Amanda: A Daughter of the Mennonites

Rebecc

oiling at the Reist farm, Aunt Rebecca invited

nounced. "I don't like it there

to come along," su

nd Phil and I'll stay and tend the house a

ecca's funny and bossy but I like to go to he

m out o' them to get the drop of honey that's in each one, and she caught me and slapped my hand--mind you! Guess next she'll be puttin' up some scare-bees to k

her but you want her candy!

ist. "Next you two'll be fig

that goes with red hair. But it's Sunday, so I'll be good.

nual labor of the great fields. Many were the hours she spent in the hot sun of the tobacco fields, riding the planter in the early spring, later hoeing the rich black soil close to the little young plants, in midsummer finding and killing the bi

onas Miller bank account grew correspondingly fast. But the bank account, however quickly it increased, failed to give Jonas Miller and his wife full pleasure, unless, as some say, the mere knowledge of possession of wealth can bring pleasure to miserly hearts. For Jonas Miller was, in the vernacular of the Pennsylvania Dutch, "almighty close." Millie, Reists' hired girl, said," That there Jonas is too stingy to buy long enough pan

d moved to the little old-fashioned house in Landisville--a little house whose outward appearance might have easily procl

front fence of the farm, then he went up-stairs and donned his Sunday suit of gray cloth. Later he br

tiff black silk bonnet was tied under her chin. Amanda skipped out to the yard, wear

an to him and swung her leghorn hat on

" She smiled radiantly

or sure! Lookin' for compliments a'ready, same as all the rest. I was go

ow bow danced like a butterfly. "I don't believe you at all! You

es? Just what does Mi

re the nicest man and have the big

his future peace of mind, the child did not notice the flush. A swallowtail butterfly had flitted among the zinnias and attracted the attenti

no vision to cause the heart of the average man to pump faster. But as Amos looked at her he saw suddenly something lov

ht Amos, "it's her

er them as they started down the road. "Don't worry

racts, their green shade calling invitingly. Once they crossed a wandering little creek whose shallow waters flowed through lovely meadows where boneset plants were white w

oin' to scold every team and automobile that passes h

here were already many carriages standing in the shade of the l

the sanctuary. The whispers of newcomers drifted through the open windows, steps sounded

lm voice of the preacher was heard invited the building of wonderful castles in Spain. Their golden spires reared high in the blue of heaven... she would be a lady in a trailing, silken gown, Martin would come, a plumed and belted knight, riding on a pure white steed like that in the Sir Galahad picture at school, and he'd repeat to her those beautiful words, "My strength is as the s

The meeting was over and Aunt Rebecc

s of the former nodded a cordial how-de-do, though most of them were stran

try roads. Used to be everybody'd speak to everybody else they'd meet on the road--here, Amos," she laid a restraining hand upon the reins.

t Rebecca climbed from the carriage, picked up the trophy of good luck and

e them home and hang them on the old peach tree in the back yard. I know they bring go

hurt, anyhow. But, Rebecca," he said as they came within sight

rs are my kind. This plantin' and hoein' at flowers is all for nothin'. It's all right to work so at beans and potatoes and things you can eat when they grow, but what good are flowers but to look at! I done my share of hoein' and diggin' and workin' in the ground. I near killed myself when Jonas lived ye

're savin' for somebody that'll make it fly when you go, I bet. Some day you'll lay down and die and yo

't safe no more since they come on the streets. They go toot, toot, and you got to hop off to one side in the mud o

s, "they'll have flyin' machin

t your old sister that way! But Mom always said when you was litt

ight. "That's one on you. Aunt Rebecca a

, laughing. "'A blind pig so

substantial food. The fried sausage was browned just right, the potatoes and lima beans well-cooked, the cold slaw, with its

d Aunt Rebecca said, "Now t

"Why, abody'd think we was company. Y

-day, once, I'd take you in the parlor to sit a while. I

l to the front room. As she opened t

opened the slatted shutters, and a flood of summer light entered the room. "Ach," she said impatiently as she hammered at one window, "I can hardly get

nd take it good

the solid comfort of its occupants. Mrs. Reist chose an old hickory Windsor chair, Aunt Rebecca se

house and it didn't cost a cent,"

t to look around a little. I like these dishes. I wish we had some l

. If I didn't think so much of them dishes I'd sold them a'ready. That little glass with the rim round the bottom of it I used to drink out of it at my gra

a huge willow platter with its quaint blue design, several pewter bowls, a plate with a crude peacock i

d with pictures, an old leather-bound album with heavy brass clasps and hinges. A rag carpet, covered in places with hooked rugs, added a proper note of harmony, while the old walnut chairs melted into the whole like trees in a woodland scene. The whitewashed walls were bare

e of, Aunt Rebecca

ke some of these things that look like silver but ain't. Pewter is good ware and I think sometimes that the people that lived when it was used so much were way ahead of the p

ous old aunt could, so unexpectedly, utter beautiful, suggestive thoughts. Oh, Aunt R

," came the command, "you sit down once! Here, look at

pages and looked at the pictures of several generations ago. A little girl with ruffled pantalets showing below her full skirt and a fat little boy wi

d Aunt Rebecca. "Why, t

here, ain't? I guess if abody thinks back right you see the

h called forth much comment and many questions from the interested

e child found it, a tintype of a young man seated on a vine-covered seat an

that Unc

ss, no! That's

not the Martin Landis's

that

hat were you doin' with your hand on his sh

d dare to do that for we was pro

in Landis's pop once?" The gi

didn't feel right when I spent money. Now, since he's gone, I don't know how. I act so dumb it makes me mad at myself sometimes. If I go to Lancaster and buy me a whole plate of ice-cream it kinda bothers me. I keep wonderin' what Jonas'd think, for he used to say that half a

es with your rich Aunt Rebecca for all the farms in Lancaster County." Poor Aunt Rebecca, she pitied her! Then she remembered the words of the memory gem they had analyzed in school last year, "Where ignorance is bliss 'tis folly to be wise." She could understand it now! So l

body think back. That old polonaise dress, now," she went on in reminiscent s

g--what's a

e. I'll s

stairs and soon she returned with a long string of butt

claimed Amanda. "Where did you ever g

ttons on mine till I was well up in my twenties, then the string was full and big so I stopped

glass, many of them with quaint filigree brass mounting over colored background, a few G. A. R. buttons from old uniforms, speckled china ones like

one is from Jonas' wedding jacket and this pretty blue

turned to her mother, "Did you

it when you were a baby and the string got b

it and have you tell where the buttons com

to see my friendship ca

ose from her chair, eager to see

aunt. Then she walked to a corner of the parlor, reached behind the big cupboard

ship cane?" asked Ama

ome are double-faced satin and some with them little scallops at the edge, and they're pretty colors, too. I could tell the name of every person who give me a ribbon for that cane. My goodness, lots o' them boys and girls been dead long a'ready. I guess abody sh

os told the truth when he said that Aunt Rebecca's like a chestnut burr. She's all prickly on the outside but she's got a nice, smooth side to her that abody d