Sleigh Ride (Homespun) (2 page)

Charlotte smiled.  “I’ll look forward to that.”  Even the thought of meeting James’s sister-in-law made her nervous.  She’d always been a little shy, but never downright nervous around men before.

When they pulled into the yard, George and the two boys came out to be introduced to Millie’s friend.  George lifted Millie down and turned to her friend, offering her his hand to keep her from slipping on the slick snow. 

After the introductions were made, George stayed outside to unhitch the team and put the horses in the barn, but the boys went into the house.  Millie had baked fresh cookies that morning, and she put on a pot of tea to go with them.  “Usually I just drink milk with cookies, but I’m so cold, I want a hot drink.  Would you rather have tea or milk, Charlotte?”

Charlotte shrugged, looking around the small house in amazement.  When she and Millie had talked about Millie’s adventure as a mail order bride, neither of them had imagined her in a house so small.  Millie seemed happy here, though, so Charlotte didn’t say anything.  “I guess I’ll have tea if you don’t mind.”  Would she be expected to live in a house this small if she married James?

In a few minutes, Millie had tea for her and Charlotte, and milk for the children on the table.  They all ate the cookies Millie had fixed that morning.  “These cookies are good, Millie!”  Charlotte looked at the cookie as if she didn’t believe her friend had made it.

Millie smiled.  “My cooking has improved a great deal during my months here.  My family didn’t want to starve, so I had to learn quickly.”  She thought about some of the meals she’d messed up and her eyes twinkled.

“Your cooking has always been good, Mama.” 

George came in then carrying Millie’s purchases from the store.  He put them on the work table and, after washing his hands, poured himself a cup of tea, joining them at the table.  “We’re really glad you came to stay with us, Charlotte.  Millie’s told me a lot about you.”  

Charlotte smiled.  “I’m so thankful you invited me.  I’m really glad I can spend some time with Millie.  It’s been too long.”  She smiled at her friend.

She couldn’t believe how natural Millie seemed in this environment.  George seemed like a gentle man, but his face was covered in a scruffy beard.  She sat holding her youngest child on what was left of her lap, and cuddled her as she fell asleep there.  All the children called her “Mama” as if she’d been their mother for years instead of just a few months.  Charlotte would never have married a man who had so many children.  She needed the man’s attention all to herself for a while.

Soon, George went back out to the barn taking the boys with him to help him work.  Millie carried Grace into her room and laid her down on her trundle bed on the floor.  “She and Patience were sleeping together, but with you coming, George went ahead and made her a trundle bed.  She’ll sleep there happily.”

Charlotte looked around the room she’d be sharing with the girls and put her things on the bed to be unpacked later, after a nice long visit with her friend.  She saw no need to start working now.  She deserved a rest after that long train ride.

Once Grace was down for her nap, Millie had Patience return to her schoolwork at the table.  “There’s not a school close enough for her to attend, so I’m teaching her,” Millie explained.  “I’ll be right back.  I need to go down to the cellar to get some vegetables for tonight.”

Patience jumped up.  “Let me go, Mama.  Papa said you’re not supposed to go down to the cellar anymore, because it’s not safe for you and the baby.”  Her voice was eager making it obvious she wanted nothing more than to please Millie.

Millie nodded gratefully.  “I’ll need about ten good sized potatoes and five or six carrots.  Carry them in your apron so you don’t drop them.”

Once Patience had shot out of the room, Millie turned back to Charlotte.  “I really don’t know what I’d do without her.”  Patience came back in, her apron filled with the vegetables.  “Thank you.  Get back to your schoolwork now.”

Charlotte took in the whole scene with wide eyes.  Patience was obviously very protective of Millie, which was nice to see. 
Patience sat down and immediately began reading from her school book which was open on the table.

“George killed a nice-sized buck yesterday, so we’re having venison roast for dinner.”  Millie stood at the sink deftly peeling the carrots and potatoes as she talked.  “I baked some fresh bread this morning, so we’ll have that as well.”

Charlotte nodded as she watched her friend perform chores she would have been clueless about only a year ago.  “It sounds wonderful!”  She’d never eaten venison, but she was more than willing to try it.  Meat had been a scarcity at the orphanage, but with George hunting, they’d have access to a lot more meat out here.

“I bought some cotton today to make some gowns for the baby.  I was hoping you’d help me with those.  You always had such a good hand with a needle and thread.”  Millie loved the idea of having an experienced seamstress like Charlotte help her with the baby things.  She was certain Charlotte would be able to give her tips that would help her a great deal.

“I’d be happy to!”

Millie smiled over her shoulder as she threw another quartered potato into the pot with the roast which was already half cooked.  “I’ve started on a quilt, too.  It’s all I’ve been able to do to keep up with the sewing for the family I already have, and this little one is really sapping my energy.”

Charlotte grinned.  “You’re not as light on your feet as I remember.”  She couldn’t help teasing her old friend.

Millie laughed out loud.  “I’m not light on my feet at all anymore.  Sometimes I think I resemble nothing so much as a duck.  I waddle everywhere I go.”  Millie had always thought a lot of her looks, but she’d learned George didn’t much care what she looked like.  He cared about who she was on the inside.

Patience looked up from her schoolwork and smiled at her mother’s words.  Her face quickly turned to a frown as she saw her mother’s friend sitting at the table like an honored houseguest instead of helping out.  Her mama needed help.  Why was she just sitting there?

Once Millie had put the roast back in the oven, Charlotte asked, “What can I do to help you?”

Millie smiled and showed her the new fabric she’d purchased.  Together, they cut out the gowns for the baby, and they each began to sew one.  Patience, watching while she did her schoolwork, frowned again.  Her mama needed help with the things that were hard, like cooking and cleaning.  She could do the sewing and still rest. 

They got a lot of the sewing done that afternoon as they caught up.  Charlotte filled Millie in on the news from Boston.  A new patron had started donating money to the orphanage, and the extra money was helping make some much needed changes.  They were even going to be able to expand it, so they’d be able to take on more children.

They talked about how fortunate they’d been that Mrs. Stanton, who had run the orphanage their entire lives, had been unwilling to throw them all on the orphan trains with so many other children.  They’d had a good solid upbringing in a Christian orphanage, which was so much more than others got.

Millie enjoyed their visit so much, she lost track of time.  At quarter before five, she jumped up.  “Oh my!  It’s almost suppertime.  Patience, help me clear the table and set it for dinner.”

Patience jumped up and cleared away her schoolbooks, taking them to her room.  Millie put a stack of dishes on the end of the table for Patience to set properly, and then she carefully folded the fabric they’d been using.  “We’ll sew a little more after the children are in bed, if you’d like.”  She usually sewed during the time George read the Bible to her anyway.

Charlotte nodded.  She loved to sew.  She sat back and watched as Patience flew to get the table set, and Millie took the huge pot with the roast and potatoes out of the oven.  “I need to make gravy for this.”  She pulled down a smaller pot and added the drippings from the big one.  Slowly she stirred in a mixture of water and flour and added some seasoning.  By the time George came in at five with the fresh milk in his hand, the table was set and dinner was finished.  Patience went to get Grace up from her nap.

George noted Charlotte sitting at the table while his wife did all the work, but chalked it up to travel fatigue.  Surely she’d start helping out the next day.  Maybe he could think of a Bible passage to prod her in that direction.  Millie had told him Charlotte was a real Christian, unlike what she’d been before moving to Minnesota.

Once they were all seated, George said a quick prayer for them.  “Thank you Lord for the food you have provided and the good friend you’ve provided to eat it with.  We pray in the name of your son, Jesus.  Amen.”

They all chorused “amen” and Millie quickly filled their plates.  Charlotte took a bite of the meat, and her eyes lit up.  “Millie, this is fabulous.  You’re a good cook!”  She was again surprised her friend had developed such culinary skills so quickly.

Millie smiled.  “Thank you.”  She shared a look with George.  “Not everything I’ve made has been edible, but I think I get better all the time.”

George shook his head.  “There was only one meal that wasn’t edible, but we made do.  The rest have been wonderful.”

Millie beamed under his praise.  It still meant a lot to her that he’d find her efficient at her tasks as a wife and mother.  “Bess will be here in the afternoon tomorrow, so I’ll be baking a cake in the morning.  Is there anything in particular you’d like for supper tomorrow?”

George shook his head.  “Whatever you feel up to making.  I don’t want you spending a lot of time on your feet making elaborate meals.”  He hoped Charlotte would take the hint and try and take the burden off his wife.  “You know Ellie said you needed to rest more.” 

“Who’s Ellie?” Charlotte asked.  She looked between the couple wondering what she was missing.

Millie shook her head at George, silently asking him not to say anything else.  “Ellie is the midwife.”

“Is something wrong?”  Charlotte continued to look between Millie and George trying to figure out what wasn’t being said.

Millie shook her head.  “Probably not.  I’m just more rundown than I should be.  Of course, I’m pregnant for the first time and taking care of four children, and that’s probably most of it right there.”  She shrugged.  “I wouldn’t change it for the world, though.”  She included all of the children in her smile.

“Well, you’ll need to just sit back and I’ll do the work now that I’m here.”  She smiled at her friend to let her know she would do anything to keep her healthy.  She’d have to be taught, of course, but she was a quick study.

George nodded satisfied.  Even Patience smiled.  They were both worried about Millie.

Once dinner was done, Millie got to her feet to clear the table, and Patience jumped up to help her.  Charlotte started to get up, but decided she’d just be in the way.  The two of them worked so efficiently together.  So she held little Grace and told her a story while the dishes were being done.

Once the children were in bed, Millie and Charlotte once again began sewing for the baby.  George pulled his Bible down off the shelf and came to the table to read.  “I always read to Millie in the evenings after the children are in bed,” he told Charlotte by way of explanation.  He had a look of concentration on his face as he flipped through the old Bible, trying to find the verses he was looking for.

He opened his Bible to Proverbs chapter thirty-one and read about the qualities of a good wife.  Millie was a bit startled, because they were supposed to start reading Acts, but she didn’t say anything, just listened quietly.  The reading made her think about the ways she could improve as a wife, and she was always looking for ways to do her job better.

Once he was finished, he smiled at Millie.  “I wanted to read this because it points out all the ways my wife does so much good for our family.  I’m really proud of the way you’ve become the wife and mother our family needs you to be.”

Millie smiled at his words.  She’d wondered momentarily if he was chastising her by reading them, but she’d realized quickly George wouldn’t have done that in front of her friend.  He would have waited until they were alone to speak to her about it.

He excused himself and went to bed soon after that, and Millie, stifling a yawn, got up to go to bed as well.  “Morning comes awfully early on a farm.  I need to head to bed, too.  Is there anything you need?”

Charlotte shook her head.  “I’m fine.  I’ll see you in the morning!”  She sat thinking about the scriptures George had read and how proud he was of Millie.  She wanted to be the kind of wife Proverbs chapter thirty-one talked about.  That meant she needed to learn to do everything Millie did.  She was glad she had such a good friend to teach her.

The sun wasn’t even up yet when Charlotte heard Millie and George stirring in the room beside hers.  She quickly dressed and met Millie in the kitchen.  Millie was wearing her coat and shoes.  “Where are you going?”  Why would anyone be up at this hour?

“I need to go collect the eggs so I can cook breakfast.”  Millie opened the door. 

“I’ll go with you this morning so you can show me where they lay, but I’ll get them from now on.”  Charlotte made a statement rather than offering.  She knew Millie was used to doing things for herself and would have a hard time accepting help.