There is a legend –

Over 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ was born in a stable in Bethlehem. It was a working stable, filled with animals of all kinds. Into these humble surroundings, Jesus was placed in a manger. Encircled by the innocent creatures of God, the Savior of man came into the world.

Now, according to the legend at least, Christ’s birth occurred at exactly midnight. Inside the stable, the animals watched in wonder as the new-born babe was lovingly wrapped in swaddling clothes and placed in that manger. Then suddenly, God gave voice to the animals and they immediately began to praise God for the miracle they had just witnessed: the miracle that God’s only son was born in human form.

Shepherds, who had been keeping watch over their flock at night, were told by an angel of the miracle birth and hurried to the stable. But just before they entered to worship the baby, the animals were silenced and the voices of humans in praise took their place

Every Christmas Eve, to this day, wide-eyed children creep into stables to hear the animals praise God for the birth of His Son. Adults don’t believe the animals talk because only the children can hear them. This is the story of Joseph Francis Cartwright, age five, who believed this story told to him by his older brother.  And who is to say that it didn’t actually happen like this?

Jesus looked at them and said,”With Man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew, 19:2)

 

There Are Always Angels

 

Life has its share of ups and downs, and there’s no way to know what it will bring from one day to the next, especially on a working cattle ranch in the heart of Nevada, in the middle of the 19th century. Still, there are some days that traditionally can be counted upon to bring happiness. In the case of Christmas, that would include joy and peace and the love of family and friends; all of which had been present in abundance for the past six years on the Ponderosa, for Ben Cartwright, his wife Marie, and their three young sons, Adam, Hoss and Little Joe. There was laughter and music, food, friends, warmth, gaily decorated hearth and tree, Church services, presents, stockings hung by the fireplace, secret whisperings, stories of St. Nicholas, tantalizing aromas and tastes to make your eyes roll up in your head; everything that was the merriest  .  .  .  until life brought the unexpected, and everything became something else.

 

Christmas on the Ponderosa was different this year. On this particular Christmas there was very little merriment. There was a tree and there were stockings of course because there were children- although at seventeen, Adam Cartwright could no longer be counted as one of them, and had little time or inclination for any of the falderal, fluff and nonsense associated with the holiday. Especially this year.  But for the sake of his younger brothers, Hoss, age twelve and Joseph Francis, endearingly known as Little Joe, who was not quite six, it was  a different story. It was still Christmas after all. And with Pa away the responsibility for the fluff, nonsense and falderal fell directly upon the shoulders of the eldest Cartwright son. With all that they had lost in the past year there was no way he was going to have his little brothers miss out on Christmas too.There was already a huge hole in their hearts. Adam Cartwright would make sure there was a tree with decorations, stockings filled with sweets and treats, and presents under the tree for his brothers. Still grieving the loss of their mother, the vivacious, and beautiful young Marie, so tragically taken from them barely four months ago, it would take a miracle to make Christmas merry this year, but older brother would try his darndest.

 

Marie deMarigny Cartwright was married to Ben for a little over six years. He had found her in New Orleans, fell in love, barely courted her, and convinced her to marry him, and travel West into the wilderness, to become the Mother of his two young boys. Several years into their marriage Marie gave her husband another son, and his two boys, a baby brother. The Cartwrights celebrated six Christmases together; six Christmases, with all of the tradition and gaiety they could fill into the holiday, fully aware of how lucky they were, and blessed. But they had no notion that it would all be taken away in a tragic accident, leaving three young boys motherless and a husband bereft, feeling like the center of his world had been ripped away from him.

 

On this Christmas Eve, Ben was out of town. Slowly finding his way back to his sons, fighting through his grief, he had come to realize that running away from the three hearts that loved him most was not the way to fill the void Marie’s death had created. So, with his pockets and suitcases filled with Christmas presents, Benjamin Cartwright was on his way home – if not quite merry, still, determined, despite a snowstorm, to make it there by Christmas Eve!

 

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Yes, it had been a very, very bad year for the Cartwright family, but it had been particularly devastating for Little Joe, whose five -year- old mind could not grasp the concept that his Mother was somewhere else now.

“Mama’s in Heaven now Little Joe,” his brother Hoss would tell him repeatedly with tears and loving tenderness.

“But why did she go there? Wasn’t she happy with us? I thought she was happy. Didn’t she love us anymore?” he would repeatedly ask .

On the few days that Pa was there he would try to end the conversation by explaining: “Joseph – God has His ways and His reasons. And it’s not for us to judge or understand them. She is with Him in Heaven now and we will all see her again some day. We must learn to accept His ways and go on with our lives.”

“But Papa .  .  .” Little Joe would plaintively continue .  .  . as his father would pull the child into him, plant a kiss on his head and find an excuse to leave the room.

Do as I say, not as I do, because for Ben Cartwright his world did not continue; not on the Ponderosa anyhow. Apparently his little son reminded him so much of what he had lost that he found himself running away from what remained. As often as possible he created reasons to leave the ranch; to run away. And so to Little Joe, the other constant figure in his life was also gone much of the time. Which left big brother Adam to mend his little heart and explain the where and the why of their Pa’s absences.

“Adam, where’s Pa? Why isn’t he home? Has he gone to Heaven too?” were his little brother’s 1st questions upon waking in the morning or during the night to discover his Pa wasn’t home. Adam would pick the little boy up, put him on his lap and explain for reasons he didn’t quite understand himself that their Pa had to go to San Francisco or Carson City or some place for business.

“He’ll be home real soon,” was his standard reply.

 

This year, a mere week before Christmas, and with Pa away again, Little Joe came down with a fever and a cough of unknown origin. Dr. Paul Martin, the very doctor who had delivered Joseph, made several trips out to the ranch to do what he could to make his curly- headed little patient more comfortable, since there was really no medicine for what appeared to be a bad cold and a broken heart. His prescription was lots of bedrest and attention, which was not something the youngest member of this family was ever lacking; as well as a cough suppressant in the form of their dutiful and loving cook, Hop Sing’s cure-all chicken broth. By the time Christmas Eve arrived Dr. Martin had declared that Little Joe was well enough to go downstairs for just a little while as long as they kept him warm and didn’t let him get overexcited. Knowing the youngest member of this family as they all did, everyone rolled their eyes and agreed to do their best. This would be Little Joe’s 1st glimpse of the Christmas decorations that Adam, Hoss and HopSing had put up, so they all made a very big deal of it. Hoss insisted on carrying his little brother down the stairs and made him promise not to peek, as he didn’t want him to look until they were right in front of the tree!

 

“OK Joe. No peeking. No peeking!” Hoss excitedly said as they arrived in front of the tree, so beautifully decorated with all of the delicate glass ornaments Marie had brought with her from New Orleans. And then there were the lit candles nestled on the bigger branches, the strung berries and popcorn, as well as the paper chains which Adam had corralled several of their more than willing ranch hands into making. Of course, there were no presents under the tree because it was Christmas Eve and Santa hadn’t arrived yet! But the stockings were hung and everything was bright and merry and gay for the littlest Cartwright. So, they all held their collective breaths as Hoss set his brother down and gave him permission to open his eyes.

“OK Joe. You can look now. Open your eyes!” they all said at the same time as they waited expectantly.

The little boy stood there with his eyes scrunched closed, shaking his head back and forth, back and forth without opening his eyes until Adam said: ”Joe? You can open your eyes now. What are you doing?”

“I’m wishin,” he said.

“Whatcha wishing for Joe?” Hoss asked.

He sneezed, and answered in the saddest, most wistful little voice, still raspy from his cold, “I’m wishin’ when I open my eyes I’m gonna see the most beautiful Christmas tree ever – and Pa standing  right in front of it with Mama, just like always.”

Silence fell upon the room like an avalanche. It seemed like time got stuck.

Until Hoss knelt down next to his little brother and encircled him in his arms as they both sobbed their aching hearts out. Adam and HopSing quickly followed suit, embracing both boys, sharing in the love and the sorrow.

 

“Will Pa be home in time for Christmas Adam?” Little Joe said, boring a hole into his brother’s heart with his vividly green eyes, so trusting, so needy, so very unhappy.

Adam simply held his brother while he cried. He hadn’t the heart to tell him that he just plain didn’t know. Remembering Dr. Martin’s admonition to keep Little Joe from getting overexcited, Adam picked up the child who was already feeling warmer, and carried him upstairs to his bedroom. Hoss followed along while HopSing said, “I make special Christmas broth (wink, wink) for little boy. You drink all up, fall asleep and wake up to Christmas Day all better! You see! HopSing bring soup right away.”

 

Adam had barely gotten his brother tucked in  when HopSing walked in with his “special” soup and a tray of their favorite gingerbread cookies.

“You drink all your Christmas soup and then everybody eat cookies. Little Joe no drink soup, no one get cookies,” he said, with an affirmative nod of his head and a wink in Adam and Hoss’ direction..

“Oh boy Joe. Those cookies sure look mighty good. You’re gonna drink up all that broth, right? ‘Cause I sure am dying to have me some of them cookies!” Hoss said animatedly.

Sensing his brother was interested in neither the soup or the cookies Adam decided to raise the ante. “Little Joe,” he said, “ If you drink your broth I will tell you all a Christmas story. Then Hoss and HopSing will be happy and you will feel better,  and so will I. What do you say to that?”

Little Joe sniffled and sneezed, feeling generally miserable from the cold and from his crying but agreed, if for no other reason than to keep his brother Hoss from drooling all over his bed at the thought of those cookies.

“So, what will it be? Shall I read ‘The Night Before Christmas’? Or do you want me to make up a story? How about a Christmas ghost story that will shiver ye timbers?” he asked as he leaned in and tickled both his little brothers. Hoss giggled but Little Joe just looked seriously at his brother and said, “ Can you tell us the story Hoss’ Mama told you when you were a little boy, about the night the animals all talked?”

“Yes, I can as a matter of fact, but you have to start drinking your soup first. At least three spoonfuls before I start,” Adam said as he set the soup bowl and spoon in front of his brother.

“One. Two. Three.” Hoss counted, as Joe noisily slurped the soup down. “Now you can tell us the story and I can have a cookie, right?”

Adam nodded to HopSing who passed the cookies to Hoss while they all settled in to hear the story about “The Night the Animals Talked”.

 

 

Everyone was spellbound, as Adam portrayed each of the animals in the stable as they spoke and praised the baby Jesus. Joe listened with rapt attention and managed to stay awake right up until the last of the story, just before the entrance of the shepherds – who hurried to the stable because angels had told them the Christ had been born there – as the animals again fell silent.

“And the only humans who had heard them were Mary, Joseph and, of course, the Christ child.”Adam said in closing. Then he got up off the bed, tucked his little brother in, kissed his forehead, and in hushed tones, wished him a Merry Christmas and signaled Hoss and HopSing to follow him out of the room. He was almost out the door when he heard the tiniest, sleepiest little voice ask, “ Is it Christmas yet?”

“No, not yet Joe. The next time you wake up it will be Christmas. Now close your eyes and go to sleep,” Adam pleaded.

“And when I open them it will be Christmas” the child spoke, into his pillow.

“Yes!” Adam said.

“And Pa will be home .  .  . “ Joe said to no one, as he drifted off to sleep– smiling at last. There were no images of sugar plums or toy soldiers or jolly old St. Nick in his head as he fell into dreamland. There was only Pa.

 

**********************************

 

Several hours later Little Joe was awakened by a noise he heard coming from the barn, and  naturally assuming that it was the animals talking, he decided he had to see this Christmas Eve miracle that Adam had just told him about. However, it was not the animals who were talking at this time, but two escaped prisoners who were looking for a place to hide out and stay safe from the storm. They had no idea it was Christmas Eve. No – for these two, Christmas had long ago and far away lost its magic. Their names were Shep and Caz  – last names irrelevant – and they had been spending the night in the local jail until the Sheriff could decide what to do with them. Shep was a twenty eight year old  cowboy who’d been on his own since running away from home years ago. He got into a fight and broke a store window and did some other damages he couldn’t pay for so he was going to jail for vagrancy and for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.  Caz was a fifty something year old roustabout who never amounted to anything much but also never committed a crime, until he saw a muffler he just needed to have. It was so cold and it was just sitting there on top of someone’s warm coat in the entrance way to the International House. He knew whoever owned it could buy another, so he grabbed it and made a run for it. Unfortunately he ran right into the local constable who was none too happy to have this disruption during the holiday season when things should be a bit more peaceful. He was actually  planning on spending some time with his family and friends this year! Fortunately his head and his heart were in two different places so when he locked the outside door he forgot to put the keys to the jail cell away. In fact, he left them in the lock, and Shep and Caz were easily able to let themselves out.

And off they went together, forsaking the warmth and relative safety of the jail, to be free.

 

They soon came to regret their decision however, when they realized they had no idea where they were or in what direction they were heading. Several bone chilling hours into their flight their feet wouldn’t move anymore and they literally fell in a heap underneath a huge rock formation a few miles outside of town. Trembling from the cold, Caz looked at his young companion and laughed, shook his head and said, “All this started because I was c-c-cold. Isn’t this f-f-funny.”

“I’m g-g-glad you see the h-h-humor in this my friend. If I’m g-g-going to f-f-freeze to death I’d just as soon d-d-die smiling.” was Shep’s reply. And with that he rolled himself into a ball, and tucked his head between his knees to try to shield himself from the cold.

“G-g-good luck! S-s-see you in the S-s-spring,” Caz said through rattling teeth, as he did the same.

Before either of them succumbed to the sleep that would most certainly have been their last, a noise caused them to raise their heads and look at each other in disbelief. as they saw standing right in front of them, the most beautiful white stallion, whinnying, shaking his head up and down and stamping his right front hoof on the ground.

“Am I d-d-dead?” Caz asked Shep, who was already up and shaking the snow off. “Not unless I am too!” was his response. First one, then the other approached the real, or imagined, magnificent vision of a horse. He never moved from the spot but continued to toss his head up and down. Shep put his hands on the horse’s face, caressing it while the animal made soft noises, almost as though he was speaking to him. He looked the beautiful stallion in the eye and whispered, “Pegasus?” as he nuzzled him. All of this happened while Caz watched disbelieving. After a few moments he said, “What the heck? Who is P-p-pegasus? And H-h-how did he g-g-get here?”

Shep grabbed onto the horse’s mane and mounted the animal. Then extending his hand to his friend, pulled him on board and said,

“He’s a horse from Greek mythology; the horse of my childhood dreams. And I have no idea who this horse is or how he got here. Pegasus had wings.”

Caz was quick to point out that this horse had no wings, but as soon as they were both astride the animal, he took off. Since neither of them knew where they were, Shep just gave the horse his head and hoped he would instinctively find shelter somewhere.

 

That somewhere was the Ponderosa, the Cartwright homestead. As the horse came to a stop in front of the stable, our two weary sojourners had a brief conversation in which they discussed the wisdom of adding a trespassing charge to their growing list of crimes and misdemeanors. Very quickly and with few words they decided that any jail sentence was preferable to freezing to death. And it was those few words that awakened Little Joe.

 

**********************************

 

Climbing out of bed the sleepy, curly-headed little boy walked to his window, which faced the very stable within which Caz, Shep and the mystery horse had found refuge. Joe stared for a long time and seeing no one and nothing, yet knowing that he heard something his little imagination jumped to the only conclusion possible. He knew it was late. Maybe even midnight! And it WAS Christmas Eve. So what else could our little boy assume but that it was the talking animals who were making the noise. Not one to let the proverbial moss grow under his feet, Joseph Francis Cartwright quickly decided to go to the barn to see the miracle for himself!

 

Now, normally there would only be horses in the barn, but on this particular night there was also an ailing cow and her baby that Hoss had insisted on putting in the barn, as well as a pig, some chickens and a goose that their cook, HopSing was fattening up for the holidays. So, there was very little room when Caz and Shep made their way to the far end of the barn, and as inconspicuously as is possible with a large white animal, collapsed into a darkened corner. As quiet as they were however, their presence did not go unnoticed, and the various creatures started to stir and kick up some hay, but before they were able to raise much of a commotion the stallion made a gentle neighing sound and almost immediately all the creatures, great and small were calmed.

“Did you hear that? What just happened? What’s with this horse?” Caz said softly, eyeing the large animal all the while.

“I don’t know any more than you do. I’m just thankful that whoever or whatever he is, he found us and saved our sorry hides tonight,” was Shep’s reply. And he added, “It’s late and we’re both exhausted. Let’s see if we can get a few hours of sleep and maybe everything will make more sense in the morning.”

“You think so?” Caz asked?

“Not really,” was Shep’s half whispered response as he looked up at the stallion standing sentry over them in their little corner of the Cartwright stable on Christmas Eve.

 

**********************************

 

In the meantime, in the big house, the littlest Cartwright quietly made his way down the stairs so as not to wake up everyone else. Past the gaily decorated Christmas tree and the three stockings hung by the fireplace, Little Joe hastily put on his boots before opening the door, leaving it open, as five- year- olds are wont to do, and headed out to the barn. Oblivious to the snow and the frigid temperatures, he was not totally unprepared, as he brought his pillow just in case he fell asleep while awaiting the miracle.

 

While Little Joe struggled to open what was a huge door for a five-year- old, the hide-aways didn’t breathe or move a muscle. All was quiet in the barn. Relieved that it wasn’t a cowboy with a rifle, but puzzled to see a mere child walk into the stable Caz and Shep watched in the shadows as the little boy climbed up into his favorite place in the loft, and plunked down his pillow so that he would be in just the right place to watch.

 

Upstairs in his bedroom twelve-year-old Hoss, ever the growing boy, woke up hungry and decided he needed some of HopSing’s special apple spice cake, despite the fact he was explicitly told that it was being saved for the family feast. But, he knew no one would miss just a tiny little piece .  .  .  so down the stairs he went, headed for the kitchen, until he realized that the front door was wide open.  He quickly ran to the door to close it when he noticed the tiny footprints which had not yet been covered by the snow.

“What in tarnation!” he exclaimed. Understanding immediately that they were his little brother’s footprints, he grabbed his coat and muffler, and off to the barn he went. Hoss opened the door and stepped inside, lit the lantern that was hanging by the entrance and turned around just as Caz was about to climb the loft to check on the little boy. Instinctively, Caz grabbed the larger little boy and pulled him back to the stall, much to his young cohort’s horror.  Neither of them wanted to hurt anyone, much less a little boy. Hoss was only interested in finding his little brother and once he realized Joe wasn’t there with them he started asking them questions – never giving any thought to the possibility that these two could be dangerous.

“Who are you?” he asked. “Did you see my little brother come in here? He’s about as big as a minute with curly brown hair .  .  .” and just as it dawned on him that they shouldn’t even be there, Adam came running into the barn with HopSing trailing close behind yelling, “ Little Joe! Hoss!”

Seeing Hoss standing there with the two strangers, Adam assumed the worst and quickly looked around for a weapon to use to protect his family. Before anyone had a chance to speak however, the barn became alive with all the various noises of the animals who had been disturbed by all this commotion. Shep and Caz try to explain their situation, assuring everyone that they meant no harm and they were about to tell them where the youngest Cartwright was when a tiny little voice could barely be heard calling:

“Adam. Hoss. I’m up here. I don’t feel so good. Is it Christmas yet?”

Adam climbed the loft to fetch his baby brother and discovered, no small wonder – that he was feverish.

“Whatever were you thinking?” he asked. “Out here in the cold with no coat or even a blanket. Little Joe!” he cried out as he picked his brother up. “What am I going to do with you!” He climbed down with Joe in his arms and everyone headed inside. Convinced that they were not a threat, HopSing told Shep and Caz that they could not stay in the barn.

“ It is Christmas Eve. Peace on Earth. Good will toward men! You must come into house.”

 

 

Little Joe was brought up to his bed and HopSing tended to him as always, but Adam feared for his brother because he thought his fever was just too high and the child had barely recovered from his illness. They really needed Dr. Martin, but Adam could not imagine leaving Joe and sending his twelve year old brother out into the winter night was out of the question. The last thing he wanted to do was ask HopSing to ride into town but there was no other option, unless .  .   .

 

Caz and Shep were downstairs sitting in front of the fireplace, heads spinning at the events that had brought them to this place,  at this time, and it took very little conversation for them to decide that they would be the ones to ride for the doctor. Between the two of them, and with the help of their magical steed they figured they could find their way into town and get help for the little boy.  Because it was Christmas, they decided they should make things right with the law anyhow so up the stairs they went to tell a very harried looking Adam that they would make the trip into town. Though he knew nothing about these two men, somehow the seventeen-year-old knew that he could trust them to do this. A much relieved Adam told them, “ HopSing will get you some coats and warm gear and you can saddle up the two horses that are in the stable.”

“Thanks, but we will only need one horse,” Shep responded. “One of us will ride the horse we came in on.”

Adam looked puzzled and asked, “What horse would that be?”.

“The large white animal that was with us in the barn. How did you not see him?” Adam scratched his head and simply said,”Take whatever you need. It’s a long ride into town. It will be daylight before you’re back. Please be careful but ride as hard as you can.” And with that the two men took their leave and headed downstairs to a waiting HopSing.

“I think we should both ride the horse,” Caz said. “I think we were meant to be here Shep. That horse just appearing out of nowhere and everything else that has happened .  .  .  I just feel .  .  .”

He didn’t have to finish his statement. Shep kept walking towards HopSing, who handed them coats and hats and gloves.

“You’ll get no argument from me on that!” And out the door they went. They were not in the least surprised to find their mystery horse waiting patiently for them just outside the barn. First Shep, then Caz, jumped onto the horse and they were gone before Hoss had a chance to tell them where to find the doctor!

 

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They had no sooner left when Little Joe, seemingly delirious from his fever, started talking about the animals and his Mama and Christmas and his Pa. And the pig said this and the horses were all saying that and the goose said .  .  . On and on he went about the talking animals while Adam and Hoss and HopSing listened, convinced that he was so sick that he was lost in delirium. And yet he looked so peaceful. He was a beautiful child. With the greenest of green eyes and a head full of curly brown hair, he had the face of a Michaelangelo cherub. His appearance notwithstanding, they knew that he was sick, so they continued, each in their own way to try to make him better. Adam applied cool compresses on his forehead, while HopSing tried with no success to get him to sip some of his broth, and Hoss did his very best to entertain his little brother by shoving as many gingerbread cookies as he could into his mouth at one time. Despite this activity, or maybe because of it, time flew by – or stood still –  and suddenly they all were aware of a familiar sound coming from the yard; the pounding of horses hooves and the rumble of wagon wheels.

Adam motioned to HopSing to go to the window as Hoss, through a mouthful of cookie crumbs said to his brother, “There ain’t no way that could be them. It ain’t even daylight yet.”

“ Doctor Martin here,” HopSing said excitedly, bobbing his head up and down. “And Merry Christmas –  Mr. Ben here too!” And with that proclamation all “HECK” broke loose as both boys raced to the stairs, while Little Joe lay calmly in his bed, peaceful and happy, for some reason not at all surprised that his Pa was home!

 

**********************************

 

It seems the stagecoach wouldn’t travel in the storm, so Ben Cartwright rented a horse and got to Virginia City on his own just in time to run into our two criminal heroes who were wandering through town looking for the doctor’s office. Ben was walking to the stable to get a fresh mount so he could get home to his boys for Christmas, when they approached him and asked him where they could find the doctor. After hearing their story and identifying himself, he headed immediately for Doctor Martin’s home with Caz and Shep following closely behind. While they had made the decision to turn themselves in, they also both wanted to see for themselves that the little boy was going to be alright, so they followed Ben to the doctor’ s home.

The older man, Caz, ran up to Mr. Cartwright and touching him on the shoulder said, “ Excuse me Mr. Cartwright – I know we are strangers to you but we would kind of like to see how your son is doing, He’s such a little fellow and we feel somehow involved and .  .  . “

“Yes, yes of course, You’re welcome to our home.” Ben replied as he knocked on Dr. Martin’s door. “Thank you so much for what you have done.”

The door opened and before he had a chance to say a word, Paul Martin, family doctor and friend embraced the elder Cartwright with a robust greeting of  “Merry Christmas Ben! How wonderful! The boys will be so happy that you made it home in time for Christmas. But why .  .  .? “

“Yes – Merry Christmas Paul. It’s Little Joe. Please .  .  . “

Needing no further explanation the doctor said, “Let me get my bag and we’ll head right out.”

“These two ‘angels of mercy’ are coming with us.” Ben said to Paul. “I’ll hitch up your buckboard. There’s plenty of room for all of us.”

Caz was about to explain that they had their own transportation when he and Shep, simultaneously realized that the mysterious creature that had taken them into town was no longer standing where they had left him. They each knew immediately and for sure that the horse hadn’t strayed off or been stolen. He had quite simply vanished as quickly and mysteriously as he had appeared. No explanation was necessary. They understood. It was ALL starting to make sense to them now.

So, without any conversation or consideration they climbed into the wagon and on to the Ponderosa the four of them went. And dashing through the snow, Pa would later come to declare, they made it in record time, arriving just as the snow stopped, but before Christmas daylight had a chance to make an appearance.

 

**********************************

 

Adam and Hoss ran down the stairs, opened the door and all but knocked their road weary Pa over, hugging him, and tugging him,  and in their excitement and haste,  issuing unintelligible explanations to him about everything that had happened. He barely had time to take his coat, hat and holster off before they were dragging  him up the stairs with Doctor Martin following closely behind.

 

Almost as soon as his Pa entered the room Little Joe opened his eyes and exclaimed,

“Oh Pa! I knew it. I knew you would come home. I heard them! I heard the animals! They said you would be home!”

Pa didn’t really hear what his baby son had said. He went to Little Joe’s bed, sat down, put his arms around him, and all but lifted him out of the bed.in his embrace, kissing him on top of his curly head!  By this time Adam and Hoss were also sitting on the bed, and Dr. Martin just stood there for a few minutes enjoying this touching family reunion. Finally he said:

“ Excuse me. I understand someone here needs a doctor? Hoss and Adam – why don’t you go downstairs and get your father’s bags. I believe they are still outside. And the way I hear it, some of them are from the North Pole and need to be placed under the Christmas tree. Now, you two scat and let me take a look at this little fellow.”

“He’s gonna be alright, ain’t he Dr. Martin?” Hoss asked as he begrudgingly gave up the spot next to his brother and headed towards the door. The good doctor put his hand on the big ten-year-old’s shoulder and said, ”I haven’t examined him yet but I suspect he will be.”

Adam and Hoss couldn’t resist giving their Pa another hug as they walked by him. Adam lingered a bit longer and looking at his little brother but speaking to his Pa, the usually strong, reliable, emotionally mature Cartwright son blurted out,

”He’s been imagining things all night Pa. I told him a Christmas story and he went out to the barn and got a chill and he seemed so warm and he started telling us all these stories  and then the two strangers said they would go to town to get you because I was afraid to leave him and I didn’t want Hoss to go but we needed to get the doctor because he was delirious. Pa ! I’m so glad you’re home. I don’t want to be the grown-up anymore.” And then the teenager did something he’d never had the luxury of doing in his young life. He broke down and he cried on his father’s shoulder.

Pa stood up and hugged his son, and with tears replied,

“I should never have put this responsibility on you. I lost my way when Marie died. I should have been here for you. You boys were my strength. You are my heart. I’m home for good now.” At this point Hoss wrapped his arms around his brother and his father, and Little Joe, not wanting to be left out, stood up and grabbed his Pa from the back toppling the whole bunch of them onto his bed almost crushing him.

 

“Ahem. Now – that’s enough.” the doctor said as he got Adam and Hoss off the bed and the giggling Little Joe back under the covers. “HopSing – Would you please take these boys downstairs and after they have brought in the packages why don’t you all have some cookies and hot cocoa. I think Joseph has had quite enough excitement for one Christmas Eve.” With a final  glance at their baby brother, Adam and Hoss followed HopSing out of the room, finally giving Dr. Martin a chance to examine his patient.

Pa settled in at the foot of the bed and watched as the doctor took Joe’s temperature, listened to his  breathing and in a matter of minutes issued his assessment.

“Perhaps it’s the magic of Christmas” he said, winking at his tiny patient and caressing his face.

“I don’t know what happened but I think your fever is not so very high. This cough syrup should help calm your throat down and if you go right to sleep I think there will still be plenty of time for Santa Claus to pay a visit. And you should be well enough to go downstairs – a bit later than usual for Christmas morning – and see what Santa Claus has left you. Make sure you eat a good breakfast and stay bundled up, nice and close to the fireplace!” As he tousled the beautiful little boy’s curls he looked at Ben and with a smile he told the frazzled father that he would come back on Christmas Day sometime to check on his patient. In the meantime they should all get to sleep or Santa would never come to their house he admonished cheerfully. Ben insisted that he spend the night and join them for their Christmas Day festivities as the doctor had no one waiting for him at home, to which a relieved Dr. Martin said, “Thank you Ben! I would like that very much!”

 

**********************************

 

Pa appeared at the top of the stairs and announced, ”Little Joe is going to be just fine. Thankfully he has no fever and Dr. Martin thinks he should be able to come downstairs for Christmas. Now, Adam and Hoss, it’s long past time for you to be asleep. HopSing- our dear friend Paul will be spending the night. Please show him to the guest room and show our two new friends to the bunkhouse for the night. It’s been a very long day. Merry Christmas to all of you!!”

 

The boys ran upstairs and gave their Pa and Little Joe a kiss and headed for their bedrooms while HopSing showed the exhausted doctor to his room and then loaded the two happy “criminals” up with some blankets and pointed them to the bunkhouse for the night.

“Peace on Earth! Good will toward men!” the little Chinese man bowed and said. “You have Christmas dinner with Cartlight family tomorrow. You go back to town to see Sheriff after Christmas!”

“You know”, Caz said as they were walking to the bunkhouse, “I don’t think we wandered into this barn by accident.”

“Yeah,” Shep replied, “I kind of know what you mean. Where do you suppose that horse came from anyhow?”

“I don’t know”, Caz said as he looked skyward. “Do you believe in Angels?”

Looking up also, Shep replied, “I used to when I was a youngster.” Then he paused and taking a deep breath said, “It’s kinda funny isn’t it? My name I mean. It’s Shep. Like in shepherd.”

“You mean like in the Christmas carol, ‘While Shepherds Watched their Flock by Night?’”

“Yeah! I know that one. I wouldn’t have thought you were a religious sort.”

“I’m not so much, but my Ma was always reading the Bible to us and singing us songs, especially around Christmas. In fact, there were three of us   – two boys and a girl, and she named us after the 3 Kings who visited the Baby Jesus in the stable. That’s where I got my name actually. Caspar. My brother, the poor thing, was Balthazar but Ma didn’t have the heart to stick my sister with Melchior so she named her Melanie!”

The two men just looked at each other. Caspar and Shep on Christmas Eve in the stable with a little boy. They both shook their heads, looked up to the Heavens and said a quiet Amen with both of them thinking it had been too long since they had been to any kind of a church.

 

In the meantime, Pa was tucking his baby boy in and about to settle himself into the bedside chair when, just as he was drifting off to sleep  Little Joe started telling his Pa about the animals he heard who were talking about that night so long ago when, in another barn, Baby Jesus was born. Pa smiled, thinking how sweet it was that his child believed this tale and attributed it to his imagination until Joe told him that the goose said he must remember “it’s all about where your heart is.”

Pa was stopped cold and asked, feeling somewhat foolish , “What? What did the goose say, Joseph?”

“It’s where your heart is Papa,” he mumbled as he fell fast asleep.

Ben Cartwright kissed his child goodnight and as he walked to the window and looked out at the barn he was thinking of the conversation he had with Marie on their very last night together. They were in bed and he was comforting her after hearing her describe another unpleasant confrontation she had had with one of the stodgy elders in town who didn’t approve of her. Words were exchanged and Marie was in tears as she told Ben the story. He, in turn, was questioning his decision to bring his young wife to this less than civilized part of the country, and wondering if she would ever feel like this was truly her home. Marie had looked into his eyes, put her fingers to his lips and said, “Home is where my heart is, my love. And my heart is forever here with you, and our sons.”

Ben walked back to the bed where his little boy lay sleeping, peacefully, kissed him gently, looked up and said, “Merry Christmas, my love.”

 

 

 

Postscript

 

“There are always Angels everywhere. Perhaps we only think to look for them at Christmas when their wings can be seen; when their halos glow with light. But they are always there.

Make room for the Angels for they will catch you unawares and fill your heart in ways you never could imagine.” – Heide Thomas