Mail Order Bride- Illinois

Chapter 12

It was Christmas Eve and Abby was so excited! It was time for one of her favorite traditions. Reading a Christmas carol by the fire and drinking hot cocoa with ginger bread cookies. Throughout the year her family often changed the book but she felt to start her own traditions in her home to start with this book. Abby made sure to invite all the ranch hands as well as her brother-in-law James.

She couldn’t get any more information from James or Jonathan about what James was hiding from. Frankly Abby was not happy about it either. The fact that Jonathan didn’t share it with her, said a lot about how he viewed their relationship. Abby decided to bury the fight, and get into the holiday spirit.

Abby smiled as she saw the living room full of the ranch hands, she invited them, but she wasn’t sure if they would show up. Jonathan told her not to expect them to come, Christmas was a hard time for some. Abby also reminded Jonathan that Christmas was a time of hope, and it looks like hope won out.

Jonathan looked around the room surprised.

“Told you do,” she said with a smug smile on her face. Jonathan couldn’t help but smile back,

“Looks like you did.” Jonathan gave her a quick peck on the lips.

“Will you bring in this tray of cookies please, I’ll be right out with the cocoa.”

“Yes ma’am.” Jonathan said and grabbed the large plate heaped high with gingerbread cookies. Abby wanted to make little men for the boys to have fun with them but the general store didn’t have the cookie cutter. Abby let out a little sigh and started to lift the heavy pan.

“Here let me do that, it’s too heavy for you,” James said as he came into the kitchen.

“Thank you.” James grabbed the pot and Abby followed James into the living room. She filled the cups with hot cocoa and set down the pot on the side table. She grabbed three cups, and motioned for the men to take the rest.

The men eagerly did so, cocoa of any kind was definitely a treat. She begged Jonathan to let her buy some to make hot chocolate with when they went to town a few weeks before hand. At first Jon balked at the price, but when she was willing to pay for it with her store credit she still had Jon caved and bought it for her.

On the way home she started feeling guilty but Jon just shrugged it off saying it was only money and he could always make more. The first taste of the delicious cocoa she definitely no longer felt any guilt. Abby looked at the boys face as they drank, and ate the delicious Christmas treats. She couldn’t contain her smile.

“Ok if no one minds I’m going to go ahead and start.” There were nods of agreement so Abby went ahead, and picked up the book and started to read.

“Marley was dead to begin with. There was no doubt whatever about that. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman…”

Jonathan sat listening to Abby read with a cup in his hand a feeling of contentment fell over him. He noticed this feeling was happening more and more when he was around her. Was this love? He scoffed inwardly, he was a thirty some year old man who has no idea what love is.

He knows what jealousy is that’s for sure. When he saw James rushing to help his wife, he felt jealousy claw within his gut.

“Are you the spirit, sir, whose coming was foretold to me?” He tried to focus on the story. Jonathan looked around at all of his ranch hands, and they were all enraptured by Abby’s recount of the classic tale. Even his two young sons were mesmerized by her voice. Cullen just then wanted to look at the book, Jonathan was going to pull him away. But before he could do anything Abby pulled him up on her lap against her large belly. Cullen rested his head on her shoulder and put a hand on her belly. Jonathan couldn’t help but smile, Jon saw Devlin wasn’t happy so he gestured for him to come sit with him. Devlin quietly came over and sidled up next to him on the seat. Jon pulled him in close.

“It’s ok Dev,” he whispered into his ear. Abby was constantly urging him to be gentler with his sons. Jon saw his smile a little, and cuddle into his chest.

Abby continued reading and everyone was enthralled with the story.

“As Tiny Tim observed God bless us, every one.” Abby closes the book on the page and then jumped up.

“Okay time for presents!”

“Presents?” The boys jumped up along with her. Abby looked at the boys,

“Just one of yours tonight, the rest of yours will be in the morning.” Devlin pouted at that announcement, but Cullen’s face lit up with joy. Abby went over to the pine tree he cut down yesterday. They had a blast this morning decorating it with popcorn strings and handmade decorations.

“Wait I almost forgot.” Abby went and disappeared, only to reappear with a bulky box. Jon went to take it from her and set it on the table.

“I can’t believe I almost forgot the star!” Abby opened the box, and pulled out a tree topper. It was a beautiful star, she carefully place a candle inside it and lit it so the star itself glowed. Abby handed it to him and looked at him expectedly,

“You want me to put it on?” He asked surprised.

“My dad put it on every year, unless you don’t want to.” Abby said.

“No it’s fine I will.” Jon said as he took the ornament, and placed it on top of the tree. Abby looked at the tree, and let a satisfied smile come over her face. Then she went back to the tree and sat down at the base. She started handing out presents to each of the men,

“Sorry we couldn’t afford the more expensive wrapping paper.” Abby said to the men. Abby had wrapped the presents in paper she had got from the mercantile.

“Don’t worry about that Miss Abby, this will still be the finest gift I had gotten in many of years,” Buzz told her.

“How do you know that? You haven’t even opened them yet?” She asked.

“Cause it’s the only present I have gotten in several years,” buzz replied and all of the agreed.

“Well that’s just the saddest thing I’ve ever heard,” she replied while starting to cry and left the room. The men looked to Jonathan who just shrugged his shoulders. and motioned for them to go ahead and open them. All the men had handmade scarf, mittens, and a new pair of socks. Jonathan had gotten them all a deck of cards for them to play when things got boring. It also seemed like Abby got them all some candy, peppermint from the looks of it, well except Henry it seems he got lemon; that’s odd. It seemed they all got some other small things, not very expensive but thoughtful. Abby came back into the room, and the men thanked her for their gifts.

“Remember Christmas dinner tomorrow!” Abby told them all. Abby gave all the men hugs.

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world Miss Abby,” Waylon said. The ranch hands left the house, and then Jonathan looked to the boys.

“Did you pick out your gifts?”

Henry went and placed his gifts in his bunk, but not before popping a lemon candy into his mouth. It appears Abby remembered that he hated peppermint candy, but did she remember that this is the candy she sent him every month while he was at war without fail? Cause he did. He remembered everything about her, how could you forget.

Henry thought he was doing the right thing by signing up for the war, h*ll everyone was joining up to fight the rebels. Irony of irony’s was that he was now working for one.

But Henry went to Springfield and joined the 82nd infantry regiment. When he left he begged Abby to write him as often as possible, and that was a mistake. When he saw his first battle at Chancellorsville he wasn’t the same person. Henry pulled out her letters, that didn’t mean he told her stop writing him though, he was too selfish for that. He read every letter over and over again.

It was the battle of Gettysburg where everything changed. However in hindsight it was the case for everyone Henry mused. It was a three day battle that was filled with nothing but blood and gore. Our regiment along with an Ohio regiment were one of the last to retreat. The north declared it a victory, because we had fewer lives lost. But if you were there, no one had one. Everyone lost.

I had been bayoneted in the shoulder during the retreat, of course infection set in. I almost died, the army in its infinite wisdom thought I wasn’t going to make it decided to tell my family I died. I did in a way, the war had claimed my soul but I let my parents know I was alive. I continued my service until the end of the war. The regiment wasn’t involved in many battles after those two big ones. We were there at the burning of Atlanta, I’d lost a close friend that night.

When the war ended I drifted, like so many of my other brethren. We were lost, afraid, we didn’t fit in back home with our families any longer. I sent another letter letting them know I wasn’t coming back, and to end the engagement with Abby. She deserved a man that was more than just a shell of a man. It’s ironic that is what she got anyway.

This place had been a savior for him, so when she showed up her, Henry thought Abby would ruin it for him. But once again he forgot the kind of woman Abby was, she respected his wishes and didn’t say a word. Henry tried to forget about her, but he should have l own that would he impossible. Henry also started to feel jealous. He wanted to be Abby’s husband. He regretted not replying to Abby’s letters, and maybe she would have waited for him. His head was a mess. Henry just wished there was something he could do to make things different.

Authors note: 82nd Illinois regiment is a real regiment and participated in same battles. Also formed in Springfield