Lancaster Hearts: Amish Connections, #2

By Ruth Price

OVER 10,000 COPIES DOWNLOADED - Must Read for Lovers of Amish Romance Novels: Will Judith win her love while still following her calling to heal?

When nine-year-old Judith Hershberger witnesses her daed's collapse and death in her family's Lancaster County cornfield, she vows before God never to be so helpless again. Now at seventeen and on her Rumspringa, she's doing her best to balance life as an Amish woman with the pursuit of Englischer education. But things come to a head when an Amish guest preacher comes to Judith's district's church meeting, bringing along his handsome son, Isaac. Will Judith win Isaac's love, and can she be true to her heart without abandoning her calling to heal? Find out in Amish Connections, Book 1, the fifth part of the Amazon Bestselling Out of Darkness Amish romance series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Global Grafx Press
• Release date: Nov 15, 2014
• ISBN: 9781502299505

Book preview

Lancaster Hearts

Part 5 of the Out of Darkness Series

An Amish of Lancaster County Saga

by

Ruth Price

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This is the first novella of Amish Connections, part five the Out of Darkness series. This novella stands alone, but is best enjoyed with the other books of the series which tell a larger story. If you've enjoyed this novella, feel free to purchase the rest of Judith and Samuel’s arc in Amish Connections: Out of Darkness Megabook 2, and learn more about Sofia and Abram’s story in the first Out of Darkness Megabook.

Published by Global Grafx Press, LLC. © 2013

The Pennsylvania Dutch used in this manuscript is taken from the Revised Pennsylvania German Dictionary: English to Pennsylvania Dutch (1991) by C. Richard Beam, Brookshire Publications, Inc. Lancaster, PA 17603

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Copyright © 2013 by Ruth Price

All Rights Reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including scanning, photocopying, or otherwise without prior written permission of the copyright holder, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

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Table of Contents

Lancaster Hearts

STOP!

Table of Contents

Dedication

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

A Note on the Amish and Emergency Medicine

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Dedication

For my mother Judith who has forged a life of excellence

outside of the boundaries of convention.

Prologue

The morning sun was bright and blisteringly hot over Lancaster County as the Hershberger family harvested their crop of sweet corn. Breeze rustled through the deep green rows, tickling sweat damp skin but providing little relief from the heat. The cornfield was fifteen by fifteen rows, yielding enough to cook, can, and send to market besides. God had only blessed Esther with four kinner before seeing fit that the doctors take her womb in order to save her life, and while Esther worked in the house, her oldest girl Judith, at age eight and Judith’s brother Samuel, who was just turned fourteen, helped their daed Mark in the field.

For Judith, being out in the fields was a bit of an adventure and certainly a welcome break from helping her mamm tend to the house and the new baby. Tramping through the corn was men's work, but the crop was large enough that an extra pair of hands, however small and feminine, were welcome. Besides, Judith had a greater eye for detail than her older brother, who tended to rush though things as quickly as possible in search of the next adventure.

"I fear for his Rumspringa," Esther often said, her head shaking in exasperation as she watched her oldest and only son flit from activity to activity like a hummingbird who had gorged itself on sweets.

Judith had her skirts tied up between her legs as she followed her daed between the rows, careful to note any ear that might have been overlooked. Her daed was a tall, gentle man whose round, cheerful face in the heat had gone ruddy and dripping beneath his wide brimmed hat. All three walked barefoot, the dry earth yielding little beneath their calloused feet.

Daed! Judith exclaimed, pointing to an overlooked ear at the base of a nearby stalk. What about that one?

Mark turned. Let me see it, he requested, and when she pointed to the ear, said, Not quite. He pinched the tip, and running the fingers of his opposite hand over frayed brown silk peeking out from the husk, added, Look at the base. See how light colored the silk is yet, ja? It must be brown and dry all the way through, otherwise the corn is not yet ripe, do you understand?

Ja, Judith said. She caressed the silky tail of the corn husk between her fingers and imagined the sweet taste of corn pudding in her mouth. 

Samuel ran back along the row towards them both, a half-full basket cradled in his left arm. Samuel had a classically handsome face, dark brown hair that fell in waves over smooth, tanned skin. His eyes were deep blue, and though he was young yet, he was growing into the same muscular frame that his daed had maintained until recent years. When Samuel smiled, his eyes twinkling beneath his hat, the local girls blushed and whispered behind their hands. Judith had always found it a bit annoying, though she enjoyed the esteem that being Samuel's little sister conferred upon her with the older girls. Samuel smiled, half hopping, half dancing in place as he held out the basket to his daed. I've gotten down to the end of the row, he said. We'll be finished before luncheon.

That's a right plenty, Samuel, Mark said. Put that basket here in front of me and your sister.

Samuel did, and his daed's arms shook a bit as he knelt over the cobs, and began to rifle through them.  These are... he took a deep breath and leaning against the basket, took off his hat and began to fan himself with it. Very good, son.

Samuel's face tightened with worry. Are you okay, daed? It isn't one of your attacks again, is it?

I'm fine, Samuel. Just the heat. But Mark swayed, leaning more of his weight on the fragile basket, warping the weave as he tried to catch his balance.

Daed! Judith exclaimed, grabbing Mark from behind to help steady him. Her daed had been having dizzy spells this past week, and though Esther had wanted him to go see an Englischer doctor, he'd insisted that it was just the heat and he'd be fine as long as he took things slowly. Judith knew her daed worried that there were so few kinner to handle the farm duties, and though both Samuel and Judith were sincere in their work, they still looked to him for guidance.

I'm fine, Judy-light, Mark said, a forced cheer in his tone. It might be best if I sit for a bit, though, right here. Can one of you get something cold to drink from your mamm?

I'll go! Samuel shouted and took off at a dead run for the farmhouse.

Judith helped settle her daed on the ground in the shade of the corn stalks. His skin had lost some of its deep red, instead far too pale. He breathed shallowly, with a slight wheeze, his right hand in a fist at his chest. Judith took off her hat and fanned him with it.

Ja, that's good, Judith, Mark said, weakly. Very good. These spells are getting worse. He gave a wry smile, and Judith returned the smile with all of the strength of her fear. I suppose I'll have to see that Englischer doctor your mamm keeps talking about.

You should, Judith said. We'll have the buggy take you right there. Today. I can drive if I have to. Samuel taught me.

That boy... Mark closed his eyes, his face tightening in an expression of agony.

Daed?

The rustle of Samuel rustling through the corn sounded from behind Judith. Samuel shouted, Judith! Daed! We have iced-lemonade! 

Mark whimpered, his body curling in on itself. The pulse in his throat visibly beat.

Daed! Judith screamed, her hands on her daed's arms.

What's happening? Samuel ran towards them.

Esther, just behind him looked over at her husband and child. Samuel, run to Annie's and call for a doctor, she ordered. Judith, get back to the house.

But mamm? Judith's eyes burned with tears. I can't. She couldn't leave her daed. She just couldn't.

We must pray, Esther said, kneeling beside her husband and taking his hand. Mark? Mark, can you hear me... Hysteria wove through her voice. Samuel's getting a doctor. Please, stay with us.

Judith and Esther stayed at Mark's side, Esther loosening his shirt while Judith fanned him with her hat. Even after Mark stopped breathing and his body went limp, they stayed, prayers mixing with tears. Samuel ran. After the Englischers came and pronounced Mark dead with their machines, after the body was prepared, after the service and the summer had passed, in his heart Samuel was still running, and Judith still searching for the right thing to do.

Chapter 1

Judith