A Season for Goodwill : Chapter 9 : [ Christmas Day on Shiloh ]
December 25th , 1900
It was Christmas Day on Shiloh , and Jennifer , Betsy , and Adeline were in
the bunk-house kitchen fixing Christmas dinner for everyone.
'' I can't believe it's Christmas already , Betsy '' , ; Jennifer said as they worked.
Me , neither , Jennifer , ; Betsy said. Do you think it'll snow , Betsy ? ; Adeline asked.
It just might , Adeline , it's cold enough ! ; Betsy laughed.
Did you both get your gifts put under the tree ? ; Betsy asked.
Yes , we both did after breakfast , Betsy , ; Jennifer said.
I put mine under the tree after breakfast , too , ; Betsy added.
Where are Randy and David and the boys , Jennifer ? ; Betsy asked as they worked.
Oh , I saw them go into the barn awhile ago , Betsy , ; Jennifer answered.
I expect they'll be along soon , ; Jennifer added.
I hope Emmett has'nt gotten held up in town , ; Jennifer said as she
put the turkey and biscuits in the oven.
I'm sure he'll be along soon , Jennifer , ; Betsy said as she stirred the gravy.
Emmett's never missed Christmas since we've known him , Jennifer , ; Betsy said.
Here comes Emmett now , ; Adeline said as she looked out the window.
Oh , good , Adeline , ; Jennifer said as she put the potatoes and carrots on to boil.
He's taking his horse to the barn , ; Adeline added as she set the table.
It's wonderful that he could make it , ; Jennifer said as they worked.
I wonder what they're doing out there , ; Adeline said.
Oh , they're probably telling tall tales , more than likely ! ; Betsy laughed.
Randy can certainly tell a good story ! ; Adeline laughed.
But they're all true , mind you ! ; Adeline laughed.
Oh , we believe you , Adeline ! ; Jennifer said.
Don't we , Betsy ? ; Jennifer said with a smile.
Of course we do , ; Betsy replied smiling.
And it was'nt long before Christmas dinner was ready and waiting.
'' Adeline , would you go out to the barn and tell Uncle Henry and
the boys that dinner is ready '' ? ; Jennifer asked.
Sure , Jennifer , ; Adeline said as she put on her coat.
I'll be right back , Jennifer , ; Adeline said as she left the bunk-house.
''It's cold enough out here for it to really snow'' , ; Adeline thought as she
walked to the barn. Dinner's ready , everyone , ; Adeline said from the barn door.
That sounds good , Adeline , ; Emmett said when he saw her.
Hello , Emmett , ; Adeline said with a smile.
Let's go eat , everyone , ; The Virginian said as they left the barn.
Come on , let's get out of the cold , ; the Judge said as they walked onto
the bunk-house porch. Hello , Emmett , we're glad you could join us , ; Jennifer said
when they came inside. I'm glad you invited me , Jennifer , ; Emmett replied as
he removed his coat. Hello , Betsy , it's good to see you again , ;
Emmett said with a smile.
It's good to see you again , too , Emmett , ; Betsy replied with a smile.
Please , sit down , everyone , ; Jennifer said as she and Adeline put the food
on the table. Yes , make yourselves at home , everyone , ; The Virginian said
as everyone sat down. Would you ask the blessing please , Daddy ? ; Betsy
asked from her spot. Dear Lord , the Judge began ; We thank you for
this food , and for this wonderful day for family and friends , and for
this season of goodwill , Amen , ; the Judge finished.
Amen , ; Betsy and Jennifer said. That was beautiful , Daddy , ; Betsy said as
the food was passed around the table.
That was a fine prayer , Judge , ; The Virginian said as he helped himself.
Thanks for the vote of confidence , you two , ; the Judge said with a smile.
So , Randy , did you catch the man in red in here last night ? ; Betsy asked
with a playful grin in his direction. Come to think of it , Betsy , I did
see a man with a white beard and a red suit come in here last
night , ; Randy said with a teasing smile.
I think I saw the same man , too , Randy ! ; Trampas laughed.
I think I saw him over at my place , too ! ; Emmett laughed.
Come to think of it , I saw him too , ; The Virginian joked.
Oh , you boys are funny ! ; Jennifer laughed.
Did you see the same man , Uncle Henry ? ; Jennifer asked playfully.
Come to think of it , I am acquainted with the fellow ! ; the Judge laughed.
I think we've all caught the man in red at some point in our lives, ;
Adeline joked. I'm very sure of that , Adeline ! ; Betsy laughed.
This turkey is very good , Jennifer , ; Betsy said as she ate.
Thank you , Betsy , ; Jennifer replied. I can give you the recipes
for everything we made today , ; Jennifer added.
I'd love to have them , Jennifer , ; Betsy said with a smile.
This dinner sure is good , Jennifer , ; Trampas said from his spot.
Thank you , Trampas , ; Jennifer replied with a smile.
Your's is as good as my mama's was , Jennifer , ; Randy said with a smile.
Thank you , Randy , ; Jennifer replied with a smile.
That's one of the nicest things anyone's ever said about my cooking , Randy , ;
Jennifer added with a smile. So , how's the lawman business these days , Emmett ? ; David
asked from across the table. It's just fine so far , David , ; Emmett replied.
There's been trouble here and there , but lately things have been quiet , ; Emmett added.
That's good to hear , Emmett , ; David replied as everyone ate.
How's the church working out for you and Betsy , David ? ; the Judge asked from his spot.
It's going well for us , Henry , ; David replied.
It's hard work , but the rewards are great , ; David added.
Your church is in a mining town , right , David ? ; Randy asked as he ate.
That's right , Randy , ; David answered. Did you come through Pennsylvania on your
way West , Randy ? ; David asked curiously. Not that I know of , David , ; Randy replied.
I mostly stuck to the Southern States when I could , ; Randy added.
Were there any coal mines in the area where you grew up , Randy ? ; David asked.
There were a few , but it was mostly just hills and hollers , ; Randy said.
What was it like where you grew up , Randy ? ; David asked curiously.
Well , it was a small community where everybody knew everybody , we only
had one doctor around , a lot of people made their living by farming
the ground , and the school-house and the church was one and the same , ; Randy said.
Where did you and your family live , Randy ? ; David asked.
We lived in a little place set in a holler on the north side
of Bald Knob , David , ; Randy said.
And my granpa and grandma lived right next door to us , in a cabin
that my great-great-great granpa built when he brought his family into the area , ; Randy said.
That 's very interesting , Randy , ; David said.
Where was your great-great-great granpa from , Randy ? ; David asked curiously.
Well , so Granpa told me , he was from the eastern part of Tennessee ,
and he migrated into North Carolina , ; Randy answered.
Why did he leave Tennessee , Randy ? ; Jennifer asked.
Well , so the story goes , it was right after the war between the British
and the colonists , and things where he lived were just goin' haywire ,
and so my great-great-great granpa just packed up his family and left
for the Carolina's , ; Randy finished. And what happened to him after that ,
Randy ? ; David asked. Well , he settled down , built a home for my
great-great-great grandma , and raised his family , ; Randy said.
And exactly how close did your family live to your grandparents , Randy ? ; Jennifer asked as they ate.
We lived right next door , practically , ; Randy said.
It must have been wonderful to have family so close , Randy , ; Betsy said from her place.
Mama and Daddy and I lived just across from Granpa and Grandma , ; Adeline added as she ate.
Do you know what country your family came from , Randy ? ; Betsy asked.
Well , what Granpa and Grandma always told me that we came from England and
Scotland more than a hundred years ago , Betsy , ; Randy replied.
And so the story went , my great - great - great - great grandma was a Scotswoman
from a place called Ulster , Ireland , ; Randy said.
It's funny you should say that , Randy , but my great-grandmother on my father's side
was a Scottish immigrant , ; the Judge said from his place.
That's interesting , Judge , ; Randy replied. What about your other relatives , Randy ? ; Jennifer asked.
Well , my granpa , my daddy , and my two uncles fought in the War , Jennifer , ; Randy said quietly.
My great - granpa was still alive at the time , but he was too old to fight , ; Randy added.
And what happened to them all , Randy ? ; Betsy asked.
Well , Granpa , and Daddy and Uncle Dell came home , but my Uncle Clyde did'nt , ; Randy said.
What was he like , Randy ? ; Betsy asked. Well , from what I was told ,
he was a good man and a kind one , ; Randy said.
What army were your relatives in , Randy , if you don't mind my asking ? ; the Judge asked.
No , I don't mind at all , Judge , ; Randy replied smiling.
Well , most men back home Confederacy , and my granpa , and my daddy and uncles were no
different , Judge , ; Randy said simply. My granpa and uncles never owned slaves or anything
like that , they just wanted to protect their homes and families , ; Randy said.
I can understand that , Randy , ; the Judge said from his place.
It was a terrible thing , The War Between the States , and it never should've happened, ; the Judge said.
And the Union Army did some things that were not right in my life , ; the Judge added.
We can be thankful that it came to an end , Daddy , ; Betsy said as they finished eating.
It's my prayer that our country will never be split in two like that
again , ; David said. And that families won't be set against each-other , ; Randy added.
You're exactly right about that , Randy , ; David said.
In fact , Randy , that very thing mocks this season of good-will we call Christmas , ; Betsy
said thoughtfully. That's almost exactly what my mama would say about all that at
Christmas , Betsy , ; Randy said as Jennifer gathered up the plates.
Anyway , let's pray this country never has another war , ; Betsy said wisely.
I agree with you on that , Betsy , ; The Virginian said as Jennifer brought dessert
to the table. Yes , let's pray for there to be peace on earth and good-will
to men , not just here , but the world over , ; the Judge said wisely.
That would be wonderful , Judge , ; Randy said as Jennifer served dessert.
I'd be all for that , Judge , ; Emmett said from his spot.
It would mean less outlaws to have to lock up , ; Emmett added.
That cake looks delicious , Jennifer , ; Betsy said as she cut it.
I made gingerbread cookies , too , ; Jennifer said as she passed out dessert.
I can't wait to try them both , Jennifer , ; Betsy said with a smile.
I can give you the recipe for the gingerbread , too , if you'd like , ;
Jennifer said as everyone began eating. I'd love to have it , Jennifer , ; Betsy replied.
This cake is very good , dear , ; the Judge said from his spot.
This is one of the best cakes I've ever had , Jennifer , ; The Virginian said as he ate.
It's really good , Jennifer , ; Trampas said from his spot.
That's the best cake I've ever had , Jennifer , ; Emmett said with a contented smile.
I'm glad you all liked it , ; Jennifer said with a smile.
It's delicious , Jennifer , ; David said approvingly.
You must give Betsy the recipe before we go home , ; David said as he ate.
Of course , David , ; Jennifer said. This cake is really good , Jennifer , what is it ? ; Randy
asked curiously. I'm glad you like it , Randy , ; Jennifer replied.
It's fruitcake , Randy , ; Jennifer added. My mother got the recipe from an Irish lady
that lived next door to us at one time , ; Jennifer said.
And then she gave it to me , ; Jennifer said as everyone ate.
The gingerbread is very good , too , ; Adeline said from her spot.
Thank you , Adeline , ; Jennifer said with a smile.
Did your mother bake gingerbread , Adeline ? ; Betsy asked. Yes , she did , Betsy , ; Adeline said.
And so did my mama , ; Randy added with a smile.
It must have been delicious , Randy , ; Betsy said.
Except for yours and Jennifer's , I never tasted better , Betsy , ; Randy said as everyone finished eating.
Thank you for the compliment , Randy , ; Betsy said with a smile.
You're welcome , Betsy , ; Randy replied as Jennifer and Adeline started to wash the dishes.
It's getting dark out there already , ; Betsy remarked as she got up.
It sure is , Betsy , ; Randy said with a smile.
It's starting to snow out there , ; Adeline remarked from the kitchen sink.
Well , in that case , I'd better be going then , Judge , ; Emmett said.
Thanks for having me , Judge , ; Emmett said warmly.
And thank you , Jennifer , ; Emmett said with a smile.
You're welcome , Emmett , ; Jennifer said from her spot.
See you later , Emmett , ; Trampas said with a grin.
You too , Trampas , ; Emmett replied. And Merry Christmas , everyone , ; Emmett said with a smile.
Merry Christmas , Emmett ! ; The Virginian and Trampas called out.
Merry Christmas , Emmett ! ; Betsy and Adeline called out.
Merry Christmas , Emmett ! ; Randy called out.
Goodbye , everyone ! ; Emmett called out as he left.
Can I help you with that , Jennifer ? ; Betsy asked as she walked into the kitchen.
Of course , Betsy , ; Jennifer replied as she handed her a dish-cloth.
We're just about done , too , ; Jennifer added.
It was a grand Christmas , was'nt it , everyone ? ; Betsy said as they finished drying the
dishes and putting them away. Yes , it was Betsy , dear , ; the Judge said from where he was standing.
It was one of the best Christmases I've ever had , Betsy , ; Randy said with a smile.
I'm glad you came to visit us , ; Randy added. So am I , Randy , ; Betsy said.
This has been one of the best Christmases I've had in a long while , you two , ;\
The Virginian said to Betsy and Jennifer. Me , too , ; Trampas added with a grin.
I'm glad you both enjoyed it , ; Jennifer said.
And it has been a long day , ; Betsy said with a yawn.
Then , if you'll all excuse us , Betsy and I will say goodnight , ; David said pleasantly.
In that case , Jennifer and I will walk along with you , David , ; the Judge said as
they put on their coats. Goodnight , boys , and Merry Christmas to all of you , ; the Judge said warmly.
Goodnight , Judge , Merry Christmas , ; The Virginian and Trampas said.
Merry Christmas , Judge , ; Randy said warmly.
Goodnight , Randy , Merry Christmas ; Jennifer said as they left.
Goodnight , Jenny , Merry Christmas , ; Randy called out.
Goodnight , Randy , and Merry Christmas , ; Betsy said with a warm smile.
Goodnight , and Merry Christmas , Betsy , ; Randy replied with a smile.
And thanks for comin' home for Christmas , Betsy , ; Randy said softly.
I'll always come home for Christmas , Randy , ; Betsy said with a warm smile.
I know you will , ; Randy said. See you tomorrow , Randy , ; Betsy said as
she and David left. Goodnight , Randy , I'll see you tomorrow , ; Adeline said.
And Merry Christmas , cousin , ; Adeline said warmly.
Merry Christmas to you too , Adeline , ; Randy said with a smile.
Goodnight , boys , I'll see you tomorrow , ; Adeline said as she left.
Goodnight , Adeline ! ; they called out.
Well , it was a fine Christmas , was'nt it , boys ? ; The Virginian said when Adeline had gone.
It sure was , ; Randy said with a smile.
It was one of the best , boss-man , ; Trampas said with a grin.
I'm glad I could spend it with both of you , ; The Virginian said warmly.
You two are just about the best friends I ever could've asked for , ;
The Virginian said quietly. And you're a good friend to us , ; Randy said
with a smile. We don't know what we'd do without you , ; Randy added.
And I'm thankful for both of you , Randy , ; The Virginian said with a smile.
Goodnight , Randy , goodnight , Trampas , I'll see you in the morning , ; The Virginian said.
Goodnight , Virginian , see you tomorrow , ; Randy said as The Virginian went to his room.
And then Randy and Trampas turned out the lights in the bunk-house ,
said goodnight and wished one -another a Merry Christmas , and then they
climbed into their bunks and went to sleep.
Another Shiloh Christmas had come , and brought it's wonder and joyfulness with it.
And a very special visitor had come to stay from far away until the New
Year when she had to return to her own home.
And another dearly loved and treasured daughter had come to fill her place as
the sister , friend , and trusted confidante of the boys of Shiloh . - The End