The Twenty-four Days Before Christmas Read Online Free Page A

morning making a Christmas snowman, and started a fort around him. John is good at cutting blocks out of snow like an Eskimo. We weren’t nearly finished, though, when Mother called us in for lunch.
    After lunch Suzy said, “I might as well go upstairs and have my nap and get it over with.” We have to have naps on Christmas Eve if we want to stay after the Pageant for the Christmas Eve service. Suzy is very business-like about things like naps. Mother looked a little peculiar, and Suzy went upstairs to bed, taking a book. She can’t read, but she likes looking at pictures. Mother lit the kitchen fire and sat in front of it to read to John and me. We were just settled and comfortable when the phone rang. Mother answered it. We listened.

    â€œYes, I was afraid of that … Of course … They’ll be disappointed, but they’ll have to understand.” She hung up and turned to John and me.
    â€œWhat’s the matter?” John asked.
    Mother said, “The Pageant’s been called off because of the blizzard, and so has the Christmas Eve service.”
    â€œBut why? ” John demanded.
    Mother looked out the windows. “How do you think anybody could travel in this weather, John? We’re completely snowed in. The road men are concentrating on keeping the main roads open, but all the side roads are unusable. That means that about three quarters of the village is snowed in just like us. I’m sorry about the angel, Vicky. I know it’s a big disappointment to you, but remember that lots of other children are disappointed, too.”
    I looked over at the crèche, with Mary and Joseph now in their places, and the manger still empty and waiting for the baby Jesus. “Well, I guess lots worse things could happen.” I thought—If this means Mother will be home for Christmas …

    And then I thought—Blizzards can stop pageants, but they can’t stop babies, and if the baby starts coming, she’ll have to go to the hospital anyhow …
    â€œYou’re a good girl to be so philosophical,” Mother said.
    But I didn’t really think I was being philosophical.
    John said, “Anyhow, it looks as though the baby’s going to wait till after Christmas.”
    Mother answered, “Let’s hope so.”
    John pressed his nose against the window until the pane steamed up. “How’s Daddy going to get home?”
    It seemed to me that Mother looked anxious as she said, “I must admit I’m wondering about that myself.”
    â€œBut it’s Christmas Eve!” John said. “He has to get home!”
    All Mother said was, “He’ll do the best he can. At least I’m the only maternity case on his list right now.”
    In all my worrying about Mother not being home for Christmas, it had never occurred to me that Daddy mightn’t be. Even when he’s been called off on an emergency, he’s always been around for most of the time. But if the blizzard was bad enough to call off
church, it was maybe bad enough so Daddy couldn’t get up the long steep hill that led to the village.
    When it began to get dark, Suzy woke up, all pink from sleep, and hurried downstairs. She was very cross when Mother told her that the Pageant and the Christmas Eve service had been called off. “I needn’t have slept so long after all! And I wanted to see Vicky be the angel!”
    Mother answered, “We all did, Suzy.”
    Suzy stamped. “I’m mad at the old blizzard.”
    Mother laughed. “That’s not going to stop the snow. And remember, you’ve been looking for snow every day. Now you’ve got it. With a vengeance. This is the worst blizzard I remember in years.”
    John lit the candle in the window and flicked the switch that turns on the outdoor Christmas tree and the light over the garage door. Then we all looked out the windows. The only way you could tell where the road used to