Chapter 12
CHAPTER 12
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 22
Howard arrived at church with Addy and the children a little early on Sunday morning, so he decided to wait in the parsonage, next door. His mom welcomed them inside, opening her arms to the children. “My, don’t you darlings look fresh and lovely this morning! May I give you a hug?” They went to her without hesitation, just as they did to Mrs. Gleason. “Look at these beautiful hair ribbons!” She held up the ends of Polly’s braids, smiling as she met the little girl’s gaze. Polly beamed in return.
“She understands so much,” Addy said. “I spent yesterday morning with her, and she’s a bright little girl.”
“Aye, I expect she is. Just like her brother. By the way, Howard, your dad wants Jack and Polly to light the Advent candles in church this morning.” She stood again and fastened her hat to her hair with a long pin.
“Are you sure, Mom? They lit the candles last Sunday, too.”
“I know. But everyone in the congregation knows their story, now. We’re all praying for Mr. Thomas’s safe return.”
Howard wished he could believe that their father really would return, but he was afraid to hope. “Which candle is it this week?” he asked.
“Peace,” his mom replied. “It’s the candle of peace.”
Later, in church, Howard lifted Polly in his arms as he and Addy helped the children light the Advent candles. Polly felt more relaxed in his embrace, and he thought the girl was starting to trust him.
“Peace on earth and mercy mild,” the congregation sang. “God and sinners, reconciled.” In his sermon, his dad explained that the peace Jesus came to bring wasn’t peace from conflict and war, but peace with God.
“We find peace in the assurance that in all life’s changes, we can trust in an unchanging God,” he told them. “There is peace in letting go of our plans and embracing God’s plans. Jesus, the Prince of Peace said, ‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.’”
His words reminded Howard once again that he could find peace in trusting God with his and Addy’s futures. He reached for Addy’s hand. She looked up at him as she squeezed his in return.
After the service, his mom hugged the children again before saying goodbye. “You did such a wonderful job with the candles, both of you. There’s only one more candle to light and that’s the Christ Candle in the center of the wreath. We’ll light that one on Christmas Day. Then you’re all invited to the parsonage for Christmas dinner.”
“Can my papa come, too?” Jack asked. “He’s coming home for Christmas, you know.”
“Of course, he’s welcome. I would love to meet him.”
When they returned to the town house, Addy served lunch from the food Mrs. Gleason had left, then Jack and Polly asked to go outside to play. Howard stood at the window with Addy, watching them frolic in the snow. “I forgot to ask how you managed to keep little Polly occupied while Jack and I were gone yesterday,” he said.
“I was very nervous, at first. Being with small children seems to come naturally to some people, like your mother and Mrs. Gleason, but it’s very new to me.”
“They’ve had years of practice.”
“Yes. Well, Polly and I washed the breakfast dishes together, and she liked standing beside me on a chair and playing in the soapy water. It made me wonder if she remembered doing that with her mother.”
“Hm. They’re so young. I wonder what memories they do have of their parents. Jack seemed reluctant to leave the tenement yesterday. It’s hard to believe, but I think that place must feel like home to him.”
“I don’t think they feel completely at home here, yet. After we finished the dishes, I took Polly upstairs with me. I wish we could convince her and Jack to sleep up there instead of the little maid’s room.”
“That small, plain space must feel more familiar to them.”
“I suppose. I can’t imagine what they would think of Mother’s mansion.”
Howard laughed. “The same thing I thought when I first went there—it’s a fairytale castle!”
“Anyway, I learned that Polly likes pretty, colorful things. She was fascinated by the gowns in my wardrobe. She wanted to feel all the textures, the satins and silks and nubby wools. She smiled when I tickled her with a bit of fur. I showed her my jewelry and we tried on some of the necklaces and bracelets. She almost managed a smile when she sat at my dressing table and looked at herself in the mirror. She let me brush and braid her hair.”
“She is a pretty little thing. So wispy and delicate. She reminds me of one of the fairies in my childhood storybooks.”
“I decided to take a walk with her to that little notions shop a few blocks away and buy her some hair ribbons. We bundled up—and I’ve noticed that the children don’t seem to mind the cold as much as I do.”
“You’re right. Look at them out there. And it’s a cold day!” Jack and Polly were chasing each other around the tiny yard and darting among the bushes. “There’s no place like this to play in their old neighborhood.”
“Polly was fascinated by all the different colored ribbons in the shop, so I let her pick out some. We bought some Christmas ribbons too, to tie up the packages. We had a nice morning together. The time passed more quickly than I thought it would.”
“I was thinking as we lit those Advent candles this morning that we’ve experienced everything they symbolize this season, haven’t we? Hope, Love, Joy—”
“But maybe not Peace. I wish I felt more at peace about the children’s future.”
“I know. Me, too. But it isn’t Christmas yet, Addy. Let’s wait and see what happens.”
MONDAY, DECEMBER 23
Addy sat at the kitchen table, pressing raisins into the soft cookie dough to make eyes and buttons on a pan of gingerbread cookies. She had helped Mrs. Gleason cream butter and sugar together, and had enjoyed sharing the warmth and laughter with the others in the kitchen. It was an experience she’d never had in her childhood. The heavenly aroma of gingerbread filled the house.
“Don’t forget to poke little holes in the tops,” Mrs. Gleason reminded her. “We’ll string a ribbon through them and tie them on the Christmas tree.”
“Can I eat this cookie?” Jack asked, holding it up. “His arm is broken.”
Mrs. Gleason planted her hands on her hips, pretending to be stern, but love shone in her eyes. “Well, I suppose. But share it with your sister, and then that’s the last one. At the rate you’re eating them, Jackie-boy, there won’t be any left to hang on the Christmas tree.”
“And remember, we want to bring some to the parsonage on Christmas Day,” Addy said. She finished decorating the last one and handed the cookie sheet to Mrs. Gleason, who had just removed a batch from the oven. “You don’t need to worry about cooking a Christmas dinner for us, Mrs. Gleason. We’re invited to celebrate the day with Howard’s family. And it’s a tradition for servants to take Boxing Day off, so I hope you have a wonderful holiday with your family.”
“Thank you, dear. I’ll be sure to leave enough food to last until I return.”
“What about you, Susannah?” Addy asked. “Are you going home to the farm for Christmas?” Susannah had been floating around the town house with her head in the clouds for the past few days as if dreaming of her new job in the stationery store.
“Yes, ma’am. I told Mama my good news and she ordered a new skirt and shirtwaist for me from the Sears catalogue for my first day of work.”
“I’m sure you’ll look lovely, Susannah. I can’t wait to hear all about your new job.”
They cleared off the kitchen table when the cookies were finished, and Susannah taught Addy and the children how to make Christmas ornaments using leftover wrapping paper. She helped them fold it into little fans to form bodies and wings, creating clever little angels. They used some of the acorns they had found for the angels’ heads. Susannah also taught them to fold and cut snowflakes from plain white paper. Last of all, she tied ribbons onto some of the pine cones they’d collected and “frosted” them with Epsom salts to make them look pretty.
“You’re so talented with things like this,” Addy told her.
Susannah shrugged. “It’s nothing special. We used to make ornaments like these at home for our tree. All of us kids would tramp through the woods with Papa to cut one down, then we’d decorate it together with the things we’d made.”
“That sounds like fun. The popcorn strings we made on Saturday didn’t turn out very well, but the children had a good time trying. Howard did, too.”
Susannah had helped Addy wrap the toys for the children and the boxes of books for Howard, tying them with pretty ribbon. They had carried them downstairs and hidden them in the broom closet until Christmas Eve when Addy would put them beneath the tree. She gave Susannah and Mrs. Gleason their wrapped presents before they went home for the day. “Remember, no peeking until Christmas.”
“That goes for you, too,” Mrs. Gleason said. Addy had spotted Susannah tucking some wrapped packages beneath the tree. “Have a very Merry Christmas, Mrs. Forsythe. And I’ll be asking the Good Lord to please bring that lost father home to be with his children.”
Howard had promised to come home from work early this evening, so Addy and the children waited for him to arrive to decorate the tree with their new ornaments. He inhaled dramatically after walking through the door and said, “Mmm! It smells like Christmas in here!”
The children danced around him, holding up some of the ornaments they’d made. “Look what we made for the tree!” Jack said. “It’s going to look beautiful!”
Howard bent to look at the things the children were showing him. “You made these, Jack? Wow! I’m impressed.”
“We made gingerbread men, too. Some are to hang on the tree but some are to eat!”
“Ah! That’s why it smells so good in here. Give me a minute to change my clothes and we’ll start decorating that tree.” He paused on his way to the stairs to give Addy a kiss. “You’ve been busy today.”
“We have Susannah and Mrs. Gleason to thank for all this. But I did help, a little.”
She joined him and the children as they hung the ornaments, with Howard lifting Jack and Polly to reach the higher branches. Addy had no memories of doing fun things like this with her father, or even sitting on his lap. He was always a distant figure, someone she was in awe of. She had wanted to earn his approval and attention, yet hadn’t known how. She realized, as she watched Howard and the children, that she’d always pictured God to be the same as her father—remote and uninvolved. She was only beginning to see Him as a kind and loving father Who desired to be close to His children. Like the figures in the manger scene Mother had given her, Jesus didn’t need to be kept at a distance, but enjoyed and loved.
Howard stepped back for a moment to stand beside her. “Well, what do you think?”
The tree was a little lopsided and had a bare patch on one side. The handmade angels and snowflakes were scattered unevenly on the branches. The puny strings of popcorn looked half-eaten. Addy laughed at the sight, then spoke the truth. “It’s the loveliest Christmas tree I’ve ever had.”
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 24
On Christmas Eve, Jack and Polly spent so much time standing by the front window, watching and waiting for their father, that Howard finally moved his comfortable reading chair there so they could sit down. Addy noticed that Polly had taken the carved figure of Jesus from the creche and was holding it tightly in her hand all day. When it was time to leave for the Christmas Eve candlelight service, Addy didn’t have the heart to make her give it up.
Jack balked when it was time to put on his coat, refusing to go to the service at all. “What if Papa comes while we’re gone? I need to stay here.”
“We won’t be away for very long,” Howard assured him. “I’ll write a note for him and leave it on the front door. Do you know if your father can read?”
“He can, but—”
“You have a Heavenly Father too, Jack. Christmas is a special time when we worship Him and thank Him for the gift He gave us. Now, put your coat on. We’re all going to church.”
Addy kept a close eye on Jack until they were finally in the carriage, fearing he might hide somewhere in the house where they couldn’t find him. She usually loved everything about the traditional Christmas Eve candlelight service—the familiar carols and scriptures, the softly flickering candlelight that bathed the sanctuary as everyone in the congregation held a lit candle. But Jack’s unease distracted her.
“Advent is the time for watching and waiting for the Christ child,” Pastor Forsythe said in his sermon. “The world watched and waited for the Savior, who was promised to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Their sin plunged the world into darkness. But the angel’s message to the shepherds on that first Christmas was good news for all people. A Savior had been born! Christ the Lord! The light of the world!” He paused as the lights in the sanctuary dimmed. “Our world is still in darkness without Christ. But Jesus told His followers that we also bring light into the world.” As he spoke, the flame was passed from person to person until the sanctuary was no longer in darkness. “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
It was what Addy wanted to do more than anything else—to shine a light, to make a difference. She held up her candle and sang the words of the familiar carol as the service ended:
Silent night! Holy night!
Son of God, love’s pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth!
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth!
Jack tugged on Howard’s hand as they mingled with people after the service, gazing up at him with his wide blue eyes as if silently pleading with him to hurry. Addy knew he was eager to return home. “We should go,” she whispered to Howard. He nodded, understanding.
All the way home, Addy hoped and prayed that they would find Mr. Thomas waiting for them at the town house. But there was no Christmas Eve miracle. Jack’s disappointment showed in the defeated way he slumped onto the chair, his eyes shining with tears. Addy didn’t know what to say to comfort him. Polly had fallen asleep in Howard’s arms on the way home, so he carried her downstairs and put her to bed. While he was gone, Addy took the presents she’d hidden out of the broom closet and put them beneath the tree. “Can you help me, Jack? Quickly, before Mr. Forsythe comes back?”
“Who are these for?” Jack asked as he helped her lift the boxes of books.
“These three are for Mr. Forsythe. But this one is for you, and this one is for Polly. We’ll open them tomorrow morning on Christmas Day.”
“What about a present for Papa?”
Did it show her lack of faith that Addy hadn’t thought to buy a present for him? Jack was so filled with hope, so certain his father would be here tomorrow, opening presents with them. And while Addy didn’t want to crush Jack’s hopes, she was concerned that his disappointment would devastate him. How could she strike a balance?
Before she could reply, Jack said, “Papa can have my present if there isn’t one for him.”
His generosity touched her. She blinked away tears. “You won’t have to do that. This present is for your papa.” She showed him the wrapped box with the gloves she had purchased for Howard, knowing he wouldn’t mind.
“What’s inside?”
“It’s a surprise, like all Christmas presents should be.”
Howard came upstairs just then and beckoned to Jack. “Come on, son. You need to go to bed, too. I’ll leave a light burning up here in the front hallway for your papa.”
“Will you say prayers with me?”
“I’d be happy to.” Howard was gone a long time before finally rejoining Addy in the parlor, sinking down on the sofa beside her. “He’s finally asleep.”
Addy snuggled close, listening as the fire hissed and crackled in the parlor stove. “I’m worried about tomorrow, Howard. I don’t know if I’ll be able to sleep.”
“I’m worried, too.”
“I’ve grown to love Jack and Polly, but I wish we had more time alone, with just the two of us, before taking on the responsibility of a family.”
He sighed. “I know. In church tonight, I found myself hoping that someone from the congregation would step forward and offer to adopt them. Everyone has heard their story.”
“Tell me the truth. Do you really think their father will come tomorrow?”
He hesitated, then sighed again. “Honestly? No, I don’t. But I do know that God has a plan for Jack and Polly.”
“Well, I hope He shows us what it is—and soon.”