No Christmas Spirit by members of RCTQ 2004 Chapter 1
--Butterfly
Take Note : gas lamps, treadle SMs are allowed in this tale
Once upon a time, long before electricity was invented, there was a huge house in the middle of Main Street, with smaller houses on each side of it. It became known as The Lady Mary's House. All and sundry would stop by on their way to and from work each day inquiring how Miss Mary was doing. The answer would always be the same. "I'm sorry", the butler, Raoul would say, "but there has been No Change".
--Alice in NJ
My sister Pearl and I grew up in a small cottage at the North end of town. We would pass by The Lady Mary's House every day on our way to school. The house was surrounded by a white picket fence and our pace slowed as we counted the pickets. Each day we counted the pickets. We were stalling actually, hoping to see a curtain move or a face in a window. We thought it strange that we never saw anyone on the beautiful porch. Rocking chairs rocked in the gentle breezes as if they knew that's what they were created to do. A spiral of smoke escaped from the tall brick chimney, so we knew someone was inside. But who? And what were they doing? After school we would often visit the General Store to buy a piece of penny candy. This the earnings from doing our chores that week. The "town" ladies would gather in the store and gab about this and that, but would always grow very quiet when we entered. We knew they were discussing Lady Mary and speculating what she was like and why no one ever visited her. We wondered too.
Next.....
--CNYsticher
Nobody remembered the last time they had seen Miss Mary - was it last week? Last month? Last YEAR??? Everyone, from Mr. Abrahms, the crotchety old gentleman who ran the piecegoods store (and repaired the treadle machines for the Ladies Quilting Society), down to the little Johansen child, Sven, loved Miss Mary and smiled whenever her name was mentioned. If they really knew what was going on in the house, maybe they would have been filled with a little more of the Christmas Spirit.
Unbeknownst to the population of Thimbleville, Miss Mary was in perfect health! She had special plans for this Christmas, and, as most quilters/craftspeople do, had gotten totally wrapped up in her project. She had her own schedule - rising with the sun, eating only when Raoul would place her tray directly in front of her, and stopping only when the Lamplighter reached the gas lights in front of her house.
NEXT!!
--Debbi Lady Mary would be bustling around the house from early morn to late into the evening. She wanted everything to be perfect. The table decorations were as wonderful as she remembered when she was a child, the tree had the old ornaments that were put upon the tree with love and care by her grandmother. Gramma would tell some of the most wonderful stories as each ornament was lovingly unwrapped in the storage box and carefully laid upon the branches of the tree. The candle lights would flicker giving the rooms a warm and cozy feeling.
The quilt frame was off to the side with one of Lady Mary's most wonderful pieces of work. No one knew that she was a quilter with an eye for the minute detail. She worked on this quilt all year, but would it be ready in time?
NEXT
--Two x over
however... back in town, at the general store, people were abuzz with gossip. All anyone heard from Raoul was "NO CHANGE". "NO CHANGE!" they would gasp..."what can be the problem???" "Is Miss Mary sick, is she mentally ill, is she sleeping? Has she drank too much herbal tea?" They would whisper to one another. But not a one would dare ask Raoul, as he walked into the General Store to ask for yet another spool of sparkling green thread.....
"Third time this week, that man has been in here for thread", Mr. Bumble the shopkeeper mentioned to no-one in particular.....
NEXT
--clancy
Since Lady Mary's husband had passed, she'd not left the house. Her husband had been much older than she but it had been an arranged marriage of sorts and she'd learned to love him. He'd been a good man, but Mary still had a soft spot in her heart for her first love, Daniel, the man her Father banished from the house because he was simply a Blacksmith - 'never', he would shout, 'is my daughter to marry so below her station in life'. There seemed to be a lot of activity at Mary's place these days - but still no one saw Mary. Candle light shone from her bedroom window till the wee hours of the morning, and local gossip was that a strange carriage pulled up to the back of her house almost every night. Next .......................
--Mary in TN
Mary (who was no lady at all) listened with glee at Raoul's reports from the village. Her plan was working better than she had hoped. Only a few more days were left before everything was in place and so much left to do!
Mary bent over her work, concentrating on completing the task before her. Many a day had passed with only Raoul and a spoiled calico cat to break her solitude. "All that has changed now," she thought, recalling the mysterious visitor during the night. Just thinking about it made her heart beat rapidly and her bosom heave with excitement.
Meanwhile, back in the village....
--cleo All the young marriageable women were enamoured with Raoul - a man secure enough in his masculinity to carry quilting thread - and in a color other than traditional white. Each one went to their wise old grandmama for guidance in casting a snare for the virile thread-carrier - secretly hoping that whatever poor Mary might have would not be contagious, especially to Raoul. The other single men in the village heaved a sigh of relief that some of the attention was deflected off of them and onto another. The fathers were worried and started oiling up the shotgun, just in case. After all, thread was one thing, but their daughters were something else.
And, both Raoul and Mary . . . .
--Patti chuckled to one another, when he returned home, as they knew the village people must be bursting with curiosity to know what had kept Lady Mary indoors for so long. They had only ever known her as the owner of one of the most beautiful gardens in the village. They were accustomed to see her tending her rose garden from dawn till dusk, and even later, when there was watering to be done. However, there was one place in the village where there was no speculation about Lady Mary and Raoul; no curiosity; no shopping, even. In a very large house on the outskirts of the village, there lived twelve homeless children with a staff of professional carers. The staff had no interest in the goings on of the village; all they could think about was the damage the last storm had done to their roof and how they were going to pay for it. The children were only interested in their own preparations for Christmas - a tree from the garden, home-made ornaments, painted cards and small presents bought from a peddler ....
--JAPID
It had been snowing for some time now... Big fat lazy snowflakes that stuck to everything they touched. The Children were bundled up in what layers they had, with thin hats and threadbare mittens. Twelve snowmen danced across the front yard. Snowballs flew from one hastily built snowfort to another. The laughter of children rang out through the chilly morning air. On Main Street, Raoul stopped and listened for a minute. He whistled a merry tune as he headed back to Lady Mary, another spool of thread in his hand.
--- Kellie
Now it came to be that my sister Pearl's husband has an Aunt whose daughter just got a job at that home. Sally Ann was just there as a temp for one of the ladies who had an emergency at home back in Alabama. Sally would come home and call her Aunt and tell her of the lovely children who were so melancholy at night. And of the roof, and the ratty blankets and of the sparse toys and decorations for this holiday season. Aunt Ginia told us she didn't see much difference there than from the rest of the town. Nobody was doing much for Christmas this year. Glum faces were seen everywhere. It was rumored the mill would shut down first of the new year and families were already pinching pennies. She figured they'd just have to eek it out with the rest of us.
I was worried. What if the kids did all that hoping and wishing and decorating and an ice storm caved in their roof? What if Santa never came. what if.
Lady Mary must have lots of money, maybe she could help. But no, living alone and paying for house help and if she was sick, which she surely must be, I saw that carriage last night, must have been a doctor. No. can't bother her. What about Pearl's husband. he's a carpenter, could he find some help, but how to ask? Maybe I could get Mr. Abrahms to fix my sewing machine. I could make some dolls from those clothes that don't fit.
---Butterfly
Twas the last school day before Christmas Vacation, Miz Sally (head mistress at the school), stopped by Lady Mary's and exchanged a quick "Good Morning" with Raoul. Raoul was not very happy this morning--the night visitor did not show up last night and Lady Mary had stayed up all night. "Oh, Miz Sally", he sighed. "Whatever can I do, Lady Mary is not taking any rest, keeps saying she will never get to the hand sewing" After exchanging a few ideas, Miz Sally said in her usual cheery way, "Rauol, I have it! I will let the little ones out early today and you bring the hand sewing and I will have an answer for you. Be at the school with the items needing doing by 1 PM, and make sure you bring all the needles and thread with you. We will turn our afternoon classes into a real Elves Workshop. Now, I really must hurry or I will be late for school. Rauol chuckled and regained the twinkle in his eye......oh, he thought, if Miz Sally would only see the real me. I might have a chance for her hand.
Next
----Mary in TN
It was at this time that Mary happened to pass by the window and heard the exchange. "Bring my hand sewing?: I don't think so. Where would be the surprise is that."
Mary scurried home, mumbling under her breath about Christmas secrets and how pool boys meet a bad end. When Raoul arrived home, he was astonished to find that all Christmas preparations were gone! All that remained was a quilt which held a perpetually sleeping cat and an exasperated Mary making a pot of tea.
"I don't know how much longer I can keep this up." Mary thought to herself. "Maybe tonight...."