"...I am going to the fair tomorrow and do some of the Missouri work in a motor chair like the one they pictured Steve with once..."

Almanzo was reading Laura's letter, dated October 22, 1915.

"Bess..." Almanzo thought out loud..."I sure am glad you're having fun at that Exposition,...but I sure am missing you." He thought about her riding around in motor chair and chuckled. "Amazing how someone can think up something like that." He went back to reading her letter.

"Oh, I know Millman, who draws Steve. He is a fine young fellow, redheaded with a funny quirk to the corner of his lips when he smiles and simply delightful in a clean, wholesome way. To show his sympathy because I got hurt he is going to give me an original drawing of Steve-the pen and ink picture he made himself and that the pictures in the paper are made from.

Do take care of yourself and Inky and whisper to him that I will be there before long.I have so many nice things planned to do when I do get home and I am sure the woods are beautiful. I love the city of San Fransisco. It is beautiful but I would not give one Ozark hill for all the rest of the state that I have seen. Oh, by the way, Missouri has SHOWN THEM at the P.P.I.E. Carried off more prizes than any state except California and beat California on mines.

Do not expect to get any more long letters from me for I will be so busy doing all the writing I can for the papers and getting things wound up so I can start home that I will not have the time. Nor do I think I should spend the time writing when I can be seeing more things and tell you about them all when I come..."

"Oh, I knew you'd say that, Bess." Almanzo smiled. "That's just how you are...and I love it." He smiled, thinking about her. He tried to stop because it made him miss her even more, so he went back to reading the closing of her letter.

"I must stop now and rest a little for I am tired.

Goodbye for this time,

Lovingly, Bessie."

"Rose?..."

"Yes, Mama Bess?" She said, and Laura gave her the yellow writing tablet Laura always wrote on. "What do you think of this?" It was an article for the Missouri Ruralist that Laura was writing.

Rose read the title, "Magic in Plain Food." ..."Magic?" Rose laughed.

"Just read it..." Laura said,crossing her arms and giving Rose a slight smile. And so Rose began to read the article aloud.

"The thought came to me, while I wandered among the exhibits in the Food Products Building at the San Francisco Exposition, that Aladdin with his wonderful lamp had no more power than the modern woman in her kitchen. She takes down the receiver to telephone her grocery order, and immediately all over the world the monstrous genii of machinery are obedient to her command. All the nations of the world bring their offerings to her door-fruits from South America, Hawaii, Africa; tea and spices from India, China and Japan; olives and oil from Italy; coffee from strange tropical islands; sugar from Cuba and the Philippines.

This modern magic works both ways. The natives of all these far away places may eat the flour made from the wheat growing in the fields outside our kitchen windows. I never shall look at Missouri wheat fields again without thinking of the "Breads of all Nations" exhibit, where the natives of eight foriegn nations, in the national costumes, were busy making the breads of their countries, from our own American flour.

We use raisins, flour, tea, breakfast food, and a score of other common things without a thought of the modern miracles that make it possible for us to have them..."

Rose began to laughed and there was a gleam in her grey-blue eyes. She hadn't remembered the last time she had laughed so. "Oh Mama Bess...This is good! So very cute...I can't help but laugh, I'm sorry."

"Well, Rose, it's not all cuteness from there. I do descibe the process seeding and packaging of Sun-dried Muscat raisins. In the Food Products Building, I saw the machines do the work, you know."

"Oh, yes, I know...but the beginning...with Aladdin. It's adorable, Mama Bess!...You know, I think you should become one of those children's book writers." She smiled at her mother.

"Me?!" Laura exclaimed. "That's laughable, Rose!...I couldn't. What would I write about,even?!"

"I haven't a clue..." Rose said, giving her mother the tablet. "You'd have to decide on that yourself!...You're so animated, Mama. I think children would love your books, if you were to write any."

"Well...I may have to think on it some...I don't know right now what I would write about. I don't see how I could write for children."

"I think you would be wonderful at it." Rose told her. "Like I said, you're so animated in your writings. You let your imagination take the reigns."

"Well, that's just how I am...I write how I feel. What I feel."

"And I think children would like that!" Rose exclaimed.

"Then why don't YOU write them, Rose?"

"Mama Bess! I couldn't do that. I don't write as you do. My writing style is so different...The way you write, the way you describe things...it would be perfect!"

"Well...that's enough about that, now...Let me think on it, Rose." Laura told her. She put the thought of being a children's book writer out of her mind...for now. "Go on to read about the food I metion! Those things called rose cakes. I'd say they're as beautiful as how good they taste!"

"What are they?" Rose asked, skimming the article again.

"Oh, little cakes baked in the shape of a rose. They're just lovely, I think!...Oh, read on, Rose. I listed some recipes in the back."

"I see..." Rose said, reading further. She began to say them out loud. Russian Forrest, Mexican Tamale Loaf...German honey cake. That sounds interesting." And Rose read that recipe.

"Rose, it was very good! You have to try it sometime...I think I'll experiment by using molasses instead of the honey."

"Then, it would be more of a gingerbread cake...would you still add the chocolate frosting on top?"

"Of course!" Laura said, with a laugh. "You know me! Chocolate frosting just adds to the goodness of it!"

Rose smiled and went on reading the recipe titles. "Italian White Tagliarini...Sauce for Tagliarini...Croissants (French Croissants)...Chinese Almond cakes...Mama Bess, it all sounds so good. All this talk of food is now making me hungry. How about we go down to the little restaurant and get us a little bite to eat?"

"Well..." Laura sighed.

"What, Mama Bess?"

"I was thinking...maybe we could try our hand at making something of one of those recipes...I'd like to try to make the Mexican Tamale Loaf...see how I'd do, you know."

"Oh, anything you cook is just wonderful." Rose told her mother.

"Thank you." Laura said. "So how about it, I'll cook."

"No...I'll help you...You've been cooking for us pretty much ever since you got here, Mama Bess."

"I have not." Laura smiled.

Rose hugged her mother close. "Cooking...cleaning...running errands for me...You've been a big help to me!...Just wanted to thank you."

"You're welcome, but I'm glad to help out...and Rose?"

"Yes?"

"You sending us money lately I know will help your father and I out."

Rose smiled. "I just...want to take care of you two...Now, can I help you cook?"

"Sure." Laura smiled. The two women busied themselves in the kitchen to prepare their supper. Soon Laura asked where Gillette was.

"I'm not for sure...I think he's working now."

"I should I ask how you two are doing lately? He's not around here much..."

"Mama Bess...I...I don't want to talk about it..."

"Fine..." Laura sighed. "Was just trying to see if I could help."

"I don't need your help..." Rose looked away. She thought she would tear up, so she looked away. "I don't want your help" She said quietly..."I'm an adult...I can take care of my marriage myself. How many times do I have to tell you that?"

Laura didn't say anything more. She was sort of hurt by Rose's words.

A/N: It has been awhile since I've updated this. I'm sorry for that...I've decided to make it a little closer to real life, as in Manly called Laura "Bess" or "Bessie" and Rose called her "Mama Bess." Those those who may be reading this for the first time, I can't go back and make the needed corections to this story, so please forgive me for that! And enjoy!

This was one of my first stories to write. I've looked back and read it and I've seen how immature and sappy my writng (and myself!) was...It's good to see how much you've improved!

The part of the letter and the part of the Missouri Ruralist article are all Laura's doing. She get's the credit. lol. :) The recipes listed are all the recipes she liked while at the Exposition, and brought them back home...and also listed them, with instructions for the Missouri Ruralist article, dated November 20, 1915.

For the life of me, I can't figure who the cartoonist and cartoon Laura mentioned was...And can you believe it? A motorized chair...in 1915. Probably gasoline powered...but hey, it still blows my mind! lol.

Please send me reviews! Tell me what you think. :)