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  INTRODUCTION

  New Garden’s Hope by Jennifer Hudson Taylor

  After Josiah Wall postpones their wedding a second time, Ruth Payne refuses to reset their wedding date. But everything Josiah has worked for means nothing without Ruth. He sets out to win her back, but it seems that each attempt is thwarted by disaster. Will their love and faith overcome their differences, or could this be the end he’s always feared?

  New Garden’s Crossroads by Ann E. Schrock

  Deborah Wall is thrilled to work for the Coffins in their home, a hub of the Underground Railroad. Nathaniel Fox has been dismissed from the Society of Friends and becomes a bounty hunter for runaway slaves. When an injury takes him to the Coffins’ house, he tries Deborah’s patience and challenges her beliefs. But, after accepting Christ and revealing his love for Deborah, will Nathaniel give up his worldly ways to join her?

  New Garden’s Inspiration by Claire Sanders

  As an unwanted, poor relation, Leah Wall is surprised to discover that her Quaker uncle has arranged a marriage between her and widowed Caleb Whitaker. Leah agrees to the marriage and finds herself a wife in name only, caring for Caleb’s children while he serves in the Union Army. Trying times are ahead for Leah, but she believes the Lord will make a way.

  New Garden’s Conversion by Susette Williams

  Christian Jaidon Taylor is determined to plead his case with Quaker Catherine Wall and convince her that they are not as different as she thinks. Catherine promised her father that she would uphold the family tradition of marrying within their faith. As Jaidon begins to rethink his own spiritual walk in his endeavor to find love, Catherine tries to show him why their relationship would never work. But are they really that different?

  New Garden’s Hope © 2012 by Jennifer Hudson Taylor

  New Garden’s Crossroads © 2012 by Ann E. Schrock

  New Garden’s Inspiration © 2012 by Claire Sanders

  New Garden’s Conversion © 2012 by Susette Williams

  Print ISBN 978-1-61626-643-1

  eBook Editions:

  Adobe Digital Edition (.epub) 978-1-60742-824-4

  Kindle and MobiPocket Edition (.prc) 978-1-60742-825-1

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted for commercial purposes, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without written permission of the publisher.

  All scripture quotations are taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously.

  Any similarity to actual people, organizations, and/or events is purely coincidental.

  Cover design: Kirk DouPonce, DogEared Design

  Published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 719, Uhrichsville, Ohio 44683, www.barbourbooks.com

  Our mission is to publish and distribute inspirational products offering exceptional value and biblical encouragement to the masses.

  Printed in the United States of America.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  New Garden’s Hope

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  About the Author

  New Garden’s Crossroads

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  About the Author

  New Garden’s Inspiration

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  New Garden’s Conversion

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  NEW GARDEN’S

  HOPE

  by Jennifer Hudson Taylor

  Dedication

  To my husband and daughter, thank you for your loving support. To my Quaker ancestors who began at New Garden Meeting in Greensboro, North Carolina, thank you for inspiring this story. And finally, to my Lord, thank You for making all things possible.

  Chapter 1

  Josiah Wall looked as if he were about to propose, but he’d just done the opposite and postponed their wedding—again. Ruth Payne cringed as the empty void inside deepened.

  He bent on one knee in front of her. She sat on a wooden swing, hanging from a large oak tree. Beneath the shade of a black wide-brimmed hat, his hazel eyes searched her face. She wondered if he could see the ache in her expression. Even though she’d known him all her life, right now he seemed like a distant stranger.

  “Ruth, say something…please.”

  Josiah covered her hand where she gripped the rope, but his touch seared her, almost as much as his words. She jerked away and stood, slipping from his grasp. The swing swayed between them as his sensitive eyes blinked in surprise. Her gaze drifted to his brown locks around his ears and to his sideburns.

  Her heart stammered through denial, anger, and then pure gut-wrenching pain. She wouldn’t plead and cry like last time. She turned, clenching her teeth, and stared at her parent’s white two- story house. Brown leaves tumbled in the breeze across the yard. The midmorning sun shimmered through shifting tree limbs in the crisp fall breeze.

  “What is there to say?” Ruth asked, still avoiding his gaze. “The first time thee said it was because we needed our own home. Now that the new house is built, thee claims it must be after the presidential election. The only thing I can say is that I don’t understand.”

  Ruth closed her eyes to shut out the threatening tears. She wouldn’t humiliate herself again. Pride may be a sin, but she needed to preserve some of her self-respect, didn’t she?

  Josiah stood to his full height, at least a half-foot taller than she. He slipped his thumbs under his black suspenders. A robin swooped from the tree, flapping its wings. Josiah ducked and righted his hat.

  “I was afraid thee wouldn’t understand,” he said. “But Ruth, I’m working with the Federalist movement, and it’s imperative I give my full attention—at least through the 1808 election. I can’t allow myself to be distracted by wedding plans.”

  Anger burst inside her. Ruth opened her eyes and whirled to face him. “We’re not like the rest of the world. Quakers have simple lives. We have plain weddings and homes. Thee is making this much more complicated than it should be.”

  Ruth linked her trembling hands in front of her charcoal- colored dress. It contained pleats at the waist and long sleeves with white trimming. The drawstrings of her bonnet suddenly felt tight under her chin. She cleared her throat and leaned her palm against the bark of the tree trunk.

  “It’s only for a few months,” Josiah said. “By then most of the house could be furnished. Right now it’s too bare.” He stepped around the swing and leaned close.

  Ruth stepped back.

  His eyes widened as he lifted a dark eye
brow. “Don’t be angry,” he said. “To prove my commitment, let’s reschedule the date for the second month on the twelfth.”

  Ruth laughed. “Dates mean naught to thee. When that time comes, thee will only change it.” His wounded expression pierced her, but she wouldn’t take back the words. As far as she knew, they were true. “In fact I’m not even sure thee really loves me—if thee ever did.”

  “Of course I do!” Josiah stepped toward her but halted when she stiffened and leaned sideways. He gulped, his eyes pleading. “Be patient with me a little longer. I love thee, Ruth—even when we were children. I knew thee was meant for me that day in the school yard when I forgot my lunch and thee gave me an apple.” He offered a handsome grin, but she managed to resist him by averting her gaze.

  “Are none of these Federalists in thy group married?” Ruth laid a hand on her quivering stomach.

  “Of course, but that’s different. They’re already settled. When thee becomes my bride, I intend to give thee all my attention. I want things to be perfect.”

  “Josiah,” Ruth sighed. “I fear thee has some misguided notion about marriage. Either thee cannot love me or thee is afraid to make a commitment. Seek God and allow Him to show thee what to do. Right now I’ll not agree to another date.” His mouth dropped open in disbelief. He touched the top of his hat, paced a few feet, and then came back. “What is thee saying? Is thee breaking our engagement? Ruth, don’t do this. Please, I beg thee.” Josiah’s breath released in rapid gasps. His brows wrinkled and he rubbed his eyes as if they burned.

  Ruth wanted to console him but feared she’d lose the tiny thread of self-control she still possessed. How many times could she allow him to do this? If he wasn’t sure about his love for her, how could she be so selfish as to trap him into a lifetime of marriage? No. She couldn’t do it. In spite of the pain it would cause, she’d sacrifice her own happiness to give him his.

  “Josiah Wall, I release thee from our engagement.”

  The bell on the front door of the Wall Brothers Seed and Feed store rang, alerting Josiah to an arriving customer. He stopped stacking the new feed sacks he’d gotten in that morning and left the storeroom.

  Matthew Payne, Ruth’s father, strolled up to the counter. He had a healthy physique for a man of his age, with broad shoulders and a slightly bulging belly. Beneath his broad-brimmed hat, his gray hair was brushed to the side of his forehead.

  “What can I do for thee?” Josiah tensed as he set his palms on the counter and forced a smile. Would Matthew Payne be angry he’d hurt Ruth by postponing the wedding again? Guilt sliced through his chest, causing him to take a deep breath. He hadn’t meant to hurt her. He’d give anything to see her happy. That’s why he worked so hard to make their future better.

  “I was wondering if my cattle feed had come in yet?” His gray mustache moved with his lips as he spoke.

  “It came in just this morning. If I remember correctly, ten feed sacks, right?” Josiah raised an eyebrow and rubbed his chin.

  “That’s right.” Matthew Payne nodded and scratched his side-whiskers. He glanced at the parallel rows of goods on the wooden shelves. “I can’t remember a day this store wasn’t organized and immaculate. Thee and thy brothers have carried on and accomplished no small feat in thy father’s shoes.”

  At the mention of his father, Josiah stiffened, his gut twisting like an angry tornado. Three years ago his father had turned fifty and couldn’t stop talking of all the things he’d never gotten to do. As a lad he’d always wanted to be a seaman. Josiah used to enjoy the stories his father read to him about seafaring adventures. All those years sharing his father’s love for ships and the sea, Josiah never imagined his father would one day disappear and choose such an adventurous life over his own family.

  Josiah forced the unpleasant thoughts to the back of his mind, reminding himself that Matthew only meant it as a compliment. “I’m sure my brothers would agree in our thanks. I’ve always respected thy opinion—even more than my father’s.”

  “I was looking forward to having thee as my son-in-law, Josiah, but Ruth returned from a long walk yesterday, weeping and saying the engagement is off.”

  She’d been crying? Hope lifted Josiah’s heart. When she refused to set a new date, she’d appeared so calm that it frightened him. If she was upset, perhaps she wasn’t serious about breaking their engagement. Lord, please let that be the case.

  “I don’t want to break the engagement. I asked to postpone it. I’d hoped for more time to make additional furnishings for the house and be able to give Ruth my all after the election.”

  Matthew nodded as he slipped his thumbs under his suspenders. “Son, thy reasons are sound and logical—for a man. Now a woman, she’s going to think down a much different path. That’s the main thing I’ve learned during all my years of marriage.”

  “I love Ruth, and I still want to spend the rest of my life with her. She says I don’t love her, but that isn’t true.”

  “Thee need not convince me, but her.” Matthew’s gray eyes pierced Josiah.

  “I intend to try,” Josiah said. “I was hoping Ruth might be in better humor today.”

  The elder man shook his head. “I can vouch thee might wait a few days for her good humor to return.”

  “I see.” Josiah slouched against the counter, disappointed but thankful for the warning. “Thanks for letting me know.” It would be disastrous to visit today and make things worse. He’d give Ruth time for her anger to subside, and then he’d try to reason with her again.

  “Well I’d better get back to the farm to care for my cattle and livestock,” Matthew said. “Now that Caleb is twelve, I plan to supervise the lad in fence mending this afternoon.”

  “Give my regards to everyone.” Josiah pointed to the front of the store. “Did thee park the wagon out front or on the side?”

  “In front. Shall I pull it around?”

  “No.” Josiah shook his head. “I’ll bring the feed sacks out in a wheelbarrow.” He stepped into the storeroom.

  The bell rang. Josiah assumed it was Matthew leaving the store. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes, seeking a moment of peace. Lord, I know that everything happens for a reason. It must have been Thy will for Matthew Payne to come in this morning and warn me about Ruth. Even though I long to try to mend things, I’ll trust in Thy judgment. Give me strength to obey Thee.

  Josiah stacked the feed sacks in the wheelbarrow and rolled them from the storage room.

  “Just the man I’m looking for,” said a high-pitched female voice. Josiah looked up to see Sarah Goodson saunter toward him. Her blond curls framed her face beneath her white bonnet, her blue eyes sparkling in spite of her gray dress. Sarah’s animated personality always outshone her plain appearance.

  Dread pooled in Josiah’s stomach. He’d better let her know he was with a customer, or he’d never break free to finish with Matthew.

  “Good morning, Sarah Goodson. I need to load these feed sacks on Matthew Payne’s wagon, and then I’ll be right with thee.”

  “Oh! He passed me on the way out. I’m in no hurry. I only came to pick up some feed for the chickens.”

  Josiah moved on, but before he reached the door, footsteps rushed up behind him and a hand grabbed his arm. “Josiah Wall, I wanted to tell thee how sorry I am about thy breakup with Ruth.”

  “How does thee know?” Josiah’s blood ran cold as he gulped in surprise.

  News had always traveled around the community of New Garden at a fast pace, but this was unbelievable. Josiah gripped the handlebars so tight that his knuckles whitened on the wheelbarrow.

  “She was in a very sour mood at the quilt meeting this morning, and when I asked her what was wrong, she told us— all of us.”

  Alarm spread through Josiah as a wave of fear prickled the skin along his arms. His anger faded to a dull ache that engulfed the back of his head, seizing his thoughts. Ruth was a private woman. If she’d shared the news with others in such a manner, this was
n’t a small argument she needed to overcome, as he’d hoped. Ruth was serious. Their engagement was over.

  Josiah’s heart plummeted.

  Chapter 2

  Ruth slid the drapes aside and glanced at the sundrenched landscape of faded grass the color of hay. The row of poplar trees along the narrow dirt road displayed an array of orange and golden leaves. It was a beautiful day for a long walk, but she couldn’t bring herself to leave the house.

  What if Josiah came by? Granted, she wouldn’t agree to see him, but she couldn’t help wondering what he was doing and thinking. Was he hurting as much as she? Or had he moved on with his life?

  She sighed, leaning her forehead against the glass. It had been two whole days since she’d seen him. With her heart shattered, there were moments when her chest felt so heavy she could hardly breathe.

  “Ruth, that’s the third time thee has looked out the window in the past hour,” her mother said. “If thee has changed thy mind, why not send Caleb to Josiah Wall with a letter?”

  “I don’t wanna get in the middle of their lover’s quarrel.” Caleb wrinkled his nose and eyebrows, his blue eyes glaring at her. “Besides I promised Father I’d finish mending the fence we started the other day.”

  “I haven’t changed my mind,” Ruth said, dropping the drapes. “I need another project to keep me occupied.”

  “Well don’t include me in any more of thy projects,” Naomi said. “My arms are sore from scrubbing the floors yesterday.” Her sister crossed her arms and rubbed them, her brown eyes surveying Ruth. “I’ve told thee before Josiah Wall loves thee. How can thee doubt him after all these years?” Her blond curls bounced as she shook her head in disbelief. “I don’t understand.”

  “Well at fifteen I don’t expect thee to understand. I love Josiah Wall, but he doesn’t love me like a wife. He’s in denial. I’d be selfish if I allowed him to wed me under such a falsehood, especially now that I’ve come to realize it.” Her voice choked as tears pooled in her eyes. Ruth turned away, hating how her heart squeezed at the mention of him.