barn!"
"It was for the barn," ma corrected him. "It is now for the house. I'm tired of waiting for my house to be painted, and I don't intend to take second place to a barn. Now, move. And Mabel," she turned to me, "come along and put on an older dress. I don't want paint on that one."
"But, ma," I wailed as I trotted after her, "we wanted a white house! It will look just like we lived in a barn!"
"That can't be helped. I would prefer white, myself. But at least it will look clean. We can get some white to trim the windows and doors."
The boys returned with the paint and ladders, and ma met them at the steps.
"Are we starting back here, ma?" Reuben
asked.
"Indeed not," ma declared. "We'll begin on the front. Your father might not finish it right away if it couldn't be noticed from the road. But he won't leave the job undone when the neighbors can see it."
The boys looked at each other and shrugged. When they had carried everything around to the front, ma directed the job.
"Now, Reuben, you set up the ladder and start at the top. Roy, you start as high as you can reach and work down. Mabel, you begin at the bottom and work up. I'll paint around the windows and doors."
We went to work at once, and stopped only fora cold lunch at dinnertime.
"You're doing a good job, children. If we keep it up until sundown, we should have most of the front done."
"What's pa going to say when he gets home?" Reuben ventured to ask.
"Why, I'm sure he'll think we've done a good job," ma replied. "It looks very nice so far, and we haven't wasted any paint."
"But he intended to do the barn with this paint," Roy put in. "Aren't you afraid he'll be mad?"
"Your father doesn't get mad," ma declared. "Annoyed, maybe, or even put out a little, but not mad."
We went back to work after dinner, and by the time the sun set, we had made a noticeable difference in the front of the house. Ma stood back and admired it.
"Now I call that a good day's work," she said proudly. "You see how much better the house looks with a little paint?"
"It certainly looks ... red," Reuben agreed. "We'll be able to see it from a long way off."
"I like it, ma," I said loyally. "It looks a lot better."
"All right, boys. We'll stop for now. Put the things away and start your chores. I'll help you milk again this evening. You've been good assistants."
The boys left to get the cows, and ma and I went inside to begin supper.
"Do you suppose pa will be home before dark?" I asked. "If he isn't, he won't see it until tomorrow."
"I don't know," ma said. "But I think we can start looking for him anytime now."
Supper was all ready, and it was dark before we heard the sound of the wagon on the lane. I could imagine pa brushing and feeding Nellie, putting the new cow in her stall, and then heading for the house.
Soon the back door opened, and pa came in. Ma greeted him with a smile. "Did you have a successful day?"
"Yes, we did. Brought home a fine heifer."
He sat down and looked at ma. The corners of his mouth twitched as he tried to keep from laughing. "I guess you've had a pretty busy day, too. Haven't you?"
"Yes. We've been working around the house ever since you left."
Pa burst out laughing. "I can't see it, but I can smell it. I had it coming to me. How does it look?"
"Very fine, indeed," ma replied. "As soon as you bring enough white for the trim, it will be the prettiest house in the county."
"It will be the brightest, anyway," pa chuckled. "The Carters will be here tomorrow to help finish it. . . ."
"We got used to our bright red house," grandma concluded. "In fact, we all rather liked that color. And pa learned that when ma had her heart set on something, she would
probably get it!"
My Own Boss
I ALWAYS HAD to check my plans with grandma. Sometimes I got tired of asking permission to do everything.
"You don't have to worry about me, grandma," I told her. "I'm big enough to take care of myself."
"I know you think you are," grandma replied. "But I'd
"It was for the barn," ma corrected him. "It is now for the house. I'm tired of waiting for my house to be painted, and I don't intend to take second place to a barn. Now, move. And Mabel," she turned to me, "come along and put on an older dress. I don't want paint on that one."
"But, ma," I wailed as I trotted after her, "we wanted a white house! It will look just like we lived in a barn!"
"That can't be helped. I would prefer white, myself. But at least it will look clean. We can get some white to trim the windows and doors."
The boys returned with the paint and ladders, and ma met them at the steps.
"Are we starting back here, ma?" Reuben
asked.
"Indeed not," ma declared. "We'll begin on the front. Your father might not finish it right away if it couldn't be noticed from the road. But he won't leave the job undone when the neighbors can see it."
The boys looked at each other and shrugged. When they had carried everything around to the front, ma directed the job.
"Now, Reuben, you set up the ladder and start at the top. Roy, you start as high as you can reach and work down. Mabel, you begin at the bottom and work up. I'll paint around the windows and doors."
We went to work at once, and stopped only fora cold lunch at dinnertime.
"You're doing a good job, children. If we keep it up until sundown, we should have most of the front done."
"What's pa going to say when he gets home?" Reuben ventured to ask.
"Why, I'm sure he'll think we've done a good job," ma replied. "It looks very nice so far, and we haven't wasted any paint."
"But he intended to do the barn with this paint," Roy put in. "Aren't you afraid he'll be mad?"
"Your father doesn't get mad," ma declared. "Annoyed, maybe, or even put out a little, but not mad."
We went back to work after dinner, and by the time the sun set, we had made a noticeable difference in the front of the house. Ma stood back and admired it.
"Now I call that a good day's work," she said proudly. "You see how much better the house looks with a little paint?"
"It certainly looks ... red," Reuben agreed. "We'll be able to see it from a long way off."
"I like it, ma," I said loyally. "It looks a lot better."
"All right, boys. We'll stop for now. Put the things away and start your chores. I'll help you milk again this evening. You've been good assistants."
The boys left to get the cows, and ma and I went inside to begin supper.
"Do you suppose pa will be home before dark?" I asked. "If he isn't, he won't see it until tomorrow."
"I don't know," ma said. "But I think we can start looking for him anytime now."
Supper was all ready, and it was dark before we heard the sound of the wagon on the lane. I could imagine pa brushing and feeding Nellie, putting the new cow in her stall, and then heading for the house.
Soon the back door opened, and pa came in. Ma greeted him with a smile. "Did you have a successful day?"
"Yes, we did. Brought home a fine heifer."
He sat down and looked at ma. The corners of his mouth twitched as he tried to keep from laughing. "I guess you've had a pretty busy day, too. Haven't you?"
"Yes. We've been working around the house ever since you left."
Pa burst out laughing. "I can't see it, but I can smell it. I had it coming to me. How does it look?"
"Very fine, indeed," ma replied. "As soon as you bring enough white for the trim, it will be the prettiest house in the county."
"It will be the brightest, anyway," pa chuckled. "The Carters will be here tomorrow to help finish it. . . ."
"We got used to our bright red house," grandma concluded. "In fact, we all rather liked that color. And pa learned that when ma had her heart set on something, she would
probably get it!"
My Own Boss
I ALWAYS HAD to check my plans with grandma. Sometimes I got tired of asking permission to do everything.
"You don't have to worry about me, grandma," I told her. "I'm big enough to take care of myself."
"I know you think you are," grandma replied. "But I'd
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