Cathy,
That's the first time I saw this one.  I hope it is true.  certainly the 
spirit of it is true.
Vinny
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kathy Du Bois" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, December 18, 2007 12:20 PM
Subject: Re: FW: [BFG] Pa & the Rifle


> This is one of my favorite Christmas stories.  Even though I heard it 
> before, and I know how it is going to go, I still cry!  Thanks for sending 
> it again.
> Kathy
>
>
> At 12:14 AM 12/18/2007, you wrote:
>>Pa and The Rifle
>>
>>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 stretc hed 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 somethin g, 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.
>>
>>P a 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 t own 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 Jensen's, 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.
>>
>>~by Rian B. Anderson~
>>
>>
>>
>>Dean Masters, owner of the Masters List
>>
>>The Lord is my light and my salvation.
>>If he is yours, join us on the Masters List
>>[log in to unmask]
>>
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