Read Online These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Laura Ingalls Wilder
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pretty cold,” Almanzo said.
“Get those horses into shelter before they freeze,” Pa said. “We'll take care of her.”
The sleigh bells dashed away, while with Pa and Ma holding her arms, Laura stumbled into the kitchen.
“Take off her shoes, Carrie,” Ma said as she peeled off Laura's veil and knitted woolen hood. The frost of her breath had frozen the veil to the hood and they came away together. “Your face is red,” Ma said in relief. “I'm thankful it isn't white and frozen.”
“I'm only numb,” Laura said. Her feet were not frozen, either, though she could hardly feel Pa's hands rubbing them. Now in the warm room she began to shake from head to foot and her teeth chattered. She sat close by the stove while she drank the hot ginger tea that Ma made for her. But she could not get warm.
She had been cold so long, ever since she got out of bed that morning. In the Brewsters' cold kitchen her place at the table was farthest from the stove and near the window. Then came the long walk through the snow 75
to school, with the wind blowing against her and whirling up under her skirts; the long, cold day in the schoolhouse, and then the long ride home. But there was nothing to complain of, for now she was at home.
“You took a long chance, Laura,” Pa said soberly. “I did not know that Wilder was starting until he had gone, and then I was sure he'd stay at Brewster's. It was forty below zero when that crazy fellow started, and the thermometer froze soon afterward. It has been steadily growing colder ever since; there's no telling how cold it is now.”
“All's well that ends well, Pa,” Laura answered him with a shaky laugh.
It seemed to her that she never would get warm. But it was wonderful to eat supper in the happy kitchen, and then to sleep safely in her own bed. She woke to find the weather moderating; at breakfast Pa said that the temperature was near twenty below zero. The cold snap was over.
In church that Sunday morning Laura thought how foolish she had been to let herself be so miserable and frightened. There were only two weeks more, and then she could come home to stay.
While Almanzo was driving her out to the Brewsters'
that afternoon she thanked him for taking her home that week.
“No need for thanks,” he said. “You knew I would.”
“Why, no, I didn't,” she answered honestly.
“What do you take me for?” he asked. “Do you think I'm the kind of a fellow that'd leave you out there at Brewster's when you're so homesick, just because there's nothing in it for me?”
“Why, I...” Laura stopped. The truth was that she had never thought much about what kind of a person he was. He was so much older; he was a homesteader.
“To tell you the whole truth,” he said, “I was in two minds about risking that trip. I figured all week I'd drive out for you, but when I looked at the thermometer I came pretty near deciding against it.”
“Why didn't you?” Laura asked.
“Well, I was starting out in the cutter, and I pulled up in front of Fuller's to look at the thermometer. The mer-cury was all down in the bulb, below forty, and the wind blowing colder every minute. Just then Cap Garland came by. He saw me there, ready to go out to Brewster's for you, and looking at the thermometer. So he looked at it, and you know how he grins? Well, as he was going on into Fuller's, he just said to me over his shoulder, 'God hates a coward.'”
“So you came because you wouldn't take a dare?”
Laura asked.
“No, it wasn't a dare,” Almanzo said. “I just figured he was right.”
THE SUPERINTENDENT'S VISIT
Ihave only to get through one day at a time," Laura thought, when she went into the house. Everything was still all wrong there. Mrs. Brewster did not speak; Johnny was always miserable, and Mr. Brewster stayed at the stable as much as he could. That evening while she studied, Laura made four marks on her note-book, for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. She would mark off
“Get those horses into shelter before they freeze,” Pa said. “We'll take care of her.”
The sleigh bells dashed away, while with Pa and Ma holding her arms, Laura stumbled into the kitchen.
“Take off her shoes, Carrie,” Ma said as she peeled off Laura's veil and knitted woolen hood. The frost of her breath had frozen the veil to the hood and they came away together. “Your face is red,” Ma said in relief. “I'm thankful it isn't white and frozen.”
“I'm only numb,” Laura said. Her feet were not frozen, either, though she could hardly feel Pa's hands rubbing them. Now in the warm room she began to shake from head to foot and her teeth chattered. She sat close by the stove while she drank the hot ginger tea that Ma made for her. But she could not get warm.
She had been cold so long, ever since she got out of bed that morning. In the Brewsters' cold kitchen her place at the table was farthest from the stove and near the window. Then came the long walk through the snow 75
to school, with the wind blowing against her and whirling up under her skirts; the long, cold day in the schoolhouse, and then the long ride home. But there was nothing to complain of, for now she was at home.
“You took a long chance, Laura,” Pa said soberly. “I did not know that Wilder was starting until he had gone, and then I was sure he'd stay at Brewster's. It was forty below zero when that crazy fellow started, and the thermometer froze soon afterward. It has been steadily growing colder ever since; there's no telling how cold it is now.”
“All's well that ends well, Pa,” Laura answered him with a shaky laugh.
It seemed to her that she never would get warm. But it was wonderful to eat supper in the happy kitchen, and then to sleep safely in her own bed. She woke to find the weather moderating; at breakfast Pa said that the temperature was near twenty below zero. The cold snap was over.
In church that Sunday morning Laura thought how foolish she had been to let herself be so miserable and frightened. There were only two weeks more, and then she could come home to stay.
While Almanzo was driving her out to the Brewsters'
that afternoon she thanked him for taking her home that week.
“No need for thanks,” he said. “You knew I would.”
“Why, no, I didn't,” she answered honestly.
“What do you take me for?” he asked. “Do you think I'm the kind of a fellow that'd leave you out there at Brewster's when you're so homesick, just because there's nothing in it for me?”
“Why, I...” Laura stopped. The truth was that she had never thought much about what kind of a person he was. He was so much older; he was a homesteader.
“To tell you the whole truth,” he said, “I was in two minds about risking that trip. I figured all week I'd drive out for you, but when I looked at the thermometer I came pretty near deciding against it.”
“Why didn't you?” Laura asked.
“Well, I was starting out in the cutter, and I pulled up in front of Fuller's to look at the thermometer. The mer-cury was all down in the bulb, below forty, and the wind blowing colder every minute. Just then Cap Garland came by. He saw me there, ready to go out to Brewster's for you, and looking at the thermometer. So he looked at it, and you know how he grins? Well, as he was going on into Fuller's, he just said to me over his shoulder, 'God hates a coward.'”
“So you came because you wouldn't take a dare?”
Laura asked.
“No, it wasn't a dare,” Almanzo said. “I just figured he was right.”
THE SUPERINTENDENT'S VISIT
Ihave only to get through one day at a time," Laura thought, when she went into the house. Everything was still all wrong there. Mrs. Brewster did not speak; Johnny was always miserable, and Mr. Brewster stayed at the stable as much as he could. That evening while she studied, Laura made four marks on her note-book, for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. She would mark off
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