by D. L. Dennis
Even though several of the children in the orphanage were too young to attend the sessions in the school rooms, that did not mean they did not have a structured day, just as the school aged children did. They had play time each day, but they also had periods of time when they were taught skills like dressing themselves, tying their shoes, picking up their toys, learning the ABC’s, and their numbers. Mrs. Miller felt that it was important for children to start learning at an early age. The younger children went to the dining hall with the older ones when it was meal time. When it came time for playtime in the yard though, they were kept separate from the older children. This was a matter of safety more than anything else.
Jenny had a sunny disposition and rarely was the least bit out of sorts. It did not matter whether she was trying to learn to tie the one shoe she wore, or running awkwardly around the yard, she was giggling or laughing at something. When Jenny was around she would bring a smile to everyone’s face. Her happiness was contagious.
As Jenny grew through the toddler years, she recognized that she had a crippled foot. She never cried about it or acted as though she was different from the other children, nor did anyone treat her as though she was different. This was the philosophy that Mrs. Miller instilled in all of the staff.
Even though Jenny never complained about her foot, Jake could see that she would wince once in a while as she was running about. Sometimes she had trouble keeping up with the other children, but she never complained. It was particularly difficult for Jenny when the children went outside during the cold weather, or if it was wet. Jenny’s twisted foot was was always padded and wrapped in a sock, but Jake just knew that there had to be a better solution. Mrs. Miller had put Jenny in a bedroom on the main floor because going up and down the steps was one of the harder tasks that Jenny had to conquer.
Jake fretted and spent many hours thinking about what could be done. One day, he decided to ask Mrs. Miller if they could take Jenny to a shoe cobbler in the Big City to see if he could make a pair shoes that would fit Jenny’s good foot and her crippled foot. Mrs. Miller was reluctant at first, but after listening to Jake plead with her, she finally consented to making the trip. She did not think that Jake would be satisfied until they checked it out.
Mrs. Miller told Jake that the orphanage did not have extra funds at that time so it would depend on what a pair of shoes for Jenny would cost. Jake told Mrs. Miller that he had been saving his money and would help pay for the shoes if necessary. He wanted Jenny to have two shoes so badly that if the orphanage could not pay for them, then he would buy them. He was determined that Jenny was going to have shoes just like all of the other little girls.
Mrs. Miller, Jake and Jenny headed for the Big City one warm fall day in October when it was getting close to Jenny’s fifth birthday. No one knew what day Jenny was born on so they celebrated her birthday on November 1st each year. The car was warm with the sun shining through the windshield. The leaves on the trees were turning brilliant shades of red and gold. It was a perfect day for a drive into the Big City. Jake was apprehensive about what the results of their trip would be, but they had to try to get a shoe for Jenny’s crippled foot.
Jenny had never been off the grounds of the orphanage except when Dr. Carlson had examined her a few days after she had been found in the basket at the gate. And, she certainly had no recollection of that. All three of them sat in the front seat, with Jenny tucked in between Jake and Mrs. Miller. She was mesmerized by what she saw as they sped along – a barn, a tractor, cows in the field, a couple of horses, a silo – things that she had only seen in a story book. She jabbered all of the way calling out the names of everything. When they arrived in the Big City, Jenny sat wide-eyed as she watched the cars zipping by and looked at the buildings. They did not have to worry about Jenny getting fidgety on the trip. She was spellbound by everything she saw.
Chapter 13
THE SHOE COBBLER
When they reached the cobbler’s leather shop, Jake picked Jenny up out of the car and carried her, as she held tightly to his neck. Jenny was not a very big child so it was not a chore for Jake to carry her. As soon as Mrs. Miller opened the door, the smell of leather permeated the air. A bell on the top of the door tinkled, and the cobbler poked his head out from a back room. He was a big burly man with a bushy, red beard and a head of unruly hair. Mrs. Miller introduced herself and Jenny and Jake to the cobbler. Jenny’s eyes were wide with apprehension as she clung to Jake’s neck even tighter as she stared at the cobbler.
After explaining the situation about Jenny’s foot and their purpose for coming to see him, the cobbler told Jake to sit Jenny on the counter. Jenny hung on tight to Jake’s neck, but Jake assured her that it was OK. He told her that he would stay close. Jenny grabbed Jake’s hand just to make sure that he did not go anywhere.
Jenny sat very quietly as the cobbler examined her foot for quite some time. For several minutes all he said was “Humm” over and over as he looked at one foot and then the other. This was making Jake very nervous. He could feel the beads of perspiration popping out on his forehead. Even Mrs. Miller was beginning to wonder if he was going to tell them that he could not make shoes for Jenny.
Finally, the cobbler smiled at Jenny and said, “Would you like to have a pair of shoes to wear, young lady?”
Jenny’s eyes lit up like the stars in the sky on a dark night and said, “Oh, yes. I like to run and jump and play. Sometimes I get a sore on my foot, and it gets cold.”
“Well,” the cobbler said, “Young lady, this might be quite a challenge but I think I can fix you up. At least, I will certainly try.”
Mrs. Miller was quite relieved, but rather nervous and said, “We really appreciate that you have taken time to look at Jenny’s foot, but first I need to know what a pair of shoes will cost. As I told you, we are from the Anderson Calvary Orphanage, and our funds are rather limited.”
The cobbler looked at Mrs. Miller, then at Jenny and back at Mrs. Miller with a furrowed brow. Jake was so nervous, he could feel his heart racing. He wanted Jenny to have a pair of shoes more than anything else in the world. Just as he started to say something, the cobbler raised his hand. Jake stopped before he got the first word out. Jenny’s big blue eyes stared at the cobbler. Mrs. Miller held her breath. All three of them were like statues waiting for the cobbler to say something. The only sound was the clock ticking on the wall.
A wide grin broke out on the shoe cobbler’s face as he looked at Jake and then Mrs. Miller. He touched Jenny’s soft, little cheek and said, “Young lady, when is your birthday?”
Before anyone could say anything, the cobbler said, “No, I do not need to know. I am going to give you a birthday present now – a new pair of shoes made just for you.”
Mrs. Miller gasped when she heard what the cobbler said. Jake could not contain himself and let out a yell. With a big smile, Jenny clapped her hands and said, “My birthday is soon. I will have new shoes for my birthday?”
She reached out her little arms to give the cobbler a hug which brought an even bigger grin to his face. Mrs. Miller and Jake were so thrilled they could hardly say a word. Finally, Mrs. Miller regained her composure and thanked the cobbler. Jake shook the cobbler’s hand so long he thought it was going to fall off.
The cobbler took several measurements of Jenny’s feet while she was sitting and again as she stood up on the counter. They watched as he wrote all the information down and made several sketches. Finally he asked Mrs. Miller if they could make another trip in two weeks. He thought he could have the shoes made by then. Before she could even answer, Jake piped up and said they would be back in two weeks. Mrs. Miller just looked at Jake and smiled.
On the way back to the orphanage, Jenny was no longer interested in looking out of the car window at the pastures and houses. All she could talk about was the new pair of shoes she was going to get. Mrs. Miller and Jake were as excited as Jenny, but they said very little and let Jenny chatter.
Every day Jenny w
ould ask Mrs. Miller if it was time to pick up her new shoes. Jake was just as anxious as Jenny, and finally the day arrived. Mrs. Miller, Jake and Jenny piled back into the car and headed back to the Big City to the shoe cobbler’s shop. Jenny chattered and sang songs about getting a new pair of shoes. Jenny had a big imagination and quite often made up stories and songs as she played. It did not take long before Mrs. Miller and Jake knew the words and sang along with her. It was a happy ride into the Big City.
As soon as the bell above the door tinkled, the shoe cobbler popped his head out of the back room. When he saw who was coming in the door, he reached for a pair of shoes from the shelf in front of him. He had spent a lot of time on the shoes and was very proud of the fine leather workmanship. The shoes were made of soft brown leather with six little eyelets for the shoe laces. He wanted the leather to be soft so it would form around Jenny’s little crippled foot, but also support her ankle and protect it. He was as anxious as everyone else to see if they were going to fit properly.
As soon as Mrs. Miller, Jake and Jenny entered the cobbler’s shop, Jenny watched every move the cobbler made. She never took her eyes off the shoes in his hands as he came out from his workshop and walked toward them. When the cobbler put the shoes on the counter, Jenny’s face broke into a wide grin.
“Are those my new shoes?”
“They certainly are, little miss. I would make a guess that you have been anxious to have them. Sit down right here on the counter, and let’s try them on,” replied the cobbler.
Jake sat Jenny down on the counter. This time she did not cling to Jake’s hand as she did on their first trip. She and the cobbler were good friends now. Mrs. Miller removed the padding that was on Jenny’s crippled foot and the shoe that was on the other foot. She put on a new pair of socks. A new pair of shoes deserved a new pair of socks! It did not take the cobbler long to slip the shoe on Jenny’s good foot. It fit perfectly. Now for the crippled foot. Everyone held their breath as the cobbler gently worked at putting it on her crippled foot.
After the cobbler had tied the laces on both shoes, Jenny looked up at him as though she did not know what was going to happen next. The cobbler looked at Jenny and said, “Well, little miss, are you ready to try your new shoes and see how they feel?”
Jenny reached down and gently touched both of the shoes. They were not sure she was going to say anything. Finally, she looked up with those big blue eyes and said, “Oh yes, Mr. Cobbler. They are so pretty and soft. I love my new shoes.”
The cobbler picked Jenny up and gently stood her down on the floor. He was like a gentle giant with a little doll in his hands. Jenny just stood there, first looking at her new shoes and then up at Mrs. Miller, Jake and the cobbler and then back at her new shoes. She had never had a shoe on each one of her feet. Her crooked foot had always been wrapped and then covered with a sock, and the shoe felt different. She wiggled her feet a little but just stood still.
“Well, little miss, are you going to try to walk in those new shoes?” asked the cobbler.
Hesitantly, Jenny took a few steps, twirled around and immediately fell down. Before Jake could reach down to pick her up, she let out one of her delightful peals of laughter and said, “I love my new shoes. I will be able to run even faster and my foot won’t get sore. I know my foot is crooked, but I have a shoe for each foot.”
Everyone let out a sigh of relief and tears glistened in their eyes. Of course, Jenny’s foot would always be crooked, but even at her young age, Jenny always seemed to be able to see the bright side of every situation.
Jenny got up and grabbed the cobbler around his legs and gave him a big hug. Mrs. Miller, Jake and the cobbler all let out a big laugh. Jenny spent several minutes walking around the front of the shop while the three of them stood watching. It was a happy day for everyone.
The cobbler picked Jenny up, sat her back down on the counter and explained to her that if her shoes started to hurt her feet, or if she got any sores on them, to let Mrs. Miller know. Jenny shook her head that she would, but told them that her new shoes would not hurt her feet. Mrs. Miller knew that Jenny would outgrow them in a year, but they would deal with that situation when the time came. For now, Jenny had a shoe for each one of her feet!
Mrs. Miller and Jake thanked the shoe cobbler repeatedly for being so kind as to make Jenny a pair of shoes. He assured them that it was a very special day for him to see Jenny in her new shoes. He smiled as the three of them left his shop. Jenny’s crooked little foot still made a thumping sound as she hopped along, but she was a happy little girl. As he waved good bye to them, he vowed that he would make her a new pair of shoes each year. No child should have a crippled foot and not have a shoe to put on it – at least, not as long as he was around!
Every year, at the end of October, just in time for November 1 when Jenny’s birthday was celebrated, a new pair of shoes arrived. The package would be addressed to Mrs. Miller, but big block letters were written on the outside of the package – Jenny’s Shoes. Mrs. Miller would keep the package until November 1, and then show it to Jenny. Jenny would be so excited she would twirl in circles. Mrs. Miller was astounded each year when the package arrived, and was even more astounded when she put the shoes on Jenny’s feet and they fit. She never did figure out how the cobbler knew what size to make the shoes, but she did not even question it. She often wondered if Jake somehow measured Jenny’s foot and got the information to the cobbler, but she never asked. If Jake was doing that, she did not want to spoil his little secret. She was so thankful for the blessing of new shoes for Jenny.
Putting Jenny’s new shoes on each year was a special event so Mrs. Miller always let Jake do it, and every year, they had to repeat the story of how the three of them made a trip to the Big City when she was almost five years old to have the first pair made. Jenny never tired of hearing this story and usually had a few tidbits to add in. When Jake slipped the new shoes on Jenny’s feet and they fit perfectly, Jenny would let out her delightful squeals that made everyone laugh.
Chapter 14
HALLOWEEN PUMPKINS
The staff at the orphanage made every holiday special for the children, and Halloween was no exception. Carving the pumpkins into Jack-O-Lanterns was a special event, and a tradition that was never broken. Although the children did not go into Calvary to “trick or treat”, they celebrated in other ways.
The pumpkin patch was a very special place for the children from the time the vines bloomed until the pumpkins were all gone. The children became excited just as soon as the first little, green vine sprouted through the soft soil and started winding its way across the patch. Their excitement never waned until the pumpkins were picked and carved. They would visit the pumpkin patch to see the blooms and were captivated when they saw the tiny pumpkins begin to form. Each time they visited, they would be amazed at how much the pumpkins had grown and would run through the patch trying to find the biggest one.
The volunteers from the church who tended to the pumpkin patch were always delighted to see the children visit from the orphanage. It did not take long for them to learn the names of the children, and they always had a special candy treat for the children when they came. The children loved the outings to the pumpkin patch. The teachers used it as a learning experience by having the children write stories about the trip the next day. Everyone made their visits so much fun that the children were not even aware of how the teachers were using the trips as a learning experience.
When the pumpkins were ripe for harvesting, the children would be taken over in small groups so each one of them could pick out a pumpkin of their very own. Excitement ran high throughout the classrooms when it was announced that it was “pumpkin picking day.”
It was understood that the orphanage never had to pay for any of the pumpkins the children picked out. Over the years, a special bond had developed between the orphanage and the church administrators and volunteers. Once again, Mrs. Miller was grateful for all that was bestowed upon the children
at the orphanage.
On pumpkin picking day, Jake would take one of the wagons and haul the children to the pumpkin patch. Several staff members would be there to help the children pick out a pumpkin. When this was done, Jake would load them and their pumpkins back into the wagon and then drive back to the orphanage as they held their pumpkins. The wagon was not very big, so Jake spent all day making trips back and forth. No matter what task Jake was asked to do, he did it willingly. He was officially hired as the “night watchman,” but it did not take long before he was involved in all kinds of activities. He was a very important part of the orphanage family.
So that there was no quibbling about how big a pumpkin could be picked out, Mrs. Miller set a rule that for a jack-o-lantern, the child had to be able to pick the pumpkin up. The little children started out with the smaller pumpkins, but knew that each year as they became stronger, they would be able to get a bigger pumpkin. This rule made for a lot less fussing each year. Seeing how big a pumpkin they could pick up each year added to the excitement of picking out a pumpkin. Of course, Jake, or one of the other staff members, picked out pumpkins for the little ones that could not walk. No child was ever left out, regardless of how young they were.
When a pumpkin was picked out, the child’s first name and last initial was written on it so there was no doubt as to what pumpkin belonged to whom. When they made it back to the orphanage, all of the pumpkins were lined up on the front porch. It was an exciting day when Mrs. Miller declared it would be pumpkin carving day. When this happened, you could hear shouts of joy and clapping in all of the school rooms. Mrs. Miller was always thankful when the weather cooperated and gave them an Indian Summer day.
