Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves.
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.
Sowing in the morning, sowing seeds of kindness,
Sowing in the noontide and the dewy eve;
Waiting for the harvest, and the time of reaping,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.
Sowing in the sunshine, sowing in the shadows,
Fearing neither clouds nor winter’s chilling breeze;
By and by the harvest, and the labor ended,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.
y devout ancestors probably sang this hymn and lived as it described. I loved to listen to my mother, Ruth Kelly Gard Wallace, tell stories about the “olden” days. She left a notebook of her memories that Vicki transcribed without editing. I hear Mother’s dear voice in my mind’s ear:
How we loved threshing day. The wheat had been cut and the sheaves placed into stacks over the fields. The day before all the relatives, daughters and friends would begin getting ready for the huge threshing dinner. Every housewife always tried to out-shine her neighbor as to the dinner served. It was something to behold.
Of course we girls, were right there. The boys were in the fields getting underfoot. We were all waiting for the threshing machine to come down the road. About ½ mile away it began “toot – toot – toot” that was to tell the assembled men to begin loading their wagons in the fields. It was a big steam engine, stoked by coal. The water tank followed behind. The water boy got water from the creek. The engine pulled the huge separator and at last everything was in the right place where the straw-pile would stand.
The man that built the straw pile had to know exactly how the straw was to be placed so it would shed the rain and make a symmetrical mound. There was several loud toots and the loaded wagons came up and they began throwing the sheaves into the separator. Such a clacking and dust. The golden grain would begin to run out into the empty box wagon and threshing was on its way. Meanwhile, every woman was going at top speed, both in body and tongue. The pies, of many kinds, cakes, deserts and breads had been prepared the day before, the chickens made ready, the beef roasts and hams were baking. There would be cucumbers in sour cream and beets and Pickle lily and all sorts of relishes. There were jellies of every kind. Grandma baked her famous raisin cake. Something to see & taste. A yellow layer cake with big fat puffed raisins in the filling & a deep icing. Fried chicken & gravy – Baked chicken & dumplings- fried sausage cakes – mashed potatoes, fried corn, sweet potatoes, Slaw. Beef & noodles, Hot breads and rolls. Little potatoes (grabbed out of the potato patch) with little green peas.
The tables were placed together in the long dining room and everything was placed on the table. The men had washed in the tubs of water, ready for them and we kids were tired from waving “fly shoos” over the tables and were glad to see them troop in every man for himself. Such eating & drinking and loud talking and laughing. Later they all went out and lay down under the shade trees until it was time to go back, when the engine “Tooted.” If the crop was unusually large they would be there for supper.
It was a time of hard work and comradeship. They had great affection for one another and in health, sickness or death helped one another. A day to be remembered and savored. Most of them served the Lord, in their way and were thankful.
I believe that the lives of The Old Ones were richer than ours in neighborly affection and family togetherness. wclarke@comcast.net