Amanda: A Daughter of the Mennonites

Reist,

g enough," she declared, "but I want to travel through the distant parts of it, not settle there to l

little rural school in which she had received the rudiments of

ts in the school-yard impressed the children with the story of Ticonderoga more indelibly than mere reading about it could have done. During her last year at Normal, Amanda had read about a school where geography was taught by the construction of miniature islands, capes, straits, peninsulas, and so forth, in the school-yard. She directed the older children in the formation of such a landscape picture

anda Reist" and disliked the way she taught geography and made the pupils "play in the dirt a

duty to drop in and observe how things were being run in that school. They found that the three R's were still taught efficiently, even if they were taught with the aid of chestnuts, autumn leaves and flowers; th

d in Lancaster County to admit of any questionable suggestions about its recent graduate. Most of the people who came to inspect came without any antagonistic feelin

ascinating task of forming objects of beauty and usefulness from homely corn husk and a few gay threads of raffia was novel to them. Amanda was willing to help the children along the path of manual dexterity and eager to have th

came with all the alluring witchery of the Garden Spot it seemed to her she must make every one of he

ed the door of the schoolhouse and started down the road to

ind it up and then my first year's teaching will be over! I h

work in the schoolroom. Her eyes roved over the fair panorama of Lancaster County in early spring dress. As

s," she ca

he answered. "Yo

r. Have you been asleep an

d as he looked at it. "Whew! It is that late! Time f

bout something or other. I'm ashamed of myself, Uncle Amo

ell, we can't all be alike. Too bad, no

You're the nice

t you make me blush. I ain't

er how I used to be half afraid of her when I was little. She tried to make Mother dress me in a plain dress and a Mennonite bonnet, but Mother said she'd dress me like a little girl and if I chose I could wear the plain dress and bonnet

scared to death to co

he first thunder-storm we'd have. And when we put the bath tub into the house-- whew! Didn't she give us lectures then! She has

ords. Then the girl asked, "What did she have to say

people got to rest so often in these days when they do a little work. She worked in the fields often and she could stand more yet than a lot o' lazy men. I didn't ans

clothes were falling under the snip of the shears into a peach basket, ready to be sewn toge

as she laid a few boo

"I wonder now how much money gets s

," answered the

id you b

I went to M

. I don't see nothin' in that Stiegel glass to make it so dear. Why, I had a little white glass pitcher, crooked it was, too, and nothin' extra to look at. But along come one of them anteak men, so they call themselves, the men that buy u

ked Amanda. "And

sketch of the well-kno

wed one just like it!

a bargain. That was a real Stiegel pitc

You mean it was worth more than

in 1760, or some such early date as that. It was crude as to shape, almost all the pieces are a little crooked, but it was wonderfully made in some ways, for it has a ring like a bell

h I had that one back. It spites me now I sold it. My goodness, abody can't watch ou

in a book last year,"

ore so innocent an expression that the woman could n

learn something that'll help you save money. All the books you got to read! And Philip's still g

rnin' and wants to go to school I should leave him go till he's satisfied. I think his pop would say

Philip to be a farmer. The trouble is it don't sound tony enough for the young ones these days. Lawyer-

a, "not all lawyers are liars.

t from others, only he's dead so

I'm going up to put on an old dress and when Phil

rig

help cut carpet rags?" she asked. "That would be more sen

ow and sell them. Some people asked for them last week. It's ra

rent. Ain't it funny anybody buys flowers? But then some people don't kn

wide stairs, beyond the so

didn't bristle! What a life we'd have if Mother were like that! If I e

ildhood he had begun the habit of whistling a strain from the old song, "Soldier's Farewell" and, like many habits of early years, it had clung to him

old whistle floated to her. She hastened her steps and

ght that would bring you if you were about. Oh, don't look so tickled over my politeness--I ju

rom the girl as she took her pla

ome-coming," Amanda told him. "Can

arned that big word in English class to

with pride upon the tall, red-haired boy beside her. "I see it's one of

held his side

he row now? Any

going home to-night if you'

y's disregard of pure English. "Surest thing you know, Sis

ther cut ca

m glad to be able to say one nice thing about her. Apart from that she's generally as Millie says, 'a

re to stop i

I know how Caesar felt when

worst is yet to come,' I suppos

ed the Reist farmhouse. There the boy greeted

's greeting to him, "you go

but I have to do a lot of hard

ink more of you if you stayed home and help

moking are filthy habits and I'd never

You got nothin' but books in your head. How do you suppose this place is goin' to be run about ten years from now if

We may not want to live here ten years from now. But, Mother," he vee

piece of cherry pie and a slice

at you get an extra star in your cro

I mind how he used to eat pie when he was little and you brought him to see us. Not that I grudged him the pie

d he has just a lunch at noon, so he gets hungry till he walks in f

, "I would never spoiled childre

d to herself as she went out to

as he joined her. "But say, Sis, didn't

r arm and pulled eagerly at the sleeve of the boy's coa

ths Amanda and Phil loved to traverse in search of flowers. In April, when the first warm, sunshiny days came, the ground under the dead leaves of the overshadowing oaks was carpeted with arbutu

knelt in the brown leaves and pushed awa

ng to the trolley. They had a bunch of arbutus, roots and all. Believe me, I acted up like Aunt Rebecca for about two minutes. But it'

thinking about, Phil

d all the birds

rose and left i

nd, and teach

wers would never see any if they could not buy them in the city. Imagine, if you can, yourself living in a big city, far away from Crow Hill, where the Mayflowers grow--Philadelphia or New York, or some such formidable-sounding place. The city might engross your attention so you'

e're as good as missionaries when we find wild flowers and take or send them to the city market to sell

" chided h

mes I think there's something to

ve him a qu

ld not try to explore deeper than he wished. For the natures of brother and sister were strongly similar--light-hearted and happy, laughing and gay, keen to

ave?" the boy asked in imitation

bet the flowers will be gone in

he replied, looking admiringly at the girl. "

l, be se

the freckles you ought to have. Your nose isn't Grecian, but it'll do--we'll call it retroussé, for that sounds nicer than pug. And your mouth--well, it'

ment you're giving me, but I'm glad to say your veracity augurs well for your success as a

d old Abe Lincoln l

n hour passed and the two returned home with their baskets filled wi

washed and combed, and waiting on the

illie paused in the act of pouring coffee into big blue cups to "get a sniff of the smell," but Aunt Rebecca was im

w minutes later all were seated about the big table i

asies of his acquaintances, but he held sacred things sacred and rendered to reverent things their d

, "Amen," Philip turned to Amanda

ghter. Everybody at the tab

ny?" asked

I forgot all about them when we went in to dinner, but we had just sat down and bowed our heads for grace when those birds began to talk. They went at it as though some person had wound them up. 'Polly wants some dinner; Polly

il hadn't nudged me I could have we

a's remark. "Anyhow, that was no time to laugh. I guess you'll remember what

let 'em laugh. I guess we

" cried the boy; "you'r

at," chime

"did you make that cherry pie I

Was it

Millie, I'm going to borrow you for a while

a wife that knows how to cook and bake? But, Philip Reist, you

now, Millie?" a

re I was to get big money, but when I got there I found I was to go in the back way always, even on Sunday, and was to eat alone in the kitchen after they eat, and I was to

in from her homely face, she was certainly not beautiful, and yet the girl who looked at her tho

. "And Mother's another. I hope I

washed, Aunt Rebecca decided

time?" suggested Philip. "It would go so much

e. I got no time for all these new-fangled things, like wagons that run without horses, and light

aid the boy as he went out,

d. Ah, that was an enlightening test. "Am I an easy, pleasant person to live with?" Making full allowance for differences in temperament and dis

n I really care for--Martin Landis, for instance--" Her thoughts went off to her castles in Spain as she gathered the arbutus into little bunches and tied them. "He offered to help me fix my schoolroom for the Spelling Bee on Saturday. He's got a big heart, my Sir Galahad of childhood." She smiled as she thought of her burned hand and h