One evening after Father had wound the big clock and sent Mollie out to sleep in the barn, he shivered as he closed the door for the night. “There’ll be snow on the ground by morning. A body can smell it and feel it in the air tonight.”
The next morning the girls awakened to a winter wonderland. Every fence post circling the garden in front of the little house wore a powder puff of white. Each branch, down to the tiniest twig and pine needle, was etched in white.
It was so quiet when the girls ran out to do their chores that they stood in wonder gazing about, trying to recognize their familiar surroundings. “How quiet it is!” Naomi spoke softly. “Even the trees are as still as can be — almost as though they dare not quiver lest they drop their arm-load of snow.”
“We can’t even hear our footsteps,” Helen agreed, “and even our voices sound muffled.”
“Ohhh! I like it!” Peggy squealed. “But where is the woodpile? The chips are all under the snow. I’ll have to dig for them like Mollie digs for bones!”
At breakfast Father reported, “I was out on the lake checking on the ice this morning. It feels slick as glass under the snow and the girls can easily sweep off a spot to skate on with brooms. This snow is light and fluffy. Bob is going to put out his nets for fish to smoke this morning.”
“Are you sure the ice is thick enough to be safe for skating?” Mother asked, worrying. But Father answered heartily, “It is six inches already — I chopped a hole to see. Before we know it the ice will be two feet thick and we’ll be sawing ice for the ice house to make ice cream next summer.” Father smiled at the girls’ big eyes.
“How does Uncle Bob set nets for fish?” Naomi wanted to know.
“Maybe he’ll take you all along someday when it’s not too cold and you can see for yourselves. He’ll get mostly whitefish for smoking, but you’ll see some other kinds too. They’ll make mighty good eating out of this clean cold lake.”
After breakfast, it was hard to keep busy with schoolwork when so many new and exciting things were calling them out-of-doors. Finally, after two hours had crept by, Mother sighed. “I guess you might as well put your books away and run out and play. To tell you the truth, I’d like to do that myself.”
As the girls bundled up she continued, “I found the skates last night and Father sharpened them a bit for you. They’re hanging on a hook by the kitchen shed door. There are just two pairs, for Peggy isn’t big enough yet.”
“When I get my skates on, I can pull her on the sled,” Helen offered. “That will be fun for her.”
The girls carried brooms and Mother took the shovel. Just before leaving the house, Mother reached up to the clock shelf for the big clock key and put it carefully in her pocket. The skates would have to be clamped to their shoes and tightened with this big key.
They followed the cow path down the swamp road with the snow-laden trees arched overhead. Now and then snow would slither from a branch and plop silently below.
Reaching the lake, they began to work eagerly with their brooms and shovel. First they made a path in the shape of a huge circle, then crisscrossed it until Peggy thought it looked like a pie for a giant!
Finally, the girls clamped their skates onto their high-topped shoes and tightened them firmly with the clock key. Peggy stopped sweeping to watch Naomi sailing along the paths they had cleared. It seemed almost like flying to her. Helen followed a bit more cautiously, for skating was more new to her. Several times she sat down hard - but struggled up and tried again.
After a bit, Mother and Peggy started back to the house to make lunch for the family. “Look, Mother! We’ve got company!” Peggy cried, and sure enough, a wagon with two men in it was waiting in front of their house.
Mother hurried to welcome them. When their coats were off and they had drawn chairs up by the stove, Mother poured them coffee that was still hot on the back of the stove.
After telling their names and where they lived, they explained what they had come for. “You see, it’s this way,” began Mr. Jasmer. “You’ve seen our schoolhouse, I’m sure, just a smidgen over a mile to the east of you folks. I gave a piece of my land so it could be set there right on the road, so the folks all around calls it the ‘Jasmer Schoolhouse.’
“We’re rightly proud of it, and we want our young’uns to have book learnin’ like they do in town, at least through sixth grade. But we’re havin’ our troubles. Our teacher had t’leave because of sickness, and it looks like she’ll not make it back this winter.
“Now, we heard tell you are a school mar’m and taught for a couple of years ’fore you was married. So, being my neighbor and I here are on the school board, we’ve come to see if we could talk you into taking ours for the rest of the year?”
He paused and looked hopefully at Mother, who was looking both surprised and puzzled. After a moment she replied, “I wish I could say yes, but I have a little girl not of school age yet and no one to leave her with. Also, we’re just getting our lives started here. Much needs to be done, inside and out, and the days never seem long enough as it is ... ”
“W’all, we kin ’preciate we’re askin’ a lot of ya, and though we all pitch in on the salary, we know it’s not as much as it should be. As for the little girl — our house is just beyant a stone’s throw, and I’m sure my wife wouldn’t mind a mite havin’ such a sweet little thing around during the school hours.” Mr. Jasmer smiled and winked at Peggy Jean who was standing shyly behind her mother’s chair.
Mother was replying, “The best I can say right now is that I’ll have to pray about it and talk it over with my husband. If I do consider it, there is one thing I would want to do, and it is this: would it be possible to have the children put away their school books for the last hour on Friday afternoons for a time of Bible study? My husband and I have been feeling very sorry that there is no Sunday school in the whole area for the boys and girls.”
Both men looked very surprised at this and shook their heads doubtfully. “We’d have to ask around and see if folks was favrabul. We’ve never heard of such bein’ done before an’ some might make trouble. We’ve got some in the area — good folks y’know — but not a mite religious.”
As the men bundled into their warm coats and boots, Mother repeated, “My husband and I will think and pray about it, but will consider it only if we can have our Friday Sunday school!”
As he ate his lunch, Father listened thoughtfully while Mother told of the school board’s request. He agreed that they must think and pray about it for a few days. “You’re not too strong, Lu,” he reminded her. “That’ll be quite a walk back and forth every day in all kinds of weather.”
“Yes, and some of the big boys will be a handful, or I miss my guess,” warned Uncle Bob. “I’ve met some of them and heard the teacher who left had her troubles makin’ them toe the mark!”
“The men will be back in a week, and if they are agreeable about our Friday Sunday school, that will help us to know if God wants me to teach. Girls, you can be praying about this, too,” Mother said, smiling. “Now come and help with the dishes.”