The Christmas Blessing

by Melody Carlson

  “Why is Goldie making such a fuss?” Grace asked.

  Helene called her dog again, but instead of coming like she’d been trained to do, Goldie started barking even louder. “Something’s wrong.” Helene started out across the yard again.

  “Wait,” George called, but Helene continued and soon they were all walking back toward the nativity together.

  “Is that a baby crying?” Grace asked as they got closer.

  “Maybe it’s Baby Jesus,” Janie said in a matter-of-fact voice.

  “That’s impossible.” Helene walked even faster.

  “It does sound like an infant,” George said in a worried tone.

  They all hurried to the wooden stable, where Goldie stood at attention in front of the little manger. She was still barking, but her tail wagged in a friendly way. There, to everyone’s stunned surprise, lying in the straw, was a real live baby, crying loudly.

  Helene felt slightly faint as she went closer. “Oh, my—”

  “It is a baby!” Janie squealed in delight. “Is it Baby Jesus, Mama? Is it? Is it?”

  “No, of course not.” Grace turned to Helene with wide eyes. “Where did it come from, Mom?”

  “I have no idea.”

  “Maybe God put it here,” Janie said. “Like Baby Jesus.”

  “I’m going to look for whoever left it,” George announced.

  As her husband marched off toward the sidewalk and street, Helene stooped over and, without even thinking, picked up the wailing child. She rocked it back and forth in her arms, attempting to calm the poor thing.

  “Hush up, Goldie,” Janie told the dog who was still barking. “You’re scaring the baby.”

  “Whose baby is it?” Grace quietly asked Helene. “How did it get here?”

  “I don’t know,” Helene told her. “But let’s get it inside and out of the cold.” She was already heading back to the house.

  “Come on, Janie and Goldie,” Grace commanded. “Let’s go in the house with Grandma.”

  “What about Grandpa?” Janie called out as they followed Helene.

  “He’ll be fine,” Helene called over her shoulder as she went up the front porch steps. “Let’s get inside. Quickly.”

  As they all poured into the well-lit foyer, Helene was able to get a good look at the crying baby. His chubby face was flushed and pale curls were stuck to his damp forehead. Grace and Janie pressed in, trying to see him too.

  “He’s wrapped in blue,” Grace observed. “Maybe he’s a boy.”

  “He is a boy,” Janie declared. “I can tell.”

  As Helene rocked the baby, which appeared to be bundled up in plenty of clothes, she suspected they were right. It did appear to be dressed like a male child. “Hush, hush,” she said as she continued into the front room where, to her relief, the child stopped howling. But it still looked clearly unhappy and uncomfortable. The infant’s cheeks were flushed and its nose was running. Probably from being out in the cold.

  “Poor thing.” Helene used her handkerchief to wipe his drippy nose. “Who do you belong to, little boy blue?”

  “Can we keep him?” Janie asked as she looked on with curiosity.

  “Of course not,” Grace told her. “This baby belongs to someone else.”

  Helene sat down in an easy chair near the fireplace and, still trying to soothe the agitated child, she attempted to sort through the questions racing through her head. Where had he come from? Who did he belong to? Had he been abandoned? And if so, why in their manger?

  “What are we going to do with him?” Janie looked at Helene with wide eyes.

  “I guess we’ll have to take care of him until his parents are found.”

  “Do you think someone kidnapped him?” Grace asked in a slightly horrified tone.

  “I honestly don’t know.” Helene peeled off the baby-blue blanket wrapped around him and then began to remove the blue bunting. “It looks like someone really bundled him up though.”

  “They wanted him to stay warm,” Janie suggested.

  “Well, he’ll be too warm in the house.” Helene continued to remove layer after layer of clothing. “Goodness,” she said when she got down to just one layer of clothing. He’s not as big as I thought. I wonder how old he is.”

  “He doesn’t even look three months old.” Grace examined his tiny fingers. “But he appears clean and well cared for.”

  “Hello?” George called out as he came into the house. “Where is everyone?”

  “In here,” Grace answered. “Did you find anyone?”

  George came into the room, holding up a paper sack. “I didn’t see anyone out there. Not a car or anything. But I did find this bag not far from the nativity scene. It contains baby items.”

  “Let me see.” Grace opened the bag. “It’s baby clothes, diapers and baby bottles, and—”

  “And the baby bottles already have milk in them,” Janie announced as she pulled out a bottle. “Should we feed him now?”

  “I’m not sure.” Helene looked at the small glass bottle. “Why don’t you go give those to Lydia for the time being, Janie? She can refrigerate them until we need them.”

  “And let’s hold off feeding the baby for a bit.” George peeled off his overcoat and leaned down to see the child better. “Let me give him a physical examination first. Just to be sure that nothing is seriously wrong with him.”

  “Do you think he’s sick?” Grace asked quietly.

  “Well, I am a doctor.” He gently took the baby from Helene. “And it stands to reason that a mother in bad straits, with a sick baby . . . well, she might drop him off here to get help.”

  “His nose was running when I brought him inside.” Helene followed George back to his office. Although he kept an office in town, he still kept an office at home as well. “But I thought it was from the cold air outside.”

  “He’s flushed,” George said as he laid the infant on his examining table. “And he feels warm to me, but I’ll give him a complete checkup.”

  The baby was starting to cry again and Helene wasn’t sure she wanted to witness the poor thing being poked and prodded. “I’ll leave you to it,” she told him. “Unless you need my help.”

  George chuckled. “I’m fairly adept at this, Helene. You go inform Lydia that dinner will be delayed. And call the police. Tell them about finding the baby.”

  Helene agreed, feeling uneasy as she backed out of the office. Oh, she knew the baby was in good hands with George, but she just didn’t like to hear the child howling like that.

  “Is the baby sick?” Janie asked with concern as Helene hung up her coat.

  “I don’t know. But if he is sick, he’s come to the right place,” Helene assured her as they returned to the front room.

  “That’s right,” Grace said. “Grandpa can make him better.”

  Helene asked Grace to tell Lydia about delaying dinner, then she went to use the phone to call the police station. After identifying herself, she explained the strange situation to the sergeant who answered, then waited until Detective Albert got on the other end. “Did I hear Sergeant Smyth right? You found a baby in your manger?”

  Helene quickly explained the unusual circumstances again. “And George went to look for whoever left the baby there, but he didn’t see a soul. Not a car or anyone on foot. Just a bag.” She described the paper sack that was left behind, and how the baby had on layers of clothing and appeared clean and well cared for.

  “I haven’t heard of any missing children. This sounds like a case of parental abandonment to me.”

  “I wondered about that.” She explained George’s concerns that the baby might be sick. “He’s checking the baby right now.”

  “Even more reason for a mother to leave the child at your house. But in the manger?”

  “He couldn’t have been there long. Not more than a few minutes.” She explained that they’d just put the lights on the nativity scene. “So it was very strange to find a baby there. Fortunately our dog must’ve seen i
t happen. She’s the one who brought it to our attention.”

  “Too bad we can’t question the dog.”

  “Yes.” Helene sighed. “What should we do with the baby?”

  “Well, you say it might be sick?”

  “That’s what George said.”

  “You could take it to the hospital.”

  Helene considered this. The poor baby had already been abandoned once. To drop it off at the hospital felt a bit heartless. “What if we just care for him for a few days?” she asked.

  “Him? So it’s a male baby?”

  “Well, that’s my assumption. He was dressed in blue, like a boy.”

  “Do you think you could keep him until, say, Monday?”

  “Yes, I suppose we could do that.” Helene knew they still had some baby furnishings in the attic. “Perhaps the mother will have second thoughts by then. And in the meantime the baby will be well cared for and George can administer any kind of medical attention it might need.”

  “That’d be great, Mrs. Bradley. And I must say, a baby couldn’t be in better hands. The town’s finest doctor as well as the chairwoman of the American Red Cross. That’s a lucky lad to fall into such a fine-feathered nest.”

  Helene couldn’t help but smile. “I hadn’t considered the Red Cross, but you’re right, we are supposed to help those in need.”

  “You’ll certainly be doing that.” Now he asked her for the particulars concerning the baby’s description. “Just in case we find out an infant’s gone missing.”

  “I can’t say his age for sure, but I doubt he’s more than three months old. He has blondish curls and blue eyes. But then don’t all babies have blue eyes? At least mine did.”

  “Maybe so. Any birthmarks or defects or distinguishing features?”

  “Not that I have seen. In fact, he looked rather perfect. And like I said, he appears well cared for. His clothes were nice, and he was very clean. Even his little fingernails were clean and trimmed. And he’s got chubby little cheeks and doesn’t appear the least bit malnourished.”

  “Doesn’t make sense, does it?”

  “I suspect the mother has hit hard times.”

  “Sad, isn’t it? A helpless baby being left like that.”

  “Yes . . . well, I promise we’ll take excellent care of the child.”

  “I know you will. And I’ll probably come by and do some sleuthing around in your yard and whatnot. So don’t set the dog out on me.”

  “Goldie is a friendly dog. I don’t think you need to be concerned. But we’ll keep her inside.”

  “And I’ll let you know if I turn up anything,” he promised.

  She thanked him, but as she hung up the phone, she almost hoped that the detective’s search would be fruitless. Because something had stirred inside her the moment that she’d held that baby in her arms. It was hard to understand, but as she’d calmed and comforted the child, feeling his tiny body beginning to relax a bit, she’d experienced the tiniest glimmer of hope. A feeling she hadn’t known since hearing the bad news about James.

  9

  Helene found their housekeeper upstairs in the master bedroom. Humming to herself and completely oblivious to the goings-on downstairs, Velma was turning down the bed. Helene quickly explained about their foundling.

  Velma’s eyebrows shot up. “Someone put a baby in the manger?”

  “Yes. Very strange. But we’re going to care for the infant. For a few days anyway. He’s quite young—perhaps only two or three months old. I’ll need your help setting up a room as a temporary nursery. I believe the crib and other nursery items are still stored in the attic. Get Lydia to help you carry a few things down. Just what you think we’ll need until Monday.”

  “Want me to bring down that bassinet too—the one we used for Janie when she was a newborn? I can set it up for you downstairs.”

  “Good idea. Put it in the front room. That way we can keep an eye on the baby when we’re on the first floor.”

  “You know my sister Doris used to work as a baby nurse,” Velma told her, “for the Garrets. But the children got older so Doris doesn’t work for them anymore. I could call her to see if she wants to lend a hand around here. She’s a wonder with babies.”

  “That’d be perfect, Velma. How soon could Doris start?”

  “I don’t know, but I’ll find out.”

  “Tell her George can pick her up if she needs a ride. Even tonight won’t be too soon if she’s available. But do tell her that the job is only a few days.”

  Velma nodded. “You want to use the little yellow room for the nursery?”

  “Yes. With the southern exposure, it gets good sunshine.” Helene thanked her. And as she went back downstairs, she sensed a bit more energy in her step. As if she suddenly had a purpose. Perhaps it was simply like she’d told the detective, she was fulfilling the mission of the American Red Cross—helping people in need. Yes, it was unconventional, but that little baby was most definitely in need.

  She slipped into George’s office in time to see her husband’s creased brow. He was intently listening to the child’s back with his stethoscope. He slowly shook his head as he moved the instrument to the baby’s chest.

  “How is he?” she quietly asked as George slipped the stethoscope into a pocket of his cardigan. To her relief the child was no longer crying, but he looked weak and worn out.

  “Not good. I’m afraid this child is on the verge of pneumonia.” He sighed. “But I don’t normally give antibiotics to such a young patient.”

  “Oh, dear.” Helene covered her mouth. “Perhaps he should be hospitalized.”

  George frowned grimly. “He won’t get better care there than he’ll get here. Especially seeing that it’s a holiday weekend.”

  “Yes, of course, but—”

  “And if necessary, I have what I need to make an oxygen tent.”

  “Oh, my—do you think you’ll need that?”

  “I don’t know.” George cradled the baby in his arms, peering closely into his face. “How tough are you, little man?” He paused as if waiting for a response. “How much can you take? Are you strong enough to fight off this illness on your own? Or do you need an extra boost? I just don’t know.” He glanced at Helene. “I don’t know a thing about his medical history.”

  “Would it be easier to make this decision if the parents were here?”

  “Certainly.” George sighed. “But they’re not.”

  “Well then, what would you do if he were your baby?” she asked.

  “If this were my baby, I’d give him penicillin.”

  “Yes, of course,” she said eagerly. Penicillin was being touted as the new miracle drug. “That’s exactly what you should do then.”

  George’s frown vanished. “You’re right, Helene.” He handed her the baby. “Thank you for helping me see it.”

  As George prepared penicillin, Helene relayed her conversation with the detective. “I told him we can keep the baby until Monday.”

  “That was generous of you.” George gave the baby a shot that immediately set him to crying again. “But that’s a big responsibility. Are you sure you’re up for it?”

  She gently rocked the fussing baby in her arms, trying to soothe him, and explained about Velma’s sister. “But even if Doris can’t come tonight, I can take care of him.”

  “And I’m sure Grace will want to lend a hand too.”

  “I’m not sure I want to trouble Grace. She looked so worn out when she and Janie got here the other day. I had really hoped this visit would be restful for her. She’s got such a demanding life—managing Harry’s business and taking care of Janie and all.”

  “Well, Lydia and Velma can surely take a shift of caring for him. I do think the child should be monitored throughout the night. And, of course, I’ll be available if he needs additional medical help.”

  “I think I’ll warm up one of those bottles.” She spoke loudly over the baby’s cries. “Maybe he’s crying out of hunger.”

&n
bsp; “Good idea.” He frowned again. “But be sure to sniff the bottle, Helene. Make sure it’s good.”

  “Oh, yes. I’ll definitely do that. It looked like formula. I expect that’s what he’s used to, but perhaps we could switch him to milk. Especially if I start him out on a mixture of half milk and half formula to get him used to it.”

  “You do what you think is best, but do keep the fluids flowing. And keep track of how much he is able to drink, Helene. And how much comes out the other end too.”

  “Maybe we should keep a chart.”

  “Good thinking. We’ll have it ready in case the parents return. We want to show we’ve cared for the child in a professional way.”

  Although Velma’s sister was unable to come that evening, Velma promised Helene that Doris would be there first thing in the morning. And Helene, still feeling strangely energized, assured everyone that she was fully capable of caring for the baby throughout the night.

  “I can help you with the baby, Mom,” Grace said after dinner.

  “I can too,” Janie said eagerly.

  “And both Lydia and Velma offered to help too. If I need anyone, I’ll be sure to ask.” Helene leaned down to check on the baby. Tucked into the bassinet, the infant looked relatively comfortable. Although his breathing still sounded a bit raspy and his cheeks were flushed, he wasn’t as agitated as before.

  “He seems a little better,” Grace observed.

  “The medicine must be working.”

  “And he’s not screaming,” Janie said.

  “Poor thing. I’m afraid he’s been through a lot.” Helene tucked the blanket up around him. She knew George was putting together a makeshift oxygen tent right now . . . just in case. Hopefully they wouldn’t need it.

  “Can we keep him, Grandma?” Janie looked up at her with hope in her eyes.

  Helene smiled—and for a change this felt like a genuine smile. “We will keep him for the time being, sweetie. But hopefully his parents will realize their mistake and show up.”

  “What is their mistake?” Janie asked.

  “Giving away their baby, silly.” Grace tweaked Janie’s chin. “What mommy in her right mind would give away her child?”