The Calling of Emily Evans (22 page)

But an odd little feeling still tugged at the corners of her mind—especially when she read the last paragraph.

I have been doing some serious thinking recently. I saw Lacey at a
youth meeting. He’s really changed a lot since our Bible school days. He is
so excited and happy about the chance to be in the ministry that I began
to wonder if I had missed something important. I am even giving some
consideration to entering the ministry myself.

Emily felt excitement course through her.
A minister? Ross? How
wonderful if—
But Emily quickly checked herself and carefully folded the letter. She turned her attention instead to the other letter and the information on the coming conference, welcoming a change and a time for some spiritual refreshment.

Emily would take the train to Regis for the conference. On the day of the departure she was up early, took Walter to Sophie’s to be cared for by the children, checked and rechecked her packed valise and tried desperately to get her unruly hair neatly tucked beneath her deaconess bonnet.

“Be sure to wear your deaconess badge,” Mrs. Witt had instructed all the girls at their orientation meeting.“It lets the public know you are a member of the ministry.”

Emily took her button from her handkerchief box and pinned it securely to the lapel of her coat. It wouldn’t do to lose it.

She was at the train station much earlier than necessary, but she was too excited and nervous to stay at home. Nicky and Johnnie came by on some errand for Sophie and couldn’t resist stopping to chat.

“We’re gonna have fun with Walter.”

“Are ya takin’ the train?”

“How far are ya goin’?”

“When will ya come back?”

“Have ya ever been on a train before?”

“How do ya know when to get off?”

Their questions flowed thick and fast and Emily could not get one answered before the next one came at her. But their chatter did help the wait to pass more quickly.

Emily had another visitor at the train station. Mr. Travis came by, walking a fairly straight line. He had even made an attempt to comb his hair. He gave her a gap-toothed grin. His clothes were still hanging on a frail body and his chin was raggedly shaven, but he did tip his hat and bid her a good morning.

Emily knew he wanted to chat, but she felt herself becoming at once angry and frightened. A man who would beat his wife and children might do anything. Emily did not encourage a conversation.

At length he turned and made his uneven way toward the downtown. Emily was relieved to see him go.

Then a thought flashed through her mind.
Christ died for him, too,
you know.
Emily’s cheeks grew hot as she thought about her distant treatment of him.

I’m sorry, Lord,
she prayed.
You love Mr. Travis—help me to love
him with your love.
Emily spent the rest of the time on the station platform praying for the whole Travis family.
And poor little Claude.

Such a child to be off on his own. I wonder … I wonder where he is and
if he is okay,
she thought as she prayed for him too.

Emily jerked to attention as she heard the whistle of the train. The out-dated passenger car was not a fancy one, but Emily sighed with relief as she settled her valise under the worn seat. With a bit of a jerk they were on their way. Emily looked out to see the familiar sights of her little town slip by.
I’m a real deaconess, and I’m on my way
to the conference,
she let herself exult.

As they passed through the countryside, Emily recognized many of the farms she had visited. One was the farm of Mrs. Woodrow, and a chill went through Emily again as she thought of her experience preparing a body for burial.

“Well, it didn’t kill me,” she mused.“I’m still here—and well. But I certainly wouldn’t want to repeat the ordeal. I’m sure Ruth will laugh when she hears about the squeamish Emily,” and Emily smiled in spite of herself. It would be so much fun to have a good talk with Ruth again.

The blue-uniformed conductor came through the passenger car calling out “Tickets! Tickets!”

Emily fidgeted with her empty purse. She did hope she wouldn’t have any explaining to do.

But when the conductor reached her, he looked squarely at her deaconess button, tipped his cap, smiled and said, “Good morning, ma’am. Have a good trip,” then passed on to the next passenger. Emily breathed a sigh of relief and settled back into the worn plush of the seat.

Emily decided to pay particular attention to each town they came to so she wouldn’t lose track of where they were. When Emily had traveled the train to and from Bible school, she had not had to pass through other towns but had always climbed down from the passenger car at the first stop. It would not do for her to miss her departure at Regis. But before they reached the first town, the conductor came through again.

“Swifton! Swifton!” he called loudly.“All out for Swifton.”

Emily audibly sighed her relief. If he did that with each stop she would not need to worry about missing her own station. She leaned back against the seat and tried to enjoy the ride.

What if, for some reason, he does not call Regis?
Emily thought.
I’d
better be keeping track, just in case.

But the conductor did not forget Emily’s station. In fact, when he came through he looked directly at Emily as he called out Regis. Then he stopped at her seat and smiled again.

“Getting off here, ma’am?” he asked her, and Emily nodded, wondering how he knew.

“We bring a number of folks to conference every year,” he explained. He reached for her valise and cautioned her gently, “Just stay in your seat until the train fully stops. Sometimes the train jerks a bit.”

Emily nodded her thank you and waited for the jerk. The conductor then led the way down the narrow aisle, took Emily’s arm for the dismount down the iron steps, and handed her the valise.

“Have a good conference,” he bade her with another smile and a doff of his cap and then he was gone again.

“Emily!”

Emily wheeled to meet Ruth in a warm embrace.

The next two days were spent in meetings. Emily loved singing hymns of praise with the fellow worshipers. She thirstily drank in the messages that were given. She felt excitement to think she actually had a vote in the decisions of the church; and at mealtime or after the sessions were over for the day, she eagerly visited with old school friends and new acquaintances. Mostly the talk was about the ministries in which they were involved. Some brought glowing reports, others, like Emily, faced difficulty and challenge in trying to get a little work started.

But the time after the evening services belonged to Emily and Ruth, and instead of getting much-needed sleep, they often talked well into the night hours in the darkness of their shared room.

Ruth was still excited about being able to preach.“If only I didn’t have to go calling,” she told Emily candidly, “I would just love the work.”

“Calling? That’s the part I like most,” Emily said in amazement.

“Oh-h, I dread it. I put it off—and put it off for as long as I can. I would much sooner be pouring myself into my next sermon.”

Emily began to laugh softly.“We should be a team,” she decided.“I would do the calling and you could do the preaching.”

Ruth joined in her laughter.

“I do have some problems, though,” confided Emily.“One in particular that really troubles me. One of my parishioners has a drunkard for a husband. When he drinks, which is often from what I can gather, he beats her. He would likely beat the children, too, if he could catch them, but they usually run and hide and the mother takes the brunt of his fury. It just sickens me. I don’t know what to do.”

Ruth sympathized but had little advice to offer.“Why don’t you ask Rev. Witt?” she said at last.“He might know of some way to deal with it.”

Emily decided to talk with him at the first opportunity.

Then the conversation changed direction.

“Do you have a…a friend?” asked Ruth hesitantly.

“Well, I guess Sophie is my best friend, even though—”

But Ruth’s chuckle stopped Emily.

“I meant a male friend,” she informed Emily.

Emily blushed and was glad for the darkness that hid her embarrassment. Immediately her thoughts flew to Shad. But she had not heard from him for months.

“No,” she answered in the darkness.

There was silence for several minutes. Then Ruth spoke softly into the night and even though her voice was low, Emily could sense the excitement in it.

“I do.”

“You do? Oh, Ruth!” squealed Emily and had to be shushed by her old roommate.

“You’ll awaken everyone in the dorm,” cautioned Ruth.

“Tell me about him,” pleaded Emily. It was almost unbelievable that Ruth—Ruth who never seemed to care about fellows, who seemed oblivious to their existence—was actually confessing to being interested in one.

“Well,” said Ruth and the tone of her voice betrayed her, “he is a farmer. He comes to all the services—been a wonderful help to me. He’s taller than I am by about three inches, has dark hair and really pretty eyes. At least I think so.”

Emily squealed again but quickly pulled a blanket up around her face to muffle the sound.“Are you getting married?” she asked her old roommate.

Ruth hesitated.“I still want to preach,” she replied at last.

“Doesn’t—doesn’t he want you to?”

“He—he says it’s fine with him, but … Well, it’s hard work directing a church. I don’t know if I could be both a wife and a—a pastor. And if I wasn’t a good wife, I’d feel guilty. And if I didn’t preach, I would feel cheated. And if we had children—then I’d really have a hard time trying to do it all.”

Emily understood Ruth’s dilemma.

Again there was silence. Emily spoke softly.“You are really going to have to pray this one through.”

“I’ve prayed and prayed,” admitted Ruth, “and I still don’t know what to do.”

“I’ll pray with you,” promised Emily and inwardly added Ruth’s situation to her prayer list.

Emily did talk with Rev. Witt about the Travis family.

“This is a really tough situation,” he said sadly.“One must move cautiously. Has she ever indicated that she needs or wants help?”

“No,” admitted Emily, shaking her head.

“Are the children frequently abused as well?”

“They usually run away and hide,” Emily answered, “but emotionally, I know they are damaged. I felt little Rena shiver with fear when I held her.”

“One could report him to the authorities—but then, Mrs. Travis could do that herself.”

“I—I honestly think she still loves him in some strange way. She doesn’t want interference, but I just can’t stand by and see—” Emily stopped for a moment and then continued.“She speaks of him as ‘being sick.’ ”

The minister nodded again.“And so he is,” he agreed, “very sick—in body and soul.” He was quiet for a while, then looking up, he said, “It puts the church in a most difficult situation. We do not wish to break up families, but to allow a woman and her children to continue to suffer at the hands of such a man—that is unthinkable.”

Emily nodded, sorrow shadowing her eyes.