This message is from: "Knutsen Fjord Farm" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Hi all, One of my favorite cousins sent me this. I Hope you all enjoy it as much as I did. [It does have horses featured in it...] Happy Holidays to you all, Peg Knutsen www.elltel.net/kffjord > > > > My Favorite Christmas > > > > > >Pa never had much compassion for the lazy or those who squandered their > > >means and then never had enough for the necessities. But for those who > > >were genuinely in need, his heart was as big as all outdoors. It was > > >from him that I learned the greatest joy in life comes from giving, not > > >from receiving. > > > > > >It was Christmas Eve 1881. I was fifteen years old and feeling like the > > >world had caved in on me because there just hadn't been enough money to > > >buy me the rifle that I'd wanted for Christmas. We did the chores early > > >that night for some reason. I just figured Pa wanted a little extra time > > >so we could read in the Bible. > > > > > >After supper was over I took my boots off and stretched out in front of > > >the fireplace and waited for Pa to get down the old Bible. I was still > > >feeling sorry for myself and, to be honest, I wasn't in much of a mood > > >to read Scriptures. But Pa didn't get the Bible, instead he bundled up > > >again and went outside. I couldn't figure it out because we had already > > >done all the chores. I didn't worry about it long though, I was too busy > > >wallowing in self-pity. > > > > > >Soon Pa came back in. It was a cold clear night out and there was ice in > > >his beard. "Come on, Matt," he said. "Bundle up good, it's cold out > > >tonight." I was really upset then. Not only wasn't I getting the rifle > > >for Christmas, now Pa was dragging me out in the cold, and for no > > >earthly reason that I could see. We'd already done all the chores, and I > > >couldn't think of anything else that needed doing, especially not on a > > >night like this. > > > > > >But I knew Pa was not very patient at one dragging one's feet when he'd > > >told them to do something, so I got up and put my boots back on and got > > >my cap, coat, and mittens. Ma gave me a mysterious smile as I opened the > > >door to leave the house. Something was up, but I didn't know what. > > > > > >Outside, I became even more dismayed. There in front of the house was > > >the work team, already hitched to the big sled. Whatever it was we were > > >going to do wasn't going to be a short, quick, little job. I could tell. > > >We never hitched up this sled unless we were going to haul a big load. > > > > > >Pa was already up on the seat, reins in hand. I reluctantly climbed up > > >beside him. The cold was already biting at me. I wasn't happy. When I > > >was on, Pa pulled the sled around the house and stopped in front of the > > >woodshed. He got off and I followed. "I think we'll put on the high > > >sideboards," he said. "Here, help me." The high sideboards! It had been > > >a bigger job than I wanted to do with just the low sideboards on, but > > >whatever it was we were going to do would be a lot bigger with the high > > >sideboards on. > > > > > >After we had exchanged the sideboards, Pa went into the woodshed and > > >came out with an armload of wood---the wood I'd spent all summer hauling > > >down from the mountain, and then all Fall sawing into blocks and > > >splitting. What was he doing? Finally I said something. "Pa," I asked, > > >"what are you doing?" You been by the Widow Jensen's lately?" he asked. > > >The Widow Jensen lived about two miles down the road. Her husband had > > >died a year or so before and left her with three children, the oldest > > >being eight. Sure, I'd been by, but so what? "Yeah," I said, "Why?" "I > > >rode by just today," Pa said. "Little Jakey was out digging around in > > >the woodpile trying to find a few chips. They're out of wood, Matt." > > > > > >That was all he said and then he turned and went back into the woodshed > > >for another armload of wood. I followed him. We loaded the sled so high > > >that I began to wonder if the horses would be able to pull it. Finally, > > >Pa called a halt to our loading, then we went to the smoke house and Pa > > >took down a big ham and a side of bacon. He handed them to me and told > > >me to put them in the sled and wait. > > > > > >When he returned he was carrying a sack of flour over his right shoulder > > >and a smaller sack of something in his left hand. "What's in the little > > >sack?" I asked. "Shoes. They're out of shoes. Little Jakey just had > > >gunny sacks wrapped around his feet when he was out in the woodpile this > > >morning. I got the children a little candy too. It just wouldn't be > > >Christmas without a little candy." > > > > > >We rode the two miles to Widow Jensen's pretty much in silence. I tried > > >to think through what Pa was doing. We didn't have much by worldly > > >standards. Of course, we did have a big woodpile, though most of what > > >was left now was still in the form of logs that I would have to saw into > > >blocks and split before we could use it. We also had meat and flour, so > > >we could spare that, but I knew we didn't have any money, so why was Pa > > >buying them shoes and candy? > > > > > >Really, why was he doing any of this? Widow Jensen had closer neighbors > > >than us; it shouldn't have been our concern. We came in from the blind > > >side of the Jensen house and unloaded the wood as quietly as possible, > > >then we took the meat and flour and shoes to the door. We knocked. The > > >door opened a crack and a timid voice said, "Who is it?" "Lucas Miles, > > >Ma'am, and my son, Matt. Could we come in for a bit?" > > > > > >Widow Jensen opened the door and let us in. She had a blanket wrapped > > >around her shoulders. The children were wrapped in another and were > > >sitting in front of the fireplace by a very small fire that hardly gave > > >off any heat at all. Widow Jensen fumbled with a match and finally lit > > >the lamp. "We brought you a few things, Ma'am," Pa said and set down the > > >sack of flour. I put the meat on the table. Then Pa handed her the sack > > >that had the shoes in it. > > > > > >She opened it hesitantly and took the shoes out one pair at a time. > > >There was a pair for her and one for each of the children---sturdy > > >shoes, the best, shoes that would last. I watched her carefully. She bit > > >her lower lip to keep it from trembling and then tears filled her eyes > > >and started running down her cheeks. She looked up at Pa like she wanted > > >to say something, but it wouldn't come out. > > > > > >"We brought a load of wood too, Ma'am," Pa said. He turned to me and > > >said, "Matt, go bring in enough to last awhile. Let's get that fire up > > >to size and heat this place up." I wasn't the same person when I went > > >back out to bring in the wood. I had a big lump in my throat and as much > > >as I hate to admit it, there were tears in my eyes too. > > > > > >In my mind I kept seeing those three kids huddled around the fireplace > > >and their mother standing there with tears running down her cheeks with > > >so much gratitude in her heart that she couldn't speak. My heart swelled > > >within me and a joy that I'd never known before, filled my soul. I had > > >given at Christmas many times before, but never when it had made so much > > >difference. I could see we were literally saving the lives of these > > >people. > > > > > >I soon had the fire blazing and everyone's spirits soared. The kids > > >started giggling when Pa handed them each a piece of candy and Widow > > >Jensen looked on with a smile that probably hadn't crossed her face for > > >a long time. She finally turned to us. "God bless you," she said. "I > > >know the Lord has sent you. The children and I have been praying that he > > >would send one of his angels to spare us." > > > > > >In spite of myself, the lump returned to my throat and the tears welled > > >up in my eyes again. I'd never thought of Pa in those exact terms > > >before, but after Widow Jensen mentioned it I could see that it was > > >probably true. I was sure that a better man than Pa had never walked the > > >earth. I started remembering all the times he had gone out of his way > > >for Ma and me, and many others. The list seemed endless as I thought on > > >it. > > > > > >Pa insisted that everyone try on the shoes before we left. I was amazed > > >when they all fit and I wondered how he had known what sizes to get. > > >Then I guessed that if he was on an errand for the Lord that the Lord > > >would make sure he got the right sizes. > > > > > >Tears were running down Widow Jensen's face again when we stood up to > > >leave.Pa took each of the kids in his big arms and gave them a hug. They > > >clung to him and didn't want us to go. I could see that they missed > > >their Pa, and I was glad that I still had mine. > > > > > >At the door Pa turned to Widow Jensen and said, "The Mrs. wanted me to > > >invite you and the children over for Christmas dinner tomorrow. The > > >turkey will be more than the three of us can eat, and a man can get > > >cantankerous if he has to eat turkey for too many meals. We'll be by to > > >get you about eleven. It'll be nice to have some little ones around > > >again. Matt, here, hasn't been little for quite a spell." I was the > > >youngest. My two brothers and two sisters had all married and had moved > > >away. Widow Jensen nodded and said, "Thank you, Brother Miles. I don't > > >have to say, "'May the Lord bless you,' I know for certain that He > > >will." > > > > > >Out on the sled I felt a warmth that came from deep within and I didn't > > >even notice the cold. When we had gone a ways, Pa turned to me and said, > > >"Matt, I want you to know something. Your ma and me have been tucking a > > >little money away here and there all year so we could buy that rifle for > > >you, but we didn't have quite enough. > > > > > >Then yesterday a man who owed me a little money from years back came by > > >to make things square. Your ma and me were real excited, thinking that > > >now we could get you that rifle, and I started into town this morning to > > >do just that. But on the way I saw little Jakey out scratching in the > > >woodpile with his feet wrapped in those gunny sacks and I knew what I > > >had to do. Son, I spent the money for shoes and a little candy for those > > >children. I hope you understand." > > > > > >I understood, and my eyes became wet with tears again. I understood very > > >well, and I was so glad Pa had done it. Now the rifle seemed very low on > > >my list of priorities. Pa had given me a lot more. He had given me the > > >look on Widow Jensen's face and the radiant smiles of her three > > >children. > > > > > >For the rest of my life, Whenever I saw any of the Jensens, or split a > > >block of wood, I remembered, and remembering brought back that same joy > > >I felt riding home beside Pa that night. Pa had given me much more than > > >a rifle that night, he had given me the best Christmas of my life.
