The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1872-08-01
TIE PENNSYLVANIA GERMANS.

| ~ iauy OF fhlladelphla, who has spen
considerable time in friendly intercours
and association with the German inhabit
ants of Lancaster county, has recentl,
published serioes of essays on their lif,
and manners through the house of J. b
Lippincott g. Co. While the work is iu
some respects rather superficial, it is or
the whole graphic picture of country
life In our German counties. The
authors experience has mostly been among
those connected in religion with the Men
nonites and Dunkards, who abound iu
Lancaster, Lebanon and Dauphin ,coun
| ties, and are also found in considerable
numbers in Montgomery and Bucks. The
pith of the book is contained in the fol
lowing sketch, which we copy from a late
issue of the Tribune : 80 vrbi-a
The language spoken by these primi
tive Christians, who inhabit the county
of Lancaster in Pennsylvania, 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 recol
iectlons of Yankee tin peddlers, who
swarmed over the country some fifty OF
sixty years ago. the term Yankee is used
by them as traditional synonym for cheat
The vocabulary In common use is an odd
mixture of the dialects of South Ger.
many, brought from the region of the up.
per Rhine, including Switzerland, 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 So.
ciety of Friends, although not attaching
so much importance to the inner teach.
ings of the Spirit in the stiffness of the
soul. Their meeting house is a low brick
building, with no sign of ornament to
minister TO the "lust Of the eye or 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 prim hats aud black
sun bonnets, are ranged on the other
The services, which are conducted iu
Dutch" consist of prayer and exhorta
ton, and a kind of rude unmusical chant
by the congregation. A pause of about
five minutes is allowed for private prayer.
The preachers are not paid, and are chos,
en- by lot from number of candidates
previously named by the people, both
men and women. The ministers are not
expected to take part in public affairs,
but the least rigid OF the members usual
ly vote at elections, aud are allowed to
hold such Offices as school director and
supervisor of roads, but not to be mem
hers Of the Legislature. They cannot
bring suit agaiust any one, nor hold judg-
ment bonds. They do not take oaths,
nor deal 10 spirituous liquors. If one of
the members is disowned by the church,
the other members of his own family are
not allowed to eat at0the same table with
him, aud his wife withdraws from him -
They retain the ordinances of baptism
aud the Lords Supper, toge thcr with rhe
ancient feet washing, and the greeting
Of one another with holy kiss
On Sunday morning, huge ark.lik
wagons, covered with yellow l-cloth,
may be seen moving toward the house of
the member whose turn it is to entertain
the meeting. which seems in some places
to be beld in private dwellings. Instead of
separate meeting house. Great have
been the preparations besorehand-won
derful the whitewashing, the scrubbing,
the polishing Of tin and brass to make
ready for the occasion. The young moth
ers do not stay at home. but bring their
babies with them. After the services,
the congregation remain to dinner. Bean
soup was formerly the principal dish, but
the well to. do farmers of the present day
are no longer content with go rustic a
diet
The greatest festive occasion, or the one
which calls the larges number of persons
to eat and drink together, is the funeral.
When death occurs, the neishbors take
possession of the house, relieving the
family from all labor aud care. Some of
them put the rooms in orders for the re-
ception 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 over night to watch in
room adjoining that of the dead. When
the funeral takes place on Sunday, an i'm
mense eoncourse of people is assembled.
There is sometimes as many as three hun
dred carriages in attendance. The ser
vices are usually in the German language
An invitation is given to the company to
return to the house and eat after the
funeral. The tables are sometimes set in
the barn, or large wagon house, and the
guests succeed one another until all are
done. The neighbors wait upon the
table The entertainment generally con
sists Of cold meat, bread, and butter, ap.
pie sauce and pickles, pies and rusks, and
sometimes stewed chickens, mashed pota-
toes, cheese, and coffee invariably
The weddings are Of even still more
primitive character On one occasion,
IL n H. voIutoa uoc invifad ta