Chapter Sixty-Seven
Allie and Little Jack were beyond thrilled to have the people they loved most in the World back home with them!
And although both loved all three of the Coulters, they were excited to go to Elizabeth's rowhouse next door and celebrate their Third Sunday of Advent together as a Family…
Rosemary had planned to cook Dinner for the Couple's Homecoming, but both Elizabeth and Nathan could tell she was not feeling at all well enough to do so.
So instead, Nathan and Lee decided to go pick up two separate Dinners at the Café, in order to give Rosemary some much-needed rest.
The children had gone home with Elizabeth, and when Nathan brought the food to Elizabeth's door, she met him there and gave him a quick kiss, as he was loaded down with food.
"Here, let me help," she said and he handed her the lighter bag.
Both Allie and Jack immediately ran up to Nathan!
"Hey let me put this down first, and then we play! How does that sound…"
"Yeah!" said Allie as she had missed her Dad very much!
And Little Jack just stood there clapping, "Pay Horsies?"
"Yes, Big Guy, we'll play Horsies!" and that sent him running off to drag out every horse he had!
Nathan closed the door to the kitchen and sat the food down on the table.
He immediately pulled Elizabeth into his arms.
"That feels so good Nathan! I was missing you already!"
"I know, Darling! I loved knowing in Union City that you were right there in the suite beside me. It just made it feel like we were together, somehow, even though we were apart. Does that sound crazy?"
"No, not at all! I felt exactly the same way! And I'm going to miss that feeling tonight so much!"
"Me too, Elizabeth. It's getting harder and harder to leave you!"
"And it's getting harder for me to let you leave…"
He kissed her and they both felt very unsure about waiting till June.
"You think if we have to wait till June, maybe we could make the Wedding very, very, very early in June?" whispered Nathan.
"I think that can definitely be arranged. I'm just not sure we should wait just because I want a June Wedding, but my flowers are so very beautiful!"
Nathan had placed them everywhere throughout the house for her and their scent was heavenly.
Elizabeth especially loved the lavender roses that reminded her of the first Bouquet Nathan had given her! Love at first sight he had said!
"And we have a Cabin/Lodge and House to think about, too. All that needs to be done first. At least it would make things so much easier if they were done first! I don't know what the best answer is. Maybe we should just sleep on it! But if I don't go out and play with our children within about two minutes, they're going to storm the kitchen! I just hate to leave you in here with the food…"
"Don't be silly, the food is already prepared, all I have to do is set the table and put the food on our plates. Go play, and that's an order, but…" and she kissed him longingly before he could even turn to leave.
He sighed, "You know what they say about parting…and they were right!"
"Who's ready to play?" boomed Nathan.
Allie pointed to the Settee at the spot where she wanted him to sit next to her, and Little Jack had all his horses spread out around the low table in front of it.
"How about we do it this way? Jack pick your favorite horse and climb up here on my lap, and we'll let the Lady go first!"
That more than satisfied Jack as long as he was sitting on his Na'tan's lap.
Nathan put his arm around Allie and drew her close, "Missed you and Jack so much, Allie Bean! What would you like to do?"
"Can you just hold me and read us a story, that way Jack's included, too!"
"Without a doubt, I have the sweetest, most thoughtful Daughter in the World!" and he kissed her on the top of her head just like she always liked! "Okay, you choose the book…"
"Kiss?" asked Little Jack, while Allie was selecting the book from her weekend satchel.
"You want a kiss, too Big Guy?" and Nathan reached down to kiss the top of his head.
"What about this one? Since it is about a horse!" and Allie handed him her old copy of Black Beauty (17*).
"I love this one Allie Bean. Jack this is a story about a beautiful Horse! And I get to be the Horse!" which made Allie smile and Jack laugh hysterically!
"Let's start…
"CHAPTER I.
My Early Home.
The first place that I can well remember, was a large pleasant meadow with a pond of clear water in it. Some shady trees leaned over it, and rushes and water-lilies grew at the deep end. Over the hedge on one side we looked into a ploughed field, and on the other we looked over a gate at our master's house, which stood by the roadside; at the top of the meadow was a plantation of fir trees, and at the bottom a running brook overhung by a steep bank.
Whilst I was young I lived upon my mother's milk, as I could not eat grass. In the day time I ran by her side, and at night I lay down close by her. When it was hot, we used to stand by the pond in the shade of the trees, and when it was cold, we had a nice warm shed near the plantation.
As soon as I was old enough to eat grass, my mother used to go out to work in the day time, and came back in the evening.
There were six young colts in the meadow beside me, they were all older than I was; some were nearly as large as grown-up horses. I used to run with them, and had great fun; we used to gallop all together round and round the field, as hard as we could go. Sometimes we had rather rough play, for they would frequently bite and kick as well as gallop.
One day, when there was a good deal of kicking, my mother whinnied to me to come to her, and then she said,
"I wish you to pay attention to what I am going to say to you. The colts who live here are very good colts; but they are cart-horse colts, and of course, they have not learned manners. You have been well bred and well born; your father has a great name in these parts, and your grandfather won the cup two years at the Newmarket races; your grandmother had the sweetest temper of any horse I ever knew, and I think you have never seen me kick or bite. I hope you will grow up gentle and good, and never learn bad ways; do your work with a good will, lift your feet up well when you trot, and never bite or kick even in play."
I have never forgotten my mother's advice; I knew she was a wise old horse, and our master thought a great deal of her. Her name was Duchess, but he often called her Pet." (17*)
"I hate to interrupt…you three look so cozy, but Dinner's going to get cold and we can't go to bed hungry tonight," nudged Elizabeth.
Both Allie and Little Jack were just getting into their story…
"Mama's right. Let's go eat and then we'll all come back in here and read till we finish the 1st Chapter. How does that sound?"
Allie nodded and Little Jack asked, "Tory, Mama?"
"Yes, Son, Nathan will finish your story after you eat!"
Nathan smiled at her and scooped up both children, playing Black Beauty, and carrying them to the kitchen table with both of them laughing hysterically, forgetting their chagrin at having their story interrupted!
"Everything looks so good, Nathan. I can't believe Bill had any of his Brunswick Stew left!"
"I know and that by itself would have been more than enough, but Bill came in while I was there and he insisted we have all the trimmings. I think there's enough for at least two Dinners!"
"Oh, Dad, you know what we forgot…"
"You're right, Allie we did! With us traveling, it seems more like Saturday than Sunday. And here it's our third Advent Sunday!"
"Maybe we can do that first Dad, then if there's time, read a little more of Chapter One…"
"That sounds like a very wise idea, Allie!" agreed Elizabeth. 'Nathan, will you pray for us, please?"
They all took each other's hands.
"Our Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for this, our third Advent Sunday! We also thank You for a wonderful and safe trip to Union City, as well as watching over the children and keeping them safe while they were with the Coulters. We thank You for this food, and we pray that You will continue to teach us Your Ways. Help us especially be aware of people who are in need during this Season and show us how to best meet those needs. In Your Holy Name, Amen"
And everyone chimed in with their "Amen," too, along with Jack's "Men!"
"Boy, it feels good to hear those two 'Amens' again, doesn't it Darling?" asked Nathan.
"It absolutely does! We missed you two, and those Amens!" smiled Elizabeth.
"I do have to say this Barbecued Chicken is as delicious as the Stew! I guess Bill does know what he's doing with his menus!" noted Nathan.
"Mrs. Thornton, when will we get to meet Miss…"
"Miss Adeline! You'll love her Allie. We'll go check on her tomorrow. Oh, Nathan, were they pleased with their Flowers?"
"They loved their Flowers, and both said to tell you Thank you, which I forgot. So sorry, Darling!"
"No worries, has Adeline already moved into Lee's apartment?"
"Yes, Bill had just finished getting the basics set up for her when he came by the Café to get them something to eat. He seems happier than I've ever seen him, Elizabeth. But I guess that's not surprising to you since you know their history…"
"Yes, there always was an attraction, I think, just no commitment. Just really happy they reconnected! And you know, I think AJ, Adeline, will be good for Hope Valley!"
"Yes, and sounds like Hope Valley will be good for her!" offered Nathan. "Without a doubt, she and Bill are going to be good for each other! And that's the most important thing!"
"Will she want to be our Auntie?" asked Allie.
"Allie, without a doubt, she will want to be your Auntie, and she'll make a great one, too!" smiled Elizabeth. "My, our family just keeps growing, doesn't it?"
"That is does, Darling! And you know, we didn't think of it in Union City, but that's another one we need to add to our Christmas list!"
"Oh, my goodness, you're right Nathan! Why didn't we think of that! Now, we'll just have to order something. I hate that."
"Darling, Ned can order just about anything. And you know, if you want to get something from one of the Union City shops, I'm sure they can have it shipped here before Christmas."
"That's a great idea, Nathan. I do have cards from all the shops we went to. That's exactly what I'll do. Allie, when we pay your new Auntie a visit, try to come up with something you think she'd like. Think you can help?"
"Absolutely, Mrs. Thornton. That'll be fun, like a mystery!"
"It's a mystery to me alright!" agreed Elizabeth. "Does anybody need seconds?"
"No Ma'am, Uncle Bill gave us enough food to feed the entire School!"
"Allie Bean, tell us about yours and Jack's weekend with Auntie Rosie, Uncle Lee, and Frederic," suggested Nathan.
"Well, it was great! Friday night we had our Tent sleepover in the Living Room and Auntie Rosie made us Taffy Apples and Cinnamon ones too, and they were so good! I'd never had the Cinnamon ones before. Frederic got the red stuff all over his face and his clothes. He was a mess and Auntie Rosie had to give him a bath to get it all off, but the red stuff stained so he looked like a little Indian till Saturday night. Auntie Rosie scrubbed him so much, his skin looked raw. Or I guess it could have been the Cinnamon that was still there. Anyway, I think Frederic will be a lot more careful next time!" and there was that oh so classic, Allie eye roll!
Nathan and Elizabeth both had to laugh…
'And then Saturday morning, Auntie Rosie was really sick, so I helped Uncle Lee make Breakfast for all of us, and Dad, Uncle Lee can't cook that well, or maybe he was just flustered. I think he was really worried about Auntie Rosie and the Baby. So that could have been the problem."
"That was really nice of you, Allie! Darling, can you pass me the Salads and the Baked Beans, please? Traveling makes a guy really hungry!
"Except that same guy ate a hamper full of gourmet food on the way home!"
"Sh! You weren't supposed to tell anybody that! But oh, that food was divine…"
"It really was. I'd love to know how to make some of those things!"
"Just call Pierre, and he'll send you whatever recipes you want!"
"So, Allie, what were the other surprises?" asked Elizabeth.
"Well, by Lunchtime Auntie Rosie was feeling like her old self again, so she and Uncle Lee took us to the Café for lunch and let us get anything we wanted, including Ice Cream. It was wonderful. We all have Banana Splits and they were humongous! But Auntie Rosie had Dill Pickles and Radishes with hers. It was pretty sickening. Then we did something really fun…"
"And what was that?" asked Nathan.
"Well, we can't tell everything, but Auntie Rosie helped us a lot and it was a lot of fun. It took us all afternoon!"
"But you can't tell us what?" asked a curious Elizabeth.
Allie shook her head back and forth with an emphatic no.
"No, Ma'am we can't. Auntie Rosie said it was a secret. But maybe you'll know pretty soon!" she hinted.
Nathan and Elizabeth smiled at each other realizing that some Christmas presents had been made in their absence.
"Then after we finished…well, after, then we ate Dinner and that was so much fun. We had an Indoor Cookout with hot dog sausages, hamburgers, pickle relish, and all sorts of good things. You know, all kinds of Picnic stuff. Auntie Rosie even fixed us S'mores for Dessert, and they were so good! We tried not to get the melted Marshmallows on anything, but they were so sticky, it was hard! I had to help Auntie Rosie clean up the mess, and it was a mess! And we had it in her Living Room. I don't think her furniture is ever going to look the same again," Allie forlornly announced. "But we sure did try..."
"Sounds like you all were really busy," said Elizabeth.
"Yes, Ma'am, but there's more. Auntie Rosie decided we need a Class on Manners, so we learned how to introduce people properly. Even Little Jack tried! It was so cute. But the most fun was last night, Auntie Rosie and Uncle Lee put old records on the Victrola, and they taught us to Dance, well, I already knew how to Dance, because Dad had taught me. So, I showed Auntie Rosie the steps I knew and she taught me some new ones! It was so much fun and the boys liked it, too! Then after we learned the steps, Auntie Rosie made us get dressed up and we sort of had our very own little Ball!"
"That's lovely, Allie! I wish I could have seen that. I bet it was adorable!"
"Yes, Ma'am, Little Jack was really adorable. He wore his little bow tie and he really loves to dance! I didn't have a long dress, so Auntie Rose let me wear one of her pretty ones and she just pinned it in and up to make it smaller. She even let me pick out which of her jewelry pieces to wear. And she served us dainty little snacks on a silver tray. It was so much fun!"
"Ahh, I bet you were adorable!" said a wistful Elizabeth, wishing she could have seen the whole thing.
"Who's ready for dessert? We have Brownie Pudding!" asked Nathan.
And that was a firm "Yes!" for everyone.
Nathan got up to help Elizabeth with the Dessert, and as soon as they had served it, everyone was quickly diving in!
"Yum!" exclaimed a surprised Little Jack, with only one small encouragement from Allie.
It didn't take long from there! Dessert was finished in record time and the children were now getting super excited about lighting their Advent Candle.
So, Nathan, still playing their Horse, carried them both back into the Living Room…
Nathan set the Advent Wreath down on the low table in front of the Settee, and the children immediately sat on the floor in their usual places, in front of the Wreath.
"Jack, what's this?" asked Nathan.
"Reef!"
"Good job, it's our Wreath and what kind of Wreath is it Allie?"
"It's our Advent Wreath."
"And what does it help us do?" questioned Nathan.
"It helps us celebrate the real true meaning of Christmas!"
"Perfect, Allie! And we have four candles, plus one in the center for Christmas Eve. Okay, we've already had two purple candles, but today we have a pink one! Our 1st Candle is the Prophecy Candle, and it tells us the story of the World waiting for Baby Jesus to come. Do you remember what it stands for?"
Allie nudged Little Jack and held up one finger.
"Ope!" shouted Little Jack
"That's wonderful, Jack! Yes, it's Hope!" said a surprised Nathan.
"Oh, thank you Allie so much for teaching him that! You might just be a born Teacher!" complimented Elizabeth.
Allie beamed!
"The 2nd Candle is called the Bethlehem Candle because it reminds us of Mary and Joseph traveling to Bethlehem. Do you remember what that Candle stands for Allie?"
"Faith, just like our Miss Faith!"
"That's right! Now, today's Candle, the 3rd Candle is different because as we said it's pink. It's the Shepherd's Candle because it tells us about the Joy they felt when Baby Jesus was born. In fact, the Baby Jesus brought Joy, not only to the Shepherds but to the whole wide World! So our candle stands for that same Joy! Jack, here's the pink Candle for you to hold first, then pass to Allie," and Nathan passed the unlit Candle to Little Jack.
"Jack, can you say Joy?" asked Elizabeth.
"Doy!"
"That's great Son, Joy!"
Little Jack did what he always did with the Candle, inspecting it very closely, squinting his little eyes almost shut, before passing it to Allie.
Everyone had to smile at the little earnest toddler!
Allie took the Candle and placed the wick in the lit Candle her Dad was holding, and then she very carefully passed it on for Elizabeth to place in the Wreath Holder.
Then Nathan began to pray for the Family...
"Dear Father, we thank You for giving Your Son to the World, that we might have abundant Joy. Help us to follow Your example and spread Joy to others whenever and where ever we can! Amen!"
And everyone said "Amen!" and "Men!"
"Dad, I think Rupert at School needs some Joy. I think he has to work a lot at home because I know he doesn't get much time to study. One day, I asked him to go fishing with me, but he told me he had a ton of chores he had to start on as soon as he gets home."
"Oh, Allie, is that the reason he's always late with his homework?" asked a pained Elizabeth.
"Yes, his parents tell him homework's not important, that if he's studying he's wasting his time. That he needs to be doing something 'perductive,'" explained Allie.
"That's productive, Allie Bean!" corrected Nathan gently.
Elizabeth looked at Nathan with deep sadness in her eyes, "I didn't know, Nathan."
"Darling, you can't possibly know everything that's going on with all of your Students. You know, I think we've got a good idea where we should start sharing our Christmas Joy. Not only with Rupert, but the entire Eppings' Family. I've noticed on Rounds, they don't seem to have a lot, but they seem to be good people, hard workers. Maybe if we see that the entire Family has some Christmas joy, we can get in a positive word for Rupert's Studies. I think that's a great idea, Allie! A really great idea."
"I'll start a list tonight of things we can do to make their load lighter, at least through the Holidays and Allie, you be thinking of things Rupert needs and would like…" noted Elizabeth.
"Yes, Ma'am!"
"You know, to finish our Advent Story, next week, we light a very special 4th Candle called the Angel Candle because an Angel gave us the message "Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men! And then on Christmas Eve, Jack's Birthday, we light the most special candle of all, the Christ Candle. It's all white and goes in the very center of our Wreath and it reminds us of Purity, the Purity of Christ. And by then, we will have told the entire Advent Story, and then what comes after that?"
"Christmas Day!" "Kissmas!"
Allie had clearly been working with Little Jack, keeping him informed and excited about the Season.
"That's right! Pretty exciting, isn't it?"
And there were lots of cheers on that one!
"I don't know about you two, but I'm pretty excited about the Advent House! Shall we switch them out?" asked Elizabeth.
"Yes!" "Es!" came from Allie and Little Jack, respectively.
Nathan lifted the Advent Wreath to Elizabeth's desk and brought the Advent House to place on the low table, instead.
"Let's see this is Catch-up Day, right? How many?"
"Three, Dad! We're sure not going to forget that! Friday, Saturday, and Sunday!"
"That's pretty much a Bonanza, isn't it?" she asked excitedly.
"You bet it is, I can hardly wait!" proclaimed Elizabeth.
And Little Jack was in total agreement dancing around, clapping his little hands!
The Advent House had been a complete hit! Even more, than Nathan had imagined!
"Who get's to start? Allie, I think it's your turn again!" reminded Elizabeth.
"Okay this is Friday's drawer…" and she reached in and pulled out two beautiful hair barrettes.
"Look how pretty! I love these! Jack, you go next…" and she ran to kiss her Dad.
By this time, Little Jack knew the drill and he reached into the drawer with gusto…and he quickly pulled out a small box of crayons.
"Cans!" he said excitedly and scampered off looking for paper.
"Darling, you're next!" urged Nathan.
Elizabeth smiled, reached in, and pulled out a gorgeous Mother of Pearl hair clip.
"It's gorgeous," and she went to thank her own private Santa Claus.
"Are we ready for Saturday?" asked Allie. "Jack you come and go first this time…"
Allie showed him which drawer to open and even unlatched it for him.
It took him about two seconds to pull out a tiny blue Model T Diecast Car, which he went racing away with.
"Jack, don't forget your thank you," reminded Elizabeth gently.
Little Jack smiled and went running to his Na'tan, reaching up his little arms.
Nathan lifted him up and he was content to stay there with his little Model T Car.
"Allie, you go next…" instructed Elizabeth.
"It's a little bag…I think it's got money in it!" she said excitedly and jangled it up in the air. Oh, the tag has writing on it…look at what it says:
'Ned Yost has the Most
So run to his Store,
Without making a Boast,
Select Candy Galore
Till you can't possibly want More!'"
"This is the best! I'm going to take Opal with me so we can pick out some for Jack and Frederic, too! Thank you, Dad! I love it!" and Allie ran to give her Dad another huge thank you kiss!
"That's the Holiday Spirit, Allie. So nice of you to share with everyone!" said Elizabeth proudly!
"Mrs. Thornton, it's your turn!"
Elizabeth reached in to see what her gift was.
"Did you put this in so I can't swat you with my tea towel?" she teasingly frowned.
"Something like that, and I definitely want you to get used to that 'G!'" he answered. "But you are always losing that towel!"
"Yes, I am! I can't believe you noticed that. But, I love getting used to that 'G!'" it was a beautifully carved wooden towel hook for her kitchen that Nathan had carved into the letter G for Grant. "I love it! This will also go with us to our new house!"
She ran over to Nathan to give him a kiss.
"Now for today!" she announced. "I'll go first!"
She opened the latch and her eyes widened when she saw her gift, which was perfect for school, perfect for her writing…
It was a golden Moore's Non-Leakable Safety Fountain Pen, and she loved it!
"Nathan, how did you know I've been wanting one of these? And this particular one is beautiful!"
Nathan just smiled, pleased to see her so pleased.
She kissed him, and whispered, "This kiss, my Darling, is to be continued later!"
"We may have matching ones," he whispered back.
"Even better!"
Allie was next and she reached in and pulled out a tiny golden mirror with her initials engraved onto the front!
"This is beautiful! Does this make me a Lady? It's so grown-up! I love it!"
"It sure is beautiful and it does come in very handy to be able to glance at it and make sure we look our best. So, I would say, yes, it does say you're a young Lady, a little more grown-up, Allie!" answered Elizabeth proudly.
Allie beamed, and Nathan watched her with a proud Father's eye.
She hugged both Elizabeth and Nathan in thanks!
"Jack, come it's your turn!"
Jack came running, ready to nab his next Advent House gift, and when he saw what it was, he let out a little shriek!
"What is it Jack," asked Elizabeth.
And he brought her the most adorable miniature leather saddle and reins, that would fit perfectly on all his little horses! He hugged his Mother, Nathan, and Allie, all three, then scampered off to find one of his little horses.
He quickly brought it back to Nathan, who had to show him how to put it on his little horse, as it was very intricate, being accurate in every detail!
Elizabeth thought how adorable it was watching the two with their heads together, in serious consternation about this most important play item…
"Can we please finish our Chapter, Dad?"
"Let me get us some Cookies and Milk first," and Elizabeth left to go the kitchen.
She pulled out several Gourmet Cookies from her Hamper, that Pierre's Pastry Chef had placed there. She also poured glasses of Milk for everyone and placed everything on one of her prettiest trays, along with napkins for all.
When she returned to the Living Room, the children were already nestled close to Nathan.
She set the tray down and everyone immediately chose a Cookie.
"These are the most beautiful Cookies I've ever seen," exclaimed Allie.
Nathan and Elizabeth smiled at each other remembering their most special time, where everything, even the Cookies, had been the most beautiful!
Elizabeth curled up in the comfy Easy Chair across from the Settee, and curled her legs up under her, placing her glass of Milk on the small table beside it.
"Are we ready to finish Chapter One?" asked Nathan to excited nods and enthusiastic yes's!
And so Nathan read to the children the rest of Black Beauty's Chapter One:
"Our master was a good kind man. He gave us good food, good lodging, and kind words; he spoke as kindly to us as he did to his little children; we were all fond of him, and my mother loved him very much. When she saw him at the gate, she would neigh with joy and trot up to him. He would pat and stroke her and say, "Well, old Pet, and how is your little Darkie?" I was a dull black, so he called me Darkie; then he would give me a piece of bread, which was very good, and sometimes he brought a carrot for my mother. All the horses would come to him, but I think we were his favourites. My mother always took him to the town on a market day in a light gig.
There was a ploughboy, Dick, who sometimes came into our field to pluck blackberries from the hedge. When he had eaten all he wanted, he would have, what he called, fun with the colts, throwing stones and sticks at them to make them gallop. We did not much mind him, for we could gallop off; but sometimes a stone would hit and hurt us.
One day he was at this game, and did not know that the master was in the next field; but he was there, watching what was going on: over the hedge he jumped in a snap, and catching Dick by the arm, he gave him such a box on the ear as made him roar with the pain and surprise. As soon as we saw the master, we trotted up nearer to see what went on.
"Bad boy!" he said, "bad boy! to chase the colts. This is not the first time, nor the second, but it shall be the last—there—take your money and go home, I shall not want you on my farm again." So we never saw Dick any more. Old Daniel, the man who looked after the horses, was just as gentle as our master, so we were well off." (18*)
Elizabeth was watching the three, her Family, with so much love, she thought her heart would burst and she couldn't help but think, 'Next year…next year we will all be together for Christmas in our very own home. And we will officially be the Grant Family…"
Nathan looked over at her and winked.
And they both smiled, knowing each other was thinking the exact same thing!
It most certainly was perfect to have been away, but it was also so very good to be home where they belonged...
(17-18*) Anna Sewell, "Black Beauty," 1877, Public Domain