Chapter 4

a cloth hat tied under the chin

The little china woman had a china bonnet on her head...

an object attached to the wall to hold up a shelf

Pa had made this bracket for a Christmas present for Ma.

a statue made of porcelain, a type of ceramic

The little china woman had a china bonnet on her head...

a fancy curved figure

...and through it he cut crescent moons and curlicues.

the lower edge of a roof that overhangs the wall

Icicles hung from the eaves of the house.

an iron for clothing

Ma slipped piping hot baked potatoes into their pockets to keep their fingers warm, and Aunt Eliza's flatirons were hot on the stove, ready to put at their feet...

leggings that fit around the ankles and tops of the feet

She had little red flannel stockings and little black cloth gaiters for shoes.

a thick, dark syrup produced from a plant (mainly sorghum during pioneer times)

One morning she boiled molasses and sugar together until they made a thick syrup...

a source of water

She got to the edge of the ravine, where the path goes down to the spring...