babe next to Sarah. Sarah stirred lightly, opened her eyes to her daughter, smiled and dozed a little longer. Momma sat in the rocking chair and held her granddaughter while the rest of the new family slept.
Tiny fingers, tipped with perfect little fingernails, held Momma’s finger. Momma rocked the baby and considered the miracle she had witnessed. It was all too much to get her mind around. This baby, only hours old, seemed like any ordinary baby. Momma wondered if they could be possibly ordinary babies after such an amazing entrance into the world.
January 13th, 1867--Dover, Pennsylvania
Hixson woke early after their first sleepless night as new parents. One twin or the other seemed to have been awake every hour. Momma had stayed the night to help but there was still little sleep. Sarah was feeding one baby and Momma was changing the other.
Hixson sat down next to Sarah and ask, “I’ve been warning you to pick out two names. Guess next time you’ll listen to me.” And he took the baby from Sarah’s hands, lifted her to his shoulder and patted gently. Sarah smiled at how comfortably and confidently Hixson handled the tiny girl, just as if he had burped a hundred babies.
After Momma left the room, Hixson asked the question that had been lurking all night. “So was that...was that... the passing on of your gift? When will we know who has it now?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never seen it before, either. Grandma just told me that when the time came, I would know.” Sarah replied.
“I hate it when people answer questions that way.” Hixson laughed. “Do you think you still have it? Your gift?”
“I don’t know. I don’t feel any different that way.”
“When did you first know you had this gift?” Hixson asked.
“It seems I always knew I could do this. I had to learn how to control it, because sometimes the light would start to gather for no good reason. But I was pretty big before I understood that this was something that other people didn’t do. I thought it was just the way it was for everyone.” Sarah replied.
“Huh.” Hixson paused. “Then I guess all we can do now is wait and see.”
“Hixson, how did you know to hold me so close right then, and to wrap your arms around me?” Sarah asked.
“I don’t know. It just seemed like the right thing to do.”
“It must have been.... I think everything came out alright.”
January 20, 1867--Dover, Pennsylvania
All the Morris family and friends gathered in Hixson and Sarah’s house. Pastor Baker was there to baptize the twins. Emma held the oldest twin, and Annie held the younger twin, with Charlton standing next to her. As both clergy and godfather, Leonidus Baker had a unique role.
Emma stepped forth and held her goddaughter as Leonidus sprinkled water on the baby’s head. “In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, I baptize thee Helena Rose Morris.”
Annie and Charlton stepped forward, with the blonde baby girl, and Pastor Baker sprinkled water on her head. “In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, I baptize thee Clara Marie Morris.”
Sarah and Hixson had long discussed the baby names, and the ooo-ing and aaahhhh-ing of their loved ones told them they’d made good choices. The babies were passed around so much they both started to fuss. Finally, Momma and Poppa took their tiny granddaughters away to rock them to sleep.
Eliza wrote down who gave what baby presents, and Annie helped Sarah place everything in the chest that Charlton built.
Neighbors had been dropping gifts by since two days after the birth; many of them had brought meals, too. Caleb had made an enormous white cake for the baptism, so everyone was munching cake or eating leftovers, sipping coffee and admiring the babies.
Hixson beamed and shook hands and accepted cigars even though he didn’t smoke them. Poppa was similarly proud, and Charlton was enjoying his brother’s joy.
Old Mr. Haught was there, more wizened than ever, and was so pleased with the two girls that everyone was stunned. “God don’t make nothing any sweeter than a little girl. All the world is joy to them, and they’re a joy to all the world.” He said, and no one could argue.
When Sarah finally tired and went to sit down, the party broke up and people drifted away. Leonidus, Emma and Caleb went back to the bakery, dropping off Mr. Haught on their way. Annie and Eliza cleaned up while Sarah fed Clara. Helena was asleep in the cradle at the foot of the bed, and Momma was just sitting there, looking at her and smiling.
Poppa and Charlton helped Hixson with the afternoon chores, and then collected their respective women and left.
“Did you see all these baby gifts?” Sarah asked.
Hixson grinned at her and said, “I saw most of them before our girls were born.”
“I’ve never seen so many presents. Everything is just beautiful. We are so blessed to have family and friends like that.”
Sarah was touching the feather-stitching on one of the quilts and shaking her head. “Do you have any idea how much work is in something like this? To give away? That is so very generous!”
“Haven’t you figured this out, yet, Sarah? They love you. They all love you. They are all so happy about YOUR happiness that they want to celebrate it. You’re going to have to get used to being loved, because that’s how it’s going to be. You’re not in Oak Hollow anymore. It’s a new life.”
March 13, 1867--Dover, Pennsylvania
Sarah was making coffee when Hixson yelled from the bedroom, “Sarah!! Come quick!!!”
She ran to him, the coffee pot clattering back to the stove as she dropped it. “What’s wrong?”
“Look!” Hixson’s eyes were huge as he stared into the cradle.
Clara and Helena lay on their sides facing each other. The twins usually snuggled very close together in their cradle. Now they were looking at each other and kicking their little feet and cooing.
And their little hands were full of light.
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