The Christmas Box Read Free Page B

lifted another spoonful from my plate then added, "You really have some beautiful things up there."
    She smiled. "Yes. That's mostly my David's doing. David loved to collect things. As a businessman, he traveled all around the world. He always brought something back from each journey. In his spare time he became very knowledgeable about furniture and antiques. A few years before he died he had started collecting Bibles."
    I bobbed my head in interest.
    "See this Bible over here?" sh e s aid. She motioned to a large, leather-
    bound book sitting alone on a blac k l acquer papier-mache table inlaid wit h m other-of-pearl. "That Bible is ove r t wo hundred and fifty years old. It wa s o ne of David's favorite finds," sh e s hared joyously. "He brought it bac k f rom Britain. Collectors call it the 'wicked' Bible. In the first printing th e p rinter made an error, and in Exodu s t hey omitted the word `not' from th e s eventh commandment. It reads `Thou shalt commit adultery.'
    "That's deplorable," Keri chuckled.
    Mary laughed out loud. "It's true," she said. "After supper you're welcome to look it up. The British crow n f ined the printer three hundre d p ounds for the mistake."
    "That was a costly mistake," I said.
    "It was a very popular version," sh e s aid, smiling mischievously. "In the front parlor is a French Bible with what they call fore-edge painting. If you fan the pages back there is a watercolor of the Nativity. It was a unique art form of the period. Upstairs in the attic is a Bible box that David bought for it, but I think the book is so beautiful that I leave it out."
    "The Christmas Box," I said.
    She looked surprised at my familiarity with the box.
    "Yes, there is a Nativity scene etched in the wood--of the Madonna and the Baby Jesus."
    "I saw it up there. It's very beautiful."
    "It's not from France, though," sh e e xplained. "I believe it was from Sweden. Fine box-making was an art i n t he Scandinavian countries. When David passed away I received no t a few requests to purchase the Bibles. Except for the Bible I donate d t o the church, and the three that I stil l h ave, I sold the rest. I just couldn' t p art with these three. David took suc h j oy in them. They were his favorit e t reasures."
    "Where is the third Bible?" I asked.
    "I keep it in the den, for my personal reading. I'm sure there ar e s ome collectors that would have m y h ead for doing so, but it has specia l s ignificance to me." She looked dow n a t Jenna.
    "But enough of these old things, tel l m e about your sweet little three-year-
    old," she said kindly.
    Jenna had been sitting quietly, cautiously sampling her food, largel y i gnored by all of us. She looked u p s hyly.
    "Jenna is going to be four in January," Keri said.
    "I'm going to be this many," Jenna said proudly, extending a hand with one digit inverted.
    "That is a wonderful age!" Mary exclaimed. "Do you like your new home?"
    "I like my bed," she said matter-of-factly.
    "She's glad to get out of her crib," Keri explained. "We didn't have room in our last apartment for a bed. She was devastated when she found out that she was the only one in her dance class who slept in a crib."
    Mary smiled sympathetically.
    "Oh, speaking of dance," Keri remembered, turning to me, "Jenna's Christmas dance recital is this Saturday. Can you make it?"
    I frowned. "I'm afraid not. Saturday is going to be a busy day at the shop with all the December weddings and Christmas formals."
    It must be a very busy time of th e y ear for your type of business," Mar y o ffered.
    It is.' I replied, "but it drops off in January."
    She nodded politely then tuned to Kati. Well, I, for one, am glad that Jenna likes it here. And, if you're wanting for company, I would love to take Richards place at that dance recital'
    'You are more than welcome to joi n u s," Kari said. Jenne smiled.
    'Then its a date. And," she said , looking at Jenna, "for the little dancer , I made some chocolate Christma s p udding. Would you