Do you have a special Christmas movie or book that you return to at Christmastime? Maybe It’s a Wonderful Life, Elf, Emmett Otter’s Jug Band Christmas, “Twas the Night Before Christmas, The Peanuts Christmas Special, Amahl and the Night Visitors, A Christmas Carol . . . and the list goes on and on.
A Christmas gift by Glendon Swarthout is a sweet and tender tale of growing up on a Michigan farm during the Great Depression of the 1930s. A middle-aged man remembers a Christmas Eve miracle involving an antique pump organ, a smoke-belching 1928 Rumely OilPull tractor, and a strange cavalryman wearing a blue uniform, with a saber scabbard and a Colt revolver on his belt.
James, the narrator, tells us: “Now, this autumn, as the days wither and the stars recede and another Christmas nears, I am old enough to tell it truly, and young enough at last to know what it means.”
In such hard times James’s father can’t find work in Philadelphia and depends on “relief” checks to feed his family. James is 13 when he’s sent to live with his grandparents, Ella and Will Chubb. He thinks of his grandparents as kindly old people with one foot in the grave, but he helps with chores and enjoys farm life. The Chubbs raise chickens and sheep and have plenty of food.
The Chubbs don’t have electricity or a car but they have two valuable possessions. Will has a Rumely Oil Pull tractor, a monstrosity weighing 6776 lbs, or more than 3 tons and a melodeon. Ella sometimes plays their pump organ, also known as a melodeon. It was purchased in 1863 by Will’s father Ephraim just before he went to war with the 10th Michigan Cavalry. Will’s mother Sarah played the melodeon and taught Will to play it when he was six years old.
If you prefer a movie rather than a book, another take on The Melodeon is a 1978 Hallmark
tv movie “A Christmas to Remember”*. Check out the (not so great) clip on YouTube posting below:
If it turns out you love the film, stream it on IMDb, or the dvd is available for purchase at:
*(There is another movie of the same name that is NOT based on The Melodeon.)
Common-Woman wishes you a blessed Christmas. May you find peace and joy with your family and friends. Herein follows The Beloved Story from the Gospel of Luke:
The Christmas Story: The Birth of Jesus - Luke 2: 1-20 NIV
1 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register.
4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.
8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.
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