reservoir with water after supper. Reuben, you can bring in more wood. That will be very useful."
The boys groaned and pa chuckled. "Guess you'll be careful what you say from now on. Ma can keep you busy anytime you're available."
On Saturday, pa loaded the wagon with a plow to be sharpened and a harness that needed a new buckle, and left for town. I couldn't keep my mind on my chores for watching the road.
"He hasn't had time to get there yet, let alone buy paint and get back. Patience certainly isn't one of your virtues, is it?" ma remarked.
"I'm just excited about it, that's all. I can see how nice it's going to look."
"I can, too," ma said. "I guess all my prodding did some good. Although I must admit, I'm surprised he gave in without more of a struggle."
Ma and I ate dinner alone. Then she suggested that I run over to see Sarah Jane for the afternoon.
"I guess I'd better not. I might not get back before pa does. I want to be here when he brings the paint."
However, I was helping ma put supper on the table when pa and the boys drove in. They went directly to the barn and unloaded the wagon; then they came to the house to wash.
"Did you get it, pa?" I clamored. "Did you get all the paint? Will you be ready to start on Monday?"
Pa nodded. "Yes, we got it all. But I won't be able to start Monday after all. Jed Carter wants me to go with him to buy some cattle. I think I may get us another heifer."
"That's good," ma said. "One more day won't make that much difference. What color did you get—white or yellow?"
There was no answer. Ma looked around at pa, who had his face buried in a towel. "James?"
Pa cleared his throat. "Well, actually, neither one."
100
"Neither one? I thought we had decided on those colors. What did you get, then?" Pa looked uncomfortable. "Red."
"Red!" ma cried. "Why on earth would you buy red? That's not a color for a house! The only thing that's good for is the . . ."
Ma stopped suddenly and sat down at the table. "James," she said quietly, "are you planning to paint the barn?"
Pa avoided looking directly at her. "Well, yes," he mumbled. "I thought I would."
"You said you would paint the house."
"Oh, I will. Just as soon as the barn is done. You can see how badly it needs it, can't you?" He looked appealingly at ma.
Ma got up and went back to the stove. Something in her eye said that pa would hear more about the matter when we children were out of earshot.
The next morning, ma was her usual cheerful self as she bustled around the kitchen preparing breakfast and getting us ready for church. If she looked a little more determined than usual, no one seemed to notice. We climbed into the buggy and left for church.
"What time do you plan to leave tomorrow morning?" ma asked pleasantly.
"I think as soon as it's daylight," pa answered. "It'll take longer getting home since we have to walk the cattle."
"I'll help the boys milk in the morning so you can get ready to leave," ma said.
When I arrived in the kitchen the following morning, the milking had been done. The breakfast was ready to go on the table, even though the sun had not yet peeped over the horizon.
"Looks like a beautiful day," pa boomed as he sat down. "The Lord is good to us to give us such perfect growing weather."
"Yes, he is," ma agreed. "We have a lot to be thankful for."
"You know what there is to do around here," pa reminded the boys. "And if your ma has any chores she wants done, you be available to do them."
"Yes, pa," Reuben replied. "We'll take care of things."
Roy hitched Nellie to the wagon, and pa climbed in. Ma stood at the kitchen door watching as they disappeared down the lane. Then she turned to Reuben and Roy.
"Boys, I want you to go out to the barn and fetch that paint to the house. And don't forget the brushes and the ladder."
They stared at her, dumbfounded. "What are you going to do with it, ma?"
"I'm going to paint the house, of course." "But, ma," Roy protested, "that paint is for the
The boys groaned and pa chuckled. "Guess you'll be careful what you say from now on. Ma can keep you busy anytime you're available."
On Saturday, pa loaded the wagon with a plow to be sharpened and a harness that needed a new buckle, and left for town. I couldn't keep my mind on my chores for watching the road.
"He hasn't had time to get there yet, let alone buy paint and get back. Patience certainly isn't one of your virtues, is it?" ma remarked.
"I'm just excited about it, that's all. I can see how nice it's going to look."
"I can, too," ma said. "I guess all my prodding did some good. Although I must admit, I'm surprised he gave in without more of a struggle."
Ma and I ate dinner alone. Then she suggested that I run over to see Sarah Jane for the afternoon.
"I guess I'd better not. I might not get back before pa does. I want to be here when he brings the paint."
However, I was helping ma put supper on the table when pa and the boys drove in. They went directly to the barn and unloaded the wagon; then they came to the house to wash.
"Did you get it, pa?" I clamored. "Did you get all the paint? Will you be ready to start on Monday?"
Pa nodded. "Yes, we got it all. But I won't be able to start Monday after all. Jed Carter wants me to go with him to buy some cattle. I think I may get us another heifer."
"That's good," ma said. "One more day won't make that much difference. What color did you get—white or yellow?"
There was no answer. Ma looked around at pa, who had his face buried in a towel. "James?"
Pa cleared his throat. "Well, actually, neither one."
100
"Neither one? I thought we had decided on those colors. What did you get, then?" Pa looked uncomfortable. "Red."
"Red!" ma cried. "Why on earth would you buy red? That's not a color for a house! The only thing that's good for is the . . ."
Ma stopped suddenly and sat down at the table. "James," she said quietly, "are you planning to paint the barn?"
Pa avoided looking directly at her. "Well, yes," he mumbled. "I thought I would."
"You said you would paint the house."
"Oh, I will. Just as soon as the barn is done. You can see how badly it needs it, can't you?" He looked appealingly at ma.
Ma got up and went back to the stove. Something in her eye said that pa would hear more about the matter when we children were out of earshot.
The next morning, ma was her usual cheerful self as she bustled around the kitchen preparing breakfast and getting us ready for church. If she looked a little more determined than usual, no one seemed to notice. We climbed into the buggy and left for church.
"What time do you plan to leave tomorrow morning?" ma asked pleasantly.
"I think as soon as it's daylight," pa answered. "It'll take longer getting home since we have to walk the cattle."
"I'll help the boys milk in the morning so you can get ready to leave," ma said.
When I arrived in the kitchen the following morning, the milking had been done. The breakfast was ready to go on the table, even though the sun had not yet peeped over the horizon.
"Looks like a beautiful day," pa boomed as he sat down. "The Lord is good to us to give us such perfect growing weather."
"Yes, he is," ma agreed. "We have a lot to be thankful for."
"You know what there is to do around here," pa reminded the boys. "And if your ma has any chores she wants done, you be available to do them."
"Yes, pa," Reuben replied. "We'll take care of things."
Roy hitched Nellie to the wagon, and pa climbed in. Ma stood at the kitchen door watching as they disappeared down the lane. Then she turned to Reuben and Roy.
"Boys, I want you to go out to the barn and fetch that paint to the house. And don't forget the brushes and the ladder."
They stared at her, dumbfounded. "What are you going to do with it, ma?"
"I'm going to paint the house, of course." "But, ma," Roy protested, "that paint is for the
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