PEG'S TALES

My Christmas story takes place in Holmes County, Ohio where the Amish people live. The Amish people live their lives guided strictly by their religion. They do not believe in worldly goods, which means they live much as our early settlers lived.

As my story unfolds, you'll learn more about these special people, the Amish.

"THE AMISH DOLL"

Libby Phillips and her mom were driving to Winesburg, a tiny town in Holmes County, Ohio. They were on their way to the Miller's farm. The Miller's are Amish.

Libby was very curious about the Amish people who lived in this county, and farmed this beautiful country-side in Ohio. She knew they had no electricity or telephones in their homes. She knew they traveled in horse-drawn, black buggies and didn't own cars, She knew they wore plain, dark colored clothes and dressed alike. The women and girls wore black bonnets or white caps. The men and boys wore straw hats in the summer and wide-brimmed, felt hats in winter. The married men wore beards, but the single men were clean shaven.

Libby had visited Amish country before, with her mother. She didn't understand why the Amish had to live simple, peaceful lives and work so hard. Their lives would really be simpler if they had electricity, telephones and cars.

As they drove along, Libby was writing her Christmas list. Her mom looked over at her and said, "Libby, that list is growing longer with each mile we drive. Maybe you'd better cut it down a little."

"The thing I want most of all, Mom, is a new Barbie doll, and a new dress and coat for her," Libby said.

"You have tons of clothes for your Barbie," Mom said. "They would still fit a new doll."

"I know, but Barbie fashions change. You should see the dresses my friend, Janet, got for her doll on her birthday. My Barbie is shabby. Her hair is a mess, so are her clothes."

"We'll see, Lib. Right now I'm looking at this snow," Mom said, turning on the windshield wipers. "I hope it doesn't snow any harder. I want to be home before dark."

"I wonder if Amish girls have Barbie dolls," Libby said. "Do the Amish have Christmas like we do, Mom? I wish I knew more about them. I think it would be cool to ride in a horse and buggy."

"I know Amish girls would never have Barbie dolls. I'm certain Amish families don't celebrate Christmas like we do, with lots of gifts. Just think, Lib, how much time it takes an Amish mother to make most all the clothes for her family on an old-fashioned, treadle sewing machine," Mom explained.

"Why do they have to live this way?" Libby asked.

"It's what their religion expects them to do. The Old Order Amish do not believe in worldly goods. They live off of the land by farming and raising cows, horses, sheep and goats. Their children don't go beyond the eighth grade in the Amish schools. But the Amish women make the most beautiful quilts I have ever seen," Mom said. "Wait till you see the quilt your Aunt Jen and I ordered from Mrs. Miller and the Amish ladies for your grandmother Phillip's Christmas gift."

"We sure picked a great day to drive down here to get it," Libby said, looking out the window at the snow.

Mom turned the wipers up again. The wind was blowing harder and the snow slanted at the windshield.

They drove in silence for a bit. "Are we there yet?" Libby asked, straining against her seatbelt to see.

"We're almost to Winesburg. Miller's farm is not far from here, now. This snow is drifting across the road and it's getting slippery," Mom said, gripping the steering wheel harder.

"Maybe we should go back home, Mom," Libby said. "It's getting darker."

"We'll be okay," Mom said. "We'll go home on a main highway instead of these back roads. I don't have time to drive down here again before Christmas to get the quilt."

Libby could tell her mom was nervous. She kept saying, "Oh, my! Oh, my!"

"The road to the Miller's farm is just ahead to the right," Mom said. "Then it's about two miles further."

As they turned off onto the road leading to the Miller's farm, they headed directly into the wind. Snow lashed at the windshield. Mom slowed the car to a crawl.

"There's the driveway ahead on the right. Can you see it out of your window, Libby?" Mom asked.

"Yeah, I think I see a mailbox," Libby said.

"I'll have to get a good start to make the slope up into the driveway. Hold on, Lib."

Mom speeded up. As she began the turn into the driveway, the rear end of the car began to skid. The car spun around on the icy road and landed with a thud, rear-end first, in the ditch. They just missed hitting the mail box.

"Oh, my gosh," Libby hollered. "We went into the ditch."

"Are you okay?" Mom asked. "I believe we are really stuck."

"This is awful," Libby cried. "Do you think we can get out of the car?"

Mom tried her door and was able to get it open enough to get out. "Libby, climb out on this side," she said. "It'll be easier."

"I'm really scared," Libby said. "We're never going to get home."

"We'll get home okay when I get a tow truck to pull us out," Mom said. "I'm sure the snow plows are out working on the roads right now."

Libby slid under the steering wheel and landed waist deep in the snow beside her mom. They struggled out of the ditch and up the driveway to the farm house.

Once on the front porch, they stomped the snow from their boots. The door opened before they could knock. There was Mrs. Miller in a dark blue dress and white apron. She wore a little, white cap, the strings hanging untied. She had round, rosy cheeks and a bright smile.

"Mrs. Phillips, " she said. "I didn't expect you to come on such a terrible day. Come in, come in."

"Mrs. Miller, this is my daughter, Libby. We had good weather north of here when we started out," Mom said. "Then we ran into this terrible snow storm. I'm afraid I skidded into the ditch when I turned into your driveway. My car is stuck."

"I'll call my husband, Jacob, and the boys to look at your car," Mrs. Miller said.

"You don't have to call them, Mrs. Miller," Mom said. "I'll call a tow truck to pull my car out. Do you have a phone book? I brought my cell phone with me."

"We don't have a telephone, but I do have an old phone book," Mrs. Miller said.

Mom found the number of a towing company in the old phone book. However, as many times as she dialed the number she got a busy signal.

"Everyone must be in the ditch today," Mrs. Miller said. "My husband and the children are finishing the chores in the barns. Soon they will come in and we'll have supper. You and Libby must eat with us."

Mr. Miller and the children, covered with snow, piled into the house. A girl just Libby's age came over to her and said, "My name's Kate."

"Hi, I'm Libby. Our car is stuck by your mail box," Libby said. "This is a bad storm, isn't it?"

"It's fun," Kate said. "We didn't have school today, so we had snowball fights and went sledding."

Kate introduced her brothers and sister to Libby. There were the twins, Mary and John, fifteen, Eli, twelve, Jacob, ten, and William, six. Grandfather and grandmother Miller, who lived in a little house in back of the Miller's house, joined the family for supper. Everyone made Libby and her Mom feel welcome.

Mary and Kate helped their mother prepare the meal and put it on the table. The family sat down and joined hands. Grandfather Miller said the blessing. During the meal, because Libby and her mom were guests, the family spoke mostly English. Usually the Amish speak German when they are with their families and friends.

After supper Mary and Kate helped clear the table and do the dishes. Libby didn't hear either of them argue or complain about their jobs.

Mom got through to the towing company on her cell phone. They said they were swamped with towing calls and it would be morning before they could come to pull the car out of the ditch.

Mrs. Miller said they should stay with them for the night. They had plenty of room. Mom telephoned Dad to tell him what happened, and that they would be home in the morning.

Kate told Libby her mom was teaching her to use the sewing machine, in the evening, when she had finished her homework. Then, Mrs. Miller showed Libby and her mom the quilt they had made for Libby's grandmother. It was a work of art with beautiful rose and soft green patches on a dark green background.

Kate, Mary, Eli, Jacob and William taught Libby how to play Rook, a game they played on winter evenings. Libby couldn't believe how early they went to bed.

"We get up very early in the morning because there is much to do in the barns," Kate said. She asked her mother if Libby could sleep with her. Mrs. Miller agreed but warned no giggling or talking, only sleeping. Libby's mom slept in the guest room at Grandmother Miller's little house.

The two girls crawled into bed and snuggled down under a big, puffy, feather bed. Kate had a doll that she took to bed with her.

"Do you have a doll to take to bed with you?" Kate asked.

"No, I have an old stuffed rabbit that I've slept with since I was a little kid," Libby said. "I miss him tonight."

Kate got out of bed and went to the big chest of drawers. She opened a drawer and took out a doll.

"Here," she said. "Sleep with this doll. She's just like mine. Mama made it for our new, little cousin."

Libby took the doll. Her body was made of cloth, and stuffed with something that made her soft and cuddly. She wore a black bonnet and a plain, blue dress that buttoned down the back. Over the dress, she wore a white apron. She had no eyes, nose or mouth, Her face was completely plain.

"She's so soft," Libby said. "I love her dress. Why doesn't she have a face?"

"None of our dolls have faces," Kate said. "That is against our religion. That would be like worshiping or loving an image instead of God."

"I'm not sure I understand, Kate," Libby said.

"Well, it's hard to explain, but it doesn't bother me. When I play with my doll I just pretend she smiles, or cries, or laughs. She doesn't need a face when you pretend."

Mrs. Miller stuck her head in the door.

"It's sleep-time, girls. Goodnight, now."

Kate held up her doll and said back, "Goodnight, Mama." as if her doll was talking.

Libby did the same with her doll. Goodnight, Mrs. Miller." Then turning to Kate she had her doll say, "Sleep tight. Don't let the bedbugs bite."

The girls began to giggle. Kate pointed at her doll and said, "See, she's laughing, too."

In soft whispers, the girls pretended their dolls were talking to each other. Kate's doll's name was Rebecca. Libby decided to name her doll Rachel. Finaly, the two girls fell asleep.

Libby was awakened by a strange noise. She shook Kate to wake her up. "What is that noise?" Libby asked.

"You mean that ZONK, ZONK, SNICK?" Kate asked.

Yes, what is it, Kate?"

Kate began to giggle. "That's my papa snoring. You should have heard it when my grandparents were sleeping here before their house was built. Grandpa would snore, ZINK, SHONK, ZINK, and papa would snore ZONK, ZONK, SNICK. Mama called it the snoring factory.

Libby and Kate began to laugh. They had to put their pillows over their mouths so they wouldn't wake everyone up.

It seemed to Libby they had no sooner gone to sleep, than Kate was waking her up.

"Libby, do you want to help me do morning chores? We're getting up, now."

"What time is it?" Libby asked, rubbing her eyes.

It's six-o-clock. My mama and papa, and my brothers have been up since five-thirty. We have lots of work to do before breakfast." Kate said.

"Okay, I'll help," Libby said, getting out of bed.

When the girls went into the barn, the lanterns shed a soft light on the family busily working. The cows and horses made munchy, crunchy noises as they ate their feed. Libby watched as Kate milked two goats. Then they went to the hen house and gathered eggs. Those were Kate's morning chores.

The snow had stopped in the night. The rising sun turned the white fields into a rose-colored world. Mom told Kate the tow truck had come and pulled their car out of the ditch. The snow plows had cleared the road.

After a hearty breakfast with the family, Libby and Mom prepared to leave for home.

Mrs. Miller invited Libby to come back for a visit in the summer, and to stay for a while with them. Kate gave Libby the doll she had named Rachel, and said, "Please, take Rachel home with you. I'll make another doll dress for her on the sewing machine and send it to you."

"Thank you, thank you," Libby said, hugging Rachel.

"You've been wonderful to us, Mrs. Miller," Mom said. "We'll always remember this night and your family."

They said their goodbyes to everyone, and began their drive home. On the way, Libby and her mom talked about how happy the Millers are. The children were very kind and polite. They loved their work, both inside and outside, and were proud of what they did.

"It would be fun to live like Kate," Libby said, tying Rachel's bonnet strings. "Maybe I'll just skip the new Barbie doll for Christmas. Could you help me make dresses for Rachel like Kate does?"

"Your grandmother could help you. She could teach you to use her sewing machine," Mom said. "I was thinking, your grandmother paints so well, she could paint a face on your doll."

"No. no. That would spoil everything." Libby said. "See, Mom, Rachel's smiling. She's happy. Dolls like Barbie have only one face. But Rachel can be sad, or crying, or laughing. She can be anything I want her to be. I really love my Amish doll."

Mom laughed and said, "I understand, because I see two smiling faces, Libby's and Rachel's."

That's the end of my story. Have a wonderful holiday, and share a story with a friend...it's a gift! It would make Rachel smile.

See ya...'bye,
Peg


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