The sky had tones of peach and rose making the blue-tinted mountains seem very blue indeed. Ruth studied the dawn, wondering if she'd ever see such a lovely sunrise again.

"We have some going away presents for you this time," Mary said.

Ruth's eyes opened wide at the disclosure. The only going away present she had received last time was lectures and strongly worded advice.

Her mother handed her a linen garment and she unfolded it to discover a white pastoral robe that she had obviously made herself.

"You have to look like you got some spiritual authority, don't you?" Mary asked.

"I reckon I do," she said with a laugh. "I'll wear it at every revival I have."

Her mother brought her into a tight hug. "I love you."

"We see now you're only doing what you were meant to do," James said. He passed the family Bible to her that he'd read from in all their family devotions over the years and that had been brought over from Scotland by her grandfather. Her eyes shimmered as nothing she could think of at the moment would make her feel more spiritually connected to her family. "What you've wanted to do since you were knee high to a tadpole."

"And we know God will keep you safe," Mary said. She looked at Kid warmly. "And this fellow here will do his part, I'm sure."

"We'll all miss you," James said, engulfing her in a hug.

It made all the difference in the world to have her parents' blessings this time around.

"You're going to write regular, aren't you?" Laura asked.

"Of course." She looked at Danny, who was looking the most morose of all. "Might slip some treasures in with my letters. Maybe an Indian bead or a feather."

He jumped up and down with excitement. "Really?"

"Wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it."

He brightened considerably and she gave him a hug and kiss.

She went down the line of family exchanging hugs and goodbyes.

"Whenever you're discouraged, remember Who walks with you always and is with you always," her grandmother said.

"I will," she promised. Kid helped her onto the wagon seat. "I love you all," she called out one last time.

She looked back until a dip in the land took them out of sight.

As they passed the cabin, she recalled a day long ago:

The cabin playhouse had been converted into a temporary church and 8 year-old Ruth stood at the front of it, preparing to start the service.

Her sisters and brothers sat on the stools and chairs from around the cabin, but they were far from her only attendees; cornhusk dolls and acorn people made up the other parishioners, giving her a respectable sized flock.

3-year-old Clyde watched his big sister as he sucked his thumb. His eyes flicking back and forth, watching her animated energy as she prepared for her first church meeting.

"Can I help?" Anna asked, jumping up from her "pew". She was a year older than Clyde and already was tired of sitting on the stool she'd been given.

"There's only one preacher," Ruth said.

Anna sat back down glumly. She wasn't sure this was going to be a fun game, considering they had just gotten back from church and she hadn't enjoyed listening to the preacher then. Being the minister though had offered up exciting possibilities.

"I still say you can't be a preacher. You're a girl," 11-year-old Robert pointed out, not even sure why he was going along with this other than his games were limited on Sunday being a day of rest and if he'd done anything so energetic as playing ball or climbing trees their momma would have tanned his hide. Sundays were a day for reflection and quiet games.

Ruth folded her arms. "What about Deborah? She was a leader or Anna the prophetess? God uses women too to help Him."

Robert opened his mouth to argue and then closed it because he had no argument. He got a little grouchy-looking because his little sister had bested him.

"I'm not sure it's even proper to play church," Laura said in her typical nervous, bossy fashion. She wasn't even sure she should be playing with her younger sisters and brothers at all being the ripe old age of 13.

"Who's playing? This will be very serious," Ruth declared.

She led them in a hymn to jumpstart the service. Although they had sung the same song that morning, it was a much livelier rendition complete with clapping.

"Hark! ten thousand harps and voices
Sound the note of praise above;
Jesus reigns, and heaven rejoices;
Jesus reigns, the God of love:
See, He sits on yonder throne;
Jesus rules the world alone."

The song had the effect of garnering interest in what was coming next.

Ruth picked up the cracked plate they used when they were playing house. "You have to put something in it. It's the offering plate."

"You don't have to," Laura said.

"But you're supposed to," Ruth said firmly.

The children reached into their pocket and pulled out the various treasures they carried: buttons, interesting nature items, and bits of leftover food. Clyde just kind of glared at it when it got to him.

"It's not for me, Clyde. It's for God," Ruth explained gently.

With his bottom lip jutted, he dropped his favorite pebble onto the plate.

The offering collected, she said, "Open your Bibles to Matthew 8:3." She didn't have a Bible of her own yet, but her parents had promised that if she kept improving in her reading, she would get one of her very own for Christmas. For now, she had to go off the memory of the verse the pastor had used last week. "Be clean from your leprechaun."

"You just butchered that verse," Laura said with a frown. "I believe you meant leprosy."

"Same thing," she said with a wave of her hand.

"It's not. One is a little green man and one is a skin disease," Laura said.

"No one asked you. Now hush," Ruth chastised.

She paced back and forth. More or less, telling the story of Elijah that they'd heard in Sunday school.

"Then Elijah went to heaven in a chariot of fire!" She pounded on the table that was doubling as a pulpit. Why she did it she wasn't sure other than she'd seen a revivalist do it once when he got good and excited.

"What's that got to do with leprechauns?" Anna asked innocently.

Ruth did a face-palm in exasperation. "It's like casting pearls before swine," she muttered. She'd given a brilliant first sermon and the 4-year-old had been thinking about leprechauns.

"I bet you can see Elijah during a thunderstorm if you look hard enough," Robert remarked. Anna's lips formed an o at the fascinating thought. He knew better, but he enjoyed getting Ruth's dander up.

"You can't see Elijah; he's in heaven," she said more to Anna than Robert.

"Oh," she said, her shoulders sinking. It probably wouldn't keep her from trying though during the next storm.

"I want tandy," Clyde commented rather suddenly, having lost interest about 5 minutes ago.

Ruth sighed a very patient sigh, "You shouldn't interrupt a minister when he or she is in the middle of a sermon. You can have candy if you're a good boy."

"Me too?" Anna asked.

"You too. Now I must ask if anyone has taken Jesus into their heart today."

"I have," Anna and Clyde chimed up.

"Good. Then we must go baptize you."

"Oh, no, Ruth McKenzie. You're not going to be dunking anybody in the river," Laura said. "I'll tell Momma if you do."

The potential baptizees and their minister all looked a mite disappointed, but Ruth quickly regained her fervor. "Let's pray." They all dutifully bowed their heads. "We ask You heavenly Father that You watch over us in all our comings and goings. That You keep us out of trouble. And that You help Granny's arthur-itis. Amen."

"Amen," everyone echoed.

Ruth moved to the door to greet them as they left. She shook hands.

"Well, I didn't fall asleep in your church," Robert commented with a mischievous grin. "I'll give you that much."

"Time for dinner. Ya'll having church again?" James asked, appearing with an amused smile. He narrowed in on Ruth. "For such a rogue, you like your church. You're the only kid I know who would go to church everyday if they could."

"I want everybody to know my Jesus," Ruth said seriously. She got a dreamy look on her face. "One day I'll go and tell everybody about Him. And I'll help God make people better who are sick too like Granny does."

"That's admirable, Ruthie," James said.

Robert frowned and repeated his earlier argument now that his dad was here; he would back him up. "But girls are supposed to be wives. They can't be preachers."

"Not all girls are meant to be wives," James corrected. "And it is the job of both women and men to see that God's Word is heard and understood. We are all called to minister in Christ's name. She's not looking to be a preacher really. She's looking to be a revivalist."

Ruth liked the sound of that better. "Yeah, I want to be a revivalist."

"I hope you're not going to leave us before supper," James kidded.

She threw her arms around him. "You're all going to come with me."

They'd reached the house by this point and Mary overheard the last part. "Go with you where?"

"Everywhere. We'll be together forever."

"Forever is a long time," Mary said with a smile, "but we'll be together here as long as the Lord wills it."

"What are you thinking about?" Kid asked.

"Just some good memories," she said with a bittersweet smile.

"Where do you want to go, sweet lady? I'm at your command. Just let's go to flatter land if you don't mind. All them hills were about to do me in."

She laughed. "I don't even give them a second thought." She didn't take long to ponder. "How about to Arkansas territory?"

His jovial mood suddenly turned dark, "No."

"Why not? You've been thinking about them a lot lately."

He both loved and hated that she knew him so well. "There's no use picking at old wounds, and it would be a wasted trip. They wouldn't see me."

"You never know until you try. Sometimes old wounds get healed. It would hardly be wasted either. I reckon there's folks in that part of the territory who need to hear the Word of the Lord same as anywhere else."

"I guess I got awhile to think on it, but south it is."

She smiled. She hadn't missed the longing in his eyes. He would go.