“Thank goodness you don’t have a pastor at this church right now or he’d be sure to catch up with us,” Joe remarked.
“The new one won’t arrive until February,” Mandie said as she put on her cloak and pulled up the hood. “I’ll be right back.”
“Please hurry back,” Joe said as she went out the door.
Mandie hurried around to the front of the church and out into the road. The snowflakes had disappeared. She crossed over to the white fence surrounding the yard of her Uncle John’s huge house. Opening the gate, she ran up the walkway and was on the way to the backyard when she heard the sound of horse’s hooves pausing on the road.
“Someone is coming,” she said to herself as she turned back and saw a buggy stop at the gate. Uncle John’s caretaker, Jason Bond, was driving the vehicle, and the passenger was her grandmother, Mrs. Taft. Evidently he had brought her from the depot. Mandie had thought her grandmother was not coming until the next day.
“I have an idea!” Mandie said aloud, lifting her long, heavy skirts as she turned and hurried toward the buggy.
“Grandmother, I’m so glad you’re here,” Mandie said as Mr. Bond assisted the lady down. Mandie reached to embrace Mrs. Taft.
“I was afraid if I waited any longer we might have a bad snow and I wouldn’t be able to get here for Christmas, dear,” Mrs. Taft said, returning the hug and straightening her skirts.
Mandie smiled and said, “I don’t believe snow would stop you, Grandmother, because the trains do run no matter what the weather is, and Asheville is not so far off anyway.”
Mrs. Taft started to walk on toward the front door of the house when Mandie put a hand on her arm to stop her. The old lady looked at her and asked, “What is it, dear?”
Mandie smiled and waited until Mr. Bond had passed them and was well up the walkway before she replied, “Grandmother, I need some help.” She paused, not knowing exactly how to explain.
“Help, dear? What kind of help?” Mrs. Taft asked as they stood there on the walkway.
“Well, all kinds of help,” Mandie said quickly. “But please understand, Grandmother, what I’m about to tell you is a secret, and you won’t give away my secret, will you?”
“Amanda, what on earth are you talking about? It’s cold out here and I need to get inside where there’s some heat. Now, what is it you want, dear?” Mrs. Taft asked, frowning as she looked at Mandie.
“I’m sorry. I’ll hurry up and explain,” Mandie said quickly. “You see, Joe Woodard and I have determined that we will make this Christmas a real Christmas, the way Jesus’ birth ought to be celebrated. And we’ve made these secret plans, but we need some help. We don’t want anyone to know what we’re doing, so it will be a big surprise.”
“Amanda, what are you and Joe up to? Please hurry and explain,” Mrs. Taft said, pulling her cloak closer around her.
“Joe and I asked if we could put on a Christmas play at the church. But nobody knows we are collecting orphans to participate in the play,” Mandie quickly explained. “And there are so many angles and odds and ends to this, and only two of us to get it all done. We need someone in on our secret, and I think you are the best secret-keeper I know of.”
“Oh dear!” Mrs. Taft said with a loud sigh. “And where are you and Joe getting these orphans?”
“We just brought two little girls from the Swafford farm and two boys from the Pinsons down on Bryson City Road,” Mandie explained. “And we are looking for more. We need about twelve to sing and act in the play. But now that we’ve begun all this, we can see that we need someone to help. Will you, Grandmother? Will you, please?” Mandie’s blue eyes looked up at her grandmother.
“Do you mean to say these people just let you take the children off like that?” Mrs. Taft asked.
“Well, they’re orphans, Grandmother, and it seems nobody cares about orphans—where they go, what they do. That’s why we decided to have no one but orphans in our play. We want everybody to change their attitude toward these little children without mothers and fathers,” Mandie explained as she thought about the sad lives of these little ones.
“Amanda, I know you’re always trying to do good, but sometimes you have some strange ideas about how to accomplish things,” Mrs. Taft said with another big sigh. “What is it you want me to do, dear?”
“Oh, thank you, Grandmother, for understanding,” Mandie said, smiling. “Here’s what we need. First of all, we need some money to buy wood for the heaters in the church basement, and food for the children, and some of them just have to have warmer clothes. And we need a wagon so we can go on out into the country and find more orphaned children—”
“All right, all right,” Mrs. Taft interrupted her. She shivered and started to walk on toward the house. “Let’s get inside before I freeze to death, and we’ll discuss this further in my room.”
Mandie wondered how she could get food from the kitchen for the children if she spent time with her grandmother. Jenny would soon be preparing the evening meal, and she didn’t want Jenny or anyone else to know what she was doing. She quickly decided she would have to go now to get the food.
“Grandmother, I will catch up with you in just a little bit. I had started to the backyard for something. I’ll be up to your room by the time you get comfortable.” Mandie talked fast, not giving her grandmother a chance to answer as she left the walkway and hurried toward the back of the house.
“All right, Amanda, but don’t be too long,” Mrs. Taft told her as she walked on toward the front door.
Mandie hurried quietly through the back door and on into the kitchen. There was no one around. She knew where Jenny kept the clean empty flour sacks and she quickly took one from the pantry shelf. Opening the pie safe, she found cornbread, biscuits, and various sweet cakes. On the top shelf was a large bowl of apples.
Grabbing some of each, she dropped them into the flour sack and then raided the icebox, where she found a jug of milk and added it to her bag.
“The warmer,” she said softly to herself as she remembered that Jenny sometimes left cooked food in the warmer on the big cast-iron cooking stove. She opened the door and found a pan of fried chicken, still warm and smelling so good. When she pulled out the pan she also found two large baked sweet potatoes.
Finally, with the flour sack full, Mandie quickly left by the back door and hurried across the road to the church. As she opened the door, she held out the bag to Joe, who was standing nearby. “Here’s the food. I’ve got to go back for a few minutes. Would you please feed the children? I’ll be right back.” Before he could protest, she quickly slipped back outside and ran to the house.
She hurried through the front door and down the long hallway to the staircase. Taking the steps two at a time, she rushed upstairs to the room that her grandmother always occupied when she visited them.
She was afraid Mrs. Taft might still be downstairs, so Mandie sighed with relief when her grandmother answered her knock on the door.
“Come in,” her grandmother called from inside the room.
Mandie entered and found her grandmother sitting in a comfortable chair with her feet up on a stool by the crackling fire in the fireplace.
“Come on in, dear,” Mrs. Taft said, waving her to another stool nearby.
Mandie quickly sat down as she said, “You didn’t stay downstairs to visit with my mother.”
“No, dear. You said you’d be right back, so I told Elizabeth I needed to rest awhile and would be down for supper,” Mrs. Taft said. “Now tell me more about this wild scheme you have concocted.”
“Grandmother, I don’t think it’s exactly a wild scheme,” Mandie replied, smiling up at the lady. “Joe and I are hoping the people here in Franklin will join with us in helping the orphans.”
“It might work and it might not. Who knows?” Mrs. Taft replied as she watched her granddaughter closely. “Now what is it you want me to do?”
“Like I said before, we need some money and we also need some help in ta
king care of the orphans until we can present the play,” Mandie explained.
“Tell me, how do you think this play will help the orphan situation?” Mrs. Taft asked.
“After the play is over, we are going to ask the audience to make a contribution toward the support of the orphans,” Mandie replied. Then she asked quickly, “Grandmother, did you know that people give these orphans a home in order to get free labor? These tiny children who don’t have a place to live are farmed out to anyone who is willing to give them a home in exchange for work. Imagine, these small children have to work for their living.”
“It is a sorry situation right now, Amanda. I agree on that,” Mrs. Taft replied. “But what can you do about it, you and Joe?”
“In the first place, Grandmother, I have experience in being an orphan,” Mandie said with a sad look on her face. “Remember how I was sent to the Brysons after my father died because I didn’t even know about my real mother? And Uncle Ned came to my rescue. If it hadn’t been for him, I suppose I’d still be there working without pay, tending their baby, and not even allowed to go to church. It was horrible, Grandmother.” She suddenly remembered that her grandmother had kept her and her mother apart, but Mandie had forgiven her grandmother long ago.
Mrs. Taft stared into the fire and said, “Since it was your father’s old Cherokee friend, Uncle Ned, who helped you, have you spoken to him about what you are doing?”
“I haven’t seen Uncle Ned since Joe and I decided to do this,” Mandie explained. “We’ve had to act so fast. Christmas is just around the corner, you know.”
“Amanda, I would make a couple of suggestions,” Mrs. Taft said. “Of course I’ll be glad to give you whatever money you need and—”
“Oh, thank you, Grandmother,” Mandie interrupted.
“And I think you should ask Liza to help out with this. She would be really good at taking care of the children,” Mrs. Taft said.
“Do you think so?” Mandie asked, and when her grandmother nodded she added, “I’m not sure she can keep a secret. Maybe you could explain to her that no one else is to know what we’re doing. She would listen to you.”
“I’ll see what I can do, but right now I think we’d better go downstairs for supper,” Mrs. Taft said as she rose.
Mandie jumped up and exclaimed, “Supper! Oh, Grandmother, what will I do? Joe and I can’t both eat supper downstairs at the same time.”
“Then now is the time to find Liza and send her over to the church,” Mrs. Taft said. “I’ll wait here while you go get her, but make it snappy. Your mother will be wondering where we all are.”
“Yes, Grandmother,” Mandie said, rushing out the door.
Mandie didn’t have far to go. She found Liza folding linens in front of an upstairs hallway closet.
“Quick, Liza, my grandmother wants to talk to you,” Mandie said, reaching for the young girl’s hand.
“Yo’ grandmama?” Liza asked as she allowed herself to be propelled down the corridor to the door of Mrs. Taft’s room.
“She’ll explain,” Mandie said, pushing open the door and motioning for Liza to enter the room.
“Lawsy mercy, Missy ’Manda, whut’s I done went and done now?” Liza whispered loudly to Mandie.
Mrs. Taft was waiting just inside the doorway and told Liza, “We need your help, Liza. Amanda has some children staying in the basement of the church, and we would like for you to watch them while Amanda and Joe eat supper, since you won’t be having your meal until later.”
“Chillun in de church?” Liza questioned as she fidgeted and looked from Mrs. Taft to Mandie.
Mandie knew Liza stood in awe of her grandmother. “That’s all you have to do for now,” Mandie assured her. “I’ll go with you over there.”
“But Aunt Lou—whut she gwine say if I run off like dat?” Liza asked.
“Never mind about Aunt Lou,” Mrs. Taft said. “I’ll fix that. You just run along now with Amanda, and as soon as we have supper she will come and get you.”
Mandie knew that Liza considered Mrs. Taft the top authority in anything she was involved in. She watched as Liza shrugged her shoulders and turned to leave the room. “Let’s us hurry and git dis ovuh wid,” the girl said.
———
Joe was pleased to see Liza when Mandie opened the door to the basement at the church.
“Liza, we sure need your help,” he said to the girl.
Liza ignored him and walked over to look at the four children playing in the corner. “Where you git dese heah chillun? Who dey be?” she asked Mandie.
“They’re orphans,” Mandie said—and then she remembered that Liza didn’t have any parents either—“Just like you. They don’t have mothers or fathers. We’ll explain everything after a while. Right now, please be sure they don’t get too close to the heater and they don’t go outside. Joe and I will be back just as soon as we can get away from the supper table.”
“Dem po’ lil’ chillun, no mamas and no papas,” Liza said. She bent to push back the long dark hair of one little girl. She looked at Mandie and Joe and said, “Y’all jes’ git outa heah. We be jes’ fine.”
Mandie and Joe looked at each other and smiled. “We’ll be back real soon,” Mandie assured her as she and Joe went out the door.
“I just hope no one goes into the church while we’re gone,” Mandie said as she and Joe hurried back toward the house.
“There’s no reason for anyone to,” Joe said.
“You’re right. There’s nothing scheduled until Sunday, December twenty-second, when we give the play,” Mandie agreed.
———
Supper went smoothly. No one seemed to miss Liza, who usually helped wait on the table. Aunt Lou, Uncle John’s housekeeper who always supervised, assisted Jenny, the cook, in serving the meal.
As they began eating, Uncle John remarked to Joe, “I suppose your father and mother will be here tomorrow.”
“Yes, sir, they should be,” Joe replied as he hastily ate.
“And, Amanda, I had a message that Uncle Ned would be visiting us the weekend before Christmas,” Uncle John told Mandie.
“Oh, I’m glad, because then he’ll be here to see our play that Sunday,” Mandie said excitedly, as she thought about what assistance they might need from the old Cherokee.
Elizabeth, Mandie’s beautiful young mother, asked, “And this play, Amanda. Have you and Joe decided what you’re going to do?”
Mandie and Joe quickly looked at each other. Mandie replied, “Oh, you know, it will be just a regular Christmas play, the usual Christmas story.” She cut her eyes at Joe as she hurriedly ate the peas on her plate.
“And will you be needing very many participants?” Uncle John asked, and then added, “In fact, have you two got everything prepared?”
Mrs. Taft looked at Mandie and spoke hurriedly, “From what Amanda tells me, they have it all planned out and it should be enjoyable.”
“Fine,” Uncle John said. “Then y’all don’t need my help.”
“Oh, no, thank you, Uncle John, we can manage . . . and you’ll be busy with Joe’s parents and everything,” Mandie said with a big smile.
Uncle John frowned and said, “There is one thing. I have asked Jason Bond to go with the two of you when you get ready to bring in a Christmas tree.”
“Thanks, Uncle John. We’ll let him know what day we need to get it,” Mandie said.
“We’ll have to cut two trees, you know,” Joe said to Mandie. “One for the play and one for your house here.”
“And some holly and mistletoe,” Mrs. Taft added with a big smile.
“I just hope we don’t get a heavy snowstorm before we get everything in,” Mandie said, glancing at Joe. He nodded agreement.
“Why, Amanda, you always wish for a white Christmas,” Elizabeth said.
“I know, but if it will just wait until we get everything together for the play and the house decorated,” Mandie said, drinking the last of her coffee.
“An
d our play will be on Sunday, and Christmas isn’t until the following Wednesday,” Joe added as he ate hurriedly.
“But, remember, we are supposed to go Christmas caroling on Christmas Eve night,” Elizabeth reminded them.
“I think you’d better count me out this year,” Mrs. Taft said. “I’ll stay here and take care of any carolers who come while you’re all gone.”
Mandie quickly looked at her grandmother. Mrs. Taft had always insisted on participating in everything they did at Christmas time, so she wondered if the lady was up to something.
“Are you not feeling well, Mother?” Elizabeth asked.
“Oh, I’m fine. I just have lots to do. I still haven’t purchased all the gifts for everyone, and then I’ll have a chance to wrap them without anyone peeking,” Mrs. Taft said with a little laugh.
Mandie didn’t believe that was the reason. She would just have to keep an eye on her grandmother to find out why she was refusing to go caroling with them.
Supper was finally over, and when Mandie stood up from the table she asked Aunt Lou, who was busy with the coffeepot on the sideboard, “Have you seen Snowball, Aunt Lou?”
“Dat white cat, he done be eatin’ his supper in de kitchen whilst y’all been eatin’ in heah, my chile,” the huge old Negro woman said with a big smile.
“Thanks, Aunt Lou, I’ll go see about him,” she said, and looking back at Joe she whispered, “I’ll take him over for the children to play with.”
“Yes, and Liza has to come home and eat,” Joe reminded her.
“Mother, Joe and I are going over to do some things at the church,” Mandie said to Elizabeth.
“But, dear, your grandmother just got here. Aren’t you going to visit with her a while in the parlor with all of us?” Elizabeth asked.
“No, no,” Mrs. Taft quickly told her daughter. “We’ve got plenty of time to visit. After all, I’m going to be here at least two weeks.” The old lady looked back at Mandie and winked.
The Mandie Collection Page 26
