“I hope I won’t be long,” he said, shrugging into his coat.
“It’s not as late as it feels, but it’s sure getting dark early.”
“Leave a candle burning?” Dannan asked, an arm going around her waist to pull her close.
Scottie went on tiptoe to kiss him just before saying, “Always.”
Glossary
bells: New England towns had their own system for announcing when someone died. Nine bells for a man, six for a woman, and three for a child. Then a bell was rung for each year the person had lived.
bonnet: this word needs no explanation in form, but I found it interesting as to why women wore them. It was simply for practical purposes, not out of propriety or coming of age. After marriage, most women didn’t have time to do much with their hair and found it simpler to wear a bonnet.
broomcorn: a tall, cultivated sorghum with stiff branches used to make brooms or brushes.
buttery: pronounced but’ry, it’s a room where dairy goods were worked, cheese and butter, for example.
dinner: the noon meal, always a full-blown affair.
green: also called the center or common, it’s the middle of town, a grass area where homes and shops sit in a rectangle or on a square. I know of one in Connecticut that’s a mile long.
kitchen garden fence: marauding animals were not the main problem with a kitchen garden—people were. A kitchen garden was a lifeline for many families. The fence was usually high enough to keep thieves out.
laying out: preparing a body for burial, usually done by family or neighbors.
meetinghouse: the building for public assembly, including the church on Sunday.
millpond: the pond of water that feeds the mill and is fed by spring thaw, or in the case of Tucker Mills, by a huge river that doesn’t run dry in summer.
parlor or sitting room: where you sat in the evening, entertained visitors, and unless your house was very large, ate your meals. The table in the kitchen was mostly for work rather than eating.
pins: straight pins were often used to hold dresses on. Buttonholes were a lot of work, and women didn’t try to use them on their clothing.
purging, puking, and bleeding: not a pretty idea, but folks of this time wanted some proof that their doctor was doing something for them when they were ailing. Often doctors gave things to people to flush their systems one way or the other. Purging and puking were not fun, but typically folks survived. Bleeding was not so kind. Many did not live to tell about it.
set bones: some towns had bonesetters, people who could set broken bones. They were usually not doctors.
short hair: if you’ve ever seen an old painting or a daguerreotype of a young girl who looks like a little boy in a dress, you’re seeing history as it truly was. It wasn’t practical for hardworking mothers to take extra time with their young daughter’s hair, so it was kept short.
tea: also called “snack”—this was the evening meal, which used leftovers from dinner.
townball: townball descends from the British game of rounders. Played in the United States as far back as the early 1800s, some considered it to be the steppingstone between rounders and modern baseball.
About
the Author
LORI WICK is a multifaceted author
of Christian fiction. As comfortable
writing period stories as she is penning
contemporary works, Lori’s books
(over 5 million in print) vary widely in
location and time period. Lori’s faithful
fans consistently put her series and
standalone works on the bestseller
lists. Lori and her husband, Bob,
live with their swiftly growing
family in the Midwest.
The
English Garden
Series
By Lori Wick
Set in the early 1800s in Victorian England,
the English Garden series takes you back
to another time and place.
THE PROPOSAL
William Jennings is a man who has never known the love and companionship that marriage brings—and doesn’t want to. But when a relative dies, leaving Jennings three young children, his whole world is turned upside down. In seeking counsel from his sister, Jennings meets her neighbor, Marianne Walker. Will Jennings find himself drawn to this woman—and to the God she so obviously loves?
THE RESCUE
When Robert Weston visits her cottage, Anne Gardiner accidentally topples from a ladder into his arms. Coming upon the end of the scene, Anne’s unstable father demands honor for Anne. Can a real marriage cure the heartache caused by a false one?
THE VISITOR
THE PURSUIT
Edward Steele has enjoyed a great adventure in Africa with his brother, Henry. But now Henry has returned to England, and Edward, hoping to be home for Christmas, is ready to follow. However, when aboard ship Edward tells two strangers he will help them, he never dreams that meeting them will cost him so much or put a woman into his life who captivates and confounds him in equal measure. A story of betrayal and learning to trust. A story of God’s sovereignty in every moment of life.
Current Books by Lori Wick
A Place Called Home Series
A Place Called Home
A Song for Silas
The Long Road Home
A Gathering of Memories
The Californians
Whatever Tomorrow Brings
As Time Goes By
Sean Donovan
Donovan’s Daughter
Kensington Chronicles
The Hawk and the Jewel
Wings of the Morning
Who Brings Forth the Wind
The Knight and the Dove
Rocky Mountain Memories
Where the Wild Rose Blooms
Whispers of Moonlight
To Know Her by Name
Promise Me Tomorrow
The Yellow Rose Trilogy
Every Little Thing About You
A Texas Sky
City Girl
English Garden Series
The Proposal
The Rescue
The Visitor
The Pursuit
The Tucker Mills Trilogy
Moonlight on the Millpond
Just Above a Whisper
Leave a Candle Burning
Other Fiction
Sophie’s Heart
Pretense
The Princess
Bamboo & Lace
Every Storm