cooked for another few minutes while the children took care of their necessities and came to the table. She’d just put the last of the pancakes on the platter when George came back in with the fresh milk. He put the bucket on the work table for her and she poured out milk into their tin cups.
Slipping into her seat, Millie bowed her head for George’s blessing on their food. They put raspberry preserves on their pancakes with the butter, and George’s eyes rounded with surprise. “These are good, Millie!” he praised.
She smiled. She’d known they’d love this for breakfast. She couldn’t do it every day, but before church on Sundays, this would be their special breakfast. Everyone ate their fill, and she and Patience made quick work of the dishes. Next week she’d bring up some of the molasses she’d seen down in the cellar for the pancakes. She’d try to find new ways to fix them to make them more of a treat.
She braided the girls’ hair and made sure their dresses were on just right. She helped the boys tuck in their shirts. She smiled. Her children looked just as good as they could until George would let her buy some fabric for more clothes for them.
They all piled into the wagon. Millie sat on the seat with George and held Grace. The boys and Patience sat in the back of the wagon talking excitedly. The children had all told her they loved going to church. No, they didn’t love sitting through the long sermons, but they loved seeing the others from their community. Millie wished there was a school near enough for them to go to, but there wasn’t, so they’d just have to enjoy their time with the other children at church.
Millie had carefully folded the veil loaned to her by Agnes, and planned to give that back to the other woman at church. All of the clean dishes were under a blanket at the back of the wagon waiting to be returned to their rightful owners. She still wasn’t looking forward to meeting the other women, but she knew she’d done everything she could to make a good first impression.
When they pulled into the churchyard, all of the children piled out of the wagon and ran to their friends. Millie clutched Grace to her almost as if she were a shield. What if everyone realized she’d lied to George? They’d all look down on her forever.
She didn’t need to worry. George stood by her side, introducing her to all the ladies over and over. George whispered to her each time one of them was one who had helped with their food over the months since Martha died, and she explained she had their clean dishes in the back of the wagon.
When she saw Agnes, she smiled, and handed her the veil. “Thanks for loaning this to me. I have your dishes in the back of the wagon as well.”
Agnes raised an eyebrow. “Clean I hope?”
Millie nodded. “Yes, of course.”
“I’ll get them from you after service then. Thank you for returning them.”
It was time for service to start, so Millie followed George into the church. She sat next to him, holding Grace, and the two boys sat beside George. Then Patience sat beside Millie.
Millie did her best to pay attention during the long sermon, but to her, church was for daydreaming. She paid enough attention that she’d be able to tell George the sermon was about women obeying their husbands, and went back to staring off into the distance. It was the first time she’d had to just sit since coming to Minnesota, and she wasn’t going to waste it listening to some old man talk about the Bible.
After the service, Millie made sure the women picked up their things from the back of the wagon, and waited for the family to be ready to go. She’d met a few women she could like, but they all seemed to be under Agnes’s thumb, and she didn’t find Agnes very pleasant. She’d rather get to know them all individually anyway.
One young woman, around Millie’s age, walked over as she stood looking around her holding Grace. “Hi. We haven’t met yet. I’m
Slipping into her seat, Millie bowed her head for George’s blessing on their food. They put raspberry preserves on their pancakes with the butter, and George’s eyes rounded with surprise. “These are good, Millie!” he praised.
She smiled. She’d known they’d love this for breakfast. She couldn’t do it every day, but before church on Sundays, this would be their special breakfast. Everyone ate their fill, and she and Patience made quick work of the dishes. Next week she’d bring up some of the molasses she’d seen down in the cellar for the pancakes. She’d try to find new ways to fix them to make them more of a treat.
She braided the girls’ hair and made sure their dresses were on just right. She helped the boys tuck in their shirts. She smiled. Her children looked just as good as they could until George would let her buy some fabric for more clothes for them.
They all piled into the wagon. Millie sat on the seat with George and held Grace. The boys and Patience sat in the back of the wagon talking excitedly. The children had all told her they loved going to church. No, they didn’t love sitting through the long sermons, but they loved seeing the others from their community. Millie wished there was a school near enough for them to go to, but there wasn’t, so they’d just have to enjoy their time with the other children at church.
Millie had carefully folded the veil loaned to her by Agnes, and planned to give that back to the other woman at church. All of the clean dishes were under a blanket at the back of the wagon waiting to be returned to their rightful owners. She still wasn’t looking forward to meeting the other women, but she knew she’d done everything she could to make a good first impression.
When they pulled into the churchyard, all of the children piled out of the wagon and ran to their friends. Millie clutched Grace to her almost as if she were a shield. What if everyone realized she’d lied to George? They’d all look down on her forever.
She didn’t need to worry. George stood by her side, introducing her to all the ladies over and over. George whispered to her each time one of them was one who had helped with their food over the months since Martha died, and she explained she had their clean dishes in the back of the wagon.
When she saw Agnes, she smiled, and handed her the veil. “Thanks for loaning this to me. I have your dishes in the back of the wagon as well.”
Agnes raised an eyebrow. “Clean I hope?”
Millie nodded. “Yes, of course.”
“I’ll get them from you after service then. Thank you for returning them.”
It was time for service to start, so Millie followed George into the church. She sat next to him, holding Grace, and the two boys sat beside George. Then Patience sat beside Millie.
Millie did her best to pay attention during the long sermon, but to her, church was for daydreaming. She paid enough attention that she’d be able to tell George the sermon was about women obeying their husbands, and went back to staring off into the distance. It was the first time she’d had to just sit since coming to Minnesota, and she wasn’t going to waste it listening to some old man talk about the Bible.
After the service, Millie made sure the women picked up their things from the back of the wagon, and waited for the family to be ready to go. She’d met a few women she could like, but they all seemed to be under Agnes’s thumb, and she didn’t find Agnes very pleasant. She’d rather get to know them all individually anyway.
One young woman, around Millie’s age, walked over as she stood looking around her holding Grace. “Hi. We haven’t met yet. I’m
Similar Books
