away from your father’s influence. Then, they discovered Elizabeth to be expecting a child. So, they sent her to an aunt’s house in Madison County where you were born. They told your mother you died at birth, and persuaded your father to take you, telling him that Elizabeth had agreed she had made a mistake and didn’t even want to see you. Then Jim pulled up stakes—”
“Oh, no, no! It must be a lie! To think my own mother and father could have done such a thing to me!” Elizabeth sobbed.
“Jim took you, Amanda, off to Swain County and had the misfortune of meeting Etta McHan, a widow with a daughter, who immediately latched onto him and got him to the altar. He never came to Franklin again, that I know of. You see, he and I were both in love with Elizabeth and he figured I had a hand in breaking up his marriage, but, so help me God, I never even knew you existed until a few months ago,” John Shaw continued.
“That, that—woman—in my father’s house—is not my real mother?” Mandie could hardly believe it.
“That’s right. Not one whit kin to you, nor is her daughter. And I have Uncle Ned to thank for informing me of your father’s death and of your existence. And, Amanda, he did get my letter about Elizabeth before he passed on and after I put two and two together, he wrote me about you.”
“Then, you actually didn’t know about me, Uncle John?”
“No, not until just before your father passed away. You see, Jim never came back to the house here. He just went off without ever seeing me and I had no idea he had taken a baby with him. I also fell for the lie about your death,” her uncle said.
“Honor thy mother,” Mandie was mumbling to herself.
Elizabeth, trying to recover from the shock, suddenly stretched out her arms to Mandie. “I’ve always had a strange feeling—Come to me, my—my daughter!” Mandie rushed into her arms and theirtears mingled, as Mandie babbled incoherently, “Oh, Mother, Mother, my very own
real
mother! I’m so, so glad! I’m so happy! Thank you, dear God! Thank you, dear God!”
John Shaw turned to Mrs. Taft who was silently wiping tears from her chubby cheeks. “I’m sorry I had to do that but, but I had to. Let’s leave them be, now. Come on, I’ll show you to your room where you can be comfortable.” He offered his arm and without a word the old lady rose and left the room with him.
“Let me look at my beautiful daughter!” Elizabeth held Mandie at arm’s length. “And all those years I’ve missed being with you. Oh, my baby!” She held Mandie close. “I won’t miss another minute away from you. You can be sure of that, my darling. And your father, Amanda—I loved him so much.” Tears glistened in her eyes. “It’s too late now for that, but it’s not too late to claim my own daughter.”
“My father never loved that—that woman. I’m sure of that.” Mandie told her. “She never loved him either. Oh,
why
didn’t my father tell me who my own mother was?”
“Don’t blame him, my child. If anyone is to blame, it’s myself. I shouldn’t have given him up so easily,” Elizabeth told her as she stroked the girl’s soft, blonde curls. “And believe me, I will never give you up.”
“Oh, Mother!” Mandie cried.
“And you know—we have the same name.Your father named you Amanda Elizabeth, which is my own name. That proves he loved me, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, yes, I know he must have loved you, Mother, because he never loved anyone else.”
Upon learning who the visitors were, Joe was overwhelmed and Polly could only stare at the beautiful young woman. And Mandie would not let her mother out of her sight, and was reluctant to go to bed that night, even though she would be close by.
Mandie knelt by her bed that night and thanked God. “Oh, God, you are so good to me! I know now that you do love me. All the trials and troubles I had to go through were necessary to bring back my own real mother. Please forgive me
“Oh, no, no! It must be a lie! To think my own mother and father could have done such a thing to me!” Elizabeth sobbed.
“Jim took you, Amanda, off to Swain County and had the misfortune of meeting Etta McHan, a widow with a daughter, who immediately latched onto him and got him to the altar. He never came to Franklin again, that I know of. You see, he and I were both in love with Elizabeth and he figured I had a hand in breaking up his marriage, but, so help me God, I never even knew you existed until a few months ago,” John Shaw continued.
“That, that—woman—in my father’s house—is not my real mother?” Mandie could hardly believe it.
“That’s right. Not one whit kin to you, nor is her daughter. And I have Uncle Ned to thank for informing me of your father’s death and of your existence. And, Amanda, he did get my letter about Elizabeth before he passed on and after I put two and two together, he wrote me about you.”
“Then, you actually didn’t know about me, Uncle John?”
“No, not until just before your father passed away. You see, Jim never came back to the house here. He just went off without ever seeing me and I had no idea he had taken a baby with him. I also fell for the lie about your death,” her uncle said.
“Honor thy mother,” Mandie was mumbling to herself.
Elizabeth, trying to recover from the shock, suddenly stretched out her arms to Mandie. “I’ve always had a strange feeling—Come to me, my—my daughter!” Mandie rushed into her arms and theirtears mingled, as Mandie babbled incoherently, “Oh, Mother, Mother, my very own
real
mother! I’m so, so glad! I’m so happy! Thank you, dear God! Thank you, dear God!”
John Shaw turned to Mrs. Taft who was silently wiping tears from her chubby cheeks. “I’m sorry I had to do that but, but I had to. Let’s leave them be, now. Come on, I’ll show you to your room where you can be comfortable.” He offered his arm and without a word the old lady rose and left the room with him.
“Let me look at my beautiful daughter!” Elizabeth held Mandie at arm’s length. “And all those years I’ve missed being with you. Oh, my baby!” She held Mandie close. “I won’t miss another minute away from you. You can be sure of that, my darling. And your father, Amanda—I loved him so much.” Tears glistened in her eyes. “It’s too late now for that, but it’s not too late to claim my own daughter.”
“My father never loved that—that woman. I’m sure of that.” Mandie told her. “She never loved him either. Oh,
why
didn’t my father tell me who my own mother was?”
“Don’t blame him, my child. If anyone is to blame, it’s myself. I shouldn’t have given him up so easily,” Elizabeth told her as she stroked the girl’s soft, blonde curls. “And believe me, I will never give you up.”
“Oh, Mother!” Mandie cried.
“And you know—we have the same name.Your father named you Amanda Elizabeth, which is my own name. That proves he loved me, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, yes, I know he must have loved you, Mother, because he never loved anyone else.”
Upon learning who the visitors were, Joe was overwhelmed and Polly could only stare at the beautiful young woman. And Mandie would not let her mother out of her sight, and was reluctant to go to bed that night, even though she would be close by.
Mandie knelt by her bed that night and thanked God. “Oh, God, you are so good to me! I know now that you do love me. All the trials and troubles I had to go through were necessary to bring back my own real mother. Please forgive me
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