strangeness of it all, seemed taken aback by the size of this lunchtime gathering, which apparently was a daily occurrence. Catherine indicated that the two teenage roommates should sit next to each other, and Amanda greeted Lizzie with a smile and obvious interest. Lizzie barely returned her greeting and said nothing more to her. The men and women took their places on opposite sides of the table.
With Meg and a stone-faced Lizzie joining them, the women helped serve what seemed like an endless succession of overflowing bowls and platters. The main meal consisted of bean soup, chicken in gravy, meat loaf, buttered noodles, brussels sprouts, peas and carrots, creamed corn, and hot biscuits with butter. The Hobart children ate little, pushing the food around on their plates, until they got to the desserts, which included pound cake, apple dumplings, rice pudding, and mixed fruit.
There was little conversation at the table. Meg observed the line of men across from her, all with the same haircut. The older ones had beards and no mustaches. Their clothing was virtually identical. The women kept their hair tucked under bonnets, and all had on the same simple dresses, some with black coverings like full aprons, the top half of which resembled an upside-down triangle. The dresses differed only in color: muted, dark tones of blue or purple or gray. Meg wondered at the fact that even by this point in the day their clothes remained perfectly pressed. She noted that the garments wereheld closed with straight pins rather than buttons or zippers. There was not a single piece of jewelry or a hint of makeup on any of them.
The men reported to one another on the progress of whatever they had been working on that morning. David had missed much of his morning work by taking James to see about the car, but he managed to get to the barn, where they were shoveling out manure, bringing it to an area where they stored it to be used as fertilizer. One of the men updated the others on repairs he was making on their horses’ harnesses. James asked if he might help with that job, saying he didn’t think he could manage a shovel just yet, but he could try to make himself useful until he could put his back into something. David nodded.
Lunch was over quickly. The men left, and the women cleaned up before dispersing. The smaller children were left behind, giving Meg an idea for something to occupy her own children’s time. Catherine said it wasn’t necessary for anyone to watch her grandchildren, that they would be fine playing near her, but Meg insisted that her children babysit. All three of them shot daggers at her with their eyes, but Meg was delighted to see that it wasn’t long before they actually seemed to be enjoying interacting with the toddlers.
Amanda said a smiling good-bye to all of them and ran out to where her brother Jonathan waited in a buggy.
“She’s off to deliver to the store, and I’m going to prepare for supper,” Catherine explained, setting out a large knife and chopping board. “I have to get back out to hang up the rest of the laundry.”
She hadn’t even sat down after serving lunch, Meg observed,and now she was on to the next meal and more chores. Did she ever rest?
“Do you mind if I ask you what store you mean?” As she spoke, Meg saw an opportunity to repeat her earlier job of drying dishes and reached for the dish towel.
Catherine had begun cutting up potatoes to put into a large pot of water. “It is a store in town. King’s is the name. We make them things to sell. Bread, cakes, jams. Different things, depending on the season. That’s why my daughter Annie and my daughter-in-law Sue weren’t at lunch. Today was their day to do the baking. They brought fresh bread and rolls in the morning, and now Amanda will take over the pies with Jonathan.”
“You make everything here?”
Catherine nodded. “Oh, yes.”
“Jams?”
“Jams, jelly, all kinds of preserves. We pickle things. Make vinegars,
With Meg and a stone-faced Lizzie joining them, the women helped serve what seemed like an endless succession of overflowing bowls and platters. The main meal consisted of bean soup, chicken in gravy, meat loaf, buttered noodles, brussels sprouts, peas and carrots, creamed corn, and hot biscuits with butter. The Hobart children ate little, pushing the food around on their plates, until they got to the desserts, which included pound cake, apple dumplings, rice pudding, and mixed fruit.
There was little conversation at the table. Meg observed the line of men across from her, all with the same haircut. The older ones had beards and no mustaches. Their clothing was virtually identical. The women kept their hair tucked under bonnets, and all had on the same simple dresses, some with black coverings like full aprons, the top half of which resembled an upside-down triangle. The dresses differed only in color: muted, dark tones of blue or purple or gray. Meg wondered at the fact that even by this point in the day their clothes remained perfectly pressed. She noted that the garments wereheld closed with straight pins rather than buttons or zippers. There was not a single piece of jewelry or a hint of makeup on any of them.
The men reported to one another on the progress of whatever they had been working on that morning. David had missed much of his morning work by taking James to see about the car, but he managed to get to the barn, where they were shoveling out manure, bringing it to an area where they stored it to be used as fertilizer. One of the men updated the others on repairs he was making on their horses’ harnesses. James asked if he might help with that job, saying he didn’t think he could manage a shovel just yet, but he could try to make himself useful until he could put his back into something. David nodded.
Lunch was over quickly. The men left, and the women cleaned up before dispersing. The smaller children were left behind, giving Meg an idea for something to occupy her own children’s time. Catherine said it wasn’t necessary for anyone to watch her grandchildren, that they would be fine playing near her, but Meg insisted that her children babysit. All three of them shot daggers at her with their eyes, but Meg was delighted to see that it wasn’t long before they actually seemed to be enjoying interacting with the toddlers.
Amanda said a smiling good-bye to all of them and ran out to where her brother Jonathan waited in a buggy.
“She’s off to deliver to the store, and I’m going to prepare for supper,” Catherine explained, setting out a large knife and chopping board. “I have to get back out to hang up the rest of the laundry.”
She hadn’t even sat down after serving lunch, Meg observed,and now she was on to the next meal and more chores. Did she ever rest?
“Do you mind if I ask you what store you mean?” As she spoke, Meg saw an opportunity to repeat her earlier job of drying dishes and reached for the dish towel.
Catherine had begun cutting up potatoes to put into a large pot of water. “It is a store in town. King’s is the name. We make them things to sell. Bread, cakes, jams. Different things, depending on the season. That’s why my daughter Annie and my daughter-in-law Sue weren’t at lunch. Today was their day to do the baking. They brought fresh bread and rolls in the morning, and now Amanda will take over the pies with Jonathan.”
“You make everything here?”
Catherine nodded. “Oh, yes.”
“Jams?”
“Jams, jelly, all kinds of preserves. We pickle things. Make vinegars,
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