Sleigh Ride (Homespun) Read Online Free

back, she mixed in the milk, and poured the eggs into the heated pan.  “Would you like me to watch the eggs?”
    Millie nodded smiling.  “Just stand over them and use a spoon to push them around to keep them from sticking to the pan.”
    Millie took down the plates and efficiently set the table, watching her friend out of the corner of her eye.  Charlotte was here to help, yes, but she was also here to learn the skills she needed to be a good wife.  Millie was happy to be the one to teach her.
    By the time the children were dressed and at the table, the eggs and toast were done.  Charlotte served them all, while Millie poured milk into all the cups.  Charlotte had watched carefully as Millie stirred the eggs and added the seasoning and milk.  She was sure she’d be able to make breakfast for them the following day without help from Millie.
    The family ate quickly.  Once breakfast was done, Millie stood to clear the table, but Charlotte stopped her.  “I’m here to help.  Why don’t you play with Grace while I wash the dishes?”  She noticed Patience immediately stood to help her.
    Millie smiled, happy to have some time to just sit and play with Grace.  They talked quietly and stacked some empty spools while Charlotte and Patience worked.  Patience was looking at Charlotte with a new respect today which pleased Millie.  She knew Patience had been annoyed with Charlotte yesterday, and she understood why, but she felt Patience needed to show every adult respect.
    Once the dishes were done, Patience sat at the table, once again studying her schoolwork.  Millie gathered the ingredients to bake the cake she’d promised George she’d be making today.  She no longer needed the recipes she’d written out, but she took them out and showed them to Charlotte, and the two women mixed the ingredients together, Charlotte carefully following the instructions.
    Millie sat and watched, softly explaining each step as her friend did the work.  Once the cake was in the oven, Millie uncovered a pot of beans she’d soaked the night before.  “I’m going to make a big pot of beans for lunch today.”  She turned to Patience.  “Would you go down to the cellar and bring back some bacon for me?”
    Patience immediately rushed off to do as she was asked.  Charlotte looked at Millie with a smile.  “She’s a blessing.  She’s such an obedient child, and so willing to work!”
    Millie nodded.  “She was like that when I got here.  I take no credit.  I’ve taught her to do a lot of things, but she’s really been a help in so many ways.”
    Once Patience was back with the thick slab of bacon, Millie sat at the table and began cutting it into small chunks.  “I’d normally stand as I do this, but I’m trying to stay off my feet as much as possible.”  She felt badly for not being able to show Charlotte the proper way of doing it.
    Charlotte looked around for another knife.  “I can help cut it.”
    Millie shook her head.  “I can do this easily.  Would you mind making the beds and sweeping the rooms for me?” 
    Charlotte looked at her for a moment and nodded.  She hated cleaning, and Millie knew it, but it was something needing to be done, and Millie shouldn’t do it.  Patience was probably old enough, but she needed to be doing her schoolwork.  George had the boys with him again. 
    As she swept, Charlotte thought about all the things necessary for keeping a small house going.  Between the cooking and the cleaning and the mending, Millie didn’t seem to have much time to do anything else.  Would her life be like that if she married James?  There just seemed to be so many more chores to be done here than there were back in Boston.  Of course, being raised in an orphanage was different.  There were so many hands to do the work it seemed to always make the job lighter.
    When Charlotte was finished, she returned to the kitchen just as Millie was putting all the pieces of bacon into the water