Little House on the Ponderosa
Part Nine
By Sara and Valerie
Ben looked at Hop Sing as he entered carrying the dessert for the family. "What's next on the list of chores?" he asked, knowing his sons didn't want to know, but knowing this had to get done so the ranch could finish getting ready for winter.
Hop Sing looked at Ben, "need polish furniture, wash silver, do weekly plate washing, clean painted walls, sweep papered walls, clean marble, brighten gilt frames, and need wood chopped for kitchen and house. Then butchering, candlemaking, preserving food, harvest garden and crops, preserve food. Hop Sing preserve fruit and vegetable, Albert help make candles and do dishes, Cartwrights do walls, furniture, marble, frames, and chopping."
At the groans from his sons, Ben made a decision on how to share out the work. He wasn't exactly thrilled at the idea of all these indoor chores, but he knew they had to be done, and he wanted to set a good example for his sons. "I think we'll leave the walls for Joe, Adam, you do the furniture, and start the chopping after. Hoss will do the frames and marble and join you on the chopping. I have some errands to do in town for the Ponderosa that can't wait, but when I come back I'll help with the gathering of the crops Hop Sing," he directed.
Adam and Hoss groaned, but good-naturedly went to start the work, thankful it was only twice a year. Then they returned, "Uh, we need to know how to do this stuff," Hoss said.
Ben handed them the notebook, "Is this okay Albert?" he asked before letting go.
Albert nodded, and went to start the dishes - not the way he did it after each use with a strong lather of common yellow soap and boiling water, but rather as he did it weekly with a mixture of as much hartshorn powder as needed into a thick paste with cold water or spirits of wine - and smearing it ligthly over the plate with a soft rag and letting it dry before brushing it off and polishing with dry leather.
While Albert was doing this, the other two young men were making their own concoctions. Adam was mulling over the different polishes, "Albert which of these do you recommend?" he asked, confused by the different polishes: (1)a mix of a quarter pint of linseed oil, a quart pint of vinegar, an ounce of spirits of salts, and a half ounce of muriatic antimony; (2)equal proportions of linseed oil, turpentine, vinegar and spirits of wine; (3) vinegar and oil; (4) 3 ounces common beeswax, 1 ounce white wax, 1 ounce curd soap, 1 pint turpentine, 1 pint cold boiled water that can't be used for the first 48 hours.
Albert looked over Adam's shoulder. "I prefer the first one, it smells the least," he offered.
Adam thanked Albert, and handed the book over to Hoss. "How do I use this when it's made?" he asked, not seeing that information in the book.
Albert thought back for a moment, then responded, "Rub it with an old silk rubber or a fine cloth or duster to keep it free from smears. Rub, do not smear, the polish on."
Having finished the dishes, Albert went on to the silver, washing it with a soapy flanner in one water, rinsing it in another, and wiping it dry with a dry cloth.
Hoss had taken up the book, but couldn't find what he needed. Not being interested in all this reading, he asked Albert for help, "How do you do the gilt frames?" he asked, taking up a cloth to help Albert dry the silver.
Albert dried his hands, and looked for the notes on gilded
frames, glad Ma had lived in
Hoss readily agreed, it was hard to understand that fancy writing in the book. Albert took sufficient flour of sulpher to give a golden tinge to about one and a half pints of water, and in this he boiled four or five bruised onions or garlic (they served the same purpose). He strained off the liquid to cool, and directed Hoss, "When this is cool, wash with a soft brush any gilding needing restoring."
Hoss took the mix, wrinkling his nose at the odor coming from it, and went to his chores. Albert found teh broken pieces of china and glass and took the time to repair them. First though, he had to make more cement - he dissolved an ounce of gum matic in a quantity of highly rectified spirits of wine; then he softened an ounce of isinglass in warm water, and, finally, dissolved it in rum or brandy until it formed a thick jelly. Then he mixed the isinglass and gum mastic together, adding a quarter of an ounce of finely-powsdered gum amoniac, and put it into an earthern pipkin in a warm place where it could sit until incorporated together. While this was 'incorporating', he started making the marble polish for Hoss - he looked at the two reciepts:
Albert quickly decided that the second would be easier and less offensive to the nose, so he quickly made that one. When Hoss returned, he gave him the mix and the instructions, and then Albert returned to his china and glass fixing.
Albert dissolved a small piece of the cement in a silver teaspoon over a lighted candle. He also warmed the broken pieces of china and touched them with the now liquid cement and held it in place until the cement set. He wiped away the excess and put the piece aside to sit for 12 hours while he started the next piece.
Joe came home as Albert was making the plate rags ready for the next use by boiling soft rags in a mixture of new milk and hartshorn powder in a ratio of one ounce of powder to one pint of milk and boiling it for five minutes before wringint it out in cold water and putting before the fire to dry.
"Any snack for me?" he asked hopefully.
Albert looked at him, "There are some cookies, but while you're eating you have to listen to your chores for the day. Hop Sing had to go help his cousin and left a list for you to do," Albert said, pouring Joe a drink to go with the cookies.
"Fall cleaning?" Joe asked, smelling the tell-tale odors in the house.
"Yes, fall cleaning, like discussed at breakfast," Adam said, coming in with a question for Albert. "How do you get rid of spots on polished furniture?" he asked.
Joe was holding back laughter at such a 'girly' question from his eldest brother. He was quieted with a quick glare from Adam. Instead, he finished his cookies and drink, and took his books upstairs.
Albert answered Adam, "Use soap and water with a sponge, and then a bit more polish." Then, he asked Adam, "Do you think Joe will be back to do his part?" a bit concerned, since he didn't know his level of control over the active yet lovable boy.
Adam answered, "He'll be back, don't worry." Then, seeing the look on Albert's face, "Why not tell me his chores and I'll make sure they get done?" he offered, knowing how easy it was to fall under the spell of those brown eyes.
"Would you? It would be great. He has to sweep the papered walls, clean the painted walls and wainscoting with soft soap and water, and then he's done," Albert iterated the chores assigned to Joe. "That should take to supper, then he can do homework after."
Adam nodded, and took his leave, "Don't worry, it will get done."
Albert went to work on supper, after cleaning up from all his chores in the kitchen. He wasn't sure when Hop Sing would return, and he didn't want supper to be late.
Albert wanted to make sure it was a good meal - he knew, from personal experience, how much any male hated helping in the house, himself included - and he wanted to reward the Cartwrights for helping with getting most of the work in the house done in one day.
After a leisurely supper, during which bath water was boiling in large amounts on the stove and fireplace, baths began. Though it was the middle of the week, everyone was to take one, as the chores done today were especially messy. The baths went relatively quietly, except for Joe, of course, who had to be bribed, ducked, and scrubbed to get clean. Just like washing Bandit, Albert thought to himself with a grin. Bedtime quickly came, and everyone went to sleep early, as tomorrow would be another rough day - outside this time.
Morning came, Hop Sing was back home, and lunches were packed for the men - to save them time and to keep them out of the house during the canning and preserving that were about to begin. Soon, the cattle drive would begin, and the Cartwrights and ranchhands were busy preparing for it.
Albert was wondering what a cattle drive was like, he had never been on one, though Pa had told stories of experiences with cattle drives that were not pleasant. It would be hard on his farmer background to go on one, he figured. But this was his job now, and like he and Pa had discussed, he had to do what was expected of him in his job and not let his previous beliefs affect him, unless he felt very strongly. Albert knew he'd have to talk to Mr. Cartwright about this feeling of his as a farmer before starting the drive. He just wasn't sure when.
THE END
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