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Henry Makes Up His Mind
- University of Michigan Press
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at the church or the college. Might this be because they assume that one of them is your intended?” “Might be. Hard to say, sir.” “Let us cut directly to the point, Henry. Do you harbor feelings of particular affection for either of my daughters?” Henry thought carefully before framing his reply. “My feelings are friendly, but not for either one more than the other, sir.” ”Let us leave it at this, then. A man in my position is able to help the right young man to get a respectable start in life. If you should wish to become that young man, you may continue to escort either of my daughters to social functions. If you cease to keep company with them both, I will assume that your interests lie elsewhere.” David felt put out with himself. To have suffered through this humiliating conversation and have so little of consequence to show for it! Still, it was preferable to having had the same conversation with Anna or Charlotte. Henry Makes Up His Mind anna gathered her tracts and checked the contents of the basket again.The Little Friends Bible class picnic would begin at 11:00, and the wagons that were to carry children and provisions needed to be loaded half an hour before that. Henry came in through the back door, his mind clearly on other matters than the Little Friends picnic. “Henry, aren’t you dressed yet? Can you carry this jug of lemonade to the wagon for me?” Henry stopped in his tracks, surprised. “Dressed for what?” “Don’t you remember? The picnic! My class! We have twenty minutes to get to the church.” “Oh, the picnic. Of course, the Little Friends. Why, certainly, I can carry the lemonade for you. I’d better go and hitch up the horses, hadn’t I?” “Hurry! And then change your clothes, you can’t go like that.” Henry looked down at his work clothes, streaks of dirt on the pant legs and a greenish glob of chicken manure sticking out from the sole of the left shoe. “I suppose not,” he agreed, and went back out. The sun began to dip down behind the trees by the time the last of the Little Friends had been delivered safely back to the church. To 49 Anna’s surprise, Henry turned the horses to the left out of the church lot, back toward the Frankfort road. “I thought we’d go home the long way around,” he explained. “That’s a pleasant notion,” agreed Anna, and they jogged along in companionable silence for a while. Or so Anna thought, not realizing that Henry’s thoughts raced, trying out one phrase and then another, seeking just the right way to begin . He ‹nally took a breath and plunged in.“Anna, I’d say you and I are pretty good friends, wouldn’t you?” Her eyebrows drew together in perplexity. “Henry, are you all right? Of course we’re friends! Why, is that a problem?” “Oh, no, nothing like that, nothing at all. No, that’s not what I meant to say. No.” He realized that Anna had turned to stare at him as though he’d grown another nose. He drew another breath that was like a gasp and plunged in again. “I meant that, well, we get along pretty well, don’t we?” “Yes, I’d say so. Henry, what on earth is the matter?” “Anna, have you ever thought about, about, thought about who you’d marry? Someday, I mean?” “I suppose every young woman thinks about that at one time or another ,” she said seriously. “I hope someday to marry a good Christian man.” “I’m a good Christian man, I hope,” said Henry, his ears glowing like coals now. “Henry Thacker, are you asking me to marry you?” “That’s what I said, wasn’t it?” “No, it isn’t. But I think you were, weren’t you?” “Anna, stop this foolery. Let’s get married, shall we? We work together well, we enjoy each other’s company, so why not?” “Why not, indeed?” Henry stopped the horses and turned to her. Tentatively, he reached for Anna’s hand. She allowed him to lift it, enfold it in both hands. Confusion overtook him again; what was he to do with the hand, now that it was in his? He gave it a quick pat and returned it to Anna. He lifted the reins and sent the horses homeward...