Chapter 12
Amazing Grace
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"Are you sure this is where you left her, Mary?"     She could tell that Uncle James was trying to be kind, but his voice was tense. She nodded, miserably.     "She was here. Right here!" She spun and ran to her father, who took her in his arms. "Papa, I know she was here! She couldn't walk. She hurt so bad!"     Papa didn't say anything, just held her tightly. She buried her head in his broad chest. She was so tired. She'd done all she could.     "I'll go check over this way," Margaret offered. Mary felt Papa nod. His chin touched the top of her head. Soon she saw Margaret's lantern moving off into the darkness. Her voice, high and clear, called for Sarah.     And still Papa didn't say anything.     Uncle James cleared his throat. "I'll look by the trees over here," he said. Mary couldn't see him leave, but the light from his lantern danced around on the tree in front of her. Then it faded away.     Mary looked up at Papa. He looked back at her, steadily. He seemed to be waiting for something.     Mary took a deep breath. She had to think. Why would God help her find Papa and Uncle James, and bring them all the way back, if they couldn't help Sarah?     And then she knew the answer. He had helped her because she asked Him to.     "I'm going to pray, Papa," she whispered.     A smile dawned like a sun across her papa's face. He nodded again, and just before his eyes closed, she saw a tear glisten in the glow of the lantern light.     She took another deep breath, and closed her own eyes.     "Hello, God. We're here now, and I can't find Sarah, and I need You. Oh, You already know that, but I think You like to hear me say it too. Please, God . . ."     Her voice trailed away. She couldn't think of what else to say. But somehow, she knew He had heard her.     They sat there in silence, for a while, just waiting. The darkness wasn't scary anymore. It felt like a big holy blanket around her. Like God was hugging her, just like Papa was.     And then, in the silence, she heard a rustle. And then a moan.     Mary leaped up from her father's lap. She grabbed her lantern from the ground beside her and ran over to a nearby tree.     A pile of leaves was moving! Mary knelt quickly and brushed the leaves away.     Sarah sat up, shivering and blinking in the lantern light. "Thanks for keeping me company, Mary."     Sarah leaned back against the pillow on her bed and stretched her writing hand. She'd been writing for twenty minutes.     She reached over with her left hand to stroke the gray cat curled on the bed beside her. He was Aunt Hilda's cat, but her aunt had happily loaned him to her, to help her feel better.     "I'm just glad you're going to be okay," Mary answered. "And I'm glad we were so close to Aunt Hilda's house, so Papa and Uncle James could bring you here."     Sarah nodded, then her face grew thoughtful. "You know, I don't really remember much about that night in the woods. I remember being cold, and I remember pulling the covers over me. But there weren't any covers, were there?"     "It must have been the leaves. You were covered with them! That's why we didn't see you at first."     Sarah sighed and stretched again. "So, who do you want to write to next?"     Mary tilted her head to one side. They'd already written a letter to Jamie and Adam, and another to Hannah, in Kansas. How good it was to tell them that they'd soon be heading that way! Sarah didn't know them, of course, but she was happy to write what Mary wanted to say.     "How about Robert?" Mary asked. "He'd want to know you were hurt. He'd want to pray for you."     "Robert?" Sarah's face got a funny look on it. "Oh, I suppose. But Mama and Papa already wrote to him."     "They did?" Mary was puzzled. Why would Aunt Ellen and Uncle James write to Robert? "Why did they do that, when they knew we were going to write letters today?"     Sarah started laughing. It was a brand new kind of laugh, one that made Mary feel happy, though she couldn't say why.     "You really don't know, do you, Mary?"     "Know what?"     "Mama and Papa wrote to Robert and his family almost a week ago, right after I got hurt. It was the first thing I asked for, when I woke up at Aunt Hilda's."     "What? What did you ask for?" Mary's head was swimming.     "I wanted him to send me something."     "So you could have it here? What was it?"     "No, silly. Not something for me. Something I wanted to give away."     Mary couldn't think what to say. She just waited.     "Look over there, behind the chair. See the package?"     Mary hopped up and walked over to the corner of the room. Now she saw it. A big brown package, wrapped up among the things Aunt Hilda had packed. It had Sarah's name on it in bold letters.     "Bring it over here."     Mary lifted it. It was heavier than it looked. She stumbled a little.     "Be careful!" Sarah warned her. But she was still smiling.     When Mary got it to the bed, Sarah told her to open the package. "It's really for you. And you didn't even guess!"     Mary shook her head. What could it be? She had everything she wanted. Sarah was going to be okay. She was going to Kansas. And even more important, she had found out that God really cared about her. She had a Friend who would never let her down. What else did she need?     But she carefully tore a corner off the package. Beneath her hand, she saw the polished gleam of a wooden box. And she caught her breath. Could it be?     And it was. As the paper fell away, Mary could see the precious music box from Sarah's family's sitting room. The one that played "Amazing Grace."     "For me?" Mary gaped at her cousin.     Sarah nodded. "I want you to have it."     Mary carefully opened the lid. As she did, the music box began to play.     The gentle chimes brought smiles to both of their faces.     Mary noticed that Sarah's eyes darted suddenly from the music box to the open doorway. Mary's gaze followed.     Crowded in the doorway were her father and mother, her sister Margaret, and her Uncle James and Aunt Ellen, all bright eyed and wearing their own beaming smiles. Aunt Hilda stood behind them, smiling too, and now Jonathan was crawling between their legs to get in front. They all wanted to see what Mary thought of her music box.     Mary grinned and began to sing.     Everyone joined in, including Sarah, the music box playing, their joyous song rising.     ". . . and grace will lead me home." The End Previous Chapter | The Gift Home Page 41K