"Well, don't it beat all? They lay the spoons on the table now? What
for is the spoon-holder?"
"Gone out of style."
"Well, that's funny. I guess when our Mary gets a little older once,
she'll want to fix things up, too. I don't care if she does, so long as
she don't want to do dumb things and put on a lot of airs that ain't
fittin' to plain people like us. But it'll be a big wonder to me if one
of the children won't say something about the spoons bein' on the
table-cloth. That's new to them. Then I need three glass dishes for
jelly so none will have to reach so far for it. And a big platter for
fried ham, a pitcher for the gravy, a dish for smashed potatoes, one
for sweet potatoes, a glass one for cabbage slaw and I guess I ought to
put desserts out for the slaw, Amanda. I hate when gravy and everything
gets mixed on the plate. Then I'm going to have some new peas and sour
red beets and the short cake. I guess that's enough."
"It sounds like real Lancaster County food," said the girl. "Your
company should enjoy her supper."
"Ach, I guess she will. Now I must call in some of the children and get
them started dressin' once."
She stood at the screen door of the kitchen and rang a small hand bell.
Its tintinnabulation sounded through the yard and reached the ears of
the children who were playing there. The three boys next in age to
Martin were helping their father in the fields, but the other children
came running at the sound of the bell.
"Time to get dressed," announced Mrs. Landis. "You all stay round here
now so I can call you easy as one gets done washin'. Johnny, you take
Charlie and the two of you get washed and put on the clothes I laid on
your bed. Then you stay on the porch so you don't get dirty again till
supper and the company comes. Be sure to wash your feet and legs right
before you put on your stockings."
"Aw, stockings!" growled Charlie. "Why can't we stay barefooty?"
"For company?"
"Ach," he said sulkily as he walked to the stairs, "I don't like the
kind of company you got to put stockings on for! Not on week-days,
anyhow!"
His mother laughed. "Emma," she addressed one of the girls, "when the
boys come back you and Mary and Katie must get washed and dressed for
the company. Mary, you dare wear your blue hair-ribbons today and the
girls can put their pink ones on and their white dresses."
"Oh," the little girls cried happily. Dressing up for company held more
pleasure for them than it did for the boys.