Adrienne stood in a corner of their darkened cabin. A forlorn stub of a candle flickered yellow on an empty table in the center of the room. Inspired by her surroundings and her feelings, a song floated from her lips.

In the bleak midwinter

Frosty wind made moan,

Earth stood hard as iron,

Water like a stone;

Snow had fallen,

Snow on snow,

In the bleak midwinter,

Long ago.

As Adrienne fell silent, the wind howled outside as if to echo this sentiment.

“Well. I managed to find a can of pork and beans in the back of the pantry.” Jamie shuffled into the room clenching a dented metal can in her fist.

“Merry Christmas,” Larry chirped.

“I can’t say I like it either.” Jamie set the can on the center of the table and studied it for a moment. “But, let’s give thanks.”

“For what? Your students don’t pay ya.” Adrienne plopped herself down beside Larry. “Ya can’t even afford a turkey for Christmas.”

“Look on the bright side, we’ve got pork and beans.” Larry proclaimed as if he had never known a bad day in his life.

“What?” Adrienne looked puzzled.

“It’s better than nothing.”

“Still on that positive thinkin kick are ya?”

“You should try it sometime.”

“What fer? It ain’t gonna change anythin.”

This argument would’ve gone on but it was interrupted by the sound of someone pounding on the back door.

“Oh. I better get that.” Jamie turned her attention from the two lovebirds before him and headed toward the noise in question. As she left the scene, the discussion continued.

“Adrienne. I’m sorry about that carol singing competition.”

“I don’t wanna discuss it.”

“Avoiding it isn’t going to help.”

“I can try can’t I?” Adrienne snapped as she moved to seat herself at the opposite end of the table.

The two adversaries glared at each other for a moment.

“Well, wouldn’t you know it. That was Pastor John Grant. Guess what he brought over?” Jamie stumped into the room carrying a steaming metal pot.

“A turkey?” Larry said with a voice full of hope.

“Nope, a pot full of stewed carrots.” Jamie set the pot in question on the table. “Fresh from the stove by the look of it.”

“It’s better than nothin I guess,” Adrienne sighed.

“Look on the bright side. It’s more than we had a moment ago.”

“Exactly,” Larry agreed. “Let’s dig in.”

These happy proceedings were interrupted by another round of banging. This time from the front door.

“Now what?” Jamie muttered as she moved toward the clatter.

The two young people continued glaring at each other across the rough-hewn wooden table.

“Did I say something wrong before?” Larry mustered up finally.

“Whatever gave you that idea?”

“You’re sitting at the other end of the table.”

“Can’t a girl sit where she wants ta in her own house?” Adrienne shifted in her seat to avoid Larry’s gaze.

“I never said that you couldn’t.”

“What are you doin here anyway? Don’t ya have your own family to be with?”

“I figured you’d be pretty down after that competition, so I thought I should bring over something to cheer you up.”

“Oh really, and what’s that?”

“Me!” Larry proclaimed.

“You?” Adrienne scoffed.

Jamie strode toward the table with a look of wonderment on her face. “That was Walter and Selena. You’ll never guess what they brought over.”

“A turkey?” Adrienne said with hope in her eyes.

“Nope. A pot full of potatoes.”

“What kind?” Larry said as he eyed the treasure before him.

Jamie peered into the container in his hands. “Cooked ones by the look of it.”

“Well, put them on the table. Let’s have a look.”

Jamie set the pot on the table and laughed as Larry attacked the contents.“The way you’re going at it, you’d think you hadn’t eaten since yesterday!”

“I haven’t.”

“It’s that bad is it?”

“They call it the great depression but it sure doesn’t feel that great.”

Jamie was about to respond to Larry’s wisecrack but another round of rapping caught her attention.“Another one?” She smiled. “I wonder what they’ve got in store for us.” With that, she headed to the back door.

“I’m sorry.” Adrienne paused. “What you said earlier just put me off I guess.”

“I told you I was sorry,” Larry said. His boyish face radiated sincerity as he waited for a sign of forgiveness.

“No need ta be sorry about it,” Adrienne said finally. “I thought I was gonna win that competition too.”

“You should’ve won.”

“Well, thank you. An I know I said it all before, but I thought what you did by takin my place was pretty impressive.”

“You think you might reconsider what you said about courting me?”

“Ya know, I think I might,” Adrienne said as she flashed a warm smile toward her new friend. More romantic things might have been said but Jamie tramped back into the scene.

“Believe it or not. That was the mayor himself, Bernard B Stauffer.”

“Oooh. I bet he brought us somethin good.” Adrienne leaned forward, looking in vain for a package in Miss Auclair’s empty hands.

“Where is it?” Larry followed up.

“Actually,” Jamie paused. “Bernard didn’t bring us anything at all.”

“Oh.” That was all that the two young people could say.

Jame smiled with mischief. “His wife Alice brought us a turkey though.”

“Really?” Larry’s eyes lit up with anticipation.

“Yep. She shot it just this morning.” Jamie lifted a large tray from the small wooden platform behind him. “Here. Take a look.”

“Wow,” was all Adrienne could say.

“That looks pretty heavy,” Larry said as he moved his chair closer to the feast.

“It is. Here take it off my hands. I need to get a carving knife.” Jamie handed over the tray in question and headed off in search of the knife.

“Wow,” Larry said again as the warm smell of fresh turkey tickled his nostrils.

“It must’ve been the biggest bird in tha woods.” Adrienne licked her lips as she surveyed the feast before them.

“I guess when I called everybody in the Municipality, word got around that I needed help. The neighbors talked…and well, this here is what they came up with.” Jamie said as he returned with the knife in hand.

Adrienne picked up the can of pork and beans that had been placed in the center of the table. “Huh. You know how it is in the life of a small town. Some people pay in carrots…”

“Some in potatoes,” Larry continued.

“And the odd one will bring a turkey,” Adrienne finished with a flourish.

“What can I say?” Jamie wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. “I guess my work is appreciated around here after all.”

“You can put that down right here,” Adrienne said as she patted the spot where the can of pork & beans had once stood.

“See. You’ve got the brains…I’ve got the muscle.” Larry grunted as he set the tray with the steaming turkey on the table. “We’re perfect together.”

“Who knows. Ya might be right.” Adrienne laughed.

“I suppose no matter what our circumstances are, there’s always something to be thankful for,” Jamie mused.

“That’s what I told you, mom! You’ve just gotta have a little faith!”

“Ahem.” Pa eyed Larry for a moment and then decided another rebuke wasn’t worth the effort. “Speaking of faith. Considering all that we’ve been blessed with today, we should take a moment to give thanks.”

“I’m sure thankful that you let me live with you after my parents died,” Adrienne said with a reflective air.

“I’m glad you came.” Jamie paused. “Come on…let’s sing, Joy to the World.” On that note, she began to sing. Progress was a little shaky at first but soon her voice had gained the confidence necessary to proclaim the joy of the season.

Motivated by this example, Adrienne and Larry joined Miss Auclair in spreading the cheer of the season. And why not? It had turned out to be a merry Christmas after all.

Joy to the world! the Lord is come;

Let earth receive her King;

Let every heart prepare him room,

And heaven and nature sing,

And heaven and nature sing,

And heaven, and heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the world! the Saviour reigns;

Let men their songs employ;

While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains

Repeat the sounding joy,

Repeat the sounding joy,

Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,

Nor thorns infest the ground;

He comes to make His blessings flow

Far as the curse is found,

Far as the curse is found,

Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,

And makes the nations prove

The glories of His righteousness,

And wonders of His love,

And wonders of His love,

And wonders, wonders, of His love.