Love's Enduring Promise (Love Comes Softly Series #2) (19 page)

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Missie, feeling quite grown-up, went with the ladies to the kitchen, where she followed orders in helping to prepare the Christmas dinner.

Josh arrived earlier than expected. He just didn't seem to be able to stay away. He shyly but eagerly offered Nandry his gift. It was a new lamp to be used in their home. Marty had never seen a prettier one. A soft cluster of roses was painted on the bowl in reds and pinks, and the shade was generously trimmed with gold. What Nandry presented to Josh, the family did not get to see, but Marty had her suspicions that it was a mustache cup--for Josh was nursing a mustache that he hoped to have full and well-groomed by his wedding day, making him feel more like a man.

They roasted chestnuts at the fire and sniffed hungrily at the cooking odors coming from the kitchen. Just before the meal was set on the table, the family gathered for the reading of the Christmas story. Even Luke, from his spot on Nandry's knee, appeared to listen. Marty looked 'round the room at all the happy faces and her heart filled up with praise. She slipped her hand into Clark's during his prayer and he pressed her fingers firmly.

Just as the chairs were being placed around the table, Ole Bob began to bark. It was unusual to have uninvited guests on Christmas Day, and Marty felt her heart flutter, hoping that nothing was wrong. She followed Clark to the door, almost afraid to look out.

She could hear the footsteps approaching the door and with barely a knock the door pushed open.

"Tommie," was all she could say.

"Tommie," echoed Clark, equally incredulous. "Good to
see
ya, boy," he said, greeting the young man with a bear hug.

Then it was Marty's turn--then greetings all round, excitedly and with great gusto.

"Jest a minute," Tommie said holding up his hand. "I got somethin' to show ya."

He was gone, but soon back, his arm around a small, blond-haired girl who came forward shyly.

"My wife," he said with pride; "my wife, Fran."

"Oh, Tommie," said Marty. "Tommie, when did ya

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marry? Why didn't ya write?"

Tommie laughed joyously. "Five months ago now. I wanted to surprise ya. Isn't she somethin'?" He looked at her again and his arm tightened. Fran smiled--beginning to cope with her feeling of being overwhelmed.

"I'm pleased to meet ya all," she said, putting out one small hand to Clark and then Marty.

Marty stepped forward to give her a welcoming embrace.

"An' we are jest so glad to meet you. Won't ya come in? Take off yer coats. We are jest sittin' down, an' we are so pleased to have ya join us."

"No, no," said Tom, "we haven't been home yet. We must run, but I did want ya to meet her, first off. Ma would never fergive me iffen I stopped here to eat Christmas dinner."

That was true, Marty knew, but there was so much that she wanted to talk about.

"Oh, it's gonna be so hard to let ya go now. I've a million questions."

"They'll keep," said Tommie. "We'll be around. I decided thet I'd take up thet piece of land o' mine. See iffen I can make a farm outta it. Fran's ma and pa owned a store out West. Now there's a switch, huh?" he winked; "long comes a guy, marries yer daughter, an' takes her
East."

"Oh, Tommie! I hope thet you'll be so happy."

"We already are," Tommie assured her, and his eyes said that it was true.

They bid their good-byes and promised to be back soon for a nice, long visit.

The family returned to their Christmas dinner.

"Well, this has truly been some day." Marty expressed the feelings of them all.

They bowed their heads and Clark's deep voice spoke reverently to their Father, thanking Him for the many blessings that life held, and especially for Tommie, a son come home and the joy that it would bring to the Graham household.

Marty wondered about the pretty Owahteeka. Had she found happiness with her Running Deer? Marty truly hoped

SO.

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Chapter 38

Tryin' Agin

The people of the community reluctantly admitted to themselves and finally to one another that the highly trained Reverend Watson was just not fitting in to their community and meeting the needs of the congregation.

Now that they had admitted it, they wondered why it had taken them so long to bring it to the fore. What to do about the problem became the next question, and it was one that did not seem to have an easy answer.

A committee was picked in due course and much to Marty's chagrin, Clark was named as chairman. A meeting was called at which time the men hoped to be able to discuss quite openly with the Reverend Watson how the people felt.

The Reverend showed no surprise at being asked to meet with the men, but the meeting itself had its touchy moments. It appeared that the Reverend thought the meeting had been called to offer him commendations, and perhaps to even suggest an increase in his rather meager, to his standards at any rate, salary.

He was taken aback when the meeting took a different turn.

It came to light that the Reverend was not only educated himself but was also using the brains of other highly trained theologians. Much of his sermon material was copied directly from one textbook or another.

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The good Reverend found it hard to believe that anyone could be so unappreciative as to not highly favor his intellectually charged sermons. He had had no idea that the people of the area were so bereft of learning and so insensitive to spiritual enlightenment. He would do better. He knew of a great scholar whose books had just been made available, and though they were full of exceptional material, they were written in the "easy language of the layman." He'd send for a couple. He was sure that the people would find encouragement and religious sustenance in the works of this great man.

It was with difficulty that the committee, Clark in particular, convinced the Reverend that what they were there to say was that they wished him to end his service to them as their minister.

Clark said it thus, "Reverend, we realize thet ya are a very learned man, an' we realize thet we be a mite slow. We wouldn't want to hold ya back from preachin' to those who could understand and appreciate yer great skills, so we are releasin' ya to go back to wherever ya wish to go, an' at such time as ya are first able to make the arrangement."

The Reverend sputtered. "Are you saying, gentlemen," he finally choked, "are you saying that my service has been terminated?"

"Shucks, no," put in the elder Coffins, who was also a committee member, "not terminated, jest excused."

So they excused the parson, gave him a going away purse, wished him well, and got on with the job of selecting a new minister. This time Mr. Wilbur Whittle was not asked to serve as correspondent.

The parson had no more than packed his bags and left the area than the people had a reason to wish him back. As yet the cemetery beside the little church stood empty of markers. They all knew that it could not always be so, and the unasked question often hung in the air--who? Who would be the person who would cause the ground to be first broken in order that they might be laid to rest?

Unconsciously they observed their neighbors. Grandpa

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Stern Stern was well on in years and seemed to be failing. Mrs. LaHaye had never really recovered her full health. One of the Coffin girls seemed very delicate and was always down with one sickness or another. Her parents didn't even allow her to go to school. Mrs. Vickers showed signs of high blood pressure, and some feared that she'd talk herself right into an early grave. But when it happened--it was none of these, and the whole community was shaken by the suddenness and the sadness of it all.

It was Tessie. It took some while to accept. Tessie had always seemed like such a strong, healthy girl, and the community folk were pleased when the evidence showed that she was going to make her schoolteacher husband a father. As for Mr. Whittle himself, his bowler hat had never been dusted more frequently, his giant mustache been trimmed with more care, nor his spats whitened with such vigor. He was well pleased with himself. To have a young and attractive wife who idolized him was a wonder in itself, and to be about to become a father was hardly bearable for its magnitude. Mr. Whittle was on cloud nine. The big boys teased that his voice was now always squeaking with excitement, but Mr. Whittle did not seem to notice.

The great day came and the doctor was duly sent for. With tired eyes and a heavy heart, he left the next morning. Both Tessie and her baby boy had died during the night. The news shook the whole community. The neighbors responded, the grave was dug in the new cemetery, the pine box formed and carefully draped, the bodies prepared for burial. Through it all Mr. Wilbur Whittle moved as one in a daze. It was beyond his comprehension, this great loss. He could never believe nor accept it. In the absence of a parson, Mr. Whittle did have presence of mind enough to ask Clark if he'd read the scripture and say the words. Clark accepted.

The day of the funeral was a cold, dreary day. The pine box was lowered, the earth heaped upon it.

Marty stood gazing at the fresh grave that held a young mother with a baby boy in her arms. "It's no longer virgin-- this cemetery. From now on it will be grave added to grave."

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Time and again the earth would be opened up and asked to receive a new burden.

"Oh, Tessie," Marty cried inwardly, "who would have thought that it would be you! Life be full of the unexpected."

Classes were cancelled until further notice, but Mr. Whittle never did get around to resuming them, so school for that term ended in April. And toward the end of May, when the roses were beginning to bloom and the birds were rebuilding their nests, Mr. Whittle took a bouquet of wild flowers and placed it on the new mound of earth. Then dusting his bowler hat, he picked up his suitcases and returned to the East.

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Chapter 39

Josh and Nandry

The Parson's leaving had two other members of the congregation feeling concern. Josh and Nandry became worried about what it would do to their wedding plans. Clark perceived what they must be thinking and did some inquiring on his own.

He discovered a parson two towns away and made arrangements for the man to be at their community church on the day that had been set for the wedding.

When he felt quite confident that nothing would happen to put a hitch in the plans, he broke the news to Josh and Nandry.

"This here weddin' ya been a plannin'--ya changed yer minds 'bout it?"

"Oh, no," Nandry said, looking to Josh for support. "Gonna be a bit tricky without a preacher."

Josh agreed sullenly, and Nandry looked about to cry, a thing that Nandry had never been known to do.

"Jest so happened," Clark went on hurriedly, the teasing now gone from his voice, "thet I heerd of a man within ridin' distance who also happens to be a church-recognized parson."

The two faces focused intently on his.

"Where?" asked Josh. "Do ya think we could go to 'im?" "Reckon there ain't much need fer thet," Clark said lazily.

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"He said thet he'd be happy to come on over here." Nandry had sat silently taking it all in, but rose with a sudden whoop.

"Are ya sayin' thet ya found us a parson?" she cried. Clark grinned. "Thet's 'bout it, I guess."

"Oh, bless ya!" Nandry squealed. She was about ready to throw her arms around Clark, then turned quickly to embrace Josh instead. Josh didn't mind.

Marty smiled. "Nandry still has never been able to see him as a father," she thought. "He's always been 'the man.' 'The man' thet she felt no right to love an' yet couldn't help lovin'."

Her attention was drawn back to the happy couple and the grinning Clark.

"When?" said Nandry. "When can he come?"

"Well, I thought as how you'd set yer mind on May twenty-eighth."

"We did--we have. Ya mean we can have the weddin' jest as we planned--in the church--with our friends?" "Yup--jest as planned."

"Oh, glory!" said Nandry. "He does answer."

The two left for a walk in the garden to share their moment of happiness and finalize their plans.

"Well," said Marty, her own happiness spilling over, "how did ya ever manage this bit of magic?"

"Didn't take no magic," Clark answered; "jest money."

The much-planned-for wedding was held as scheduled. The hired parson did a commendable job of reading the vows and instructing the bride and groom.

Nandry was radiant in her bridal gown, and Clae looked almost as pretty as she stood beside her sister.

Josh's younger brother, Joe, stood with him. It was a beautiful wedding full of meaning and promise, and when the guests turned from the ceremony to the bridal supper, there was much laughter and good-natured banter.

"Here ya are," Todd Stern said to Clark, "hardly dry behind the ears yet, an' already givin' a girl away."

Clark looked at his young Missie who was growing up all too quickly.