New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-07-09
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
THE PENNSYLVANIA GERMANS.
PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH" AND OTHER ESSAYS
l2mo. PIP. 2O7. j. b. Lippncott 4 Co.


Of a peculiar class of our rural population which
are presented in this volume will attract the atten
ton of many readers no less by the novelty of their
details than by the evident naturaness and fidelity
of their cooTng.
The language spoken by these primitive Chris
tians who nhabit the County of Lancaster In Penn
sylvania is dialect of the German, although they
generally designate both it and themselves as Dutch
For the native German who works with them on the
farm they cherish feeling of contempt WITH
certain grim recollections of the Yankee tin ped
dlers who swamed over the country some fifty or
sixty years ago the term Yankee is used by them
as the traditional synonym for cheat The
vocabulary IN common use is an odd mixture
of the dialects of South Germany, brought from
the region of the upper Rhine, including Switzer-
land, with an infusion of broken English.
In their religion, they are branch OF the Men
nonites IN plainness and simplicity of speech and
raiment resembling the Society of Friends, although
not attaching so much importance to theinner teach
ings of the Spirit in the stiffness of the SOUL Their
Westinghouse Is a low brick building, with no sign
of ornament to minister TO the "lust of the eye OF
the pride of life" The men, with broad brimmed
hats and Quaker-like garments sit on benches on
one side of the house. and the women, in prm hats
and black sun bonnets ranged on the other The
services, which are conducted in Dutch" consist
of prayer and exhOrtatiOn, and a kind OF rude UNI
musical chant by the congregation. A pause OF
about five minutes is allowed for private prayer
The preachers are not paid, and are chosen by lot
from a number of candidates previously named by
the people, both men and women. The ministers
are expected 10 take part in public affairs but
the least rigid of the members usually vote at cleo
tions and are allowed to hold such offices as
school-director and supervisor of roads, but
not TO be members of the Legislature. They
hmm NIT
ment bonds They do not take Oaths, nor deal IN
spirituous liquors. If one of the members is dis
owned by the church. the other members OF his own
family are not allowed to eat at the same table with
him. and his wife withdraws from him. They re-
tain the ordinances of baptism and the Lords Sup
per together with the ancient feet-washing, and
the greeting of one another with holy kiss"
On Sunday morning, huge ark-like wagons, COW
cred with yellow oil-cloth, may be seen moving to-
ward the house of the member whose turn it is to
entertain the meeting, which seems in some places to
be held in private dwellings, instead of separate
meeting house. Great have been the preparations
beforehand - wonderful the whtewashing, the
scrubbing, the polishing of tin and brass TO make
ready for the occasion. The young mothers do not
stay at home, but bring their babies with them
After the services, the congregation remain to din
ner Bean soup was formerly the principal dish,
but the well-to-io farmers of the present day are
The greatest festive occasion, or the one which
calls the largest number of persons TO eat and drink
together is the funeral. When a death occurs, the
neicbbors take possession of the house, relieving
the family from all labor and care. Some of them
put the rooms in order for the reception OF company,
after the inevitable neglect in the progress of fatal
disease Others repair to the Kitchen and help to
bake great store of bread, pies and rusks. Two
young men and two young women SIT up together
flO$.f Tho
dead. When the funeral takes place Sunday, an
immense concourse of people is assembled There
are sometimes as many three hundred carriages
in attendance. The services usually in the Ger
man language. An invitation is given TO the COM
pany TO return the house and eat after the funeral
The tables are sometimes set IN a barn, OF large
wagon-hOuse and the guests succeed one another
until all are DONE The neghbors wait upon the
table The entertainment generally consists OF cold
meat, bread and butter, apple-sauce and pickles.
pies and rusks, and sometimes stewed chickens,
mashed potatoes cheese, and coffee invariably.
The weddings are of even still primitive
character On one occasion. the writer of the vol
ume was invited to see the bride leave home. The
groom arrived at the house about six o'clock in the
morning, having previously breallfasted and ridden
four miles. As he no doubt fed and harnessed his
own horse besides dressing for the grand occasion,
he must have taken early start on the frosty Oc-
tober morning. The bride purple mOusseline-
de-laine and a blue bonnet. The bridegroom was
mechanic The party was composed of four couples
who rode to Lancaster in bugges, where two pairs
were married by a minister In the afternoon, the
happy mortals went to Philadelphia for a few days,
and on the evening of their return there was
splendid reception or home coming" The supper
consisted Of roast turkeys, beef, stewed chickens
cakes pies, and coffee of course. " Raisin-pie" is
one of the rare daintes such festive occasions.
Another wedding took place in the meeting house.
me bitter Sunday morning in December The party
entered through an adjoining brick dwelling, one
room of which served as ante-r0om where the SIS
left their bonnets and shawS The Westinghouse
was crowded. On the left in front was a plain Of
muslin caps the heads of the sisters. Along the
other side the hats and Overcoats of the brethren
were placed on shelves and pegs. The building was
entirelyunpainted, with whtewashed walls. A small
nnpainted desk before which was a low table, two
stoves and half-a-dozen hanging tin candlesticks
with the benches constituted the furniture of the
apostolic cathedral. After plan-spoken discourse
by the preacher, the marragepair 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
together before the minister. They had both good
faces though they had passed their early youth
The bride wore a mOde-colored alpaca, and black
apron and a plain cear-starched cap without frill
or border. The groom had on rather conspicuous
dark green coat cut shad-beed" after the man
ner Of the brethren. After putting the usual
questions. and directing them to join hands, the
preacher pronounced them husband and wife, This
was followed by a short PRAYER, when the welded
couple separated each again taking place among
the congregation. The occasion was not without a