Read Online Love's Enduring Promise (Love Comes Softly Series #2) by Janette Oke - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Janette Oke
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can't make a bed atall! Ya have to git 'im up an' dress 'im every day. Who wants to make Clare's bed an' who wants to dress Arnie?"
"I'll care fer Arnie," Nandry was quick to say.
"Then I'll make Clare's bed, I guess," spoke Clae.
"An' sometimes there's special jobs," went on Missie, "like gittin' more wood, or hangin out clothes, or peelin' the vege'bles."
"I'd rather feed the chickens," Nandry said slowly. "An' gather eggs," she added as an afterthought.
"She likes chickens," Clae informed. "She was always
63
wishin' thet she had some. Chickens an' babies--thet's what she likes."
"Fine," said Marty, "you can feed the chickens and gather the eggs iffen ya like thet. What 'bout you, Clae? What would you be likin'?"
Clae looked suddenly shy. Dared she express her likes? Finally she blurted it out. She might have to pay for it, but say it she would.
"I'd like to learn to make things," she said, "pretty dresses an' aprons an' knitted things."
"Stop it, Clae," Nandry scolded. "Ya know thet ya can't do all thet. Ya'd wreck the machine fer sure."
Now it was out. Marty had noticed the young girl eying her machine hungrily. So she wished to be creative. Well, she would be given instruction and opportunity.
"The machine doesn't break so easy," she said, carefully choosing her words. "Ya must both learn to sew, an' then you'll be able to make whatever ya want. Perhaps we could start on somethin' simple, an' then when ya practice abit ya can do somethin' more fancy. I learned to sew when I was quite young, an' I've always been glad thet I did. Sewin' some- thin' pretty always makes me feel good inside."
Clae's eyes shone. She could hardly believe her ears. Could she really learn to sew at this house? She wanted to hug this woman but she held back.
Marty went on.
"Now tomorra you are goin' to have yer first big job. I'm goin' into town with my husband to buy the things thet you'll be needin' fer school, an' Twill be leavin' ya here on yer own."
Marty secretly wondered if she would be brave enough to leave them when the time came, or would she bundle them all up and take them along. No, that would never do. Five youngsters underfoot while she tried to hurry through a great deal of shopping just wouldn't work at all. Besides, the girls really did need the opportunity to prove themselves. They were quite old enough to be caring for younger ones, and she must give them the chance to show it.
Her announcement caused no change of expression in the
64
eyes that were before her.
"Do ya think, Nandry, thet ya can care fer young Arnie, an' help fix some dinner fer ya all?"
Nandry shook her head in agreement.
"An', Clae, you an' Missie will need to help with the dishes an' the dinner, an' keep an' eye on Clare. Can ya do thet?" The two girls exchanged glances, then agreed.
"Good," said Marty, "then it be decided. Now we have lots thet must be done today. First I want ya all to slip off yer shoes so thet I can get a tracin' of yer feet fer new boots fer school."
Embarrassment flushed Marty's face as she realized too late that the two Larson girls were not wearing shoes.
"Our shoes are all worn out," Clae explained, matter-of- factly. "They won't stay on no more."
Marty carefully traced and labelled the feet on her pieces of cardboard. She would cut them out later so that they could be slipped into a shoe for fitting.
"Now then," she told the girls, "Clae an' Missie are to do up the dishes. Missie, you show Clae where the pans an' towels are kept. Nandry you come with me an' I'll show ya how to be carin' fer the chickens. Then we will gather an' clean the eggs so thet I can add 'em to the ones I've set aside to take to town."
"Can I bring Arnie?" Nandry asked. "He likes chickens, too."
Marty consented, knowing it to be true. Arnie did love the chickens, though Marty was convinced that what he liked the most was the delightful squawking and flapping they did when he chased them round the pen.
They left the house together.
"I'll care fer Arnie," Nandry was quick to say.
"Then I'll make Clare's bed, I guess," spoke Clae.
"An' sometimes there's special jobs," went on Missie, "like gittin' more wood, or hangin out clothes, or peelin' the vege'bles."
"I'd rather feed the chickens," Nandry said slowly. "An' gather eggs," she added as an afterthought.
"She likes chickens," Clae informed. "She was always
63
wishin' thet she had some. Chickens an' babies--thet's what she likes."
"Fine," said Marty, "you can feed the chickens and gather the eggs iffen ya like thet. What 'bout you, Clae? What would you be likin'?"
Clae looked suddenly shy. Dared she express her likes? Finally she blurted it out. She might have to pay for it, but say it she would.
"I'd like to learn to make things," she said, "pretty dresses an' aprons an' knitted things."
"Stop it, Clae," Nandry scolded. "Ya know thet ya can't do all thet. Ya'd wreck the machine fer sure."
Now it was out. Marty had noticed the young girl eying her machine hungrily. So she wished to be creative. Well, she would be given instruction and opportunity.
"The machine doesn't break so easy," she said, carefully choosing her words. "Ya must both learn to sew, an' then you'll be able to make whatever ya want. Perhaps we could start on somethin' simple, an' then when ya practice abit ya can do somethin' more fancy. I learned to sew when I was quite young, an' I've always been glad thet I did. Sewin' some- thin' pretty always makes me feel good inside."
Clae's eyes shone. She could hardly believe her ears. Could she really learn to sew at this house? She wanted to hug this woman but she held back.
Marty went on.
"Now tomorra you are goin' to have yer first big job. I'm goin' into town with my husband to buy the things thet you'll be needin' fer school, an' Twill be leavin' ya here on yer own."
Marty secretly wondered if she would be brave enough to leave them when the time came, or would she bundle them all up and take them along. No, that would never do. Five youngsters underfoot while she tried to hurry through a great deal of shopping just wouldn't work at all. Besides, the girls really did need the opportunity to prove themselves. They were quite old enough to be caring for younger ones, and she must give them the chance to show it.
Her announcement caused no change of expression in the
64
eyes that were before her.
"Do ya think, Nandry, thet ya can care fer young Arnie, an' help fix some dinner fer ya all?"
Nandry shook her head in agreement.
"An', Clae, you an' Missie will need to help with the dishes an' the dinner, an' keep an' eye on Clare. Can ya do thet?" The two girls exchanged glances, then agreed.
"Good," said Marty, "then it be decided. Now we have lots thet must be done today. First I want ya all to slip off yer shoes so thet I can get a tracin' of yer feet fer new boots fer school."
Embarrassment flushed Marty's face as she realized too late that the two Larson girls were not wearing shoes.
"Our shoes are all worn out," Clae explained, matter-of- factly. "They won't stay on no more."
Marty carefully traced and labelled the feet on her pieces of cardboard. She would cut them out later so that they could be slipped into a shoe for fitting.
"Now then," she told the girls, "Clae an' Missie are to do up the dishes. Missie, you show Clae where the pans an' towels are kept. Nandry you come with me an' I'll show ya how to be carin' fer the chickens. Then we will gather an' clean the eggs so thet I can add 'em to the ones I've set aside to take to town."
"Can I bring Arnie?" Nandry asked. "He likes chickens, too."
Marty consented, knowing it to be true. Arnie did love the chickens, though Marty was convinced that what he liked the most was the delightful squawking and flapping they did when he chased them round the pen.
They left the house together.
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