"Yes. Go right in."
Amanda went through two rooms and came to a semi-darkened side room
where the smallest Landis was putting forth a loud protest at his
fancied neglect.
"Come on, Johnny, don't cry no more. Manda's goin' to take you--see!"
She raised the baby, who changed from crying to laughter.
"Ain't he dear!" Amanda said as she brought the baby into the kitchen.
"And so bright he is for not quite six months old. I remember how old
he is because it was on my mom's last birthday in March that Millie
said you had another baby and I remember, too, that Aunt Rebecca was
there and she said, 'What, them Landis's got another baby! Poor thing!'
I asked Mom why she said that and she thought Aunt Rebecca meant that
babies make so much work for you."
"Ach, abody works anyhow, might as well work tendin' babies. Put your
cheek against Johnny's face once, Amanda."
Amanda bent her head and touched the soft cheek of the child. "Why,"
she said, "ain't it soft, now! Ain't babies just too dear and sweet! I
guess Aunt Rebecca don't know how nice they are."
"Poor thing," said Mrs. Landis.
"Poor--she ain't poor!" Amanda corrected her. "She owns two farms and
got lots of money besides."
"But no children--poor thing," repeated Mrs. Landis.
Amanda looked at her, wondering.
"Amanda," said the white-capped mother as she wiped some blackberry
juice from little Henry's fingers, "abody can have lots of money and
yet be poor, and others can have hardly any money and yet be rich. It's
all in what abody means by rich and what kind of treasures you set
store by. I wouldn't change places with your rich Aunt Rebecca for all
the farms in Lancaster County."
"Well, I guess not!" Amanda could understand her attitude. "And Mom and
Millie say still you got such nice children. But Martin now," she said
with assumed seriousness as she saw him step on the porch to enter the
kitchen--"your Martin pushed me in a bean patch yesterday and I fell
down flat on my face."
"Martin!" his mother began sternly. "What for did you act so?"
"Amanda, don't you tell!" the boy commanded, his face flushing. "Don't
you dare tell!"
"I got to now, I started it. Ach, Mrs. Landis, you dare be proud of
him! My dress caught fire and none of us had sense but him. He
smothered it by throwin' me in the bean patch and he--he's a hero!"
"A hero!" cried little Henry. "Mart's a hero!" while the mother smiled
proudly.
"Manda Reist," Martin spoke quickly as he edged to the door. "Amanda
Reist, next time--next time I'll--darn it, I'll just let you burn up!"
He ran from the room and disappeared round the corner of the house.