A New Day Rising Read Online Free PDF
Author: Lauraine Snelling
bring their wares. I sure am hoping they keep coming. That Ingeborg makes the best cheese this side of heaven." Mattie smacked her lips and dunked another cookie in her coffee.
The three visited a bit longer, and then Mattie led the way to the spare room that looked more like home than any spare room Haakan had ever seen. A colorful nine-patch quilt covered the double bed, and a braided rag rug lay beside it on the dark painted wood floor. She set the lamp on the dresser and looked around.
"There are towels there in the commode, and there'll be hot water in the reservoir, should you be wanting to shave and wash in the morning. Heat will come up through the register in the hall, so you might want to leave your door open to let it in. Now, you have anything that is damp in your pack, you hang it on the rack to the side of the register. Ernie stoked the fire good so it won't be out by morning." She headed out the room and stopped at the door. "You sleep well now, you hear? You got nothing to worry about."
"Thank you, Miz Danielson."
"Mattie."
"All right." Haakan dropped his arms to his side. "But thank you, and I hope I can do something in return for all this bounty you've been so kind to share with me."
She shook her head and tossed a smile over her shoulder. "You already did." She went out, a chuckle under her breath.
Haakan stood there, questions ripping through his mind like a freshly sharpened saw through green wood. Never one to let things lie, he headed out the door after her. She was halfway down the stairs but turned when he called her name.
"What did I do but impose on your good graces?"
She looked up at him and shook her head. "Why, you're going to help out my friend, Ingeborg. And who knows what manner of good will come of that." She quirked her head, her round face beaming. "Would you rather have pancakes or johnnycake for breakfast, Mr. Bjorklund?"
"Ah, pancakes, I guess. Though whatever you make is fine with me."
"Good night, now."
Haakan stood at the top of the stairs shaking his head.
By the time he'd looked at the rows of plows, disks, seed drills, mowers, and binders the next morning, Haakan felt as though he'd been run over by three of the draft teams housed in the long hiproofed barn next to the machine sheds. Never had he seen so much machinery in one place, and most of it he'd never heard of. No wonder the Bonanza farms were able to produce such enormous crops of wheat. The tales he'd heard weren't exaggerations, after all. Still, the truth was hard to believe.
Much to Mattie's dismay, he didn't wait for dinner but struck out midmorning.
"You just holler good and loud when you get to the ferry there at the river. Long as you're coming in the midday, old Sam will make that lazy son of his come across for you. It'll cost you two bits though." Ernie extended his hand. "Been fine meeting up with you, son."
Haakan grasped it and shook it, feeling as if he were leaving his family, and he'd only known these people less than a day. "I will see you in the fall, then. And thank you again."
The two men stood on the edge of the snow-covered road. While only a couple of inches had been dumped on the area, small drifts still ridged the white expanse and covered the fields as far as the eye could see. Off to the west, the trees lining the river shortened the endless horizon. In spite of the sun sneaking in and out of the high mare's-tail clouds, the ever present wind tried to blow their breath back down their throats.
"And I thought spring might be here with all the melting going on." Haakan shifted his pack.
"No, winter hasn't let go its hold yet. But you watch, tomorrow might be like a summer day. The icicles still be dripping." Ernie slapped Haakan on the arm. "Go with God, young man. I hope you learn to love this flat land as I do."
"Not much chance. I like hills and trees too much." Haakan raised a hand in farewell and started down the road. You're a logger, he reminded himself as he trudged
The three visited a bit longer, and then Mattie led the way to the spare room that looked more like home than any spare room Haakan had ever seen. A colorful nine-patch quilt covered the double bed, and a braided rag rug lay beside it on the dark painted wood floor. She set the lamp on the dresser and looked around.
"There are towels there in the commode, and there'll be hot water in the reservoir, should you be wanting to shave and wash in the morning. Heat will come up through the register in the hall, so you might want to leave your door open to let it in. Now, you have anything that is damp in your pack, you hang it on the rack to the side of the register. Ernie stoked the fire good so it won't be out by morning." She headed out the room and stopped at the door. "You sleep well now, you hear? You got nothing to worry about."
"Thank you, Miz Danielson."
"Mattie."
"All right." Haakan dropped his arms to his side. "But thank you, and I hope I can do something in return for all this bounty you've been so kind to share with me."
She shook her head and tossed a smile over her shoulder. "You already did." She went out, a chuckle under her breath.
Haakan stood there, questions ripping through his mind like a freshly sharpened saw through green wood. Never one to let things lie, he headed out the door after her. She was halfway down the stairs but turned when he called her name.
"What did I do but impose on your good graces?"
She looked up at him and shook her head. "Why, you're going to help out my friend, Ingeborg. And who knows what manner of good will come of that." She quirked her head, her round face beaming. "Would you rather have pancakes or johnnycake for breakfast, Mr. Bjorklund?"
"Ah, pancakes, I guess. Though whatever you make is fine with me."
"Good night, now."
Haakan stood at the top of the stairs shaking his head.
By the time he'd looked at the rows of plows, disks, seed drills, mowers, and binders the next morning, Haakan felt as though he'd been run over by three of the draft teams housed in the long hiproofed barn next to the machine sheds. Never had he seen so much machinery in one place, and most of it he'd never heard of. No wonder the Bonanza farms were able to produce such enormous crops of wheat. The tales he'd heard weren't exaggerations, after all. Still, the truth was hard to believe.
Much to Mattie's dismay, he didn't wait for dinner but struck out midmorning.
"You just holler good and loud when you get to the ferry there at the river. Long as you're coming in the midday, old Sam will make that lazy son of his come across for you. It'll cost you two bits though." Ernie extended his hand. "Been fine meeting up with you, son."
Haakan grasped it and shook it, feeling as if he were leaving his family, and he'd only known these people less than a day. "I will see you in the fall, then. And thank you again."
The two men stood on the edge of the snow-covered road. While only a couple of inches had been dumped on the area, small drifts still ridged the white expanse and covered the fields as far as the eye could see. Off to the west, the trees lining the river shortened the endless horizon. In spite of the sun sneaking in and out of the high mare's-tail clouds, the ever present wind tried to blow their breath back down their throats.
"And I thought spring might be here with all the melting going on." Haakan shifted his pack.
"No, winter hasn't let go its hold yet. But you watch, tomorrow might be like a summer day. The icicles still be dripping." Ernie slapped Haakan on the arm. "Go with God, young man. I hope you learn to love this flat land as I do."
"Not much chance. I like hills and trees too much." Haakan raised a hand in farewell and started down the road. You're a logger, he reminded himself as he trudged
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