Meantime, the sisters, in another part of the room, were arranged in smaller companies on benches placed in a similar manner.  I said to a sister, “Do the preachers wash the sisters’ feet?”

“Oh no,” she answered:  “the sisters does it.”

Some of the sisters were very friendly, and not unwilling to converse.  One said, “One sister washes as many as she is pretty well able:  it’s hard on the back.”

“And does she have a towel?” said I.

“She girds a towel, and then she washes and wipes them, and gives them a kiss.”

“Do you all have your feet washed?” I inquired further.

“No, not those that have any weakness that prevents.”

“And will all these brothers have their feet washed?”

“All that communes.”

“And do not all commune?”

“Yes, without they feel that they have something against another.  Now if I feel that I have something against her—­placing her hand upon a sister.

“I understand,” interrupted I. “’If thou bring thy gift to the altar—­’ And how many,” I continued, “will there be in such a meeting as this that will not commune?  Will there be half a dozen?”

“Oh yes; but by another year all will likely be right, and then they will commune.  Now, I did not commune nor have my feet washed.”

“Why not?” said I.

“Why, I felt at this time such confusion of mind, as if the Enemy was against me—­”

“Well, it was not anything against a brother or sister?”

“No, I count them all ahead of me:  I count myself the poorest member.”

At the conclusion of the feet-washing a hymn was sung.  Among those who had their feet washed was a young man apparently about twenty-two, and who looked full of fun.  It seems that even such may be in membership with so strict a sect.  It was about one o’clock when the meeting ended, having been in session four hours and a half.

The great simplicity of the surroundings on this occasion may lead the reader to suppose that the congregation was poor.  It was, however, composed in a great measure of some of the thriftiest farmers in one of the richest upland sections of the United States.

Some time after attending this meeting I called upon an aged Amish man to converse with him upon their religious society, etc.  The Amish are another branch of the Mennonites, and those among us are likewise descendants of Swiss refugees.  They are the most primitive of the three divisions of the sect, preserving the use of the Dutch or German language not only in their religious meetings, but almost entirely in their own families.

I mentioned to this aged man the feet-washing that I had attended, and told how Dr. ——­, the bishop, had washed the feet of the other brethren.

“Did he wash them all?” said my Amish acquaintance.

“Yes, all that were assigned to him.  How is it among you?”