a trembling voice Charity swallowed and bravely said, “Ja.”
She bit her lip to keep the tears from falling. She had worked hard to make her light blue dress, white apron and white prayer kapp (cap). She had pricked her fingers many times with the needle. This clothing would be kept to be worn on special occasions, Sunday service or to be buried in. She was hurt that Adam had not looked at her and it was their wedding day.
“Adam, do you vow to be loyal and care for your wife during adversity, affliction, sickness and weakness and remain together until death?”
Adam gulped and said, “Ja.”
“And do you both promise together that you will live with each other with love, forbearance and patience and not part from each other until Gott separates you in death?”
They answered “Ja” together.
“Let us rise and pray for those about to be married.”
The Bishop then took Charity’s right hand and placed it in Adam’s left hand. He then placed one of his hands under the joined hands and his other hand on top. He prayed a blessing and asked for the mercy of God for them.
He then said, “Go forth in the Lord’s name. You are now man and wife.”
There was no kiss, no special acknowledgement and no rings. Adam went to help the men set up the benches for tables to be used for the dinner and Charity went to help the women in the preparation of food and serving it.
The newly married couple sat at a table, called an ‘eck’, in a corner with their attendants beside them. The meal itself is a feast. The women have lovingly prepared several main dishes in addition to vegetables, fruits and desserts. Six or seven wedding cakes are set aside to be eaten later in the day. Silent prayers are said before each meal and after. The Bishop cleared his throat to alert everyone that he had finished praying silently.
The men, and important people present, are served first, then the women and children. It takes several seatings to serve two hundred or more guests.
Often there will be more than one wedding in a day. Some people travel from one wedding to another and take food with them to share.
Women in the community have helped obtain napkins with the name of the couple and the date on each one. There may be homemade candy placed in small net bags for favors. The main dish, which the women of the church provide, may be hingleflesh (roast chicken) traumata mush (mashed potatoes) gravy, a variety of meats, vegetables, salads and desserts. Water, coffee, cider or lemonade will be served for beverages.
In the afternoon the young people have a singing while the adults visit.
Later there is a dinner and the cakes are served. For the seating of the young people, on the bride’s side are the newly married and the published couples.
On the groom’s side are the dating couples. Hymn singing follows the dinner.
* * * * *
Charity sat silently beside Adam in his buggy. They were spending their first night together in the bride’s home. The following morning Charity got up at five thirty to help her mother with breakfast. Adam went out to help Charity’s father feed the animals and clean the sheiyah (barn). The couple then busy themselves cleaning up after the ceremony. Benches must be taken to a place where they are stored until they will be taken to the next haus (house) for a Sunndawk (Sunday) service.
Adam was a willing worker helping Jacob Startz set the milking machines on the kees (cows) and feeding the sixty dairy kees. The milch (milk) was strained and poured into large metal containers and placed on a sled for a gaul (horse) to pull it to the edge of the bavvrkai (farm) property for a truck to pick up the milk and give Jacob a receipt for it. The large containers had markings on them to show who owned those particular containers so the correct people would be paid. Too, the markings helped to keep records of desirable and undesirable milk.
The following weekend Adam hitched his horse to the buggy to take Charity visiting nearby relatives and close friends. This is a honeymoon.
Each house they visited had a gift for them. The gifts could be a handmade item, a plow, a young cow, homemade furniture, or seeds for spring planting. In January they went to live with the groom’s parents.
Christmas came with a deep snow which prevented people from visiting or going out. The Amish do not have decorated trees or do any celebrating as the town people do. Some do exchange gifts. The women do make Rinderrou-laden, or bake Speingerle cookies, Sugar cookies, Sugar Cream Pie and many other tasty items. Christmas was a time for special worship services, remembering the birth of Christ and reading the story in Luke.
Charity and Adam were busy working and making items for their own home.
Januar (January) and Februar (February) passed slowly because there were so many animals to feed even in the cold and snow. There was lots of outside work to be done and plenty indoors. Women did get together as often as possible for quilting sessions and to make clothes for an expected baby.
Marz (March) came roaring in like a lion which meant they would have an early spring. (The old saying was “In like a lion, out like a lamb”)
Jacob Startz and Joshua Kime announced in a worship service that they would be building a house and a barn for Charity and Adam. The Amish all pitch in to help each other and do not consider it an imposition. It is fun.
At six in the morning about six dozen men and boys came to help.
Gauls were turned into a pasture with water so they could rest and graze.
Buggies were lined up as if they were posing for a picture. They were building on land between the two farms to join the two families.
Joshua laughing said he was going to build lots of bedrooms for many kinskinner (grandchildren) he was expecting. Charity blushed but said nothing because she knew she was expecting a boppli (baby) either the last of Septembar (September) or the first of Oktobar (October). She was so happy to be a mother but her heart would have been lighter if Adam had exhibited any signs of being happy to be a father.
Jacob and Joshua had given Adam two Percherons for farm work. His uncle, Noah Kime, had given him a buggy gaul which could also be ridden under saddle. Adam loved that gaul and named her Bonnie Kate.
Moving into their new home was a time for rejoicing and much happiness.
Charity was thrilled to be on their own at last. Adam showed little interest except to thank the people for their help. As they moved into the house on March 20th, Charity had her nineteenth birthday. There was no special gift from her husband. Friends came by with canned foods, flower rootings and handmade items. Her mother had made her three new aprons and two dish towels for the kitchen. Her best aldi (girlfriend), Nadine, gave her a tiny kitten which she named Snowflake because it was all white, fluffy and cuddly. The Zook twins, Christine and Ruth Ann brought a basket of candy they had made and two loaves of Friendship bread.
Adam started plowing and planting his fields while Charity put in a big vegetable garden, an herb garden and lots of flowers. She brought all the bedding out to beat it and hang it in the fresh air for awhile. She took all the curtains down to stretch them on the curtain stretcher and hang them clean and fresh smelling. Two of her friends came to help her wash windows and clean the entire house. It was a Freidawk (Friday) and she and Adam would host the worship service on Sunndawk.
