An Excerpt From 'The Grapes Of Wrath'
MARY AND JOSEPH
The next day, Joseph and I met for nearly half an hour in my parents’ garden discussing how carrying God’s child might affect us, and in the end, Joseph, always practical, suggested that it might be wise for us, at least for the time being, to hug in the kitchen, but sleep apart until such time as God might indicate that we do otherwise. It was Joseph who first expressed his judgment on the matter, and having no new input from the Almighty, I agreed, albeit with some regret.
For the moment at least, what needed to be decided had been decided, so before he left so we could go our separate ways, I gave my love a mighty hug, and he, in turn, kissed me on the forehead, all in the kitchen. The beauty of it all, of course, is that almost overnight, Joseph and I became a family, meaning that for that moment in time, at least in Nazareth, all was right with our families, and hopefully the world.
My father, for his part, had …show more content…
It all started when Abner, our houseman, along with some men from the inn, began taking all of Mary’s things from our house here to her new home down the way, leaving her mother and me to wonder about how we will fill the void her move will certainly create. But enough of the past. Let’s wish them well.” And, raising his cup, he made his toast:
“May Mary and Joseph live long and happy lives together, and may the mighty God of Jacob bless and protect them.”
The silence of the garden suddenly broke with a chorus of “Here! Here!” and numerous hearty “Amens.”
The guests, mostly young and from Joseph’s family, took up the toasting. At a table that faced their hosts, Joseph’s oldest son, Simeon, got to his feet and raised his cup: “May my father and his new companion find much happiness in one another, and ‘Bless God who gives us babes to birth, and men who give us peace on
The next day, Joseph and I met for nearly half an hour in my parents’ garden discussing how carrying God’s child might affect us, and in the end, Joseph, always practical, suggested that it might be wise for us, at least for the time being, to hug in the kitchen, but sleep apart until such time as God might indicate that we do otherwise. It was Joseph who first expressed his judgment on the matter, and having no new input from the Almighty, I agreed, albeit with some regret.
For the moment at least, what needed to be decided had been decided, so before he left so we could go our separate ways, I gave my love a mighty hug, and he, in turn, kissed me on the forehead, all in the kitchen. The beauty of it all, of course, is that almost overnight, Joseph and I became a family, meaning that for that moment in time, at least in Nazareth, all was right with our families, and hopefully the world.
My father, for his part, had …show more content…
It all started when Abner, our houseman, along with some men from the inn, began taking all of Mary’s things from our house here to her new home down the way, leaving her mother and me to wonder about how we will fill the void her move will certainly create. But enough of the past. Let’s wish them well.” And, raising his cup, he made his toast:
“May Mary and Joseph live long and happy lives together, and may the mighty God of Jacob bless and protect them.”
The silence of the garden suddenly broke with a chorus of “Here! Here!” and numerous hearty “Amens.”
The guests, mostly young and from Joseph’s family, took up the toasting. At a table that faced their hosts, Joseph’s oldest son, Simeon, got to his feet and raised his cup: “May my father and his new companion find much happiness in one another, and ‘Bless God who gives us babes to birth, and men who give us peace on