When the school board came again, Mother’s answer was yes, for they had agreed to the Friday Sunday school. “Mind you, we had some people make strong objections, but when we made it plain that it was that or no school for the rest of the winter, they came around,” Mr. Jasmer explained.
“Since Christmas is only a week away, we decided to wait until the first of January for school to begin.”
Right now, all were excited to think of company coming all the way from Pennsylvania where they used to live! It was the girls’ Aunt Jean, Father’s sister, who was coming. Peggy Jean would have to sleep with Mother and Father in their big bed so Aunt Jean could use her bed.
What a busy time it was, helping Mother clean house, bake cookies and pies and Scotch shortbread that they knew Aunt Jean was fond of. And then there was the house to get ready with pine and good-smelling balsam branches. Mother had a box that seemed a treasure chest to the girls, for it was filled with things from when Mother had taught school before. There was colored paper, paints and crayons and chalk, lots of pictures of children, animals and birds, stencils and sewing cards — and, oh! so much more!
Aunt Jean would be coming on the train, and Father and Uncle Bob would go to meet her with the team and bobsled, which was the farm wagon with the wheels removed and then placed on runners. They would go across the big frozen lake, and it would take all day to go and come back.
Hay was put in the wagon box to make it softer for anyone riding back there, and the girls coaxed to go too. But it was decided that it would be too cold for them, and there was still lots for them to do at home helping Mother get ready.
Finally the day of Aunt Jean’s arrival came. Father and Uncle Bob started out early in the morning, expecting that it would be dark before they got home again. Their beautiful big team of Percheron horses, Queenie and Jenny, were tossing their heads and seemed as excited as the girls.
What a long, long day that was! They went from window to window to scratch away the frost and try to peer out, long before it was time to expect their return. Now and then, they bundled up and ran down to the lake shore and back. It seemed that the hands of the “wag-on-the-wall” clock had never moved so slowly.
The house was full of the good smells of “company cooking,” for Mother knew they would have “hungry as bears” appetites after their long cold ride.
“I think they should be coming soon now,” Mother finally said, as she helped the girls bundle up warmly. “You may have to wait a while, so keep your scarves over your faces. I’ve lit this lantern for you since it will soon be dark. Take turns holding it as high as you can, so the men will know where the trail is to come in.”
Down by the lake the wind was cold and sharp, and the girls were glad for their thick woolen scarves made from their own sheep’s wool. The little circle of lantern light didn’t help them to see very far away, but finally Naomi called to Helen and Peggy who were chasing each other to keep warm, “Shshh! Keep still and listen — I think I hear something — shhh ... ”
Yes, they all heard it — the clop, clop of horses’ hoofs, the hiss and scrape of the runners on the ice and the jingling of the harnesses. “They’re coming! They’re coming!” they shouted with joy, helping Naomi hold the lantern high.
Then they saw them — first the horses, blowing clouds of steam that blew back, coating their sides with white frost. Up on the high wagon seat were Father and Uncle Bob in their heavy coats and fur hats. Wedged snugly between them was a shorter figure — could that be Aunt Jean? It looked like a brown sausage, for all they could see of her wrapped tightly in a heavy blanket was her frosted glasses and the top of her fur hat!
It took all of them to help her stiffly down and into the house where they unwrapped her with laughter and then nearly smothered her with hugs and kisses.
Soon everybody seemed to be talking at once and asking questions about those “back home” in the East. And then they had to show her everything in the house her brother David had built with Uncle Bob’s help.
Most of this time Peggy Jean stood stroking Aunt Jean’s fur coat that had been tossed across the back of a chair. At the same time, she was looking at Aunt Jean’s suitcase and wondering — wondering if just maybe in that suitcase there would be presents for three little sisters?
Then it was supper time, and afterward, while the girls were doing dishes, the grown-ups still had much more talking to do. Aunt Sue had sent many messages, and others as well, but finally what Peggy was waiting for happened — Aunt Jean opened her suitcase!
And, yes! there were presents for each of the girls — a nice little New Testament and even a balloon! Peggy had never seen a balloon before. Father helped blow them up and tie the neck of each one with a string. Then the grown-ups smiled at the fun the girls had, batting the balloons back and forth.
When bedtime came, Peggy Jean carefully let the air out of her balloon and tucked it under her pillow with the New Testament. That night she fell asleep thinking of tomorrow’s fun with that balloon!
“Look out, Peggy! Don’t let your balloon touch that hot stove” — bang!
The warning had come too late! Peggy Jean sat down on the floor and cried. Helen tried to comfort her by promising to share her balloon, but it wasn’t the same as having her own.
The next day Helen’s broke, and shortly after that, Naomi’s too.
When Mother tucked them into bed that night, she explained something important to them. “Girls, you loved and enjoyed your balloons while they lasted, but never forget how soon they disappointed you. The Bible says, ‘Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also,’ and in another place, ‘Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.’”
“Never forget your balloons. In the years to come, you will be tempted to think some thing will satisfy you and make you really happy. But sooner or later it will disappoint you, just as your balloons did. God has made our hearts so that only one thing will ever completely satisfy us and last forever. This secret is found in your other, more precious gift, your little New Testament. Do you know what it is?”
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
“It’s time to go to sleep now, but remember, there are treasures — real treasures — just waiting to be discovered in your little New Testaments. As you search in them each day, you will soon learn to love God’s Word, for He promises, ‘Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’ ”