Melton Snow
A Happy Heart Christmas
By Claudia Stewart Farrell
Copyright 2011 Claudia Stewart Farrell
Smashwords Edition
I trust in your love. My heart is happy because you saved me.
Psalms 13:5 (NCV)
Smashwords Edition License Notes:
This ebook is licensed for your
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this author.
First electronic edition, November 2011
Copyright © 2011 Claudia Stewart Farrell
Cover art reproduced by
permission of artist, Bill Ferguson
Melton Snow created by artist, Karen Stewart Casper especially for the Melton Snow series.
Happy Heart song, Copyright by Deanna Duggar Words and Music, Centre of Praise Publishing, BMI
All rights reserved.
No part of this e-book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher.
All inquiries should be sent to Claudia@readtheirstory.com
Acknowledgements
Thank you to my sister Karen for working with me on the creation of Melton Snow, the won’t melt snowman and to my nephew Dan Van Langen for the excellent graphics and art work.
Special thanks is given to Mr. Bill Ferguson, for the generous offer to use the Monroe County Courthouse at Christmas painting as the cover for this book allowing me to drop Melton Snow into the scene.
Thank you, to my daughter Amy, to my sisters, Margaret and Debby, for your contributions to the Melton Snow story in reviewing, researching and advising when I was in need of help.
Thanks to Julie Van Sickle, my British friend for being my ever ready reference for phrases and slang used in your native England; I thank you for helping add such a fun dimension to the story.
Thanks to Paula Carroll for the professional book review and solid spiritual advice in the development of the story. You are much appreciated.
The list would be incomplete without thanking Penny Robichaux-Koontz for the example and advice to push through. Your friendship is invaluable and I look forward to working on more writing projects together.
Last and most importantly, I give a huge thank you to my husband, Ron, for walking this out with me, for encouraging me, for prophesying over me and the success of this simple message. You truly “raised me up” and kept me on track when I grew weary. I thank you, love.
Dedication
This work of love is dedicated to our grandchildren,
Tanner
Dakota
Hunter
Calei
Hannah
And
Gracelynn
And to all the children and grandchildren of the world,
may
you find a happy heart through the love of Jesus.
CONTENTS
The third floor windows of Chamberlain Manor displayed a view of the gardens, lawn and the pasture lands beyond. It shared borders with the quaint little town of Stow on the Wold. Lady Eliza Montgomery’s small hand rested on her young daughter’s shoulder in an attempt to settle the child. The snowman that Abbie and her brother Selbeigh had worked so hard on just yesterday was being dismantled by flakes and by chunks as the fierce wind tore at it layer by layer, bit by bit.
“He was a special snowman, Mummy. Selby said so,” Abigail whimpered.
“In a few days when it is warmer, you can build another snowman. Maybe you should build it in the courtyard next time where the high walls will protect it from the wind,” advised her mother, gently.
“We will, Mummy. “It makes me sad to see our snowman blowing away,” Abbie said, shaking her head unhappily.
“Alright then, Lady Abigail, it’s time to dress for dinner,” she instructed, stroking her daughter’s flaxen hair. She was a tall child for only six, fair-complected with blue eyes so large and bright they mirrored onlookers.
They stood a minute longer looking across the snow drifted fields and hedgerows to the bell tower of St. Edwards church on the high distant hill. The Cotswold’s had been home to generations of Montgomery’s, still they never tired of this stirring view of their estate.
“Run along to your chambers now so you won’t be tardy,” smiled Lady Montgomery, her gaze returning to the snowy wonderland.
* * *
On the other side of the world, Mrs. Snow smiled contentedly, “Look outside, Ava.” Seven year old Ava sat on the floor surrounded by beads of every color, shape and size making bracelets for each of her friends. Ava was small for her age with long, straight brown hair, rounded cheeks, a turned up nose and almond shaped brown eyes. Those eyes had to come from Grandma. Her eyes also had an oriental shape yet she had no known Asian blood. That look was a mystery yet a fun curiosity as no one else in the family looked quite the same as the two of them. Ava bounced up, landing on the sofa that sat beneath the wide living room window. “Wow, look how big the flakes are,” she exclaimed.
Her older sister, Glory, glanced out the window and smiled at the beautiful sight as the large flakes fell quickly to the ground. She was snuggled into the oversized winged back chair, opposite the picture window, her favorite place to sit. Glory was almost twelve with softly curled strawberry blond hair that surrounded a slender face, deep blue eyes, and a pretty nose dappled with a few freckles. Glory was the pensive one of the family. She usually had her nose in a book or was journaling something that had happened, drawing a picture or composing a rhyme. She picked up her journal to make a note.
“Can we go outside, Mom,” Ava quizzed with excitement. “Go find your brothers, they will want to go, too,” was her answer. Ava chased off to search for Aaron and Elijah. She found them in the garage with Dad. Elijah, tall for twelve and three quarters, as he liked to say, was holding a piece of wood while his dad sawed it. Anytime there was work to be done in the garage, Elijah was there to help. He was a quick learner, having a fascination with anything mechanical or any construction project. He was lean, but strong with dark brown, wavy hair and dark eyes like his father. Their noses looked like they were cut from the same mold, pronounced but pleasing.
Aaron, Ava’s twin, was a half head taller than her. He had the same brown hair as Ava, but rather than being straight was an unruly shock of curls and waves. Everyone always said they got mixed up in the womb, the boy having the curly hair and the girl, straight. Aaron was always ready for a new adventure so he liked to hang out with his dad and brother. Not that he had the same interest as Elijah but always wanted to be in the middle of whatever was happening.
“Hey, guys. Did you know it was snowing,” Ava announced proudly, knowing her brothers had not yet seen out the high garage windows.
Dad wandered over to the window and looked out to the driveway. “This wasn’t supposed to be here yet,” he contemplated aloud. He knew it was forecast but not until later in the day. He thought about what the weatherman had said last night. “There is a huge storm blowing in,” the weather man reported. “A Polar Maritime Airstream hit Great Britain a few days ago,” he said pointing to the map, “and the entire European continent experienced record breaking winds and snow accumulation. Now it’s our turn. Get out the snow shovels, guys. And hey, you kids will have a good time with this one.”
Elijah followed his dad and stepped up on a small box that elevated him enough to look out but with distracted interest.
“I want to see,” fussed Aaron, as he looked over his father’s shoulder at the gray sky.
“Come on, Mom says we can go out,” Ava prodded. Unable to see, Aaron headed for the kitchen door but Elijah went back to the workbench. “I’ll be in pretty soon,” stated Elijah, “I want to help Dad finish this first.”
“We’ll be there in just a few minutes,” Dad assured the twins.
Soon they were all gathered in the living room. It was the first storm of winter. The snow was falling so fast the front yard had turned white in only minutes. They were amazed by the beauty and wonder of it, the swift movement of the flakes holding their attention for several seconds. Then Elijah’s voice broke the silence.
“Let’s go,” Elijah commanded as he led the younger troop into the hallway.
“Don’t forget your boots, they’re in the garage,” Mom called behind them.
“I’m going out, too,” said Dad, “I’d better start the shoveling now. They say this is going to be a big one.”
“Looks like we’ll have a white Christmas,” he smiled, slipping on his coat.
“That’s the way we like it,” Mom agreed, following him into the hallway. “I hope it snow’s a foot.”
“I hope it snows snow,” Elijah chided his mother.
“A foot of snow, smarty-pants,” corrected his mother as she flipped her hand in the air brushing off his joke. She thought about digging out her winter boots and going out, too. She was a playful mom, small with petite features, an abundance of freckles scattered across her pixie nose, her light ginger hair cut short, adding to her diminutive appearance. Always joking with her family, she was responsible for their quick humor. She decided against going out, seizing the opportunity to do her Saturday speed cleaning while everyone was out of the way.
* * *
“Daddy, please don’t shovel the driveway until I make my foot prints in the snow,” said Ava. Shaking his head, Aaron said, “You can do that, Ava. I just want to build a snowman.”
Glory zipped her blue jacket and pulled on matching gloves. Ava struggled to make last year’s multi-colored striped stocking cap stretch over her ears. Glory pulled the cap off her little sister’s head in another attempt to make it fit and jumped as the static electricity popped off the end of her fingers and Ava’s fly-away hair.
“Whoa,” squealed Ava, “do that again, Glory?”
“I don’t think I want to,” laughed Glory, pulling the cap down tight over Ava’s ears and checking to see that it was going to stay in place.
Aaron balancing on one foot slid the other into his second boot and ran out the garage door. Elijah was already outside talking with his dad about getting the sleds out of the garden shed. “I’ll help you, Eli,” said Dad, “it’ll take both of us to get them down from the rafters.”
Glory stepped outdoors and quietly lifted her arms towards the heavens. Tilting her head back she let the wet snowflakes hit her face. The snow felt oh, so cold and even though the flakes fell softly on her face, they were so large she could feel each one. She stuck her tongue out catching the flakes, letting them slowly melt in her mouth. Winter is my favorite time of year, Glory said to herself.
“I’m so glad it’s snowing,” she shouted to the others.
“Me, too,” answered Elijah, as he attempted to measure the depth of the snow by sticking his hand into a small drift.
Ava weaved a curvy pattern back and forth across the driveway. She stepped carefully leaving the snowflake pattern of the bottom of her boots imprinted in the fresh snow. Her father watched patiently from the open garage door, sipping a second cup of coffee while enjoying the peaceful scene.
Aaron picked up a hand full of snow and shaped it into a ball. The snow was perfect. It was just wet enough to stick together. Great for snowballs and snowmen, thought Aaron.
“This snow’s gonna make a great snowman,” Aaron called out. He put his snowball on the ground and started rolling it around. As he rolled it over and over it grew so large he had trouble handling it.
“Hey, Eli, come help me. This snowball’s getting too heavy for me to push,” shouted Aaron. The boys rolled the snowball around until it had picked up so much snow they couldn’t push it any further.
“This is a good place for him,” said Elijah as he stood back to study the bottom ball of the snowman. The ball was quite large. This is going to be a really tall snowman, he thought to himself.
“I want to help,” offered Glory, interrupting Elijah’s thoughts.
“Sure,” he agreed, nodding his head.
Aaron had already started rolling the second ball. “This one will be his tummy,” announced Aaron. “I’m going to need your help again, Elijah.”
“I’ll make his head,” Glory called to her brothers. She formed a small snowball in her hands and then rolled it around on the ground until she had a perfect snowman head. Stacking the second ball on the first, the boys stood back and admired their handiwork.
“Elijah, help me put the head on our snowman,” Glory requested. Elijah lifted the snowman’s head and stretched to set it in the center of the second large ball.
“There he is,” said Elijah, “he’s even taller than me.”
“He’s great,” shouted Ava.
“Are you through playing on the driveway?” asked Dad as she wandered off.
“Yep. Thanks Daddy, it was fun.”
Ava scurried across the yard to the snowman. “This is going to be the best snowman ever,” she said. “I hope he never melts” she giggled, jumping up and down.
“But he needs clothes,” she yelled back, running into the garage to the kitchen door, “Mom, Mom, we need a hat, and, and gloves, and what else, a carrot for his nose and what else …let me think.”
Ava’s mom laughed, “Slow down, honey. We’ll get everything you need except I don’t have a carrot.” They opened the closet door and pulled out a red stocking cap, a red and white striped scarf, and a pair of large yellow gloves. Ava ran outside with her arms full of clothes for the snowman, and a handful of candy canes to share.
“Here,” announced Ava, passing out the candy canes to her sister and brothers. She dropped the snowman’s clothes on the ground and peeled the cellophane wrapper off her candy.
Glory picked up the hat, filled it with snow to give it a nice shape and stretched tall to set it on top of the snowman’s head. “I can’t reach Eli. Can you please help?” she asked. Elijah could barely reach high enough himself to set the hat on the snowman’s head. Aaron stood on tip toes to put the striped scarf around the snowman’s neck but he couldn’t reach and so, handed it off to Glory.
“What about the mittens?” asked Ava, sucking on her candy cane.
“Hmm...Let’s do something different this year,” Glory mused.
She crossed the yard to the driveway where Dad was shoveling big scoops of snow and asked, “Can you help us make arms for our snowman. I don’t want to use sticks this time.”
Dad thought for a minute, and then said, “Yeah, I think I have an idea that might work.” He laid down the shovel and they headed towards the snowman.”
“Hey, Dad, are you going to help us?” asked Elijah, hopefully.
“Yeah, for a minute,” Dad replied, “Glory wants help with his arms and I think we can just carve them out of the middle snowball.”
The children watched as their dad scooped away snow, making creases, and rounding the remaining snow to form the arms. To their delight, he skillfully carved the ends of the arms into fists which stood free from the snowman’s body. They all stood back and admired their snowman.
“Wow,” said Aaron, “Can you make legs for him the same way?” Easily the legs were shaped from the bottom snowball, giving the appearance of a snow sculpture rather than just a kid’s snowman.
“It makes me think of the ice sculptures we saw last year. Thanks, Daddy,” grinned Glory.
“Can you put the mittens on his hands, Daddy?” asked Ava, again jumping around.
Carefully the mittens were put over the fists of the snowman, glowing bright yellow against the white snow.
“I’d better get back to shoveling now,” Dad said as he backed away studying his work, “You kids have fun.”
“What are we gonna to use for eyes?” Elijah asked the others.
The children looked around the yard but they couldn’t find anything to use. “I know,” said Aaron, “let’s ask Daddy what to use.” The children ran to the end of the driveway again all asking the same question at once.
“One at a time,” Dad laughed. “I can’t understand what you’re saying.”
“What can we use for eyes for our snowman?” Elijah queried.
“Well, when I was a kid, we always used little chunks of coal, but we don’t have any around here so I guess you’ll need to think of something else,” he said as he continued shoveling.
The children walked away wondering what to do. “Let’s all think really hard. If our snowman was real, what would his eyes be made from?” Elijah asked.
“All I can think of,” said Glory, “is that they would be snow, too.”
“That’s it,” said Elijah, “we’ll make little snowballs and put them in place for his eyes.”
“That will look funny,” Aaron said.
“I like it,” said Ava, “he’ll have sparkly eyes!”
The children made the snowball eyes, put them in place, then again stood back to look.
“Aaron’s right,” said Glory,” he looks like he doesn’t even have any eyes!”
“Well, it’ll have to be good enough for now,” said Elijah, “it’s almost dark and I’m cold.”
“Wait,” Aaron spoke up. He doesn’t have a nose or mouth. The children looked around, each sucking on their candy canes, wondering what to use.
Elijah pulled his candy cane out of his mouth and pondered what he could find in the house to use for the snowman’s mouth and nose. Suddenly, he had an idea. “I know,” said Elijah. Stepping forward, he broke the curl off of his candy cane and pushed it into the snow giving the snowman a red and white striped nose. “Now, two of you break the curls off your candy canes and we’ll make his mouth the same way.”
Quickly, Glory broke the curled end off and reached her hand towards the twins for a second one. Aaron had already eaten most of his candy but Ava was sucking on the straight end of hers. “You can have mine, Glory,” Ava offered, biting her candy to break off the curl. Glory pushed the candy curls into the snowman’s face, placing them opposite each other forming a smile.
They all laughed at the funny face they had given their snowman. “Okay, now, he has everything he needs,” stated Elijah, turning toward the house.
“There’s just one more thing,” said Glory.
“What now?” asked Elijah, ready to think of something besides the snowman.
“He needs a name,” Glory said. “Hmmm, what would be a good name for him”?
They all thought about different names. They thought about the people they knew. Elijah said, “How about Claude, after Granddaddy. Elijah loved to go to his grandfather’s store, Ewers Shoe Store and watch him stretch the leather shoes to just the right fit and to hear the customers say, “Thanks, Claude, they’re just right!”
“I know we can call him Red, like the man at Hy-Vee, since he’s wearing a red hat,” said Glory. They thought about Bud, the jeweler, and Uncle Ralph, Claude’s brother, who also had a shoe and clothing store on the other side of the square.
“How about one of the teachers at Lincoln school” asked Ava?
“No, we only have lady teachers. Our snowman is a man!” said Aaron, very emphatically.
“I know,” said Ava, “let’s name him after our mailman. Let’s call him Melton. We’ll pretend he is the snowman that won’t melt.”
“That’s a great idea, Ava,” said Elijah.
“Melton it is,” agreed Glory.
“Now, I’m going in,” said Elijah with a big shiver, which looked more like a wet dog shaking off water than a cold boy, causing the others to laugh.
The children scrambled through the back door into the kitchen. “Hey, Mom, you’ve got to see our snowman. He’s really cool,” heralded Aaron.
“I’ll take a look but first, how about some hot cocoa to warm up?” asked Mom.
“Yummy,” exclaimed Ava and Aaron at the same time, as twins often do.
As they sat at the table drinking their cocoa, they told their mother about the snowman they had built… with Dad’s help, they added.
Ava said, “He looks really good in his red hat and red and white scarf.”
“But he looks funny with snowball eyes,” said Aaron.
“He sounds like a fine snowman to me,” Mom said.
“I hope he never melts,” said Ava again.
Mom agreed, “Yes, if he could last, he could be your playmate all winter long. Now wouldn’t that be fun!”
“Like the cartoon we watched on TV,” Aaron said, remembering one of his favorites.
“We named him Melton,” explained Glory, as she was reminded by her little sister’s insistence that he would never melt.
Mom laughed with them and talked about what it would be like to have a snowman to play with all year around as they drank their sweet, hot cocoa.
“It’s going to be cold all week, so you will at least have him that long,” Mom smiled assurance as she stroked Ava’s silky hair, knowing her younger daughter loved all things imaginary.
The next Saturday morning, Glory leaned over the back of the sofa and asked, “What are you making, Mom,”
“It’s a surprise for our Christmas tree, she said, “You’ll see when I’m through.”
All that the kids could see was white fluffy fabric and that wasn’t very exciting. The boys were disinterested and started practicing karate kicks in the air causing the girls to squeal and get out of their way. Their mother smiled to herself, knowing they would be pleased with her little craft project when it was hanging on the tree.
“How would you kids like to put the tree up today?” asked Mom.
“Sure. “ Glory said.
“Sure. Sure” the twins echoed, enthusiastically.
“Elijah, will you go up to the attic and bring down the Christmas decorations? The others will help you.”
Elijah threw one more kick toward his younger brother and said, “Okay, Mom, but when are we getting the tree?”
“…As soon as Dad gets home. He’ll be here later and we’ll go to the tree farm, that’s why I want to get everything ready,” she explained.
“Great! Let’s get started,” shouted Aaron, running toward the stairs.
“I still want to know what Mom’s making,” Glory said, as they reached the top.
“We’ll know soon enough,” Elijah answered. “Help me pull the door down.” The pull down attic door was in the ceiling of the upper hallway. Elijah moved a wooden chair to the center of the hall, climbed up and grabbed for the short rope, pulling it down far enough for Glory to reach. Elijah moved the chair out of the way and grabbed the ladder, unfolding it as he walked backwards. The twins watched with anticipation. Going into the attic was a special treat. It was off-limits without their parent’s permission, which made it all the more interesting. One by one they climbed the steps and scouted for the boxes marked Christmas.
“Hey, somebody is going to have to go back down so I can hand them the boxes,” said Elijah.
“I’ll go,” volunteered Glory, “the twins are too little to handle these big boxes.”
“What do you mean, too little? Just look at these muscles,” said Aaron, pulling his shirt sleeve up and flexing his want- to-be Herculean arm.
“Maybe next year, little brother,” laughed Elijah as Aaron tried again and again to flex his muscle but could see no visible change in his bicep. Giving up, Aaron helped Ava push the boxes to the opening in the floor. Elijah handed each box down to Glory and she stacked them at the top of the stairway.
“Wow, we’ve got a lot of decorations,” Aaron puffed as he pushed another box towards Elijah.
“Enough for a bee….u...ti…ful tree,” Ava said, with her big toothless smile. Both of her front teeth were still missing, and it didn’t look like she was going to have them anytime soon. Aaron had already lost his front baby teeth and the new ones were almost in place.
“Hey, Ava, what’s that song?” Aaron teased his sister. “All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth.”
Aaron started singing the tune and Elijah and Glory picked up on it. All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth, my two front teeth, my two front teeth. Gee, if I could only have my two front teeth then I could wish you “Merry Christmas.”
Aaron lisped when he sang ‘Christmas,’ trying to aggravate his twin. “I would like my two front teeth for Christmas,” Ava defended, “but that’s sure not all I want.”
“How about, We wish you a Merry Christmas,” suggested Elijah, as he climbed down the ladder, picked up a large box and headed down the stairs. The others followed single file, singing and carrying the boxes. Up and down the stairs they went, Elijah acting as the Pied Piper as they carried the boxes, large and small, singing and laughing until everything was in the living room where they always put the tree. “We wish you a Merry Christmas, we wish you a Merry Christmas….”
“All this singing is really getting me in the Christmas spirit,” said Mom, as she broke the thread from the fabric, and tucked her little handmade ornament in her pocket. “Girls, I’d like for you to do something for me while we are waiting on Dad. You should have plenty of time,” said Mom.
“What do you want us to do,” asked Glory hesitantly, hoping it wasn’t putting laundry away or running the vacuum which she didn’t want to do when they were having such a good time doing Christmas stuff.
“I want you to go to McLellan’s and buy Grandmother’s Christmas gift from you kids,” said Mom.
“Really? We get to go Christmas shopping by ourselves?” squealed Ava.
“Yes, and you can choose whatever you like,” answered Mom.
‘’That’ll be easy,” smiled Glory, “Grandmother is fun to buy for because she likes pretty things.”
“You’re right about that, Glory. That’s why I am sending you girls to McLellan’s; they have plenty to choose from. Have fun and pick something nice,” she said, handing money to Glory.
Glory stuffed the money in her jeans pocket and headed for the hall closet, grinning, “Come on, Ava, get your coat, what are you waiting for?”
“Hats and gloves and boots,” reminded Mom, “there’s a lot of snow out there.”
* * *
As Ava passed the snowman, she said, “Hi, Melton, how you doing today? We’re going to buy Grandmother a Christmas present,” talking to him as if he could hear and understand her. She looked up in the sky. The sun was shining brightly and was beginning to melt some of the snow where the sidewalk had been shoveled. She turned around laughing and said, “Now Melton, don’t let that old sun get you.” She turned to catch up with her sister.
“You’re talking to that snowman like he’s really real,” Glory said.
“Why not,” Ava answered, playfully, “he’s going to play with us all year, remember.”