Read The Amish Doll: Amish Knitting Novel (Bonus Knitting Pattern Included) for Free Online Page A

on her cheeks. Shaking uncontrollably, she wailed as she held her stomach. “Why God?” she screamed. “Why?”  She went to the stack of hay and buried her face in it, trying to stifle the screams, to no avail. Her Uncle Ram was not kind to bring her peanut butter sandwiches. He was cruel. He allowed her to be locked in the attic, hours upon lonely hours. She could taste the stale bread and old crystalized peanut butter sandwiches he brought, and screamed all the more.
    She felt like jumping out of her skin when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see an Amish man. His eyes held such sorrow. “Is Susanna gone?” he asked.
    Raven swiped at tears running down her cheeks, and willed herself to calm down.  “Susanna’s alive. She’s in the hospital.”
    He looked at her with penetrating green eyes. “I’m a neighbor. I heard the screaming and thought that…”
    “Oh, I’m so sorry. I took Susanna to the hospital and she’ll need dialysis. She’s in surgery now to get her ready for it,” she said, as another sob caught in her throat. Embarrassed, Raven looked sheepishly into the Amish man’s eyes. He took off his black wool hat and she realized it was Eb. He was so kind and empathetic when he wasn’t drunk.
    “Would you like me to finish milking the cow? I know how to do everything in this barn.”
    She looked at him and nodded. “Thank you.”
    ~*~
    Raven stood while looking across the living room at Marilyn. “The boys missed me for morning prayers?” she asked. “I’m surprised.” Collapsing into one of the overstuffed chairs in the living room, she rubbed her temples. “Any word about Susanna?”
    Marilyn sat in the chair next to her. “Jim left for the hospital this morning. I’ve been pacing the floor all morning, but still no word.”
    “But I thought Jim was sick.”
    Concern etched Marilyn’s face. “Can’t hold the old fool down. He’ll catch his death yet.”
    “At least the boys won’t be able to dunk him at the Fall Festival this weekend.”
    “Ha,” Marilyn said. “He’ll do it anyhow. He feels he needs to always keep his word to the boys.”
    “He’s really dedicated to them; that’s for sure.”
    “Well, he didn’t really have parents. He really did sell apples on the streets of Jamestown. The Great Depression robbed him of dreams.” She sat in the chair opposite Raven. “I tease him about selling apples, but he knows I’m only trying to change the subject to these happier days.” She sighed. “He had a full scholarship to college, but couldn’t take it since he had to work. When he talks of apples, I start talking about Appleton.”
    “Is there a connection?” Raven asked.
    Marilyn grinned. “I came up with the name. After hearing Jim moan about selling tons of apples, I came up with Appleton.  Get it? Apple? Ton? Life can give us lemons, like they say, but we need to make lemonade, right? So Jim started this place to help boys get what he never had: a stable home and a chance at their dreams.”
    Raven was flabbergasted. Jim had a hard life, but he seemed so happy. Someone in his shoes might be bitter. “How about you Marilyn? How did the Depression affect you?”
    Marilyn’s eyes grew misty. “Well, I worked hard, too. Farm work. Never liked it, but we lived off the land. Some days we just had thick broth to eat. We didn’t have electricity or indoor plumbing. We were almost Amish,” she mused.
    “What did you want to do instead?” Raven leaned forward in curiosity.
    “Be a seamstress, like my mom,” she quipped. “I was a little girl when the Depression started, and Mom made extra money by making clothes. She was so good; women came to the little shop she made in our living room.”
    “So what kept you from learning to sew?”
    “Knitting,” Marilyn snarled. “The circular needles just came out and Mom taught me at six how to make a sock.” She sighed. “The government promoted knitting as a way to boost morale. So knitting