There was a study done one time that involved marshmallows and four year olds. Each child was given a marshmallow and told if they still had it by the time the person came back, they would receive another. About twenty years later each of these four year olds were tracked down to see where they were after all this time. The study revealed that those children who ate the marshmallow before the instructor came back were more likely to be selfish and want things immediately as adults. The other children were more patient later in life and content with where they were. I would have been the child who ate the marshmallow.

     I never really knew my family growing up. I knew my grandfather on my mother's side went to India to be a missionary, but I never really cared about the particulars. My grandfather on my dad's side worked at the same job for many years until he semi-retired and moved to Florida. I knew who they were and where they lived, but I never bothered to keep in touch unless I was forced to. I really didn�t like going to my grandparents, too many rules. Instead, I wanted to do my own thing, hang out with my friends. It�s not as if my grandparents didn�t try. They would offer to do things with me, but to a pre-teen it sounded boring. So I didn�t really do anything with them unless I was dragged there. It wasn�t that I didn�t care or love my family, I was too worried about myself and having fun. I lived my life fast-paced. I wanted to get money and do it quickly. So I didn�t have any time to hang out with old people who I had nothing in common with..

     I was coming back to where my family had spent many generations, on both sides, growing up. I had moved many hours away but, being unsatisfied with my choice, I moved back. My grandfather, Alvin Hostetler, had passed away a little over two years before. After his death his children divided up his belongings between them. He had a lot of things, as any eighty-one year old probably would. So much so that after the children divided them up between them, there was still many camera equipment and developer liquid for film left over. They tried to sell many of them, but it seemed they were not as interesting as they had hoped. The rest was divided up once more between the children. A lot was sold on ebay, the rest just given away.

     I rummaged through the items my mother received. Many pictures and camera equipment. My grandfather was a photographer by profession, a career he enjoyed. He became fascinated by the workings of it when he was younger. He grew up in an Old Order Amish household. For those of you that don�t know the difference, the Old Order Amish are those who still do not use motorized vehicles, don�t have electricity, and normally wear clothing that separates them from the �normal� look of the world. Those are the basics. Some other beliefs are that they don�t get their picture taken, willingly. These rules usually apply to those who have chosen to join the Old Order Amish Church. My grandfather, Alvin, was young yet and this rule didn�t apply to him.

     Alvin�s last name changed, for whatever reason. He was from the Hochstetler (pronounced �hoe-stet-ler�) line of the family. As history reports, the first direct line to Alvin Hochstetler to put his foot on American soil was a man named Jacob Hochstetler. He traveled from Switzerland to America on September 1, 1736 with his wife, Miss Lorentz, and three year old child John on the ship �Harle�. They landing at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They were taken immediately to the Court House to make their declaration of allegiance. Jacob could not write so was unable to sign the declaration. His name was signed for him by the clerk as Hofstedler. Philadelphia was only a half century old and had a population from eight to ten thousand. It is not known what Jacob did shortly after his arrival in the new world, but is supposed that he may have found employment among members of the Amish church until he was able to secure land and begin farming for himself. He eventually was able to obtain 200 acres of government land in the township of Brecknock, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania on June 15, 1738. He would later sell this tract and settle in the Amish lands of Bern township, Lancaster County (Lancaster was divided which would make him living in Berks County in 1752). In this area it is claimed that the first Amish church in America began. An organization was established as early as 1740. The congregation met for worship on the Sabbath at the homes of the members. And so, this is how it was for Jacob and his family, until the massacre.

     After the French and Indian War had began the citizens of Lancaster County began preparing. A fort was built in Northkill, near the Hochstetler plot. As it is with any peoples ignorant of the ways of others, attacks were made by zealous unionists on Native Americans and attacks were made by Native Americans on unionists. Each group took out their vengeance on the peoples in the opposing ethnic group because of the act of one person not understanding that the act did not portray the feelings of the group in general. On the evening of September 19, 1757 a group of Amish families came together at Jacob�s home to help in paring and slicing apples for drying. After the work was done the children would play or socialize. After everyone had left, the Hochstetler�s went to bed to be rested for the early morning chores. About the time the family was sound asleep the family dog began barking. Jacob, the son, woke up and went outside to see why their dog was causing such commotion. He opened the front door and peered out into the darkness, still hearing the barking, but not seeing anything. He felt a sudden pain in his leg then the sound of a gun firing. He looked at his leg then out in the darkness. Flowing out of it he saw eight to ten Native Americans coming at him. He crawled into the house and closed the door before the Native Americans could enter. The shot woke the rest of the family who ran to Jacob�s aid. Jacob Sr. looked out the window to see the Native Americans standing near the bake oven conversing with each other. Two other children, Joseph and Christian, picked up their guns to defend the family.

�Two or three shots can be  taken before we have to reload, � one brother said to the other.

    Jacob Sr. wouldn�t have it though. He stood firmly in his belief of non-resistance and remained faithful to this doctrine. The children begged and reasoned with their father, but he could not be moved. This was a time of trial, and he would not allow anyone in his household to swerve from the way they had been taught, no matter if the world would choose differently. He told them it was not right to take the life of another, even to save one�s own.

     After a few minutes the Native Americans decided to set the house on fire. As the fire increased, the family went into the cellar while the Native Americans stood guard around the home. The heat from the fire became so intense that it began to burst through the floor. Jacob and his family kept the fire at bay by sprinkling cider on it. Daybreak began to near and the family hoped the Native Americans would not stay much longer.