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shoulders.“I—I don’t know where—yet. Rev. Witt said that—that God would show us where.”
    He seemed to relax then.“You know you’re not very strong,” he began gently.
    Emily’s chin came up.“Scripture says that God often chooses the weak things to confound the strong,” she reminded him.
    He nodded, his expression saying there was no use arguing against Scripture.
    They rode in silence again. Emily could tell that her father was mulling over the news. Finally he spoke again.“So who’s the young man?”
    Emily did not understand.“The what?” she asked.
    “The man. When you were home at Christmas, you told about a preacher and his wife both servin’ together. I don’t recall your writing about someone special. I would like to know the man my daughter will be sharing her life with. Who will you be goin’—”
    “Oh,” cut in Emily quickly, “I—I’m not interested in anyone. I’m quite prepared to go alone.”
    This did bring a sharp reaction from her father.“Alone?” he thundered.“That’s absurd.You can’t just go off and run a church alone. A young girl like you—sickly and—”
    “I’m not sickly,” Emily protested.“I’ve much more strength than you credit me with, Father. And I will have God to—”
    “It’s unheard of,” her father continued, paying little attention to Emily’s arguments.“It wouldn’t even be decent for a young woman to be on her own. To try to manage a church. How can the district superintendent even consider such a thing? I won’t hear of it! Not for one of my girls.”
    Emily bit her tongue. Now was not the time for the discussion to continue. Tears stung her eyes, but she wisely made no further comment. Inwardly she prayed. Prayed that He would speak to her father. If she was to answer God’s call, He would need to convince her father that it was proper and right for a young woman.
    “We’ll talk later,” he said at last, patting her arm a bit stiffly and flicking the reins to hasten the team.
    He needs time to think—to pray, Emily concluded.
    It was not until Mr. Evans was driving Emily back to catch her train that the subject was broached again.
    “You know you are often ill,” he began softly.
    Emily nodded in silent agreement. It would have been foolish to try to deny it.
    “You know that directing a church is hard, hard work.”
    Emily nodded at that as well.
    “Why don’t they send out two women together?” he demanded.
    “There aren’t enough of us to double up like that,” Emily tried to explain.
    “You’ll likely spend many hours alone.”
    “I know,” whispered Emily, the tears threatening to come.
    “You’ll have no one there to lean on.”
    “God will be there,” Emily insisted in a trembling voice.
    The plodding of the team, the creaking of the wagon wheels, and the occasional twitter of a bird were the only intrusions on the silence.
    “And you still wish to do it?” Emily’s father finally asked.
    Emily turned pleading eyes to him. The tears clung to her lashes and she swallowed the lump in her throat.
    “It is not what I want that is important,” she murmured in a whispery voice.“I have been called, Papa. To disobey would only bring heartache. I must—I must answer my call.”
    She called him Papa only at very intimate times. It was what her mother had often called him.“Go ask your papa,” the girls would be told. Or, “Call your papa for dinner.” He turned his face slightly to hide his deep emotion. After a time, he cleared his throat and turned back to Emily.
    “Then by all means, be obedient,” he said huskily.“I—I will do—whatever I can to help.”
    With a glad little cry Emily leaned against her father and took his large hand in both her small ones.
    “Thank you, Papa,” she said through her tears. She knew her prayer had been answered.

Chapter Six
    Preparations
    Emily went home to help Ina at the farm over the summer months. She had wished she could go out on some summer