Summary:<\/b>\u00a0 Hoss and Joe invite Adam to come home from Boston for Christmas. Ben also has a hand in bringing “One Brother from Boston,” and so do an angelic helper and a stranger from Minnesota.<\/p>\n
Rating:\u00a0 K\u00a0 (6,910 word) <\/p>\n One Brother from Boston<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cJoseph, get your feet off the table,\u201d the silver-haired man gruffly yelled from in front of the rock fireplace. Smoking a pipe, he appeared more involved in the fireplace ashes than what was happening with his two sons, who sat playing checkers at the low table behind him. But he knew from many years under the same roof that Joe would have his feet on the table while Hoss studied the board and then moved his man. Just as he knew that Joe would win the game before they set up the board.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir,\u201d Joe said, absently. He continued to eat the apple he picked up from the fruit bowl on the table, not even moving his feet.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJoe, what\u2019s the matter with you? Pa told you to get your feet off the table,\u201d his older brother firmly reminded him. A big, friendly man with big blue eyes who preferred keeping peace to making war, Hoss Cartwright knew that Pa wanted Joe to have respect for both him and the furniture. Joe appeared to disregard both at the moment.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, sir,\u201d Joe responded. His green eyes focussed on the apple, he slowly moved his feet onto the floor. Smaller than Hoss, his family and friends still occasionally called him \u201cLittle Joe,\u201d but he had grown into a muscular young man with a gunslinger\u2019s quick speed with both a gun and his wit.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPa?\u201d Hoss asked once Joe\u2019s feet were planted on the floor.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, son?\u201d Ben Cartwright asked, not moving or looking at him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnything wrong? You\u2019re so quiet these days.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJust thinking about a trip I have to make to San Francisco. Hate to leave you and Joe shorthanded with Adam gone now, but I have to meet with the railroad representatives about that timber contract.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe can handle it, Pa,\u201d Joe said with his usual enthusiasm and confidence. Ben looked at both of them and smiled weakly. It\u2019d been too long since they had seen him smile. A weak smile was a start.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI know you are both grown men now, and you can handle things while I am gone.\u00a0\u00a0 Guess it\u2019s being away from all three of you that\u2019s on my mind.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cYes, Adam loved his life back East,\u201d Ben agreed. \u201cI do feel fortunate that he came back to help me raise both of you after college, but another Christmas together would have been a blessing. Just wish that Captain Stoddard hadn\u2019t insisted Adam return to Boston so quickly, that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIf wishing could bring Adam home for Christmas, we\u2019d all be making it happen,\u201d Hoss said. Joe looked at him, a gleam in his eye and a determined look across his face. I\u2019ll make it happen<\/em>, he thought to himself with his usual determination.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIf wishing made things happen, those trees would already be cut,\u201d Ben said in a loud boom. Hoss and Joe laughed together, knowing that wishing alone didn\u2019t make things happen. Whether their father went to San Francisco or not, they had some busy days ahead of them if they were going to get the timber out in time to meet the railroad\u2019s deadline next month.<\/p>\n \u201cGuess we all need some sleep then,\u201d Hoss suggested.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cGo on ahead, boys. I\u2019ll be up in a few minutes,\u201d Ben said, motioning them upstairs.<\/p>\n They took his cue and left him alone with thoughts and memories.<\/p>\n \u201cHey Joe, give me a hand with this saw,\u201d Hoss hollered to his younger brother the next afternoon at the timber cutting site. They didn\u2019t always work side by side but Joe had insisted they work together today, so Hoss went along with the plan.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cHey, Joe! Joseph!\u201d he called out again when the younger man standing in the shade didn\u2019t respond.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh, did you say something, big brother?\u201d Joe answered as he walked in Hoss\u2019 direction.<\/p>\n Hoss studied his brother and wondered what was occupying so much of his attention. Probably a new girl in town<\/em>, he thought to himself with a laugh.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I told you to give me a hand with this saw.\u201c Joe promptly obliged, then became lost in thought again.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou feel all right, Joe?\u201d Hoss asked. \u201cYou asked me to help you with this tree, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYeah, just fine. Say, you know what Pa would really love for Christmas?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cChristmas? That\u2019s months away.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe need time to set up the surprise, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNow what? Remember what happened when you traded Sheba for that mule?\u00a0\u00a0 Pa was so mad when he heard that you took it in trade for \u2018that magnificent animal,\u2019 as he called that elephant we took instead of wages from Mr. Tweedy,\u201d Hoss reminded him. Joe turned pale, gulped as if he was about to be sick, then brightened as quickly as the paleness had overtaken his tanned face.\u00a0\u00a0 Hoss laughed at his brother\u2019s reaction, a big booming laugh that spread through the work site.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, this is a really great idea. Let\u2019s bring Adam home for Christmas,\u201d Joe suggested, with an arm around Hoss\u2019 shoulders. I always know how to get my big brother on my side. <\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJoe, you and Adam fight all the time. I\u2019m enjoying the peace and quiet around here since he\u2019s been sailing around the world and taking over his grandpappy\u2019s chandler shop in Boston.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYeah, he is a bossy ol\u2019 bother, isn\u2019t he? But I think that Pa would really love it if Adam was here.\u00a0\u00a0 He\u2019s not the same since Adam left a few months back.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou mean \u2018brother,\u2019 don\u2019t you, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, I mean \u2018bother.\u2019 Always telling me what to do. But Pa misses him.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve noticed that, too, Joe. Let\u2019s send him a letter and ask him to come home for Christmas.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHoly Toledo, Hoss, that\u2019s a great idea,\u201d Joe said with a wink. \u201cYou\u2019re a giant among men.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe walked away and Hoss hollered, \u201cJoe, where are you going?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTo write that letter. I want to make sure the ol\u2019 bother gets the letter in time to get here,\u201d Joe answered with a grin.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ll do anything to get out of working, woncha?\u201d Hoss said, a big grin covering his face.\u00a0\u00a0 Joe kept walking and Hoss followed, shaking his head at yet another scheme his brother was hooking him into.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n They looked at the trees waiting to be cut for the railroad for a moment, then at each other.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cGuess a few more hours won\u2019t make much difference?\u201d Joe said, pushing a hand through his dark curly hair.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cGuess not. We did promise Pa we\u2019d make sure things moved along without him here.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnd we will need money to pay for Adam\u2019s ticket. Any idea how much they cost?\u201d Joe asked, with sudden uncertainty.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve never been to Boston before. I don\u2019t know how much the ticket will cost.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll find out when I mail the letters. Gotta get some more trees ready here\u201d Joe said as he moved toward another tree. \u201cGive me a hand with the saw, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSure thing,\u201d Hoss answered.<\/p>\n ***************************<\/p>\n Adam Cartwright sat at the large, mahogany desk that went with running the sailing equipment store he inherited from his grandfather, Captain Abel Stoddard. The letters from his brothers sat in front of him, calling him home. He read them and reread them, looking for a way to say \u201cNo,\u201d but also wanting to reach across the miles and go back in time, when his brothers\u2019 antics were the biggest worry on his mind.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n That was before he interrupted a trip around the world to take over the store upon his grandfather\u2019s death. He was grateful to have the opportunity to take on a business he had known almost nothing about away from the Ponderosa, to continue with his grandfather and father\u2019s tradition since they started the shop together as \u201cStoddard and Cartwright\u201d. It offered him a chance to know more about his mother\u2019s family, since he and Ben had left for Western horizons when Adam was a baby.\u00a0\u00a0 But he found himself working extra hours just to keep up. His staff worked long hours, too, and as the boss he knew he needed to set an example.<\/p>\n A tall man with dark hair, brown eyes and a serious expression, Adam looked up to see Joe\u2019s eyes, begging him to come home. He blinked, thinking the extra hours were getting the better of him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He looked again and saw a man standing in front of him. The stranger had hazel eyes, but they somehow reminded him of Joe. Not the mane of curly hair or the concerned expression on his face, just the eyes. Adam blinked a couple more times to make sure he was seeing what he thought he saw.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The man stood with his arms crossed, watching Adam\u2019s expression.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLooks like an important letter,\u201d Jonathan Smith said, tilting his head in thought. His voice sounds so familiar<\/em>, Adam thought.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt is,\u201d Adam agreed. \u201cA letter from home.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnd where is home?\u201d Jonathan asked. He knew home was Virginia City, Nevada, and that the letters were from Adam\u2019s brothers, Hoss and Joe. Adam probably had forgotten their brief meeting several years earlier, and the fact that Jonathan was, in Joe\u2019s words, \u201ca bulletproof angel.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHow did you get in here?\u201d Adam asked as he set the letters aside to take a closer look at the man grinning Joe\u2019s grin at him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI have my ways,\u201d Jonathan said with a shrug as he continued to grin.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cFind your way out the door. I\u2019m a very busy man. A store to restock-\u201c<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnd a family that needs you.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThey have each other,\u201d Adam said in frustration. Persistent, just like Joe.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBut they need you<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTo do what? Joe and Hoss can take care of things, and Pa\u2019s-\u201c<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cGetting up there in years,\u201d Jonathan finished.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPa\u2019s not sick, is he?\u201d Adam asked with obvious concern. He hadn\u2019t expected his father to be sick, but maybe Hoss and Joe didn\u2019t want to alarm him.\u00a0\u00a0 Or maybe Pa wasn\u2019t telling any of them because he still wanted to protect them.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThey don\u2019t need big brother getting in the way.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201c \u2018Getting in the way\u2019?\u201d Jonathan asked. \u201cIs that what the letter says?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, it\u2019s some foolishness about me coming home for Christmas this year. I have a business to run. There\u2019s always next year.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat if I told you there won\u2019t be a next year?\u201d Jonathan asked. Adam took a deep breath.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWho are you really?\u201d Adam asked angrily. Here he had so much work to do and he was arguing with-<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJonathan Smith.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSmith? Where\u2019s Jones?\u201d Adam asked sarcastically. No time for silly games with strangers, although this man hardly acted like a stranger. Or looked like one.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMark\u2019s on another assignment right now. The Boss sent me to take care of this one by myself,\u201d Jonathan explained.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMark? The Boss?\u201d Adam asked, a perplexed look on his face.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMy partner, Mark Gordon. We met your brother, Joe, a few years back, and now he needs my help with some kind of Christmas present for your pa. As for \u2018the Boss\u2019,\u201d Jonathan looked heavenward. Adam rolled his eyes; whether to follow Jonathan\u2019s direction or in exasperation was unclear.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHow did you meet Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cRan into him a few years ago in Virginia City. In fact, he ran into me because he was running from you. Something about a girl-\u201c<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s Joe. Ah, now I remember,\u201d Adam shook his finger and laughed. \u201cHe and I both took Mary to the dance that Saturday, and he made sure he got the last dance.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Jonathan laughed with him, remembering Joe\u2019s request to take Mary to the dance that week.\u00a0\u00a0 He almost laughs like Joe, from deep down. Nah, I\u2019m just thinking of the little squirt, that\u2019s all.<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat do the letters say, Adam?\u201d Jonathan asked, now that the younger man was starting to relax.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam picked up Hoss\u2019 letter and began to read:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dear Adam,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Pa misses you something awful. Joe and I miss you too and want you to come home for Christmas. Dadburnit, just not the same without you around here. Joe and I will even pay your way if you\u2019ll come home.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dear Adam,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Get yourself home for Christmas. Can\u2019t keep cheering Pa and Hoss up all by myself. Even the horses are looking down in the mouth.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss and I will pay your way if you\u2019ll come home.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cGuess they do need me,\u201d Adam said with a sheepish grin. \u201cThey\u2019re willing to pay my way.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLet\u2019s go get your train ticket, then,\u201d Jonathan said, motioning him to follow.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll do it this afternoon,\u201d Adam said with a sudden yawn, sitting down at his desk. \u201cGuess the late nights are catching up with me.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJust see that you do it,\u201d Jonathan said with a laugh. Joe\u2019s laugh that rang through the room and brought tears to Adam\u2019s eyes. Tears that Adam wiped away as sleep overcame him, sitting in his chair\u2026.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhere am I?\u201d Adam asked himself as he looked around. A cold, howling wind whipped a light rain around him like the winter winds he remembered from home, but there were no trees, no familiar landmarks. A muddy road stretched out in front of him, twisting just behind a rock formation.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re in Minnesota,\u201d a voice called out over the wind.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam took another look around and saw Jonathan approaching him. \u201cOh no, not him again!\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cHello, Adam,\u201d Jonathan said with a smile. Adam managed a small smile, then shook his head.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat is happening here, Jonathan?\u201d Adam asked with exasperation. He approached Jonathan as if he wanted to strangle him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNot used to dreaming, are you?\u201d Jonathan asked, unconcerned about Adam\u2019s anger.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAm I really dreaming? And what am I doing in Minnesota?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know what the assignment is yet.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201c \u2018Assignment\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know yet if I\u2019m cutting down trees for timber or getting ready to set sail.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat I know something about,\u201d Adam said with a laugh.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201c \u2019Thought you would,\u201d Jonathan answered with a twinkle in his eye. \u201cAny more questions?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhere are you going?\u201d Adam called out as Jonathan started along the road as easily as if the road was dry.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTo see where the next assignment takes me,\u201d Jonathan answered.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat am I supposed to do now?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou can either wake up or you can find out what your <\/em>assignment is.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam thought for a moment, then followed Jonathan. Might as well see where Jonathan was headed. Adam remembered Joe\u2019s words about Jonathan.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWait a minute, Joe said something about you being an angel. A bulletproof angel, as I recall,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAngels come in many forms, Adam,\u201d Jonathan said, starting to walk into town. \u201cSome bear good news and some bear bad news.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnd you say that Pa and the boys are fine?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOther than that they all miss you. Why not go home for Christmas and brighten their holiday?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI have a lot of work to do.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI can see that, but your Pa isn\u2019t getting any younger. Do you have any idea how many people wish that they had a family to go home to for Christmas?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam gulped.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI remember my earliest Christmases with Pa,\u201d Adam said contemplatively.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was pretty lonely.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Pictures of the years on the road before his father met and married Inger, his stepmother and Hoss\u2019 mother, flooded his mind. No one else around but the two of them.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJust like it is for you now?\u201d Jonathan asked.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHow did you know?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou looked lonely when I was watching, there at your desk. All that work just doesn\u2019t take the place of your pa and brothers, does it?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo,\u201d Adam ruefully agreed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n They walked in silence, as the wind became fiercer and fiercer. Adam knew a snow storm was coming and they needed to find shelter for the night, but Jonathan appeared unconcerned.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHey, Jonathan, let\u2019s find some shelter!\u201d Adam called out as the wind continued relentlessly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI know where we\u2019ll find it, Adam,\u201d Jonathan answered. \u201cThat\u2019s where we\u2019re headed.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo you\u2019ve been here before?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNot exactly. But angels do know a few things.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLike what?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe know when we\u2019re needed, and when we\u2019re needed we go and take care of the assignment.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh,\u201d Adam replied. \u201cI need to go home for Christmas.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t say that, you did,\u201d Jonathan answered with a smile.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam was silent for a moment. Hoss and Joe did say that they needed him, and he knew that it would please his father if he came home for Christmas. Why am I protesting again?<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The men continued in silence, each thinking his own thoughts. The wind continued to get more intense and Adam was starting to wish he was awake back in his office, where his coat hung on a rack.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Just as he felt another shiver run through his body, he began to stumble. Jonathan grabbed him before he hit the ground, but his attention was on what he nearly stumbled over.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJonathan, look!\u201d Adam exclaimed, pointing a finger at the brown-clad figure hunched at his feet.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI see him, Adam,\u201d Jonathan said, running to them. He and Adam both knelt to the ground and helped the man up. He appeared unhurt, but felt very cold to the touch. Adam once again wished for his coat, because this man really needed it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cGot to get home to Caroline and the girls,\u201d he said through chattering teeth.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got to get you warmed up, first,\u201d Jonathan suggested. \u201cWe\u2019ll get you to shelter.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhere\u2019s that shelter, Jonathan?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJust up ahead a-ways. I\u2019ll lead the way. Can he walk?\u201d Jonathan asked.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam helped the man a few steps, making slow but steady progress. They didn\u2019t have a lot of time to find that shelter before night fell.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019ll be slow going. Can we make it to shelter at this pace?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSure,\u201d Jonathan said, grabbing the man\u2019s hat from the ground and trying it on for size.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s not too far away.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n After an hour of walking, Jonathan called out cheerfully, \u201cWe\u2019re almost there.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n \u201cI hope so,\u201d Adam said. Doesn\u2019t anything bother him?<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI know so,\u201d Jonathan said as they reached a clearing. A small shack stood before them, with a fire in the chimney.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHow did you do that?\u201d Adam asked, pointing to the chimney.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJust call it Christmas magic,\u201d Jonathan said with a twinkle in his eyes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There was more \u201cChristmas magic\u201d inside. Blankets sat on a bed near the fire and warm food and drink stood on a table nearby. Adam marveled at their good fortune as Jonathan tended to their charge, who was warmed up in almost no time. He slept near the fire as his rescuers stood by it for warmth.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDrink something, Adam,\u201d Jonathan suggested. \u201cYou look cold yourself, brother.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBrother? I\u2019m not your brother!\u201d Adam yelled.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJust an expression, Adam. Quiet, you\u2019ll wake the sleeping\u201d Jonathan warned. Adam scowled as Jonathan laughed quietly, then found himself caught up in the laughter.<\/p>\n \u201cGood, very good, Jonathan. Have any more jokes to tell?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo joke, Adam,\u201d Jonathan said, a hint of a smile across his face.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDrink your hot chocolate and we\u2019ll see what happens with our friend over there.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTell me the joke about being an angel again, Jonathan,\u201d Adam teased as he poured himself a cup.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAdam, I am<\/em> an angel.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t doubt that you believe you are an angel. And you convinced my little brother that you are an angel. But I\u2019m not as gullible as he is.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSome would call it faith. Why not believe that I am an angel?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBecause angels just aren\u2019t logical!\u201d Adam exclaimed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAdam, this is your dream, not a mathematical equation to be solved. Dreams don\u2019t have to be logical,\u201d Jonathan explained.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhy would I dream about an angel?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou weren\u2019t dreaming in your office, just now. And I was there.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Adam thought for a moment.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhere did you really come from, Jonathan?\u201d Adam finally asked.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhere angels come from,\u201d Jonathan replied.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBecause you and he needed one tonight,\u201d Jonathan said, indicating the sleeping man.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere were you when Inger and Marie died? Where were you when–\u201c Adam broke off, too choked with emotion to continue. Not one to display emotions, this outburst took him by surprise.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know about Inger and Marie,\u201d Jonathan said. \u201cBut you can talk to Him and ask him those questions yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLooks like our friend is waking up over there,\u201d Adam said, regaining his composure.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The man looked at both of them and Adam moved closer. Once his eyes adjusted to the change in light, he stood speechless, staring first at Jonathan and then at their companion.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve got to get home to Caroline and the girls,\u201d the man repeated. \u201cWhat\u2019s he staring at?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJoe!\u201d Adam blurted out and woke up to a dying fire and a room almost as cold as a Minnesota blizzard.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He blinked, then blinked again. \u201cJoe\u2019s miles away,\u201d Adam said to himself, trying to shake the feeling that Joe wasn\u2019t all that far away, after all.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cReady to wake up?\u201d Jonathan asked with a smile. He sat across from Adam now, studying his expression, which was puzzled and perplexed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI think so. Uh, Jonathan, could you do me a favor?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s that?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNot show up in Virginia City to meet me at the stage.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d Jonathan asked with a sly grin.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s why!\u201d Adam exclaimed. \u201cI look at you or the man we helped to shelter and I see Joe. What\u2019s it going to be like if I see you and Joe in the same place?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Jonathan looked skyward and said \u201cHe didn\u2019t ask for both of us to be in the same place,” just as rain began to pour down. They saw lightning in the distance.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo promises, Adam,\u201d Jonathan said. \u201cAnd just where was that ticket office, anyway?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben stepped off the stage and headed straight for the telegraph office. He wanted to make sure any messages from San Francisco were not left in the office overnight. Joe was more reliable these days, but there still were times when he forgot the mail because he was involved in a poker game down at the Bucket of Blood. Home a day early from his trip, he knew that the boys wouldn\u2019t be waiting for him, but he intended to rent a horse and buggy from the livery stable.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnything for me, George?\u201d Ben asked the telegraph operator.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll check, Mr. Cartwright,\u201d the bespectacled man said. He checked the mail slots and found Adam\u2019s telegram. Unaware that Hoss and Joe intended Adam\u2019s visit to be a surprise, George handed it to him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAh, a message from Adam. Thank you, George.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re welcome, Mr. Cartwright.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPlease make sure that any telegrams for me from San Francisco are directed out to the Ponderosa,\u201d Ben requested as he opened the telegram.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cEverything all right, Mr. Cartwright?\u201d George asked. Ben\u2019s eyes grew wide and he looked like he was about to burst at the seams.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cEverything\u2019s wonderful!\u201d Ben exclaimed as he started to walk away.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAny message in reply?\u201d George asked.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh yes,\u201d Ben said with his usual dignity restored. He took a pencil and a telegram, then composed a response.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dear Adam,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Just received message. Will send your train and stagecoach fare by wire. Will be a pleasant Christmas surprise for Hoss and Joe.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Pa<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben gave George the information, and George immediately sent the telegram. Ben paid him and discussed arrangements to pay for Adam\u2019s ticket, then grabbed the luggage left behind by the stage driver. He wished that one of the boys was there to greet him, but then he would not have had the time to plan his Christmas surprise for them. How fortunate that Adam sent a telegram to tell him that he planned to be home for Christmas and he would pay his own fare.\u00a0\u00a0 Paying that fare would be Ben\u2019s gift to Adam, Hoss and Joe.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n **<\/p>\n \u201cWhen do you reckon we\u2019ll hear from Adam?\u201d Hoss asked as he served himself Hop Sing\u2019s fried chicken and mashed potatoes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSoon, I imagine. You know how he likes to keep things tidy. He won\u2019t leave us hanging, \u201c Joe said, watching Hoss mound up his dinner from across the dining table.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou told George to send out any messages from Boston right away, right?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, I told Fred. Why would I tell George?\u201d Joe asked.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBecause George helps Fred once or twice a week. Keeps him out of Martha\u2019s way and gives him something to do,\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe does? How do you know that?\u201d Joe asked.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBecause he told me so himself, one day at the saloon.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, Fred will get the telegram to us. Don\u2019t you worry,\u201d Joe said, with more assurance than he really felt.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry, little brother. I\u2019ll talk to George and see that we get that telegram.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMake sure you do. I won\u2019t selling my rifle for the fare until I know he\u2019s really coming out here.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnd I aint selling my saddle until I know Adam\u2019s really coming, too.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI hear a buggy.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cA buggy? With all that food on your plate, you hear a buggy?\u00a0\u00a0 Are you feeling all right?\u201d Joe asked as he served himself.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, I\u2019m fine. Let\u2019s check out that sound and we\u2019ll get back to the chicken. Hop Sing will understand,\u201d Hoss said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSure he will,\u201d Joe said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, it may take a little convincing, but I\u2019ll make it up to him,\u201d Hoss said as he moved his chair back from the table. He covered the area between the table and the door quickly.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJoe, it\u2019s Pa!\u201d Hoss exclaimed as he ran from the door.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPa? He\u2019s not supposed to be here until tomorrow,\u201d Joe said as the door slammed behind Hoss. He quickly followed Hoss outside.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHow was your trip, Pa?\u201d Hoss asked as Ben stepped down from the buggy. Joe started for the luggage.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cFine, just fine,\u201d Ben said with much enthusiasm. He gave both sons a sound pat on the back and smiled.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat good, huh?\u201d Hoss asked, puzzled by Ben\u2019s restored enthusiasm.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJust fine. Mrs. (the lady from \u201cThe Spotlight\u201d) says hello to you boys.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI thought she\u2019d be in Europe with —,\u201d Joe asked. He didn\u2019t know what to make of this change in his father, but shrugged it off and carried the luggage into the house.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re in San Francisco seeing family for a month or so.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnd did you do any sightseeing in San Francisco?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNot much. There wasn\u2019t time,\u201d Ben said as he opened the door. Hoss followed, perplexed by his father\u2019s apparent happiness.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n **<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat do you make of it?\u201d Hoss asked Joe later that evening. Ben was his usual self, only happier than they remembered seeing him for a long time. Sitting in Hoss\u2019 bedroom, they discussed the change in their father\u2019s mood.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know, Hoss. But I aim to find out, rest assured I\u2019ll find out what\u2019s up that sleeve of his.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou don\u2019t reckon that Pa knows about our surprise, do ya, Joe?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNah, he couldn\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI guess you\u2019re right,\u201d Joe agreed as he scratched his head. Something had changed since Ben\u2019s departure for San Francisco.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n At that moment, Ben walked upstairs. Hoss and Joe continued to talk about their plans, too engrossed to notice that he had opportunity to hear every word. Or he would have had opportunity if he wasn’t so preoccupied with planning a surprise of his own.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hoss and Joe thought they were keeping a secret from their father for the next several months, planning ways to get Adam home behind closed doors or out cutting logs when Ben wasn\u2019t around. They were puzzled by his lack of response to their request, but decided that there had to be a way to get him home.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe wrote a letter to Adam every week, asking him to come home. Adam kept the letters in anticipation of the day he would see Joe again and have opportunity to remind him just how much he missed big brother, especially when Joe was grumbling about being told what to do.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ben knew that he was keeping a secret from Hoss and Joe and could not wait to see the look on their faces when they saw their brother come through the door. He was eager for that moment himself from the day he received Adam\u2019s message accepting his payment of the fare.<\/p>\n **<\/p>\n Several weeks after Ben sent Adam the telegram offering the fare, Joe arrived in town and headed directly for the telegraph office. Surely Adam would have sent a message this time, he thought to himself.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo message, Joe. Let me check with George,\u201d Fred said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHoss mentioned that George\u2019s working with you these days,\u201d Joe said, drumming his fingers on the sill of the telegraph office window.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cA couple days a week. Gives him something to do,\u201d Fred said. He and Joe shared a chuckle, knowing that George was well-known for doing nothing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ll be by in an hour or so. Need a beer to wet down my parched throat,\u201d Joe said. He picked up his hat, set it on his head, and started away from the office, singing \u201cI Came from Salem City\u201d.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Three hours later, Joe returned to the telegraph office. The office was closed, but Joe knew he could get Fred\u2019s attention and find out what he wanted to know.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cStill no telegram,\u201d Fred said, shaking his head. \u201cI\u2019m sure he\u2019s busy back there, Joe.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe pondered the situation, wondering how Adam could be that busy. \u201cBut he knows how much it would mean to Pa if he came home for Christmas.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJust your pa?\u201d Fred asked, sensing Joe\u2019s disappointment.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHoss misses him, too. Yeah, I miss the ol\u2019 bother too, now that I think of it,\u201d Joe said with a laugh.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHow about sending another telegram? Maybe the other one\u2019s lost somewhere?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019ll have to be after payday,\u201d Joe said, avoiding Fred\u2019s eyes.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJust lost the last of my paycheck in that last hand of poker.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSame ol\u2019 Joe,\u201d Fred said, shaking his head again.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou know how it goes,\u201d Joe said, shrugging his shoulders. Payday was days away, not even a month before Christmas. Hardly enough time to get one more message through before Adam would have to leave Boston. And there was still the question of how much money he would raise for his rifle and Hoss\u2019 saddle.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLet me know when you want to send the telegram, Joe. Boy, what a lot of trouble to bring one brother home from Boston.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019ll be worth it to see the look on Pa\u2019s face,\u201d Joe said as he walked away, undeterred but apparently disappointed. \u201cSee ya after payday.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cRight, Joe,\u201d Fred said.<\/p>\n **<\/p>\n Jonathan offered to run the store for Adam during his trip West. Adam took him up on the offer.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ve really taken to this line of work, Jonathan,\u201d Adam said one day as his departure drew nearer. \u201cWish you could give my brother Joe some lessons on taking lessons.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cMaybe I will, someday. For now, we need to get the new shipment out on the floor so the crews can get it off our hands,\u201d Jonathan answered.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAy, ay, captain,\u201d Adam said with mock seriousness. Both men laughed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou must be looking forward to seeing your family soon, Adam. You\u2019ve relaxed since we first met again.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI am looking forward to seeing them, even the little squirt.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s not so little anymore, is he? Must be full-grown by now,\u201d Jonathan suggested.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI suppose. But he\u2019s still my little brother, always will be.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnd you\u2019ll always be his big brother,\u201d Jonathan said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, the big brother is Hoss,\u201d Adam said, a smile slipping across his face.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Both men laughed, and they reviewed the steps to take if any major problems arose.\u00a0\u00a0 He thought about Jonathan\u2019s words and knew that he needed to see his family for his sake as much as for theirs.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Jonathan did not appear as Adam stepped out of the stagecoach in Virginia City on Christmas Eve. Adam wondered if his dream with Jonathan and the stranger was a sign of his homesickness, because he found himself missing Joe more than he realized he did.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHey, George, wait up!\u201d Adam called out as he saw the telegraph operator driving through town. George looked back and stopped his wagon.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIf it isn\u2019t Adam Cartwright,\u201d George said as he shook Adam\u2019s hand. \u201cJump in and I\u2019ll give you a lift.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t mind if I do,\u201d Adam said, tossing his valise into the back of the wagon and jumping in the seat with George. \u201cSay, what\u2019s new in town?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNot much. Mrs. MacGuffey\u2019s still teaching school and Roy Coffee\u2019s still sheriff here. I\u2019m helping Fred at the telegram office.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAny stories to go with those telegrams?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, you see, there\u2019s one of my customers who got so excited about a telegram he almost left town without replying to it.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHm, what did the telegram say?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhich one?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe one he received.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh, Adam, you know that I can\u2019t tell you that. The contents of a telegram are confidential, after all.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cCold, chance of snow by late evening,\u201d George predicted. Adam knew that without George\u2019s interpretation, so he decided to think about the moment when he would see his family again.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI just don\u2019t get it,\u201d Hoss said as he and Joe put the finishing touches on the Christmas tree that towered clear up to the ceiling in the livingroom. They set their gifts to each other under the tree, then stood back to take in the effect.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, maybe big brother went back to sea and wasn\u2019t able to get the letters. Any number of things could have happened, Hoss.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat did you get for Pa instead?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSocks,\u201d Joe said unenthusiastically. \u201cHe can always use another pair of socks. What about you?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSocks, too.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNot the brown ones?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cNo, these are blue.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThen we didn\u2019t get him the same thing.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cGuess not.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s a relief,\u201d Joe said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019d be more of a relief if Adam were here. Then I could keep the socks until Pa\u2019s birthday.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSame here. Well, I\u2019m ready to turn in for the night. How about it?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYeah, we want Santa to get here, don\u2019t we?\u201d Hoss said. Both men laughed and headed up the staircase.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n What Hoss didn\u2019t know was that Joe sneaked downstairs again when his older brother was sound asleep. He just had to know what his father and brother got him, and tomorrow wasn\u2019t soon enough.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n He looked through the packages under the tree for his name and shook the first gift. Sounded like a bottle of cologne. He started to shake the second gift when the door opened.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe managed to drop the package gently, then reached for his gun. It wasn\u2019t there.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cDrat, I left it upstairs,\u201d he said to himself quietly. He watched the door, ready to attack if it was necessary. It wasn\u2019t necessary.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n His eyes got big as recognition dawned.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAdam!\u201d he called out as he ran over to him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSh, Joe, you\u2019ll wake everybody.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe thought you weren\u2019t coming. Why didn\u2019t you answer our letters?\u201d Joe asked and started to cry.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI did, buddy.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe looked at Adam, not understanding his meaning. Tears rolled down his cheeks, and he wiped them away.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou did? We never received anything from you.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, Pa wired me the money for the trip, so I thought you all knew.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPa knows?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, Joe. I just told you that.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cGuess you did.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI thought you\u2019d be happy I was home, little brother.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI am.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThen why the tears?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe didn\u2019t think you would come home, Adam. I thought-\u201c<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThat I didn\u2019t want to come home?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Joe said in a husky voice. Adam patted his shoulder and Joe hugged him as if he never would let him go.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJoe, you need to let go. I\u2019ll be here a few days, and by the time I go home-back to Boston-you\u2019ll be dying to get rid of me.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI guess so,\u201d Joe said finally. \u201c\u2019Better get back to bed.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo what\u2019s in the gift you were checking out?\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019ll find out,\u201d Joe said as he bounded upstairs. Adam followed him and settled in for the night in his old bedroom.<\/p>\n —–<\/p>\n Joe was up first on Christmas morning, yelling \u201cPa! Hoss! Hurry up so we can open gifts\u201d as he charged downstairs.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ll be there ten minutes from now,\u201d Hoss called out with a yawn.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhy can\u2019t you get up like this every morning, Joseph?\u201d Ben yelled down to him.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Joe stood at the foot of the stairs, watching Adam drinking a cup of coffee.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHaven\u2019t you ever seen a man drink coffee before?\u201d Adam asked.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYep, and I\u2019ve seen you drink it before.\u00a0\u00a0 But I thought I\u2019d never-\u201c Joe said, stopping when Ben and Hoss reached the bottom of the staircase.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAdam!\u201d Hoss called out and ran to him, pounding him on the back. Adam almost choked on his coffee, but recovered himself.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSo when did you get in, son?\u201d Ben asked. The thrill of seeing his boys together again was almost overwhelming, and he was grinning from ear to ear.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cLast night. Got a ride with George.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cGeorge?\u201d his father and brothers asked.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYes, George. He told me that there was a man who was so excited about the telegram he got, that he almost forgot to send one in reply,\u201d Adam answered, barely hiding a smile. He guessed that the man was his own father, after his conversation with Joe the previous evening.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh really?\u201d Ben said, perplexed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYep. George said something about the man wanting to surprise his other sons.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhy would a father want to do that?\u201d Ben asked, a knowing smile escaping from his serious expression.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSame reason the sons wanted to surprise the father, I suppose,\u201d Adam said, drinking his coffee and looking at Hoss and Joe. The familiar guilty expressions crossed both faces, and everyone laughed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhy didn\u2019t we hear from you?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou did, when Pa got the telegram I sent in response to your first letter.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cFirst letter?\u201d Hoss asked.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cJoe sent me a letter every week, asking the same question. \u2018Will you come home?\u2019,\u201d Adam said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou did?\u201d Ben and Hoss asked at the same time.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cHad to make sure that my big brother was going to be here, didn\u2019t I?\u201d Joe asked with a mischievous grin.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI almost didn\u2019t come, Joe,\u201d Adam admitted. All the reasons to not come were vague memories as he sat with his father and brothers, sharing conversation and waiting for a Christmas breakfast to beat all Christmas breakfasts.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat made you change your mind?\u201d Joe asks.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cRemember your friend, Jonathan?\u201d Adam responded. Ben and Hoss exchanged glances, not recognizing the name.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOh, the bulletproof angel fellow,\u201d Joe answered after a moment.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYeah, the bulletproof angel fellow. He paid me a visit at the shop one day and told me how lucky I am to have a family that misses me enough to ask me home for Christmas. He\u2019s running things while I\u2019m here.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSounds like someone I\u2019d like to meet,\u201d Ben said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019d like him, Pa. It\u2019s eerie, though,\u201d Adam said, scratching his head.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s eerie?\u201d Joe asked.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWell, if I didn\u2019t know better, Joe, I\u2019d say that you and Jonathan look more like brothers than you and I do. He\u2019s older than you, but there\u2019s a definite resemblance.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI never noticed it, Adam,\u201d Joe said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTo top it off, there was a fellow in my dream who looked like you, too. If you lived in Minnesota, you\u2019d be his double.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cSounds like you were missing your brother, son,\u201d Ben said, clasping a hand on Adam\u2019s shoulder.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m just glad that you\u2019re here, older brother,\u201d Hoss said. \u201cLet\u2019s eat. I\u2019m starved.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re always starved,\u201d Joe and Adam said in unison. Hoss shrugged them off and sat down at the table in his usual place. No empty place at the table tonight, <\/em>which brought a grin to his face.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Adam sat in his place, and Ben and Joe followed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cBefore we eat, I\u2019d like to say grace,\u201d Ben said. Each of the boys folded his hands and bowed his head.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you, Lord, for bringing Adam home to us safely for this Christmas. We are indeed very blessed. Thank you for the food we are about to receive and for each of my sons. Amen.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Each of them looked at the others for a moment and then looked at the Christmas tree, with presents and all the trimmings. They already had something that money could not buy.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The End<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Tags:\u00a0 Adam Cartwright,\u00a0Ben Cartwright, Hoss Cartwright,\u00a0Joe \/ Little Joe Cartwright,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Summary:\u00a0 Hoss and Joe invite Adam to come home from Boston for Christmas. Ben also has a hand in bringing “One Brother from Boston,” and so do an angelic helper and a stranger from Minnesota.<\/p>\n Rating:\u00a0 K\u00a0 (6,910 word)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":178,"featured_media":10803,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[24,23],"tags":[953,949],"class_list":["post-12770","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-crossover","category-drama","tag-highway-to-heaven","tag-little-house-on-the-prairie","wpcat-24-id","wpcat-23-id"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/04\/11.jpg?fit=271%2C232&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12770","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/178"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12770"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12770\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10803"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12770"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12770"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12770"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n\u201cPa, you knew that Adam loved his life back East. If it wasn\u2019t for his promise to Mama to take care of our little brother here, he might have been back there long before now,\u201d Hoss gently reminded him. Then took a swat at the \u201clittle brother\u201d in question, a young man in his early twenties who was about to take his feet off the floor again.<\/p>\n\u201cYour father\u2019s fine, but you never know. They miss you and they need you.\u201d<\/h1>\n
\nAdam folded his arms across his chest and thought about whether he wanted to find out how confidential the telegram really was. He decided to leave it confidential and asked George about the day\u2019s weather.<\/p>\n