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his straw hat on and went to start the chores. Sim was batty as a loon. He was either whistling or looking as if he would burst into tears at the slightest provocation.
    Isaac ignored him.
    Even when Sim showered, shaved, dressed up and left with his sorrel horse and buggy, he ­ignored him. He didn’t talk to Mam about it again, either.
    In the morning he tumbled out of bed and did all his own chores, plus Sim’s, when Dat told him Sim was attending church services in another district. Well, that was a fine thing to do. Why would he go off to another church district if Catherine Speicher was in this one? So much for the budding relationship today.
    But as these things went, Isaac forgot about Sim, dressed in his Sunday black suit with his white shirt, heavy black felt hat, gloves and boots. Isaac went with Dat and Mam to church at Johns. John was married to his sister Barbara, Bennie’s mother.
    By the time all the women had been seated on their side, and the men on the other side, and it was finally the boys’ turn to file into the warm basement, his toes felt like 10 nuggets of ice. He was cold and sleepy and not in the mood to sit on that hard bench for three hours. Isaac slumped forward and put his chin in the palm of his hand, until he caught Dat’s eye. Dat drew his eyebrows down and shook his head slightly, the sign of ­disapproval.
    So Isaac snapped to attention, held his corner of the heavy Ausbund , and tried to look attentive and alert. The slow German hymn rose and fell, babies cried, fathers got up to take them to their mothers.
    When the minister stood to begin the sermon, Isaac listened to his voice, hearing the usual German verses he heard most Sundays, followed by an explanation in Pennsylvania Dutch. The real German ( hoch Deutsch ) was still read and used in the sermon, but explained in the everyday Pennsylvania Dutch as well, for the children and those who found the German difficult. It was, indeed, an old and precious tradition, to be well-versed in both German and Pennsylvania Dutch. It came easy to Isaac, so he understood and recognized most everything from both sermons.
    He fell asleep once, the minister’s face swimming in a sea of black-clad men, and he knew nothing for awhile. He was dimly aware of his head drooping to the left. He was so glad to sing the last hymn, then shuffle his way out to the blinding white snow, free at last.
    Isaac ate at the last table, after the men and women had already eaten. His stomach was so painfully empty that his head hurt. It was the most cruel thing to eat breakfast so early and dinner so late. He spread a thick slice of homemade bread with soft cheese spread made with white American cheese and milk cooked together, piled on a liberal amount of ham, speared two red beets and a sweet pickle and began to feel instantly ­better.
    Teacher Catherine was pouring coffee at the boys’ table, dressed in a purple dress and a white organdy cape and apron. Isaac thought what a golden opportunity Sim was missing. When she poured his coffee, Sim could ask her for a date, very quietly, of course, but he could.
    If Sim never got it accomplished, it sure wasn’t for lack of his younger brother’s great ideas. Or his subtle scouting skills, for that matter.

Chapter Six
    H ICKORY GROVE SCHOOL WAS a beehive ofactivity the following Friday. All lessons had been put aside, serious artwork taking up everyone’s attention. The classroom must be decorated for Christmas.
    They had already accomplished quite a bit, Teacher Catherine said, but they seriously needed to apply themselves, finishing the Christmas poster on the north wall between the two sets of windows. They hung navy blue construction paper for the back drop, which was the upper grade boys’ assignment. Elmer’s School Glue was used to attach all the pieces.
    Michael took charge of the glue, applying it entirely too liberally. It squeezed out when he rubbed his fingers along the edge, so Calvin told him he was