The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-12-21

wagons dotting the avenue under the trees, and sprinllled over the landscape back of the barn; siXty-five vehicles so nearly alike in pattern that you would have thought you were visiting Wag- on factory, and that here were the re- suits of large efforts on the part of the builders who had followed one sample. When we got better acquainted with their various owners we asked how they ever told them apart, how they got the right horse to the right shafts. "Oh, we just look at 'em; we know 'em!' One man said he recognized his because the back of it was peppered full of shot, the result of a target prac- tice by the boys at home, who hit the wagon instead of the mark. Another said he had little block nailed to the floor of his wagon for the comfort of his short-legged wife; the block couldn't be moved without taking up the floor of the wagon. And so the fine distinctions were developed until the whole siXty-five wagons did appear diff ferent after all and what may have seemed an awful easy mark for the evil-minded small boy, whose propensi-
 
 Amishman, wasn't so easy as it looked
 It might be proper to observe here that the wagons were not furnished with whips Neither is there a whip socket nor even hood over the front If you look very carefully in the bot tom of the wagon, however, you might find a rather tough hickory switch or two, but that is only a probability The Amishman observes the spirit of the injunction implied in the saying: "A merciful man is nercful to his beast" It would take nothing less than a horse show to get together a finer collection of equininity than was seen at Friend Abraham's that day. Many worldly Lancastrian owners of roadsters are ready to admit that the dust doesn't drop on Amish outfits when there is opportunity for test of speed''-it is no race, you know-on the excellent roads there. even if the broad brimmed driver doesn't happen to have a whalebone to touch up his nag with The heavy harness used is strong enough to draw a load of coal, while 1t is equally serviceable at speeding few miles with half ton or more of Amish wagon and family.
 The passengers of the sxty-five vel tow wagons crowded the two large low CT rooms of the farmhouse, and left a | large overflow for the porch, where the droning voice of the minister, who preached in pure German, could be plainly heard. While the speaking was l just bit too deep for the Gentle lis teners, there was enough in the way of l pictures everywhere to entrance, and it was. good perhaps that we couldn't get too far gone in the sermon. Just oppo- site us, in a row, were lot of youngs- | ters ranging from two to six years, ap- | parently, whose conduct throughout | the meeting generally was as demure as If they had been, ten times those 1 ages. Beside us, around us, were big, lusty Amishmen, lin their queer-lo looking I clothes, sitting in thoughtful attitudes, | following carefully every word spoken, l although a few of the younger men in whom the spirit was willing doubtless, l but the flesh weak, aozed and bobbed | their heads. The whole scene was one 1 that was with difficulty given place. | So close to Philadelphia as seventy miles, and the stranger did not need to l be told that he was witnessing one of 1 the most curious survivals in America --one which, by the way, excited the attention and comment of Professor F. E. Tyler. the noted English archaeolo- l gist, when on a visit to this country some years ago. The people are wor- 1 shipping after the manner of Reforma- tion days and they present a curious phase of life to the student of religion and history
 It is not difficult to understand why the rest of Pennsylvania doesn't know | more about the wonderful quaintness and the unique interest of this bit of | the land green walled" in Lancasters S 1 hills and watered by the Conestoga. the Cocalico, or the Pequea. For conscien- tious reasons the hard working farm CTS of Amish- Mennist persuasion there give scant encouragement to the man with the pencil or camera. and so the intensely picturesque quality of an all- day meeting is comparatively un- known quantity Philadelphia gets a | glimpse now and then of Lancaster county Amishman on Chestnut street l and one man is enough to cause people | to turn their heads for a second look | But think of sixty or seventy of them in crowd! All with broad -brimmed hats, long, straight hair "banged'' at the forehead and cut straight across the back of the neck-around a bowl 1 frivolous folk say-in tail coats with no 1 lapels or buttons hooks and eyes being the accepted mode of fastening their | clothes, and in trousers of fashion of generations ago. And then to get into an argument with them on the subject of dress or the propriety of using to- bacco or of looking upon the wine when it is red--Well, it is a treat that falls to few of the world outside of Lancaster county. What do you suppose the Lord turned that water into wine for at the marriage in Cana of Galflee?" was the well-known dose one of them administered as a clincher in the teeto- tai disctission. "The only thing I am sorry about now is that I wasn't on hand to get some of that My, it must have been good." and he smacked his lips, perhaps in the joyful anticipation of a more glorious feast that is to be spread for all good Amishmen some day.
 No Amish meeting would be complete without the big dinner that is served to 1 oil tba pOnoreUa ti0T1 at fife closa yyb;Io