Amanda: A Daughter of the MennonitesMyers, Anna Balmer
General
Amanda: A Daughter of the Mennonites
Myers, Anna Balmer
Mennonites -- Fiction
"Why, of tin and lead. And it's a pity they don't make it and use lots
of it like they used to long ago. For you can use pewter spoons in
vinegar and they don't turn black like 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
people to-day. Pewter's the same all through, no thin coatin' of
something shiny that can wear off and spoil the spoons or dishes. It's
old style now but it's good and pretty."
"Yes, that's so," agreed Amanda. It was surprising to the little girl
that the acidulous old aunt could, so unexpectedly, utter beautiful,
suggestive thoughts. Oh, Aunt Rebecca's house was a wonderful place.
She must see more of the treasures in the parlor.
Finally her activity annoyed Aunt Rebecca. "My goodness," came the
command, "you sit down once! Here, look at the album. Mebbe that will
keep you quiet for a while."
Amanda sat on a low footstool and took the old album on her knees. She
uttered many delighted squeals of surprise and merriment as she turned
the thick 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 with full trousers reaching half-way between his knees
and his shoetops sent Amanda into a gale of laughter. "Oh, I wish Phil
was here. What funny people!"
"Let me see once," asked Aunt Rebecca. "Why, that's Amos and your mom."
Mrs. Reist smiled and Uncle Amos chuckled. "We're peaches there, ain't?
I guess if abody thinks back right you see there were as many crazy
styles in olden times as there is now."
Tintypes of men and women in peculiar dress of Aunt Rebecca's youth
called forth much comment and many questions from the interested
Amanda. "Are there no pictures in here of you?" she asked her aunt.
"Yes, I guess so. On the last page or near there. That one," she said
as the child found it, a tintype of a young man seated on a vine-
covered seat and a comely young woman standing beside him, one hand
laid upon his shoulder.
"And is that Uncle Jonas?"
"No--my goodness, no! That's Martin Landis."
"Martin Landis? Not my--not the Martin Landis's pop that lives near
us?"
"Yes, that one."
"Why"--Amanda was wide-eyed and curious--"what were you doin' with your
hand on his shoulder so and your picture taken with him?"
Aunt Rebecca laughed. "Ach, I had dare to do that for we was promised
then, engaged they say now."
"You were goin' to marry Martin Landis's pop once?" The girl could not
quite believe it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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