“I see.” Mrs. Deeters momentarily bit her lower lip. “Well, many of the wealthier families attend the Episcopal church. We call it Gethsemane, after the garden where our Lord prayed before He was crucified. I attend there myself, along with my sister and her two children, so it’s not all wealthy folks.”
“That sounds good. We will plan to be at the services there on Sunday. Perhaps you could write instructions as to how to get there for the driver.”
“I’d be happy to. It’s quite close once you cross the bridge,” Mrs. Deeters replied, looking rather askance. “I do hope that Mr. Ashton will join you as he’s promised.”
“I believe he will,” Judith said, smiling. “He knows it’s important to me, and in order to get what he wants, he will need to yield on this matter. It’s that simple.”
Mrs. Deeters gave a nod and then moved rather quickly to the door. Judith could tell she was more than a little bit uncomfortable. Perhaps in time she’d come to realize that Judith was nothing like her grandfather. In fact, she’d like very much if she and the housekeeper could form a sort of alliance to deal with the older man.
She supposed, however, that would take time. Mrs. Deeters had no reason to trust Judith. No one did. She noticed the looks from the rest of the staff. They tiptoed around her grandfather and did the same with her. She couldn’t really blame them.
Judith began to pull the pins from her hair. Her grandfather had been quite exhausted from the day and their trip around town. When he told her he would take a tray in his room for dinner, Judith asked if she might as well. He had told her to do as she liked, and Mrs. Deeters had taken care of the rest. Now with dinner behind them and the evening to herself, Judith decided to get comfortable and pen a letter to Helen. She would no doubt be quite curious as to what was happening and why Judith had decided to remain in Minneapolis. Not only that, but Judith needed to detail what she wanted Helen to do with the money her grandfather had sent.
She smiled to herself as she brushed out her waist-length hair. The day hadn’t gone all that badly. Her grandfather had been a bit testy at times, but they’d gotten through. She couldn’t guess what the implications of spending time with James Ashton Sr. would be. Her life was certain to be altered, but whether for the better or worse was still in question.
A thought came to mind that she’d been pushing aside since agreeing to come to Minnesota. Dr. Roman Turner lived in Minneapolis. At least, he did four years ago. Was he still around the area? Should she make an effort to see him?
It seemed silly, but he did tell her to look for him if she came to town. Of course, he might well have married and moved away. There was no telling unless she asked, but who might know? A small sigh escaped her. She was still confused about why the Lord had brought her here. Never had she imagined she might end up in Minnesota, getting to know her grandfather.
“Lord, what is my purpose here?”
Before writing her letter, she felt compelled to open her Bible. She had been taught to seek wisdom and direction from the Word of God.
“Show me what you want me to know, Lord.”
Psalm 116 was the place she turned to and read aloud, “‘Ilove the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live. The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow. Then called I upon the name of the Lord; O Lord, I beseech thee, deliver my soul. Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful. The Lord preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped me. Return unto thy rest, O my soul; for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee.’”
She leaned back as a sense of peace washed over her. How precious were the Scriptures. They would help to get her through this challenge with her grandfather, and comfort her heart during those lonely hours when she questioned her choice to remain single.
God alone knew what He had in store for her, and for Judith, that was enough.
7
Judith immediately loved the Episcopal church. The right Reverend Knickerbacker was a grand spokesman who commanded attention. He seemed to be in his late thirties yet led his congregation with the wisdom and appeal of a much older man. His sermon not only held their attention but seemed to touch their hearts as well.
Today he spoke on the good Samaritan, teaching in such a manner that Judith felt as if she were right there watching the event unfold. Her grandfather seemed interested enough, but who could tell what he was thinking?
“In our reading today of Luke, chapter ten, we come to the story of a man seeking Jesus to understand what he must do to have eternal life. Jesus asks him, What is written in the law? In verse twenty-seven, we see the man’s answer. ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And He said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.’ But the man was confused, at leastwe must assume this from his next question. Verse twenty-nine has him asking Jesus, ‘Who is my neighbour?’”
The reverend looked at his congregation. “Who is your neighbor? Who are you called upon to love as yourself? Or as John later relates in his Gospel when Jesus says, ‘love one another as I have loved you.’”
Judith had often heard the story of the good Samaritan. Her mother and father had told it to her as a child, and Judith had tried to imagine playing the part of each stranger who encountered the beaten man who lay bleeding on the side of the road.
Reverend Knickerbacker continued reading from the Bible. “‘And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.’”
Judith remembered arranging the scene to act out. She had placed her doll on the ground beside the road. Then with regal strides, she walked past the doll, thinking of how the priest had passed by on the other side, not wanting to get too close.
The reverend continued, “‘And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side.’”
Again, Judith remembered pretending to be the next man to walk by and do nothing. Even as a child, she’d felt a sense of confusion. How could they just leave an injured person bleeding on the side of the road? It had pierced her heart.
“‘But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him,” Reverend Knickerbacker read. “‘And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.’”
In Judith’s playacting, she had gone to her doll and gathered her in her arms. She had taken a cloth to wipe away the bloodthat she imagined there, then wrapped the doll’s legs and arms and placed her in her doll carriage. The sense of love had been overwhelming to her. Judith could feel it even now.
Reverend Knickerbacker continued with great gusto. “‘And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves?’”
The minister closed the Bible and looked at his congregation. “‘And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.’” He paused for a moment. “It is such a simple matter to love another as you love yourself. You give yourself drink and food. Give unto others. You bathe and clothe yourself. Provide the same for others. You shelter yourself in safety and warmth. Do so for those who have not such provisions.”
