{"id":7187,"date":"2013-12-20T16:51:31","date_gmt":"2013-12-20T21:51:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=7187"},"modified":"2025-02-18T19:13:40","modified_gmt":"2025-02-19T00:13:40","slug":"while-shepherds-watched","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=7187","title":{"rendered":"While Shepherds Watched (by JoaniePaiute)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Summary:\u00a0<\/span>“Real shepherds can be downright ornery,” Hoss tells his little brother, but 6-year-old Joe is determined to see for himself. A Christmas story with a message of comfort, inspired by Rider’s 2013 Christmas Carol Challenge.<\/span><\/p>\n

Rated:<\/span>\u00a0K+ \u00a0WC \u00a02900<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

While Shepherds Watched<\/strong><\/p>\n

By JoaniePaiute<\/p>\n

\u201cLeft. Left. Left, right, left,\u201d six-year-old Joe muttered in time as he stomped through the dark, snowy woods. He had just learned to tell his left from his right. He was also learning to write, and for some reason it was easier to manage the pen with his left hand. At first Pa had instructed him to use his right hand anyway, but Mama had come to Joe\u2019s rescue. \u201cWhat does it matter which hand he prefers?\u201d she\u2019d demanded, and Pa had relented. Mama didn\u2019t contradict him often, but when she did, she usually won.<\/div>\n
\n

But Mama wasn\u2019t here, not in the dark woods with Joe, not even at the Ponderosa anymore. Pa said she\u2019d gone to heaven, and that she\u2019d watch over Joe from there, for always.No one had asked Joe about his preference in the matter. But if he\u2019d been asked, he would have given his left hand to have Mama back. Here. On earth. Where she belonged.Scowling, he concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. Not on longing for Mama, which would do no good…although he hoped she really\u00a0was<\/i>\u00a0watching over him as he tramped through the snow. Not on his disobedience and the spanking he was bound to get if he didn\u2019t make it back home before Pa woke up. Only on his destination, which was much farther away than he\u2019d thought it would be.The powdery snow collected on the toes of his boots as he set them down, then fell away as he lifted each foot, dispersing like the cloud of flour that always surrounded Hop Sing on baking day. That thought brought another worry to Joe\u2019s mind: what would Hop Sing say when he saw that an entire batch of freshly-baked cookies had gone missing? Joe patted the bundle he\u2019d tied around his waist. Yes, it was secure.<\/p>\n

His left arm was getting tired, so he shifted the lantern to his right hand. Holding it high to keep the shadows at bay, he continued to plod through the snow. Surprisingly, he wasn\u2019t cold; even at six years old, he was aware enough to be grateful for that mercy. His hands were snug and dry inside the child-sized leather gloves Adam had sent him from Boston. His feet were dry too, thanks to his hand-me-down snow boots, which had belonged to Hoss but still had at least a year\u2019s worth of wear left in them. His ears were warm inside the green cap Mama had knitted him (\u201cIt will match your eyes, mon chere.\u201d<\/i>). He\u2019d left his heavy fur-lined coat at home in favor of a lighter jacket, but he was moving steadily enough to keep his blood flowing. For now, anyway. And he\u2019d be there soon. He would.<\/p>\n

And then he topped a small rise and saw the welcome glow of a campfire. He was there.<\/p>\n

***
\nElijah Rollins, fifteen years old and definitely a man, snatched up the rifle he always kept in easy reach. Warily he watched the lamp bobbing up and down, coming nearer and nearer. Mama, as usual, didn\u2019t react. She just sat there, huddled on a rock and staring into the fire. Behind him, he heard Papa coming from the wagon. The sheep stirred and bleated in response to the movement, and Papa called, \u201cWho\u2019s there?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJoe Cartwright,\u201d a child\u2019s voice answered from behind the lantern. Cautiously, Elijah lowered his rifle, but he didn\u2019t put it down.<\/p>\n

Mama, for the first time in weeks, gave a little jump and spoke. \u201cJakey?\u201d she cried out, staring in the direction of the child\u2019s voice. \u201cBilly? Is that my boys?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, Mama,\u201d Elijah said shortly. \u201cIt ain\u2019t them.\u201d Her eyes clouded again, and she slumped down, shoulders hunched inside her blanket.<\/p>\n

The little boy was close enough now that Elijah could see his tousled curls escaping from a wool cap. Joe plodded into their camp and set his lantern on the ground. Removing his gloves, he stuffed them in his pocket and untied a length of twine that held a small sack against his waist. He offered the sack to Mama. She didn\u2019t even look at it.<\/p>\n

\u201cMerry Christmas,\u201d Joe said softly. \u201cIt\u2019s cookies, ma\u2019am.\u201d When she didn’t respond, he added hopefully, \u201cGinger cookies. Hop Sing made \u2019em.\u201d<\/p>\n

Papa stepped forward and took the sack. \u201cWe thank you,\u201d he said. \u201cHave a seat, boy. Ain\u2019t you a little young to be out here alone?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes sir,\u201d Joe admitted, squatting close to the fire. Now that the kid wasn\u2019t moving, Elijah noted, he looked a little cold. \u201cPa wouldn\u2019t have brung me. He don\u2019t like\u2014\u201d He halted, apparently unsure of himself.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know,\u201d Elijah said brusquely. He recognized the boy now, as well as the last name. Joe had been with his older brother and their father earlier that day, and Elijah well remembered the father\u2019s fierce scowl. \u201cYour pa don\u2019t like shepherds.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe shrugged. \u201cWell, your sheep\u2019ll ruin our pastures,\u201d he said, parroting the old man. \u201cThey overgraze it, don\u2019t you know that?\u201d<\/p>\n

A sharp retort almost sprang to Elijah\u2019s lips, but he contained it. To be perfectly honest (and for all his faults, Elijah\u00a0was<\/i>\u00a0honest), he\u2019d probably had something to do with Mr. Cartwright’s hostility. If Papa had been with him, things would have gone better. But Elijah had been backtracking alone, trying to locate a lagging lamb, when the Cartwrights had encountered him.<\/p>\n

Probably, Elijah reflected, he shouldn\u2019t have pointed his flintlock at the old man right off. And probably, he shouldn\u2019t have pretended he was following a real herd of sheep instead of a measly dozen. And maybe, just maybe, he should have let Mr. Cartwright know of his Mama\u2019s condition. But doing so smacked of groveling, and he couldn’t have brought himself to do it.<\/p>\n

Papa interrupted his thoughts. To Joe he said, \u201cYou got no cause for worry, boy. Like my son told your pa, we\u2019ll be gone tomorrow.\u201d He frowned. \u201cCourse, in the meantime, we better get you back home.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe stood. \u201cI can get back on my own,\u201d he said stoutly, and Elijah couldn\u2019t help grinning. The kid reminded him of Jakey, all full of bravado. Billy had been Jakey\u2019s opposite, frail and bashful, a tow-headed angel beside his mischievous twin brother. Of course, they were both gone now. Elijah\u2019s smile vanished.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure you can make it alone,\u201d Papa was saying to Joe, \u201cbut I reckon I could use a little stroll. I\u2019ll just walk along with you, if\u2019n you don\u2019t mind the company. Now,\u201d he added before Joe could protest, \u201clet\u2019s see how good these cookies are.\u201d He reached into the bag and then passed it to Elijah.<\/p>\n

The gingersnaps were delicious, Elijah had to admit. He sat down and closed his eyes for a moment, savoring the sharp sweetness that melted across his tongue. His smile returned, and this time he didn\u2019t fight it. Taking two more cookies, he offered the bag to Joe, who fished one out and tried again to give the bag to Mama. Again, she didn\u2019t acknowledge him. Joe\u2019s forehead creased. \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with her?\u201d he asked Papa.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe lost her little boys,\u201d Papa said softly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey got lost?\u201d Joe echoed, his eyes widening. He looked nervously into the dark woods beyond the clearing.<\/p>\n

Papa shook his head. \u201cThey was kilt,\u201d he said. \u201cBy some real bad men.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBy some\u00a0rich<\/i>\u00a0bad men, you mean,\u201d Elijah burst out. He glared at Joe. \u201cRich like your pa. Shepherd-haters like your pa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe stood. The bag and the cookie he\u2019d been holding dropped to the snow as his fists clenched. \u201cMy pa would never kill a little boy!\u201d he shouted. \u201cHe wouldn\u2019t even kill you, and you\u2019re\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSimmer down, the both of you,\u201d Papa broke in, his voice quiet but firm enough to override Joe\u2019s. \u201cYou,\u201d he said, nodding at Joe, \u201cyou\u2019re a guest here, and it ain’t right for a guest to yell at his host. I reckon your pa would agree with that, wouldn\u2019t he?\u201d With obvious reluctance, Joe nodded and sat down. Sullenly, he retrieved his cookie from the ground, brushed it off, and bit into it. Papa turned his gaze to Elijah, who looked down. \u201cAnd you,\u201d Papa said sternly, \u201cyou\u2019re the host. You act right too, y\u2019hear?\u201d<\/p>\n

Elijah didn\u2019t like defying Pa, but he couldn\u2019t stop himself. Glaring at Joe, he demanded, \u201cHow do you know?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow do I know what?\u201d<\/p>\n

Again, Elijah thought of Jakey. Always bouncing from thought to thought, lightning-fast, unable to hold onto an idea for more than a second before jumping to the next. \u201cHow do you know,\u201d he said with exaggerated patience, \u201cthat your pa wouldn\u2019t have killed my brothers?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh.\u201d Joe finished his cookie, picked up the sack and took another, and tossed the sack to Elijah. \u201cI just know.\u201d His eyes brightened as he apparently remembered something. \u201cAnd because of what he said last night. He was reading us this Bible story, about King Herod killing all the baby boys \u2019cause he was scared of the Baby Jesus, and Pa got…\u201d Joe paused, searching for the right word. \u201cHe got\u00a0quiet-mad<\/i>\u00a0like he gets sometimes, and he said Herod was a real bad man. And he said\u2026\u201d Joe\u2019s voice softened, but its intensity made Elijah shiver.\u00a0Quiet-mad,<\/i>\u00a0he thought, and he envisioned Mr. Cartwright\u2019s gray eyebrows coming together over his blazing dark eyes. Joe continued between clenched teeth, \u201cPa said, \u2018You don\u2019t kill children.\u2019\u201d With that, silence descended in the clearing.<\/p>\n

Mama, of all people, broke the silence. \u201cNo,\u201d she whispered, looking at the ground. \u201cYou don\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n

They all looked at her. Then Joe got up and walked over to her. \u201cMa\u2019am?\u201d he said, stooping to peer into her face. Slowly, she raised her eyes to his, and for the first time since her twins had died, she seemed to focus. \u201cI\u2019m sorry about your boys,\u201d Joe said, so softly Elijah had to strain to hear him. \u201cI guess you miss \u2019em like I miss\u2014\u201d His voice caught, and he took a breath. \u201cLike I miss my mama. Maybe, just for tonight\u2026well, maybe I could be your boy.\u201d He trailed off, ending with a whispered, \u201cJust for tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Incredulously Elijah watched as his mother reached out and touched Joe\u2019s shoulder. She did it cautiously, as if she was afraid he would disappear like a cloud of powdery snow. Then she reached out with her other hand, stroking the sleeves of his jacket, like petting a kitten. Slowly she drew him onto her lap. Her cheeks were glistening. Elijah looked at Papa, and saw that his face was wet, too. He swallowed the lump that had arisen in his own throat. He was fifteen, after all, and definitely a man. Papa was old, so he could be excused for crying, but Elijah would hold it in. Someone in this family had better stay strong, he reckoned.<\/p>\n

***
\nWhen Ben and Hoss strode into the campsite, it was almost morning. Hoss had awakened his pa about three o\u2019clock, having reached for Joe in the bed beside him and finding only rumpled, empty blankets.\u00a0I should have known,<\/i>\u00a0he berated himself. Joe had asked to \u201cgo see the big herd of sheep\u201d before bed, but Pa had given him an emphatic \u201cno.\u201d Hoss knew that Pa was waiting until morning to go find the herd and talk to the boss man. He\u2019d probably take a couple of the hands with him, but he didn\u2019t want Joe and Hoss in the line of fire, if there was any fire.<\/p>\n

Later in bed, Joe had again voiced his desire to see the big herd and meet \u201creal shepherds.\u201d Hoss figured Joe was thinking about the woodcut illustration in Pa\u2019s big Bible, depicting a trio of neatly robed shepherds tending a flock of clean, docile sheep.<\/p>\n

\u201cReal shepherds ain\u2019t like that picture, Joe,\u201d Hoss had said sleepily. \u201cThey can be downright ornery.\u201d Then, foolishly, Hoss hadn\u2019t waited to hear Joe breathing evenly before falling asleep himself.<\/p>\n

Hoping against hope, he\u2019d checked the outhouse. As soon as he saw the small boot prints leading away from the house, though, he got Pa. He hated tattling on Joe, but he knew that real trouble could be lurking in the woods at night, much worse than Joe could expect from Pa. There were mean critters out there, and maybe mean people. Plenty of animals would love to get their claws into a tasty little boy, and some folks would like to get theirs into a rich man\u2019s son.<\/p>\n

So he and Pa had dressed quickly, lit a couple of lamps (noting that one was missing), and followed the boot prints. Now they were standing in the shepherd family\u2019s sparse little camp, and Pa was talking to the shepherd papa and the shepherd boy, who was only a few years older than Hoss but seemed to think he was a man. Hoss wished the boy would quit waving that rifle around, and was glad when his papa told him to set it down. The boy obeyed, but he obviously didn\u2019t like doing it.<\/p>\n

Little Joe was sound asleep on the shepherd woman\u2019s lap. She had her arms wrapped protectively around him, and she gazed at Pa and Hoss with a charming frankness. Her eyes sparkled in the firelight, and her face, while tired-looking, was almost pretty.<\/p>\n

The shepherd man said, \u201cI was gonna bring him back, Mr. Cartwright. He come here on his own. Brung us some cookies. Said they was a Christmas present.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell,\u201d Pa said gruffly. To someone who didn\u2019t know him, he might sound angry, but Hoss knew how scared he\u2019d been and heard the relief just under the surface of his words. \u201cNo harm done. Although what goes through that boy\u2019s mind sometimes, I\u2019ll never know.\u201d He kept looking around the campsite as if wondering where the rest of it was.<\/p>\n

The woman spoke up. \u201cYour boy brought more than cookies.\u201d At the sound of her voice, Joe stirred and opened his eyes. He looked around the clearing, coming fully awake when he saw Pa and Hoss. Clearly alarmed, he sat up straight on the woman\u2019s knee.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat else did he bring you?\u201d Pa asked, fixing Joe with a stern look. Joe leaned back against the woman.<\/p>\n

She tightened her arms around him. \u201cA message.\u201d She smiled at Pa. \u201cDon\u2019t \u2018angel\u2019 mean \u2018messenger\u2019?\u201d<\/p>\n

Pa nodded. \u201cWhat kind of message?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf comfort,\u201d she answered. \u201c\u201dIt don\u2019t change nothing really, didn\u2019t bring my boys back to me. But it did give me some comfort.\u201d She brushed her lips against Joe\u2019s hair. \u201cAngel,\u201d she said softly.<\/p>\n

Joe rested his head against her shoulder. \u201cMy mama used to call me that,\u201d he murmured.<\/p>\n

To Hoss\u2019 relief, Pa smiled, just a little. With mock severity, he said to Joe, \u201cYes, she called you that. And do you remember what I always said?\u201d<\/p>\n

Joe giggled. \u201cSure,\u201d he said, and deepened his voice in imitation of Pa\u2019s. \u201cThe devil hath his angels, Marie,\u201d he intoned, and then they were all laughing, Joe loudest of all. Hoss heard the nervousness in Joe\u2019s laughter.\u00a0Merry Christmas, Little Joe,<\/i>\u00a0he thought wryly, hoping Pa would give Joe a reprieve as a present.<\/p>\n

The woman stood and nudged Joe toward Pa, then motioned them to sit down on some rocks that were close to the fire. Joe settled in on Pa\u2019s lap, and the woman went to the wagon and came back with a skillet and a side of fatback. A mouth-watering aroma soon filled the campsite, and soon they were all enjoying a breakfast of fried bread and coffee. Hoss didn\u2019t realize he was nodding until the man brought him a blanket. With a glance at Pa for permission, Hoss scooted down and closed his eyes. The man built up the fire, and between the warmth, the food, and his relief at finding Joe, Hoss quickly fell asleep.<\/p>\n

He woke to what sounded like a good-natured argument. He kept his eyes closed, listening to the voices rise and fall. The shepherd man was protesting, \u201cWe don\u2019t take charity.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not charity, Rollins,\u201d Pa said insistently. \u201cI\u00a0need<\/i>\u00a0someone on that land.\u201d<\/p>\n

The boy said eagerly, \u201cI\u2019ll keep it clear of squatters for you, Mr. Cartwright.\u201d He sounded a little\u00a0too<\/i>\u00a0eager, Hoss thought.<\/p>\n

Apparently Pa agreed. \u201cIf you go to work for me, Elijah,\u201d he warned, \u201cyou\u2019ll use some discretion about where you point that rifle. So…\u201d he addressed Mr. Rollins, \u201cwill you move your family onto that piece?\u201d<\/p>\n

Little Joe piped up. \u201cMy mama would want you to stay,\u201d he said emphatically.<\/p>\n

Hoss opened his eyes to see Mrs. Rollins giving her husband exactly the same look Joe\u2019s mama used to give Pa whenever she\u2019d disagreed with him. Joe\u2019s mama hadn\u2019t contradicted Pa often…but when she had, she\u2019d generally won.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

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

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

Summary:\u00a0“Real shepherds can be downright ornery,” Hoss tells his little brother, but 6-year-old Joe is determined to see for himself.<\/p>\n

Rated:\u00a0K+ \u00a0WC \u00a02900<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":214,"featured_media":14973,"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":[23,30,40],"tags":[15,17,16],"class_list":["post-7187","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drama","category-prequels","category-challenges","tag-ben","tag-hoss","tag-joe","wpcat-23-id","wpcat-30-id","wpcat-40-id"],"a3_pvc":{"activated":true,"total_views":1234,"today_views":0},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/sheperd.jpg?fit=356%2C472&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":15611,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=15611","url_meta":{"origin":7187,"position":0},"title":"Shepherds (by Sierra Girl)","author":"Sierra Girl","date":"December 25, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"This image was created for the 2017 Advent Calendar - Day 10 Summary:\u00a0 Christmas greetings. Rating:\u00a0 G\u00a0 \u00a0(30 words)","rel":"","context":"In "Humor"","block_context":{"text":"Humor","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=4"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Advent.jpg?fit=791%2C680&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Advent.jpg?fit=791%2C680&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Advent.jpg?fit=791%2C680&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Advent.jpg?fit=791%2C680&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":26936,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=26936","url_meta":{"origin":7187,"position":1},"title":"The Real Hero (by purplewriter333)","author":"VCLS","date":"December 25, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The story was written for the 2017 Advent Calendar - Day 11 Summary: An unfortunate rite of passage. Rating: G (1,790 words)","rel":"","context":"In "Writing Challenges"","block_context":{"text":"Writing Challenges","link":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?cat=40"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Advent.jpg?fit=791%2C680&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Advent.jpg?fit=791%2C680&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Advent.jpg?fit=791%2C680&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Advent.jpg?fit=791%2C680&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":25624,"url":"https:\/\/bonanzabrand.info\/library\/?p=25624","url_meta":{"origin":7187,"position":2},"title":"Christmas Spirit (by AC1830)","author":"AC1830","date":"December 25, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Summary: Little Joe learns something special about Christmas, with the help of his brothers. 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