The Shimerdas were in their new log house
by then. The neighbors had helped them to
build it in March. It stood directly in front
of their old cave, which they used as a cellar.
The family were now fairly equipped to begin
their struggle with the soil. They had four
comfortable rooms to live in, a new windmill,
-- bought on credit, -- a chicken-house and
poultry. Mrs. Shimerda had paid grandfather
ten dollars for a milk cow, and was to give him
fifteen more as soon as they harvested their
first crop.

When I rode up to the Shimerdas' one
bright windy afternoon in April, Yulka ran
out to meet me. It was to her, now, that I
gave reading lessons; Antonia was busy with
other things. I tied my pony and went into
the kitchen where Mrs. Shimerda was baking
bread, chewing poppy seeds as she worked.
By this time she could speak enough English
to ask me a great many questions about
what our men were doing in the fields. She
seemed to think that my elders withheld help-
ful information, and that from me she might
get valuable secrets. On this occasion she
asked me very craftily when grandfather ex-
pected to begin planting corn. I told her, add-

[[138]]

p137 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p138w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p139

v?