Summary

Chapter 25, July 24 1858 – This short chapter consists of a letter written by Lisbeth in response to a letter apparently sent to her by Mary Ford. Lisbeth recognizes the suffering she has caused her family and acknowledges that Mary doesn’t understand her decision, but she is glad that Mary has forgiven her enough to write. Lisbeth speaks of life in Ohio, including descriptions of her and Matthew’s home. She hints that she’s expecting a baby.

Chapter 26, February 1859 – When it comes time for Lisbeth’s baby to be born, she convinces Matthew to wait patiently for the labor pains to reach just the right intensity before calling the neighboring farmer’s wife. When the neighbor arrives, however, she notices that the birth is not going well, and fetches the midwife, who turns out to be Mattie. Narration briefly describes Mattie’s happy...