Summary

The Long Blizzard – Pa decides to go to town for tobacco, news, and supplies. Ma doesn’t like the idea, but Pa goes anyway, promising to stay in town if a storm sets in. He brings in more wood before he leaves. A bad blizzard later sets in. Ma is so worried about Pa she cannot even eat. Using the clothesline, Ma makes her way to the stable to fetch milk, feed the animals, and muck the stalls.

Back inside, Ma warms up and plays bean-porridge hot with the girls. She puts a lantern in the window. Suddenly, some fireballs come down the stove pipe, and disappear. No one knows what to make of them. She reassures her girls that everything is alright, including their father. But Ma herself is still worried as the girls go to bed for the...