The Christmas Box Read Online Free PDF Page A

ncredulously. I ran back to the nursery to give Jenna a kiss.
    I found her sitting in a pile of shredded paper with a pair of round-edge d c hildren's scissors in hand.
    "Dad, can you help me cut these?"
    she asked.
    "Not now, honey, I'm late for work."
    The corners of her mouth pulle d d ownward in disappointment.
    "When I get home," I hastil y p romised. She sat quietly as I kisse d h er on the head.
    "I've got to go. I'll see you tonight." I dashed out of the room, nearly forgetting the lunch which Keri had set b y t he door, and made my way throug h t he gray, slushy streets to the formal-
    wear shop.
    Each day, as the first streaks of daw n s pread across the blue winter morning sky, Mary could be found in th e f ront parlor, sitting comfortably in a p osh, overstuffed Turkish chair, warming her feet in front of the fireplace. I n h er lap lay the third Bible. The one tha t s he had kept. This morning ritua l d ated decades back but Mary coul d t ell you the exact day it had begun. I t w as her "morning constitutional for th e s pirit," she had told Keri.
    During the Christmas season sh e w ould read at length the Christma s s tories of the Gospels, and it was her e t hat she welcomed the small, uninvited guest.
    "Well, good morning, Jenna," Mar y s aid.
    Jenna stood at the doorway, stil l c lothed in the red-flannel nightshirt i n w hich she almost always slept. Sh e l ooked around the room then ran to Mary. Mary hugged her tightly.
    "What are you reading? A story?"
    Jenna asked.
    "A Christmas story," Mary said.
    Jenna's eyes lit up. She crawled onto Mary's lap and looked for pictures o f r eindeer and Santa Claus.
    "Where are the pictures?" sh e a sked. "Where's Santa Claus?"
    Mary smiled. "This is a differen t k ind of Christmas story. This is th e f irst Christmas story. It's about th e b aby Jesus."
    Jenna smiled. She knew about Jesus.
    "Mary?"
    "Yes, sweetheart?"
    "Will Daddy be here at Christmas?"
    "Why of course, dear," she assured.
    She brushed the hair back from Jenna's face and kissed her forehead. "You miss him, don't you?"
    "He's gone a lot."
    "Starting a new business takes a l ot of work and a lot of time."
    Jenna looked up sadly. "Is wor k b etter than here?"
    "No. No place is better than home."
    "Then why does Daddy want to b e t here instead of here?"
    Mary paused thoughtfully. "I gues s s ometimes we forget," she answere d a nd pulled the little girl close.
    With the approach of the holidays , business grew increasingly busy, an d t hough we welcomed the revenue, I found myself working long days an d r eturning home late each night. In my frequent absence, Keri had established the habit of sharing supper with Mary in the downstairs den. They ha d e ven adopted the ritual of sharing a n a fter-dinner cup of peppermint te a n ear the fire. Afterward Mary would follow Keri into the kitchen and help clea n u p the supper dishes, while I, if hom e b y this time, would remain in the de n a nd finish the day's books. Tonight th e s now fell softly outside, contrasted b y t he sputtering and hissing of the war m f ire crackling in the fireplace. Jenn a h ad been sent up to bed, and as Ker i c leared the table, I remained behind , diving into a catalog of new-fashione d c ummerbunds and matching ban d t ies. Tonight Mary also remained behind, still sitting in the antique chai r f rom which she always took her tea.
    Though she usually followed Keri int o t he kitchen, sometimes, after she ha d f inished her, tea, she would doze quietly in her chair until we woke her an d h elped her to her room.
    Mary set down her tea, pushe d h erself up, and walked over to th e c herry wood bookshelf. She pulled a b ook from a high shelf, dusted i t l ightly, and handed it to me.
    "Here is a charming Christma s t ale. Read this to your little one." I too k t he book from her outstretched ar m a nd examined the title, Christmas Every Day by William Dean Howells.
    "Thank you, Mary, I will." I smiled a t h er, set the book down,