christmas--day-in-the--morning

ChristmasDayintheMorningHewokesuddenlyandcompletely.Itwasfouro'clock,thehouratwhichhisfatherhadalwayscalledhimtogetupandhelpwiththemilking.Strangehowthehabitsofhisyouthclungtohimstill！Fiftyyearsago,andhisfatherhadbeendeadforthirtyyears,andyethewokeatfouro'clockinthemorning.Hehadtrainedhimselftoturnoverandgotosleep,butthismorningitwasChristmas,hedidnottrytosleep.WhydidhefeelsoawaketonightHeslippedbackintime,ashedidsoeasilynowadays.Hewasfifteenyearsoldandstillonhisfather'sfarm.Helovedhisfather.HehadnotknownituntilonedayafewdaysbeforeChristmas,whenhehadoverheardwhathisfatherwassayingtohismother."Mary,IhatetocallRobinthemornings.He'sgrowingsofastandheneedshissleep.IfyoucouldseehowhesleepswhenIgointowakehimup！IwishIcouldmanagealone."　　"Well,youcan't,Adam."Hismother'svoicewasbrisk,"Besides,heisn'tachildanymore.It'stimehetookhisturn."　　"Yes,"hisfathersaidslowly."ButIsuredohatetowakehim."　　Whenheheardthesewords,somethinginhimspoke:hisfatherlovedhim！Hehadneverthoughtofthatbefore,takingforgrantedthetieoftheirblood.Neitherhisfathernorhismothertalkedaboutlovingtheirchildren——theyhadnotimeforsuchthings.Therewasalwayssomuchtodoonthefarm.　　Nowthatheknewhisfatherlovedhim,therewouldbenoloiteringinthemorningsandhavingtobecalledagain.Hegotupafterthat,stumblingblindlyinhissleep,andpulledonhisclothes,hiseyesshut,buthegotup.　　AndthenonthenightbeforeChristmas,thatyearwhenhewasfifteen,helayforafewminutesthinkingaboutthenextday.Theywerepoor,andmostoftheexcitementwasintheturkeytheyhadraisedthemselvesandmincepieshismothermade.Hissisterssewedpresentsandhismotherandfatheralwaysboughtsomethingheneeded,notonlyawarmjacket,maybe,butsomethingmore,suchasabook.Andhesavedandboughtthemeachsomething,too.Hewished,thatChristmaswhenhewasfifteen,hehadabetterpresentforhisfather.Asusualhehadgonetotheten-centstoreandboughtatie.IthadseemedniceenoughuntilhelaythinkingthenightbeforeChristmas.Helookedoutofhisatticwindow,thestarswerebright.　"Dad,"hehadonceaskedwhenhewasalittleboy,"Whatisastable""It'sjustabarn,"hisfatherhadreplied,"likeours."　　ThenJesushadbeenborninabarn,andtoabarntheshepherdshadcome……　　Thethoughtstruckhimlikeasilverdagger.Whyshouldhenotgivehisfatheraspecialgifttoo,outthereinthebarnHecouldgetupearly,earlierthanfouro'clock,andhecouldcreepintothebarnandgetallthemilkingdone.He'ddoitalone,milkandcleanup,andthenwhenhisfatherwentintostartthemilkinghe'dseeitalldone.Andhewouldknowwhohaddoneit.Helaughedtohimselfashegazedatthestars.Itwaswhathewoulddo,andhemustn'tsleeptoosound.　　Hemusthavewakedtwentytimes,scratchingamatcheachtimetolookathisoldwatch-midnight,andhalfpastone,andthentwoo'clock.　　Ataquartertothreehegotupandputonhisclothes.Hecreptdownstairs,carefulofthecreakyboards,andlethimselfout.Thecowslookedathim,sleepyandsurprised.Itwasearlyforthemtoo.　　Hehadnevermilkedallalonebefore,butitseemedalmosteasy.Hekeptthinkingabouthisfather'ssurprise.Hisfatherwouldcomeinandgethim,sayingthathewouldgetthingsstartedwhileRobwasgettingdressed.He'dgotothebarn,openthedoor,andthenhe'dgogetthetwobigemptymilkcans.Buttheywouldn'tbewaitingorempty,they'dbestandinginthemilk-house,filled.　　"Whatthe——,"hecouldhearhisfatherexclaiming.　　Hesmiledandmilkedsteadily,twostrongstreamsrushingintothepail,frothingandfragrant.　　Thetaskwentmoreeasilythanhehadeverknownittogobefore.Milkingforoncewasnotachore.Itwassomethingelse,agifttohisfatherwholovedhim.Hefinished,thetwomilkcanswerefull,andhecoveredthemandclosedthemilk-housedoorcarefully,makingsureofthelatch.　　Backinhisroomhehadonlyaminutetopulloffhisclothesinthedarknessandjumpintobed,forheheardhisfatherup.Heputthecoversoverhisheadtosilencehisquickbreathing.Thedooropened.　　"Rob！"Hisfathercalled."Wehavetogetup,son,evenifitisChristmas."　　"Aw-right,"hesaidsleepily.　　Thedoorclosedandhelaystill,laughingtohimself.Injustafewminuteshisfatherwouldknow.Hisdancingheartwasreadytojumpfromhisbody.　　Theminuteswereendless——ten,fifteen,hedidnotknowhowmany——andheheardhisfather'sfootstepsagain.Thedooropenedandhelaystill.　　"Rob！"　　"Yes,Dad——"　　Hisfatherwaslaughing,aqueersobbingsortoflaugh.　　"Thoughtyou'dfoolme,didyou"Hisfatherwasstandingbyhisbed,feelingforhim,pullingawaythecover.　　"It'sforChristmas,Dad！"　　Hefoundhisfatherandclutchedhiminagreathug.Hefelthisfather'sarmsgoaroundhim.Itwasdarkandtheycouldnotseeeachother'sfaces.　　"Son,Ithankyou.Nobodyeverdidanicerthing——"　　"Oh,Dad,Iwantyoutoknow——Idowanttobegood！"Thewordsbrokefromhimoftheirownwill.Hedidnotknowwhattosay.Hisheartwasburstingwithlove.　　HegotupandpulledonhisclothesagainandtheywentdowntotheChristmastree.OhwhataChristmas,andhowhishearthadnearlyburstagainwithshynessandprideashisfathertoldhismotherandmadetheyoungerchildrenlistenabouthowhe,Rob,hadgotupallbyhimself.　　"ThebestChristmasgiftIeverhad,andI'llrememberit,soneveryyearonChristmasmorning,solongasIlive."　　Theyhadbothrememberedit,andnowthathisfatherwasdead,heremembereditalone:thatblessedChristmasdawnwhen,alonewiththecowsinthebarn,hehadmadehisfirstgiftoftruelove.　　ThisChristmashewantedtowriteacardtohiswifeandtellherhowmuchhelovedher,ithadbeenalongtimesincehehadreallytoldher,althoughhelovedherinaveryspecialway,muchmorethanheeverhadwhentheywereyoung.Hehadbeenfortunatethatshehadlovedhim.Ah,thatwasthetruejoyoflife,theabilitytolove.Lovewasstillaliveinhim,itstillwas.　　Itoccurredtohimsuddenlythatitwasalivebecauselongagoithadbeenborninhimwhenheknewhisfatherlovedhim.Thatwasit:Lovealonecouldawakenlove.Andhecouldgivethegiftagainandagain.Thismorning,thisblessedChristmasmorning,hewouldgiveittohisbelovedwife.HeIcouldwriteitdowninaletterforhertoreadandkeepforever.Hewenttohisdeskandbeganhislovelettertohiswife:Mydearestlove……　　Suchahappy,happy,Christmas！