Patchwork: A Story of 'The Plain People'Myers, Anna Balmer
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Patchwork: A Story of 'The Plain People'
Myers, Anna Balmer
Amish -- Fiction
"Plenteous grace with Thee is found,
Grace to cleanse from every sin;
Let the healing streams abound,
Make and keep me pure within;
Thou of life the fountain art,
Freely let me take of Thee:
Spring Thou up within my heart,
Rise to all eternity."
The people in that rose-scented church heard the old hymn sung as they
had never heard it sung before. A subdued hum of approval swept over the
church as the girl sat down. She felt that she had sung well; her heart
was in a tumult of happiness. She was glad when one man rose and lifted
his hands in benediction.
Again the organ throbbed with glad melodies. The eager crowd fell into
line and walked slowly to the altar to lay their roses there. Children
with half withered blossoms, maidens with bunches of crimson flowers,
here and there a stranger with gorgeous hot-house roses, older men and
women with the products of the gardens of the little town--all moved to
the spot where lay a bank of fragrant roses and placed their tributes
there.
Phœbe added her roses to the others on the altar and left the church.
Friends and acquaintances stopped to tell her how well she sang. But the
words that one short year ago would have filled her with overwhelming
pride in her own talent were soon crowded from her thoughts and there
reigned there the words of the speaker, "No man has reached true
greatness save he serves." She had learned great things at that Feast of
Roses service. She had looked deep into her own heart and on its throne
she had found David.
He was waiting for her outside the church.
"You sang fine, Phœbe," he told her as they went down the street
together.
"Yes? I'm glad you liked it."
Then they spoke of other things, of many things, but not one word of the
thoughts lying deepest in the heart of each.
Aunt Maria and Jacob were eating supper in the big kitchen when Phœbe
reached home.
"Well," greeted the aunt, "did you come once! We thought that Feast of
Roses would been out long ago. But when you didn't come for so long and
supper was made we sat down a while. Did you sing?"
"Yes," the girl said as she removed her hat and gloves and drew a chair
to the table.
"Now," cautioned the aunt, "put your apron on! That light goods in your
dress is nothin' for wear; everything shows on it so. And if you spill
red-beet juice or something on it it'll be spoiled."
"I forgot." Phœbe took a blue gingham apron from a hook behind the
kitchen door. "There, if I spoil it now you may have it for a rug."
"Well, I guess that would be housekeepin'! And everything so high since
the war!"
"Tell me about the Feast of Roses," said the father. "Was the church
full?"
"Packed! It was a beautiful service."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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