The following Sunday at noon Martin passed the Reist farmhouse as he
drove his mother and several of the children to Mennonite church at
Landisville. After the service he passed that way again and noticed
several cars stopping at Reists'. Evidently they were entertaining a
number of visitors for Sunday dinner after the service, as is the
custom in rural Lancaster County. The big porch was filled with people
who rocked or leaned idly against the pillars, while in the big kitchen
Millie, Amanda and Mrs. Reist worked near the hot stove and prepared an
appetizing dinner for them.
Amanda did not shirk her portion of the necessary work, but rebellion
was in her heart as she noted her mother's flushed, tired face.
"Mother, if you'd only feel that Millie and I could get the dinner
without you! It's a shame to have you in this kitchen on a day like
this!"
"Ach, I'm not so hot. I'm not better than you or Millie," the mother
insisted, and stuck to her post, while Amanda murmured, "This Sunday
visiting--how I hate it! We've outgrown the need of it now, especially
with automobiles."
But at length the meal was placed upon the table, the guests gathered
from porches and lawn and an hour later the dishes were washed and
everything at peace once more in the kitchen. Then Amanda walked out to
the garden at the rear of the house.
"Ooh," she sighed in relief, "I'm glad that's over! Visiting on such a
day should be made a misdemeanor!" She pulled idly on a zinnia that
lifted its globular red head in the hot August sun.
"Hey, Sis," came Phil's voice to her, "he wants you on the 'phone!"
"Who's he?" she asked as the boy ran out to her in the garden.
They turned to the house, talking as they went.
"Well, Sis, you know who _he_ is! He's coming round here all the
time lately."
A gentle shove from the girl rewarded the boy for his teasing, but he
was not easily daunted. "Don't you remember," he said, "how that old
Mrs. Haldeman who kept tine candy store near the market house in
Lancaster used to call her husband _he_? She never called him
Mister or Mr. Haldeman, just _he_, and you could feel she would
have written it in italics if she could."
"Well, that was all right, there was only one _he_ in the world so
far as she was concerned. But do you remember, Phil, the time Mother
took us in her store to buy candy and we talked to her canary and the
old woman said, 'Ach, yes, I think still how good birds got it! I often
wish I was a canary, but then he would have to be one too!' We
disgraced Mother by giggling fit to kill ourselves. But the old woman
just smiled at us and gave us each a pink and white striped peppermint
stick. Now run along, Phil, don't be eavesdropping," she said as they
reached the hall and she sat down to answer the telephone.