Pastures of Faith: The Amish of Lancaster

by Sarah Price

  "Let me guess...hay and corn?” Junior laughed.

  “Or tobacco and wheat?” David contributed.

  Samuel joined the laughter. “Probably trying to plant cotton, too!”

  Daniel smiled. "Something like that."

  Lillian smiled at Rachel, trying to include her in the conversation. "Jake is our sister Sylvia's husband. They were married last summer. He's still learning his away around the farm life. He’s a bit…overeager when it comes to his crops. A new farmer with high ambitions, ja?" The four men laughed again, clearly enjoying the inside joke about their brother-in-law.

  Rachel frowned, confused by Lillian’s statement. "An Amish farmer who doesn't know how to farm?"

  Daniel spoke up, rushing to Jake’s defense. "He’s not quite Amish, yet," he said, emphasizing the word yet.

  “Nor a farmer yet either, ain’t so?” Samuel added, a broad smile on his face.

  "I don't understand," Rachel replied.

  Daniel looked over at her, their eyes meeting again and, for the briefest of moments, no one spoke. The silence was awkward, as though someone was waiting for anyone to speak. Daniel took a deep breath, realizing that she was staring at him and the rest of the table was watching. "Our sister Sylvia married an Englischer," he explained.

  “Outside the faith?” Rachel gasped. She wasn’t certain she was feeling too comfortable in a house where daughters married outside of the faith and brothers laughed so openly about another’s failure as a farmer.

  "Oh, but he is joining the church," Lillian was quick to add. "They both are to participate in the fall baptism."

  The look on Rachel's face made everyone immediately uncomfortable. It was easy to read her thoughts, which clearly spoke of silent disapproval. To have a family member leave the faith was one thing but to have someone marry outside the faith only to rejoin afterwards was most unusual. Usually the person joined the faith before the marriage, not after. "I've never heard of such a thing," she stated, disapproval in her voice. "That doesn't happen in Ohio."

  They ate the rest of the meal in silence. There was nothing left to say. Samuel seemed to fidget in his seat next to Daniel, wiggling uncomfortably as he kept stealing glances at the young woman seated on the other side of the table. Daniel nudged him with his elbow and gave him a stern look. That seemed to quiet the youngest Lapp and he focused more on his dinner than on Rachel.

  When Junior finally excused himself, Daniel quickly followed his older brother's example. Both men had work to do, one at the carpentry shop down the lane and the other in the fields. Neither man could escape the tension in the house fast enough. David and Samuel didn’t need to be asked twice to finish their food and join them. Instead, they also thanked Lillian for the meal and hurried out the door, headed toward the barn to help brother Daniel in the fields.

  Lillian watched her husband leave, not liking the silence in the kitchen. She was used to noise from the children or visits from Junior's mother. Being left alone with Rachel was not quite the same. They didn't know each other and, apparently, there was a lot to learn before a friendship could be formed.

  With a deep breath, Lillian turned to Rachel with a forced smile. "Best get cleaned up in here and start the washing before the little ones come home, ja?"

  The afternoon seemed to drag on, for both Lillian and Rachel. They worked in silence, using the diesel powered wringer washer to clean the clothes. Rachel didn't complain but Lillian knew that she wasn't happy. But help was help, even if the task at hand was not pleasant. Every Amish women knew that they couldn’t pick and choose their chores. There was no use complaining when the chores happened to be unpleasant ones.

  When the basket was full of damp clothes, Lillian asked Rachel to go hang them on the line that stretched from the corner of the porch to the barn. Without a word, Rachel simply nodded her head and took the clothes outside. She hurried to the edge of the porch and quickly began to pin the individual pieces of clothing to the clothing line, two pins for each shirt and each pair of pants. Within fifteen minutes, a colorful line of freshly washed clothing waved gently in the spring breeze, the blues and whites of the shirts and purples and greens of the dresses contrasting with the black pants and aprons. With the sun shining brightly against the blue sky, it was a pretty sight. Even Rachel felt a bit comforted as it reminded her of home.

  For the rest of the afternoon, she helped Lillian bake some fresh bread and prepare the evening meal. It felt strange to be cooking in someone else’s kitchen. Her entire life had been spent working in her mamm’s kitchen. Of course, there were times that she had helped in the kitchen of neighbors, especially after worshipping on church Sunday or when visiting relatives. But she had known those people.

  She managed to find some time to escape to her room in order to rest for a brief spell. It had been a long couple of days, starting with her father's announcement that she was to spend the rest of the spring and summer in Lancaster County. She knew why he was sending her. He simply didn't know what to do with her anymore. It was time for him to move into the smaller house and time for Rachel to get used to the idea. But she didn't want to leave the family house...didn't want her older brother to move in with his family...and she certainly didn't want to live in the grossdaadihaus with her father.

  But Lancaster County? She had never traveled far from home. She had never wanted to leave Ohio. The trip was long and scary. She had been alone and afraid that she would get lost or leave the train at the wrong station. She was thankful that the conductor had taken pity on her, constantly checking to make certain she was all right and helping her to hire a cab to take her from the station to Leola, Pennsylvania.

  "Rachel?" Someone called her name from the bottom of the stairs. It sounded strange to hear someone call out for her in this unfamiliar house. "Milking time."

  Reluctantly, Rachel left the comfort of the small bedroom and headed back downstairs. Lillian greeted her by motioning to her daughter who sat at the table. "Linda, say hello to our cousin Rachel. She's to stay with us for a while."

  Linda stared at Rachel, her eyes large and wide. "You the cousin from Ohio, ja?"

  Rachel nodded.

  "That sure sounds awful far away!" Linda exclaimed.

  "It sure seems like it is," Rachel replied.

  Linda chewed on her lower lip. "What's it like there?"

  Rachel glanced around the kitchen. Was it really that much different? With the exception of the hills and valleys, Pennsylvania wasn't too much different. But her family was there and that made a world of difference. "Much like here, I suppose. Farms, horses, and little girls with lots of questions, ja?"

  Lillian smiled at the exchange between the two girls. "Linda, take Rachel out to the barn so she can help with the evening milking. But I want you to come right back so that you can put your school work away and help me with supper preparation."

  "Yes, Mamm," Linda said and she quickly took Rachel by the hand, leading her out of the kitchen and through the yard to the barn.

  During the evening milking, Rachel watched as the men began their routine. She stood by, waiting for instructions, hoping that someone would tell her what to do. Daniel didn’t seem to notice her so Rachel looked toward Junior for guidance. She knew how to milk cows, of course, but she wasn’t used to doing it by hand.

  “There’s a stool over there,” Junior said, gesturing to the back room.

  She bit her lower lip and went to retrieve the stool. When she returned, she stood by his side. “I…I don’t see the milking machine,” she said.

  “Milking machine?” he asked, a frown on his face.

  “Ja. Back in Ohio, we use a battery-operated milking machine for the cows. We don’t do it by hand.” She glanced around at the rows of cows. “Milking these cows by hand must surely take hours!”

  Daniel looked up, following the conversation with only a hint of interest. He watched his older brother’s reaction as he tried to patiently explain that, indeed, it took two hours and that was why
they were grateful for her help. But he could see that this answer did not please Rachel. He immediately got the sense that she was more comfortable working inside the home, rather than around the barn. He chuckled to himself, shaking his head as he went back to work. He had heard about some of the Ohio youth. He had heard that the communities were more lenient and worldly. So it didn’t surprise him that this long-lost cousin once removed was different and unfamiliar with the Amish ways of Lancaster County.

  David and Samuel were mucking the aisle behind the cows, watching as Rachel hesitantly began to position herself near one of the cows. When she grabbed at the udder, Samuel suppressed a laugh while David started to walk over to help her.

  “Rachel, I can help you,” he offered, reaching out to show her the proper way to hand milk the cow.

  Abruptly, she pushed his hand away. “I can do this,” she snapped. “I’ve done it before, just not recently.” She heard Samuel laugh and turned to face both David and Samuel. “You must think Ohio Amish are backward if you think that we can’t milk a cow by hand!”

  Daniel stood up from where he had been milking the cow next to Rachel, raising his eyebrows at her sudden outburst. He leaned against the cow and motioned to his brother to back away. He was glad that David didn’t say anything in reply. After all, their mother had always taught her children that it was better to turn the other cheek. But Daniel certainly couldn’t help but wonder what the bishop and deacons in her precious Ohio community taught if this was how she spoke to people. Words spoken in anger or frustration were not something he was used to hearing. It was very rare for tempers to flare in his family’s house.

  The cow seemed to tense up, not used to being handled so roughly. David glanced at Daniel, both men knowing what was most likely to happen. But, Daniel shook his head, indicating that, if she wanted to do it on her own, neither one of them should try to stop her. Instead, Daniel crossed his arms and watched as she struggled to find the proper grip on the teat. A ripple passed over the cow’s hide and, as Daniel certainly suspected, the cow lifted her back leg and kicked out, sending Rachel backward into a pile of hay and manure.

  She looked up, color rising to her cheeks. “It’s not funny,” she snapped as she picked herself up from the floor and shook the dirt off of her dress. She glared at both Daniel and David.

  “I’m not laughing,” Daniel said quietly, his voice and expression somber. He walked toward her, extending his hand to help her to her feet. She ignored his hand and stood up by herself, embarrassed for having fallen. She glanced at the other two brothers who clearly were fighting hard to suppress their laughter.

  Junior walked around the corner, followed by their father. He saw the stool knocked over and remnants of the dirt on Rachel’s dress. “Hullo then! What happened here?”

  “Cow kicked her,” Daniel explained, his voice soft with a matter-of-fact tone.

  “Ja, I can see that for myself.”

  His father rubbed at his beard. “Not much of a way to welcome you to the farm, is it now? You get hurt?”

  Rachel lifted her chin and reached down to straighten the stool. “I’m fine, danke.” But it was clear that, despite being physically fine, her pride was shattered.

  “She’s fine all right. She can do it herself,” Samuel said, his tone quick and fresh. When his father and brother looked at him, questioning him with their eyes, Samuel merely shrugged his shoulders. “David offered to help.”

  “I didn’t need any help!” she retorted, her eyes narrow and piercing.

  Jonas stepped forward, his hands held up in a gesture of peace. “Ain’t no way to get started around here, any of you,” he reprimanded. “Not certain what’s going on here but the cows need milking and I won’t have strife in my house.” He leveled his gaze at David and Samuel. “Especially from my own sons. I expect more from you toward a guest, boys.”

  If Daniel wanted to argue, he didn’t. Instead, he looked away, humbled by the reminder but also irritated that his brothers needed to have it. Indeed, he knew better but his younger brothers weren’t used to strangers, especially one like Rachel who carried herself in a manner very different than their sisters. She seemed too sure when she should ask for help, too confident when she should be humbled, and too quick with her tongue when she should be silent…as he was being just now. But Daniel knew that his father was correct. She was new to their farm and a guest. He should have been more tolerant, especially since he was unaware of the facts surrounding her sudden appearance in their lives.

  “I apologize, Rachel. Daed’s right,” he said, his voice genuine and his eyes downcast, humbled by the rebuke. “You let any of us know if we can help you.”

  “I don’t need help,” she repeated, but her voice was softer, less determined than before. She felt the color flooding to her cheeks and lifted her eyes in time to see Daniel look at her quickly. She felt tears brimming at her eyes, embarrassed and ashamed at her own behavior. “But danke, Daniel,” she whispered.

  Jonas exhaled, frustrated with the exchange that he had witnessed and sensing the emotional build-up in the young woman. “Rachel, I’m thinking you should go inside. See if Lillian needs help putting those children to sleep while the men finish out here.”

  He didn’t wait for a response as he turned his back to the three of them and set to task with milking the cows. Junior and Daniel knew better than to argue with their father when he was in such a state, the closest he ever came to being upset and outspoken. The two younger brothers quickly followed their father’s example and moved to the chores at hand, the matter being resolved and Rachel having been dismissed.

  But Daniel couldn’t shake the bad feeling that overwhelmed him. He watched as Rachel lowered her eyes and turned away from the dairy, heading back to the house. He wished he could speak up and tell his daed had been too harsh to the young girl, especially since Samuel had been laughing at her. But he knew better than to dishonor his father in such a way. After all, Rachel was old enough to be traveling so far from home alone. Certainly she could take care of herself, he told himself. Pushing any thought of Rachel out of his mind, he took a deep breath and returned to finishing milking the cows.

  Chapter Three

  Rachel woke up the next morning and looked around the room. It took her a moment to remember where she was. The room was unfamiliar, from the color of paint on the walls to where the furniture was placed. Even the view from the windows was different. With the sun just starting to rise, the fields looked a grayish blue instead of the bright greens and golden yellows that she had seen yesterday. Unlike Ohio, there were more hills and trees in the fields. It was different indeed.

  She laid back into her pillow and shut her eyes. Was she really here, in Pennsylvania? How would she ever be able to cope with being so far away from her family, her friends, even her church? She knew that nothing had been the same since her mamm had died but that didn’t mean that she wanted to be sent away. Rachel knew that her daed had been concerned about her. She forgave him for giving up on her recovery and shipping her off to live in a foreign place. After all, his intentions were in her best interests, she figured.

  When she went downstairs, the young children were gathered around the table. There were four children: Linda, Jacob, Lena, and Abram. Rachel smiled as she watched them. Linda was trying to help her mother and Lena was trying to a force a spoonful of oatmeal into Abram’s mouth. But Abram didn’t want her help and kept trying to grab the spoon from her. Oatmeal was everywhere.

  “Gut martiye!” Lillian said when she noticed Rachel in the stairway. “Did you sleep well, then?”

  Rachel nodded but didn’t say anything. She wasn’t used to be around strangers, even those that were supposedly family. She felt shy and uncomfortable, despite Lillian’s warm demeanor and friendly smiles.

  “The men might need some help outside today. After breakfast, perhaps you could help? Think Daniel and Daed need help with some fencing,” Lillian said, trying to break the ice. She had spoken to Jun
ior the previous evening and they had decided that keeping the young woman busy was the best way to get her acclimated.

  “Fencing in the field?” Rachel said. The color drained from her face. “It’s not along the road, is it?”

  Lillian laughed. “The road?” When she realized that Rachel was serious with her odd question, she immediately sobered. “Mayhaps a little of the fencing is along the road. I didn’t think to ask, truth be told.”

  There was a moment of hesitation but Rachel finally nodded her head. But she didn’t look very happy about it.

  After they had finished eating breakfast, Junior excused himself to leave for his own job at the carpentry shop which was located down the lane but conveniently built on edge of his daed’s farm. Jonas had given his son some land to build the shop and, one day, Junior would build a new house next to the shop for his family to live. But it would certainly take time until that happened and, in the meantime, Lillian was quite happy living alongside her husband’s family.