A Touch of Grace Read Online Free PDF Page B

rushed to grow and bloom just like the people did. Now if I had a table set up here, I could bring out all the bookwork . The front porch faced west, so it was still in the shade. The cottonwood she’d planted as a sapling so many years ago now shaded the south side of the house, as did the clump of birches Haakan had brought her from Minnesota one year and planted by the back porch. They’d planted a line of elm trees and one of pines to the north as a windbreak, filling it in with Juneberry bushes, chokecherries, and wild roses, making it a haven for grouse and pheasants. Samuel ran one of his snare lines for rabbits there.
    The chore of bookwork was never appealing. Her ledgers lined a shelf over the desk Onkel Olaf had made before he took his family and furniture crafting business off to Grafton. Thinking of that reminded her that she owed Goodie a letter. What she wouldn’t give for a visit from her friend of so many years. She returned to the house, checked the rising bread, put more wood in the stove, and defying all the work awaiting her, retrieved a tablet and pencil from the desk. After pouring another cup of coffee, she headed back outside to the wash bench, where she sat down and leaned against the sun-warmed wall.
    Dear Goodie,
    How I wish you were here to enjoy the sunshine with me. There is just enough breeze to be comfortable. Mrs. Robin is sitting on her nest in the cottonwood. I can see the nest easily because I put out bits of red and yellow yarn, and she and her mate snatched them right up to weave in with the twigs and grasses.
    I just bandaged Jonathan Gould’s hand. I did tell you he was spending the summer here in my last letter, at least I think I did. This is Mr. Gould’s second son—actually his first son with his second wife. He had one son and one daughter by his first wife, and then his first wife died in childbirth, along with the baby. Mr. Gould had twin boys and another girl with his second wife, so Jonathan has younger brothers and a young sister. Mr. Gould believes this son needs to learn about manual labor.
    As we know, there is plenty of man-ual and woman-ual labor to be done around here.
    She smiled at the play on words, knowing it would make Goodie smile too.
    I am so grateful that Ellie shares her letters from home. You raised a fine young woman there, my friend, and I am grateful she is married to Andrew. I am just sorry you don’t get to watch little Carl growing up, as we do. He is a ray of sunshine in our lives. Such a happy baby.
    We have quilting tomorrow, and Grace and Astrid have agreed to cook for the men so that Kaaren and I can both go. Did you hear yet of Sophie’s two little ones? Hamre, after his father, and Joy. They are a handful. They bring back memories of Sophie and Grace as newborns who were so much smaller.
    Ingeborg paused for a moment, remembering their grief when they realized tiny Grace could not hear. And yet what a wonderful joy she is to this family. And how true to her name . May the new little Joy also grow into her name.
    I know Ellie feels torn whether to stay with the girls or take her part as one of the married women who will continue the work of our church. She is thinking of helping with the Sunday school class for the littlest ones when fall comes, but I’m sure she has told you that.
    In your last letter you asked if things are better with Hildegunn Valders. One would think she’d be happy as a cat with a mouse since she hears all the gossip first thing at the post office. But no matter how hard I try, she cannot seem to forgive me and mine. She made a snide remark at the last quilting, and Mrs. Magron, bless her little heart, stood up and, hands on her hips, told Hildegunn to let bygones be gone and be grateful she has two fine men for sons and she’d better learn a lesson or two in gratitude. We were all so shocked that all we could do was stare. Hildegunn, of course, humphed and glared, but what could she say? I take that back, the day