The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1872-08-01
DeuotsS 10 Politics, literature, asrenlture,, seis
5fienre, Moralitp, ano {

who rode to Lancaster in buggies, where
two pairs were married by a minister
In the afternoon, the happy mortals went
to Philadelphia for few days, and on
the evening of their return there was a
tplendid reception or "home coming"
The supper consisted of roast turkeys,
beef, stewed chickens, cakes, pies, aud
coffee of course. "Raisin. pie" is one of
the rare dainties on such festive occas
sions. ,,-.. -..-r
Another wedding took place in the
meeting house, one bitter Sunday morn
ing in December. The party entered
through an adjoining brick dwelling, one
room OF which served as an anteroom,
where the sisters left their bon nets and
shawls. The meeting house was crowd
ed. On the left in front was a plain of
muslin caps on the heads of the sisters.
Along the other side, the hats and over
coats of the brethren were placed on
shelves and pegs. The building was en-
tirely uupainted, with whitewashed walls
A small unpainted desk, before which was
low table, two stoves, and half dozen
hanging tin candlesticks, with the benches,
constituted the furniture of the apostolic
cathedral. After plain spoken discourse
by the preacher, the marriage pair was
| called upon to come forward. Upon this
the man and woman rose from the body
of the congregation on either side, and
coming out to the middle aisle stood to-
gether before the minister They had
both good faces, though they had passed
their earl youth. The bride wore a
mode, colored alpaca, aud black apron,
and plain clear starched cap without
frill or border. The groom had on a
rather conspicuous dark green coat, cut
"shade bellied" after the manner of the
brethren. After putting the usual ques
tions, and directing them to join hands,
the preacher pronounced them husband
and wife. This was followed by short
prayer, when the welded couple separa,
ted, each again taking place among the
congregation. The occasion was not with
out certain homely pathos Gu resum-
ing his place in the desk, the preachers s
eyes were suffused, and pocket handker
chiefs were visible on either side, "those
of the sisters white of the brethren col
ored silk" The church does not allow
wedding parties, but few friends may
gather at the house after meeting.
The farming of the fertile limestone
district inhabited by the "Dutch" is en-
tirely by tllage, aud very laborious The
usual routine is to break up the sward
every FIVE years, and plant the ground
with corn. The next year it is sown with
oats, and in the month of August the
stubble land is manured for wheat
Wheat aud timothy are put in with a
drill, and in the ensuing Spring clover is
sown upon the same ground. When the
wheat is taken off in July the new grass
is growing, and will be ready to NOW in
the next fourth Summer In the fifth
year the sod forms asrich pasture, aud is
ready to be broken up again in the Fall
for Indian corn. Potatoes are seldom
planted in large quantities. On farm
of forty acres more than twenty will be
put with wheat. The average yield of
this is twenty bushels, of corn about for
ty. When wheat and oats are in the barn
or stack enormous eight horse thrashers
(steam thrashers have lately been intro
duced) are taken about the neighborhood
from farm to farm, and dispatch the whole
crop in few days, completing before the
first of October what was once Job for
the Winter @
The Pennsylvania "Dutchman" has no
extravagant enthusiasm on the subject of
education. He fears too much of it for
his sons, as it may lead to laziness, and
laziness with him is mortal sin. The
book market is not active. During the
Winter months the young men usually go
to school, sometimes with little reluc-
tance, where they learn to read, write,
with touch of arithmetic and geography.
They speak English at school, and the
German dialect at home. .,5 - e.sfs -
The dutch" housewife is considered
as more than half the family. She milks
the COWS, raises poultry, takes care of the
garden, which she often digs herself, and
plants and hoes, with the help of her
daughters and her "maid," if she has one.
She does not indeed go in for vegetable
raising on large scale, nor has she ex
tepsive beds of strawberries and other
small fruits; nor does she plant a great
many peas and beans, which it is too
much trouble to stick" But her gar.
den always shows jolly array of cabbage
and "red beets," of onions and early po
tatoes, plenty of cucumbers for Winter
pickles, and a generous store of string
beans and tomatoes A small farm often
sells at least two hundred dollars worth
of vegetables, which is sufficient to clothe
the whole family four or five times over.
The daughters are allowed at times to 60
out and busk corn. cit was pretty
sight which saw one Fall day." says the
writer-''a father with four sons and
daughters husking in the field. we do
it all ourselves said he." 7arg aai
In the Winter mornings the wife, per
haps, goes out to milk in the stable with
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