child which Constance, wife of Simeon, carries on her hip was not Simeon’s babe but the product of adultery.

Samuel sat up in shock and stared at Noah. “Constance was my first daughter and I assure you that she is a Godly woman. I can not give credence to such gossip. It does you ill to waste your time in pondering such things. The Devil is surely pleased when we are distracted from our honest labors by such scandalmongering.”

Noah nodded. “It is truly the Devil’s work.”

But Noah was not entirely convinced by Samuel’s denial. He glanced down the table to where his Promised, Charity, sat and wondered if she was tainted by her elder sister’s Sin.

Samuel then asked Noah which type of squash he found the most suited to the local soil and the conversation resumed.

Once the meal was finished, the two women stood and removed the plates from the table. Then they returned to their seats.

Samuel waited until they were ready, then looked around the table and said, “We should sing to celebrate the presence of Noah at our table.”

The others all nodded so Samuel began singing the first Psalm, “Blessed is the man that does not walk in the counsel of the wicked...” The others quickly joined in and Samuel rejoiced to hear the singing grace his home.

Then they sang Psalm 121, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the mountains, from whence my help shall come...”