The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1903-10-08
THE AMISH COSTUME
WOMEN STILL WEAR THE SAME
CARE
AZ worn By their Ancestors Long
Years Ago.

A Worn By their Ancestors Long
Years Ago.
The costumes in vogue to-day among
the Amish people are precisely the same
as those worn by the founders of their
faith who came over to this new coun-
try many generations ago. And their
costumes are indicative of all their
lives. A still primitive settlement in
New Holland, Lancaster county, Penn,
they have kept their simple ways intact
and separate from the great, restless
seething world about them. Industry
and frugality are cardinal virtues with
them, and it is sin TO marry outside OF
the faith.
An Amish wife and mother gives
picture OF the daily life of the cOmmu-
nifty in ''The Independent" Our
preachers are not paid" she says, but
are selected by lot. One of six books is
marked and then all are distributed to
six waiting men. If the one on whom
the lot falls finds after some months eff
fort that he is not qualified for the duty,
he Is then permitted to retire in favor of
another. The office is one rarely sought
and as rarely declined. We have only
meeting houses never churches, and,
indeed, the idea is to hold services in
the home of the brethren, and have no
special building set apart for worship.
Our children now attend public
school, where at first they were regard
ed as objects of great curiosity on &C
count Of their dress, but they now do
not excite comment"
The children call their parents by
their Christian names. but the disci-
pIine observed in an Arnish family
would Rtu the average American
youngster to blush, nevertheless" The
daily bill of fare is very simple. Ham
and eggs, scrapple, bean soup, trout
from the brook, apple butter, etc, are
among the t'standbys." Coffee was
once considered luxury among the
.Amish, but that time is past
The mixture Of Hollandish and South
German dialects is slowly disappear
ing, and many Of the Amish now speak
English. Buttons are thing eschewed.
! Hooks and eyes take their place, even
on the overcoats Of the men. The
smallest children dress almost exactly
as do their elders. the little girls in
plain, straight gowns and poke bonnets
and the boys III suspenderless trousers
and nat crowned, broad brimmed hats.
I'VE do not take oaths," writes the
chronicler of this primitive folk, "but
we affirm, which, in court of justice or
the court of conscience, answers the
same purpose. Brethren are now al
lowed to hold mortgages, but must not
carry Judgment notes! The theater and
worldly pleasures generally and liquor
selling IN particular are sternly dis
rountenanced. Yet, while extremely
rigid with ourselves, we are liberal with
those beyond the pale. While we have
no ritual, in some minor things we may
seem a little overparticular. For in
stance, / have known a committee of
Amish elders to remain in session for
more than two hours debating whether
the bonnet strings Of the women should
be an inch or an inch and a half in
width. %..... ..s g..
.sAs to labor, there is an equal divi-
sion between men and women. Women
at times work in the fields if their
household duties do not occupy their en-
tire time. We rise with the daybreak
and retire at dusk, or shortly after.
Summer for me is a time of incessant
toll think do not have an idle half
hour in an entire day. IF there is
spare moment, 1t is utilized in putting
an extra polish on the parlor furniture
or in adding another touch to the kitch-
en-.
In the fall Of the year we work, but
we also indulge in some little harmless
recreatfons. Occasionally there is a
husking, d quilting bee, or hog killing
party--tirnes of hilarity and sweet fir
tatfons for the younger members of the
community. Sauerkraut making at
that season of che year is also great
function, as they say of the grand re-
ceptions in the cities
MY husband almost owns the farm
now, after ten years of unremitting toll.
The mention of the farm reminds me
that my entire life as girl and woman,
with the exception Of a few years at the
Lutheran seminary, has been spent on
d farm. Our income is small, but our
needs are few, and at the end Of every
harvest my husband is able to put a
small surplus-frorn one hundred to two
hundred dolIars-if the savings bank
for rainy day. We are happy and
cortented with this simple yet busy life
New York Tribune.