My New Family

Chapter Thirteen: Cleaning the Attic

     To take everyone's minds off the war, I suggest an expedition of the attic. Anna and Anastasia and Catherine love the idea. But as soon as we reach the top of the ladder, I see a bunch of large boxes. They are dusty and look like they are quite a few months old. I call to Joseph, who is waiting impatiently at the bottom of the ladder. "Joseph, go get stepmother. She needs to see this!"

     Stepmother comes of the ladder and thinks for a few seconds. Then her face lights up. "Children, come down. Susie, go get Mrs. Lory. Now. Children, go play outside." "Yes, mother." we all answer, mystified.

     Two hours later, at dinner time, we all troop in to wash our faces and change. We've been working in the garden, wedding and planting and digging and watering and transplanting. Mother meets us in the hall, her face beaming. "Go to your rooms to wash up, then come down to dinner." I troop slowly up to our room, at the back of the line, when, suddenly, I hear Anna's cry of delight. Then John's; then even Pauline's. What is going on?

     I reach my room, and Pauline is opening a large box on her bed. On each of our beds, there's one gigantic box, two small boxes, and a paper-wrapped package. I begin opening the package, and there's the most beautiful dress I've ever seen. It is white, with golden glitter all over, and it has a light pink sash and a matching pink hat. It's lovely! Pauline has one exactly the same, except that it's gold with pink glitter and a white sash and hat. She shakes it off to hang it up, and something falls out. It's a gold locket with silver trimmings! Mine has one too! I then open one of the small boxes while Pauline finished opening her large one. It is an art set, with paints and palettes and brushes and pencils and erasers and paper and everything! Pauline manages to open her giant box, and there's a ton of books! I open mine quickly and look through it's contents. Hmmm...the Story book of Science, the Lord of the Rings, the Narnia series, books on our Lady, Our Lord, and the Saints, etc.... They're wonderful! Pauline has the Redwall Series, the Story book of Science, books on Our Lady, Our Lord, and the Saints, etc... I open my final package at the same time as her, and gasp. It's-it's a lovely gilt-covered satin-ribboned Bible. It has holy cards from Rome, Portugal, and Spain- and one of mine has a first-class relic of the Cure of Ars; so does Pauline's. Where did all these lovely gifts come from?