{"id":46658,"date":"2023-12-24T20:21:52","date_gmt":"2023-12-25T01:21:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=46658"},"modified":"2025-09-25T15:37:20","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T19:37:20","slug":"how-can-you-mend-a-broken-heart-by-bluewindfarm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=46658","title":{"rendered":"How Can You Mend a Broken Heart (by BluewindFarm)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bonanza
\n~*~*~ Advent Calendar\u00a0~*~*~
\n* Day 4*<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Summary<\/span>:\u00a0 To some, the holidays aren\u2019t always merry, nor bright.
\n<\/span>Rating<\/span>:\u00a0 G
\nWords:\u00a0 950<\/span><\/p>\n

Yesterday Series:<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yesterday A Jealous Manb, aka Today’s Lonely Fool<\/a>
\nHow Can You Mend a Broken Heart<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How Can You Mend a Broken Heart<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Dressed up in their finest clothes, earlier in the afternoon the Cartwrights had ridden into Virginia City to attend the town\u2019s annual Christmas dance.\u00a0 The festivities had begun around four o\u2019clock, and so far, was lasing well into the night.\u00a0 Townspeople, ranchers and their families and hands, and visitors alike were enjoying the merriment of celebrating the upcoming holiday.\u00a0 Adam and Joe were among the few suitable bachelors stealing the limelight, bearing with good grace all the mothers introducing their young and eligible daughters.\u00a0 They willingly accepted that there were certain etiquettes when dancing in these circumstances, not too close, and certainly not too often less either wish to be involved in an arranged marriage, possibly with a shotgun held tightly by a concerned father.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Standing the opposite side of the room, away from the raised platform where the small band played, Ben half-heartedly listened to Sheriff Roy Coffee detail the virtues of the various partners with whom his sons danced.\u00a0 In time, Ben realized that one of his sons was missing.\u00a0 Looking across the dancehall, Ben excused himself and went searching.<\/span><\/p>\n

It only took ten minutes for the worried father to find his wayward son, after a helping head tilt by Doctor Paul Martin alerting him that his son was no longer inside.\u00a0 Stepping out to the planked boardwalk, Ben saw the object of his search leaning into one of the building\u2019s gable support posts, forlornly looking up to the stars that twinkled in the cloudless night.<\/span><\/p>\n

Approaching his son, \u201cHoss?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Without facing his father, Hoss quietly answered, \u201cHey Pa.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat are you doing out here?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAin\u2019t much inside for me, is there?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Understanding, Ben offered comfort by placing a hand to his son\u2019s shoulder.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI ain\u2019t begrudging Adam and Joe, nor you.\u201d\u00a0 One side of his mouth half quirked up, remembering Ben and the Widow Hawkins sharing an earlier dance.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s just the way it is.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Standing straighter, slipping hands into his wool jacket pockets, Hoss turned away from the bright lights and noise, and strode towards the caf\u00e9 down the street.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ben followed.\u00a0 His heart went out to his large and gentle son.\u00a0 It had only been a few months since Ragan Miller had left Virginia City, and his son.<\/span><\/p>\n

*****<\/span><\/p>\n

Choosing from one of the many empty tables in the establishment, father and son pulled out a chair and took their seats.\u00a0 After ordering coffee, they sat in quiet solitude.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPa, ya ever think that maybe our lives are just repeatin’ what someone else has lived, or wrote?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Nodding in thanks to the waitress who placed two saucers and cups of coffee on the tabletop, Ben replied, \u201cI\u2019m not sure I understand.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

After taking a sip of coffee, \u201cSorry I dragged ya away from the party.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s okay, I needed a break from Roy and all the advice he was offering.\u00a0 Anyway, I was ready to escape for a while, there was just too much noise.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf\u00a0unmelodious was the song, it was a hearty note, and strong*,\u201d Hoss expounded.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat it was; whether the punch was spiked or not,\u201d Ben good naturedly answered, slightly raising his coffee cup in a small salute.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNaw, I ain\u2019t thinking about the dance.\u201d\u00a0 With his eyes taking on a look of far away, \u201cIt was like I asked ya, are we just a different set of players partakin\u2019 in a play?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Concerned more than he realized, \u201cHoss, this doesn\u2019t sound like you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAh shucks Pa.\u201d\u00a0 Blushing, Hoss continued, \u201cI was reading one o\u2019 your books, one by Sir Walter Scott.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a very good author.\u201d Unknowing what else to say, Ben drank the last of his coffee.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d guess, what with him havin\u2019 a book published.\u00a0 But what I don\u2019t get his how well he can describe life; it\u2019s like he\u2019s describin\u2019 how we\u2019re livin\u2019 our lives.\u00a0 Though there were a passel of words I didn\u2019t understand, the rest a what he wrote kind of gave me the idea a what he was talkin\u2019 about.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Wracking his brain, trying to remember which book his son might be philosophizing about, Ben wrapped his hands around his empty coffee cup.<\/span><\/p>\n

Finishing his beverage and setting his own empty cup down, \u201cI don\u2019t mean ta make ya so worried, Pa.\u00a0 I know you and my brothers been talkin\u2019 about me not being myself since\u2026.\u00a0 \u00a0I just needed help thinkin\u2019 and what I read\u2026. Well, I was hoping that, maybe readin\u2019 would help bring back my holiday cheer.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Nodding, \u201cAh,\u00a0<\/span>\u2018Twas Christmas broach\u2019d the mightiest ale; \u2018Twas Christmas told the merriest tale; A Christmas gambol oft could cheer, The poor man\u2019s heart through half the year*<\/i>,\u201d Ben quoted.<\/p>\n

For the first time in a long time Ben saw a true smile appear on his son\u2019s face.<\/p>\n

Nodding, Hoss replied, \u201cJust don\u2019t be expected me to be \u2019gamboling\u2019 about like Adam and Joe are so fond a doin\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, but we can share a good time watching the two of them scampering out from the clutches of many a daughter\u2019s mother.\u201d<\/p>\n

Standing and dropping a few coins on the tabletop, the big man paid for his and his father\u2019s drinks.<\/p>\n

\u201cYa know, maybe instead of sittin\u2019 like a flower on the wall, I think I might go ask one \u2018o them kirtle sheened gals for a dance.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think you might be pleasantly surprised.\u201d<\/p>\n

The End<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

My phrase:\u00a0 “If unmelodious was the song, it was a hearty note, and strong” (*)from Old Christmastide<\/a>\u00a0by Sir Walter Scott.
\n<\/span>My character: Hoss Cartwright<\/span><\/p>\n

Episode inspired:\u00a0 She Walks in Beauty
\n<\/span>Title inspired by the BeeGees\u2019 song of the same title.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you wish to read what I wrote of the immediate aftermath following Ragan Miller’s departure, see my story \u201cYesterday a Jealous Man, Today a Lonely Fool<\/a>\u201d, another song inspired story.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Link to Bonanza Brand 2023 Advent Calendar – Day 5 – Silent as the Snow<\/a> by mcfair_58<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

<\/g><\/svg><\/i> \"Loading\"<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Summary:\u00a0 To some, the holidays aren\u2019t always merry, nor bright.
\nRating:\u00a0 G
\nWords:\u00a0 950
\nWritten for the Bonanza Brand 2023 Advent Calendar
\nYesterday Series, links included<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":5835,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"template-full-width-post.php","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,1006,8,13],"tags":[1062,1128],"class_list":["post-46658","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-hoss-cartwright","category-short-stories","category-whn","tag-advent-calendar","tag-she-walks-in-beauty","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-1006-id","wpcat-8-id","wpcat-13-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":744,"today_views":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/Christmas-Traditions.jpg?fit=639%2C480&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":61194,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=61194","url_meta":{"origin":46658,"position":0},"title":"Stuck Inside (by Fanofoldtvshows)","author":"Fanofoldtvshows","date":"December 24, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary:\u00a0 Being stuck inside can lead to fond memories. 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