hard work once God showed me what He wanted me to do with my life.
I just had to write, Willie said, and share with you the most exciting news. Camellia has become a Christian. I won’t tell you any more about it than that, as she wants to tell you all about it herself when we come home for Christmas. Yes, you read that right. She is going to come home to see her mother. She knows that they must get some things straightened out between them.
I couldn’t believe it! It was just too good to be true. And yet I didn’t know why I found it so hard to believe. I had been praying daily for several years for that very thing to happen. The tears began to fill my eyes, and I brushed them away with the back of my hand.
Camellia was a Christian! Camellia would be coming home at Christmas! It all seemed like a miracle. Praise God! Bless Willie!
I read on, the pages blurred now from the tears in my eyes.
We’ll be there on Monday’s train, Willie went on. It arrives at 11:35 a.m.—or is supposed to. Remember how we used to go down to the station to watch for the train—not to see the train as much as to watch the people? Remember how some of them would get so irate because the train was always so late? Well, if it’s that late on Monday, the 21st of December, I might understand for the first time why they acted as they did.
My eyes slid to the calendar. The twenty-first was twelve days away. How would I ever be able to stand the wait?
Then I let out a whoop and raced up the stairs two at a time to tell Grandpa and Uncle Charlie the good news.
C HAPTER 14
Sharing the News
I DAYDREAMED MY WAY through the rest of the day and tossed my way through the night. After such a long time, I would see Willie and Camellia again! Camellia had become a Christian!
The next morning I saddled Chester and headed for town. I couldn’t wait to tell the good news to Uncle Nat and Aunt Lou.
Sarah saw me coming and met me at the door. “Hi, Unca Dosh!” she shouted before I even had time to dismount. She was still having trouble with her j’s . And I was still waiting for the day when she could properly say uncle, though I must admit that I secretly thought “Unca” sounded pretty cute.
I picked her up and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Hi, sweets.”
“Have you been to da store?” she asked coyly. “No, I came straight here to see you.” I kissed her cheek again. Sarah knew that only shopping brought us to town midweek. She squirmed to get down, and I set her on her feet.
“Can I go wif you?” she asked, her big blue eyes pleading.
“I don’t need to go to the store this time,” I replied, feeling quite flattered that she wanted to be with me every moment that I was in town. “See?” I continued, pointing to Chester, “I didn’t even bring the wagon—just Chester.”
Sarah’s lower lip came out, and I thought for a moment that she would cry.
“I’m not going to the store,” I repeated quickly, crouching down to her level.
The tears came to her eyes then, and she looked at me as she tried to blink them away. “Then how can you get candy?”
For a minute I didn’t quite understand. Then it dawned on me. We came to visit after shopping, and we always had a small bag of treats for Sarah.
I couldn’t help but laugh. The little beggar hadn’t done a great deal for my ego, but at least she was honest and forthright.
“No candy this time,” I said, tousling her curly hair. “Too many sweets aren’t good for you. Where’s your mamma?”
“She’s wif brudder.” The tears were already disappearing.
“Where?”
“In the kitchen.”
“Is she feeding him?”
“No,” said Sarah, shaking her head, “baffin’ him.” Then she suddenly seemed to remember that she was missing one of her favorite parts of the day. She turned from me and ran back through the porch into the kitchen, calling as she ran, “Mamma! Unca Dosh is here.”
“Good,” Aunt Lou answered, “come right on in, Dosh.” I could
I just had to write, Willie said, and share with you the most exciting news. Camellia has become a Christian. I won’t tell you any more about it than that, as she wants to tell you all about it herself when we come home for Christmas. Yes, you read that right. She is going to come home to see her mother. She knows that they must get some things straightened out between them.
I couldn’t believe it! It was just too good to be true. And yet I didn’t know why I found it so hard to believe. I had been praying daily for several years for that very thing to happen. The tears began to fill my eyes, and I brushed them away with the back of my hand.
Camellia was a Christian! Camellia would be coming home at Christmas! It all seemed like a miracle. Praise God! Bless Willie!
I read on, the pages blurred now from the tears in my eyes.
We’ll be there on Monday’s train, Willie went on. It arrives at 11:35 a.m.—or is supposed to. Remember how we used to go down to the station to watch for the train—not to see the train as much as to watch the people? Remember how some of them would get so irate because the train was always so late? Well, if it’s that late on Monday, the 21st of December, I might understand for the first time why they acted as they did.
My eyes slid to the calendar. The twenty-first was twelve days away. How would I ever be able to stand the wait?
Then I let out a whoop and raced up the stairs two at a time to tell Grandpa and Uncle Charlie the good news.
C HAPTER 14
Sharing the News
I DAYDREAMED MY WAY through the rest of the day and tossed my way through the night. After such a long time, I would see Willie and Camellia again! Camellia had become a Christian!
The next morning I saddled Chester and headed for town. I couldn’t wait to tell the good news to Uncle Nat and Aunt Lou.
Sarah saw me coming and met me at the door. “Hi, Unca Dosh!” she shouted before I even had time to dismount. She was still having trouble with her j’s . And I was still waiting for the day when she could properly say uncle, though I must admit that I secretly thought “Unca” sounded pretty cute.
I picked her up and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Hi, sweets.”
“Have you been to da store?” she asked coyly. “No, I came straight here to see you.” I kissed her cheek again. Sarah knew that only shopping brought us to town midweek. She squirmed to get down, and I set her on her feet.
“Can I go wif you?” she asked, her big blue eyes pleading.
“I don’t need to go to the store this time,” I replied, feeling quite flattered that she wanted to be with me every moment that I was in town. “See?” I continued, pointing to Chester, “I didn’t even bring the wagon—just Chester.”
Sarah’s lower lip came out, and I thought for a moment that she would cry.
“I’m not going to the store,” I repeated quickly, crouching down to her level.
The tears came to her eyes then, and she looked at me as she tried to blink them away. “Then how can you get candy?”
For a minute I didn’t quite understand. Then it dawned on me. We came to visit after shopping, and we always had a small bag of treats for Sarah.
I couldn’t help but laugh. The little beggar hadn’t done a great deal for my ego, but at least she was honest and forthright.
“No candy this time,” I said, tousling her curly hair. “Too many sweets aren’t good for you. Where’s your mamma?”
“She’s wif brudder.” The tears were already disappearing.
“Where?”
“In the kitchen.”
“Is she feeding him?”
“No,” said Sarah, shaking her head, “baffin’ him.” Then she suddenly seemed to remember that she was missing one of her favorite parts of the day. She turned from me and ran back through the porch into the kitchen, calling as she ran, “Mamma! Unca Dosh is here.”
“Good,” Aunt Lou answered, “come right on in, Dosh.” I could
Similar Books
