This is from the third Christmas story told in On the Banks of Plum Creek.

“The wind was screaming fiercer and louder outside. Snow whirled swish-swishing against the windows. But Pa’s fiddle sang in the warm, lamp-lighted house. The dishes made small clinking sounds as Mary set the table. Carrie rocked herself in the rocking-chair and Ma went gently between the table and the stove. In the middle of the table she set a milk-pan full of beautiful brown baked bans, and now from the oven she took the square baking-pan full of golden corn-bread. The rich brown smell and the sweet golden smell curled deliciously together in the air.”

***

“Laura patted Jack’s furry smooth forehead and scratched his ears for him, and then with both hands she gave his head a quick, happy squeeze. Everything was so good. Grasshoppers were gone, and next year Pa could harvest the wheat. Tomorrow was Christmas, with oyster stew for dinner. There would be no presents and no candy, but Laura could not think of anything she wanted and she was so glad that the Christmas candy had helped to bring Pa safe home again.”

—Laura Ingalls Wilder, On the Banks of Plum Creek

From the second Christmas story told in On the Banks of Plum Creek.

“Laura’s mouth fell open and her eyes stretched to look at what she saw. She held Mary’s hand tightly and they followed Ma and Pa. They sat down. Then Laura could look with all her might.

“Standing in front of the crowded benches was a tree. Laura decided it must be a tree. She could see its trunk and branches. But she had never before seen such a tree.”

***

“Laura was too excited to speak. She squeezed Mary’s hand tighter and tighter, and she looked up at Ma, wanting so much to know what that was. Ma smiled down at her and answered, “That is a Christmas tree, girls. Do you think it is pretty?”

***

“Everything on that tree was a Christmas present for somebody!”

***

“There had never been such a Christmas as this. It was such a large, rich Christmas, the whole church full of Christmas.”

—Laura Ingalls Wilder, On the Banks of Plum Creek

“That afternoon, when Carrie was asleep, Ma beckoned Mary and Laura. Her face was shining with a secret. They put their heads close to hers, and she told them. They could make a button-string for Carrie’s Christmas!”

***

“After that, Laura did not mind staying in the dugout. When she saw the outdoors, the wind was driving snowdrifts across the bare frozen land. The creek was ice and the willow-tops rattled. In the dugout she and Mary had their secret.”

***

“She yelled and jumped out of bed. Mary came running, too, and Carrie woke up. In Laura’s stocking, and in Mary’s stocking, there were little paper packages, just alike. In the packages was candy. . . .They had never seen such beautiful candy.”

***

“Laura held to her horse’s mane and clapped her shoes together and laughed. Pa and the horses and Mary and Laura were all happy in the gay, cold Christmas morning.”

—Laura Ingalls Wilder, On the Banks of Plum Creek

“But at last it was the day before Christmas and Alice and Royal and Eliza Jane were home again. The girls were cleaning the whole house, and Mother was baking. Royal helped Father with the threshing, but Almanzo had to help in the house. He remembered the switch, and tried to be willing and cheerful.”

***

“The kitchen was full of delicious smells. Newly baked bread was cooling, frosted cakes and cookies and mince pies and pumpkin pies filled the pantry shelves, cranberries bubbled on the stove. Mother was making dressing for the goose.”

***

“That night everyone was tired, and the house was so clean and neat that nobody dared touch anything. After supper Mother put the stuffed, fat goose and the little pig into the heater’s oven to roast slowly all night. Father set the dampers and wound the clock. Almanzo and Royal hung clean socks on the back of a chair, and Alice and Eliza Jane hung stockings on the back of another chair.

“Then they all took candles and went to bed.”

—Laura Ingalls Wilder, Farmer Boy

I loved the Little House books when I was a girl, but never read Farmer Boy. I thought that it would be boring to read about a boy. Boy (no pun intended), was I wrong! Farmer Boy is one of my most favorites of the Little House books. I especially love to read how Mother cooked and worked very hard to take good care of her family.:)