Little Amish Lizzie

by Linda Byler

  Mam said, “Oh, there you are, Rachel.” She laughed as she sat down tiredly. “I’m almost embarrassed to tell you how much laundry there is, and what a mess this house is in! But I am so very glad you’re here.”

  “Oh my, don’t you worry. I’m sure I’ve done more laundry than yours,” Rachel laughed. She was already rolling up her sleeves. “If you’ll tell me where to put my suitcase, I’ll put it away and get started right away. Or did you want me to wash the breakfast dishes first?”

  “Well, since this is Saturday and Lizzie is home from school, maybe she can help me do the dishes and you can start the laundry. Would that be okay, Rachel?” Mam asked.

  “Sure,” she smiled.

  “You can put your suitcase in the girls’ room. Are you planning on staying until tomorrow, or why did you bring one?” asked Mam.

  “Oh, I …” Rachel’s long lashes swept her cheeks, and she blushed as she said, “If it’s alright, I’ll get ready here and have—I mean, I’ll get picked up here tonight.”

  “Why, of course! You can get ready here! And who, may I ask, is picking you up?”

  Rachel was still blushing, but she giggled and said, “You’ll have to wait and see!”

  She disappeared into the girls’ bedroom, but soon returned carrying some nighties and dresses that had been strewn across the floor. “I’ll just wash whatever I find, if that’s alright,” she said.

  “Yes, of course,” Mam replied.

  So Rachel set to work, whistling as she carried the hampers down the stairs to the kettle house.

  Almost every Amish family had a kettle house. It wasn’t really a house with a kettle in it, but it was where the washing was done. Because there was no electricity, the wringer washer was run by a small gas engine attached to the washing machine. Years ago, they had a huge iron kettle built into a brick oven where fire was built under the kettle to heat the wash water. That was why Amish people called their laundry rooms “the kettle house.”

  That was also the room Lizzie and Emma kept their boots and outdoor clothes. Dat kept his hat and coat on hooks on the wall, and there was a sink with soap and a towel where he washed his hands. Because Dat worked in a harness shop, he had to use a special hand cleaner to wash the oily black harness odor from his hands.

  It was always warm in the kettle house because a coal stove called “Bucket-A-Day” heated the water in the hot water heater.

  Sometimes Emma and Lizzie had to clean the kettle house on Saturday. But today Lizzie guessed Rachel would do it, since she was down there doing all that washing, anyway.

  Lizzie sighed. Mam looked at her and said, “Well, buzy Lizzie! Looks like you’ll be my helper to get these dishes done.” Mam looked pale and tired. Lizzie guessed she was not sleeping very well, having to feed Jason so often. She pitied Mam, because Jason wasn’t very cute, and he cried a lot. Lizzie thought he would be better-looking if he wasn’t so grouchy all the time. Mam said he had colic, but just a touch of it.

  Because Lizzie pitied Mam, she didn’t complain as she pulled a small stepstool over to the sink. She fit the plug tightly in the bottom, squirted lots of liquid dish detergent, and ran the hot water. First, she took both hands and swished them back and forth as hard as she could to make lots of suds. Then she started scrubbing a plate.

  Mam came over to look over her shoulder. “Lizzie, not so much dish soap. And wash the glasses first, not the plates. Remember—first the glasses, then the plates and serving dishes, and last, the pots and pans.”

  “Oh,” said Lizzie. She couldn’t see any sense in that. What did it matter in which order you washed dishes? They were all dishes, and they were all dirty. But she didn’t say so, because another reason she felt sorry for Mam was because Doddy Millers had just gone back home to Ohio.

  So she washed the glasses and looked over the stack of unwashed dishes. There were so many, it looked absolutely hopeless. She looked at the huge pile of suds and wondered if the soap suds would stick to her chin. She lowered her head and stuck her chin into the suds, patting some of them on her face to form a beard. They stuck! Lizzie giggled and put some on her eyebrows.

  “Hey!”

  Lizzie jumped with surprise. She turned around very quickly and was embarrassed to see Rachel standing behind her.

  “What are you doing, little dishwasher?” Rachel laughed her husky laugh as she caught sight of Lizzie’s soapsuds on her face.

  Lizzie laughed with her.

  “Oh, I wondered if these soapsuds would stick to my face, and they do,” Lizzie said.

  “Here—I’ll wash and you may dry. The white clothes are washing for a while, so I’ll help you with the dishes,” Rachel said. With that, she handed Lizzie a tea towel and plunged her hands into the mountain of suds.

  “Why do you have so much soap?”

  “Because in pictures, English people use so much. Their soap bubbles way up out of the sink. Amish people don’t use enough soap,” Lizzie said, quite seriously.

  Rachel threw back her head and laughed. “Oh, Lizzie, you are quite a Lizzie. How do you know how many soapsuds English people use?” she asked.

  “They just do,” Lizzie answered.

  Lizzie was amazed how fast Rachel washed the dishes. Around and around went the sponge, on plates, bowls, and cups. Pots and pans were grasped very firmly by the handle, while she whirled the sponge around the inside. As she worked, she sang, “How I long for the days when I shall meet her; If it be where the angels sweetly sing.”

  Lizzie watched Rachel in awe. She was so pretty, and when she sang it sounded so sweet—almost like a bird. Lizzie wanted to be grownup and look exactly like Rachel. But she couldn’t, because she didn’t have shiny black hair or brown eyes. She could practice singing like Rachel. She wondered if Rachel had a boyfriend, but she was much too shy to ask.

  Rachel finished the dishes, and started wiping the counter. She moved everything and wiped under it, even the canister set. She scrubbed the stove top, wringing out the dishrag with her strong arms, wiping it till it shone like glass. Lizzie was convinced Rachel was absolutely wonderful.

  After the dishes were finished, Rachel went to do the washing. Lizzie wandered into the living room to find Emma, who was reading quietly. Lizzie bounced onto the couch and Emma’s book flew out of her hands. She looked at Lizzie.

  “Lizzie, watch it! Can’t you sit down nicely?”

  “Emma, when are you ever going to get better. It’s not fun if you can’t play with me anymore.” Lizzie lay back against the couch and kicked her legs hard.

  “I know,” Emma said.

  “Well, are you getting better? Did the doctor say you are?” asked Lizzie.

  “Oh, yes, of course I am,” Emma said.

  “How do you know?” Lizzie asked.

  “Because.”

  “Did he say?”

  “Did who say?”

  “The doctor.”

  Emma smoothed her hair back. There were stains on her nightgown, and her teeth needed to be brushed. Her faced looked so pale and her hair looked scraggly. Lizzie suddenly felt sorry for Emma. It would not be fun to have rheumatic fever.

  “Lizzie, you know that dark brown stuff I have to drink in the morning? That Oza Compound?” Emma asked.

  “Yes?” Lizzie raised one eyebrow and stuck out her tongue, clutching her stomach. “That stuff.”

  “Well, it is horrible to drink, but Dat says he thinks that is really helping me get better.”

  “Goody.” And Lizzie meant it with all her heart. She so wanted Emma to be healthy again.

  “Do you want to play Chutes and Ladders, Emma?” Lizzie asked kindly.

  “Do you?” Emma asked.

  “If you do.”

  “Okay, we’ll play,” Emma said.

  Lizzie ran to get the game, and plopped it on the card table beside Emma’s bed. They played for a long time, giggling and laughing over who got to climb ladders and who had to fall down the chutes.

  Their play was interrupte
d by a loud wail from the bedroom. Mam had gone to take a nap, because Baby Jason had not slept well during the night. But now he was awake and screaming as loud as he could.

  Lizzie rolled her eyes at Emma. “He is such a mess,” she said in her most grownup manner.

  “No, Lizzie, he’s probably hungry,” Emma reminded her.

  “I don’t ever want a baby, that’s for sure,” Lizzie said as the wails continued from the bedroom.

  “Lizzie, I mean it,” Emma scolded.

  Rachel came running up the stairs. She asked Mam if she could take Jason for a while. Mam handed him over gratefully, and Rachel walked the floor, bouncing him lightly up and down. He slowly quieted as she walked the floor, her strong arms carrying him back and forth. She stopped to watch the girls’ game, and Lizzie could see she noticed Emma’s dirty nightgown and wrinkled pillowcase and sheet.

  “Lizzie, would you lay Baby Jason down a while? Over here on the rocker, and I’ll get Emma all cleaned up and fix her couch all up with clean sheets. Would you like that, Emma? Come, and we’ll give you a nice hot bath and wash your hair. Lizzie, do you know where Mam’s clean sheets are? Could you get one for me?”

  Emma was whisked into the bathroom, and Lizzie could hear Rachel talking softly as she washed Emma’s hair.

  Lizzie ran to the bedroom to ask Mam where the clean sheets were. Mandy was sound asleep on Mam’s bed, and Mam was sitting on her rocking chair, crying.

  Lizzie stopped and stared, her face changing from an expression of eager anticipation of helping Rachel to one of dismay. “Mam,” Lizzie whispered.

  “Oh, Lizzie, don’t worry about me. I’m just a big baby. Jason just cries so much, the house is a mess, and I don’t feel very good,” Mam said tiredly.

  Suddenly Lizzie blurted out, “Mam, I wish we wouldn’t have Jason. He’s so grouchy and you are crying because he isn’t even cute—I know you are!”

  Mam stared at Lizzie. Suddenly her tears changed to hysterical laughing. Actually, she was still crying, Lizzie thought, but laughing at the same time.

  Lizzie didn’t know what to do or say, so she stood by the doorway and stared at Mam, because it almost frightened her. Poor Mam. Lizzie was really glad Jason wasn’t her baby.

  Mam wiped her eyes and sighed a shaky sigh. “Come, Lizzie. I’ll get some clean sheets and we’ll make Emma a clean nest on the couch. I’m almost embarrassed to let Rachel see how things look around here this morning.” She walked slowly over to the dresser and got sheets out of a drawer.

  As they walked together, Lizzie laid her head against Mam. She wanted to comfort her somehow, but she didn’t really know what to say. Mam’s arm circled her shoulder and squeezed. “You’re my Lizzie,” Mam said with a smile. Lizzie felt so much better. She thought they’d all be much happier without Jason, but if he was here, they may as well make the best of it together.

  Rachel was teaching Emma a new song in the bathroom. Mam smiled again as Rachel sang.

  “Brush, brush, brush your teeth,

  Morning, noon, and night;

  Up and down and ’round and ’round,

  Until they’re nice and white.”

  When they emerged from the bathroom, Emma’s cheeks were pink from the hot water. Her dark hair was so clean, they were all shiny on the top of her head. She had a clean pink nightgown on and a warm pair of white socks.

  “Here you go—lie down again,” Rachel said to Mam. And she proceeded to spread the clean sheets on the couch with efficient moves.

  Mam winked at Lizzie. “Rachel, you are a wonder.”

  “Oh, no, I’m just doing my job. I am getting paid, you know. I’ll start the Saturday cleaning now, so you try and get some sleep while Jason does,” Rachel said.

  She got the dust cloth, dust mop, broom, and other cleaning necessities from the kitchen. As Lizzie watched, and Emma lay down on her sweet-smelling clean sheets, Rachel dusted and swept. She emptied waste cans, scoured the bathtub, and cleaned every window and mirror she could find. She got a plastic bucket of hot vinegar water, and with a big old rag, she cleaned the hardwood floor in the living room. She even pulled the couch forward and washed underneath it, after she had picked up all the trash and toys she found.

  Lizzie helped a little, putting some of the toys away and telling Rachel where the bucket was. But Rachel moved so fast, whistling and singing, that Lizzie was almost dizzy from watching her.

  Rachel stopped to look at the clock. “Almost dinnertime, Lizzie. What do we want to eat?” she asked.

  “We could have toasted cheese sandwiches,” Lizzie offered.

  “Alright,” Rachel said. She spread butter on slices of bread, found the cheese in the refrigerator, and toasted them in the pan. She also opened a jar of vegetable soup, and they had saltine crackers, applesauce, and pickles.

  After lunch, Rachel did dishes again, then finished the cleaning. She even waxed the kitchen floor after everything else was done. Lizzie thought their house had never looked so nice. When Mandy spilled her pretzels on the floor, Lizzie made her pick them up right away.

  After the fresh-smelling laundry was brought in and put neatly into drawers, Rachel asked Mam what to make for supper.

  “Oh, I almost forgot, Rachel. You don’t need to make supper. Aunt Anna is bringing our supper this evening,” Mam said.

  “That’s so nice. Well then, I’ll probably have to get ready to go away, as I’m supposed to be ready by seven o’clock,” Rachel said shyly.

  When Rachel was ready to go away, Lizzie was dumbfounded. She couldn’t say a word, she felt so shy. Rachel looked beautiful in her good clothes when she was all dressed up. Lizzie didn’t talk to her anymore—it was too scary. And when a horse and buggy stopped outside, Rachel’s eyes sparkled and she smiled quickly.

  “Thank you,” she said as Mam handed the day’s wages to her. “I’ll be back on Monday morning. Will you be alright over Sunday?”

  “Oh, yes, Rachel. You go enjoy yourself and don’t worry about us for one minute. You have done so much, I feel like a different person. You are the best “maud” ever,” Mam beamed.

  “Just doing my job,” Rachel smiled back.

  “Now you’ll have to tell us who is in that horse and buggy waiting for you,” Mam said.

  “You’ll have to wait till Monday,” Rachel said, and dashed down the stairs to the waiting buggy.

  Lizzie was so thrilled. Imagine that, she thought. Someday, when she was as old as Rachel, she would act exactly like her. She’d look so pretty, and dash mysteriously down the stairs like Cinderella in her storybook. She might not have black hair, but Mam’s wasn’t black, either, and she was married.

  She supposed some boys liked brown hair, too.

  chapter 16

  Going to Church

  Baby Jason was almost three months old now. He was no longer red in color, and Lizzie thought he was actually looking a lot better. For one thing, he was growing more hair, and it looked as if they might be a bit curly. He also quit his screaming and crying, and Mam was not so tired. She sang while she washed dishes, and Rachel did not come to do the laundry, either. Lizzie missed her, but she knew Rachel would not always be their “maud.”

  So Lizzie decided she might have babies of her own someday, after all.

  It was a fine spring morning, and it was Sunday. It was not the Glick family’s regular church Sunday, but they were going to church at Grandpa Glicks, far away in another district. Lizzie did not have to wear her white cape and apron as usual. She was allowed to wear her black Sunday one, because they were going to stay for supper. If Mam didn’t get too tired and Jason didn’t cry too much, they might even stay for the singing.

  The singing was where the youth group, from the age of sixteen until they married, gathered in the evening, usually at the place where services were held during the day.

  Emma was excited to go to a different church district. She was much better and didn’t need to stay on the couch anymore. She still rested a lot, but she went to s
chool again, staying indoors with Teacher Sylvia at recess.

  Red trotted steadily down the road, his head held high, as usual, and his trotting was fancy. In the buggy, Emma and Lizzie sat in the back seat, with their black woolen shawls tucked firmly around them. They could not look out the back window, because the canvas flap was fastened securely with snaps to keep out the cold spring air. If the back window was open, and Dat opened the front window to drive, the air blew strongly through the buggy. So they kept it closed.

  As they drove into Grandpa Glicks’ lane, there were lots of buggies parked along the driveway and close to the barn. More buggies came from the other direction. Black horses, brown ones, big, beautiful ones, and small, fat ones—all of them were interesting to Lizzie. She loved horses and ponies, and going to a different church gave Lizzie a chance to see lots of new horses. She wished she wouldn’t have to go into the house with Mam and Emma. She’d much rather stay with Dat in the barn, but that would not be proper.

  So she hurried in the cleanly-swept sidewalk behind Mam, who was carrying Jason. Emma followed with a large plastic container which held the chocolate cake Mam had made yesterday. It was a layer cake, with fluffy white frosting between the chocolate layers. Lizzie was not allowed to have one bite, because you didn’t take a cake to church that had already been cut.

  They all went into the kettle house, where other women and girls were taking off their shawls and bonnets. Lizzie just stood in a corner, because she felt really shy. She didn’t know very many people, especially not the little girls.

  Suddenly someone tugged her bonnet string. “Hi, Lizzie. How are you?” beamed Aunt Barbie. “Do you want me to help you take off your shawl and bonnet?”

  “Yes,” Lizzie said softly.

  She saw Elsie make her way through the crowded room. She squeezed Lizzie’s hand and whispered, “Hi!” Lizzie smiled warmly at Elsie. “Hi,” she whispered back.