Read Online The Shining Badge by Gilbert Morris - Free Book Online
Authors: Gilbert Morris
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had struggled so hard to choose one name for a boy and then all of a sudden they had to pick two more.”
Indeed, this had been one of the many problems the triplets had brought. Lewis and Missouri had settled on the name Michael if the baby was a boy, but when they were suddenly faced with naming two others, they chose Samuel, Missouri’s father’s name, for one but were stumped for a third name. Then, the day after their birth, Hannah had a dream in which she proclaimed the Lord had given her a name for the boy. “His name is Temple.”
“Temple?” Lewis said. “I never heard of a man called Temple.”
“Well, I have,” Missouri said. “Sam Houston had a son, and his name was Temple. Temple Houston. I think it’s a beautiful name.”
Lewis stared at the three boys lined up on the bed and laughed. “Michael, Samuel, and Temple. Michael, I suppose, will always be the oldest by about thirty minutes.”
“God is going to use these boys. I just know He is,” Missouri Ann had sighed.
Now Hannah and Jenny finished hanging the laundry and then went back inside. Missouri was sitting in the rocking chair, nursing Temple. She looked up and frowned. “I need to be doing some of the work.”
“You’re doing exactly the kind of work you’re supposed to do. You nurse those babies, and we’ll take care of the diapers,” Jenny said, smiling.
Missouri cuddled the infant in her arms and stroked his hair, which was a beautiful auburn color. “I’ve always been embarrassed by being so big, but God knew what He was doing. Only a giantess could nurse all three of these fellows.”
Hannah laughed and began to fold diapers as Missouri continued to speak. “It’s a miracle. Every time I think about it, I just can hardly keep from crying. Here a year ago I was living by myself out in that old house, no husband, my two children grown and gone, and now look at me. Right in the middle of the finest family in the world.” She hugged Temple and whispered endearments to him, then suddenly looked over and said, “Hannah, you’ll be having your own baby.”
The words struck against Hannah with almost a physical force. Her face grew slightly pale, and she whispered, “How could you know that?”
“The Lord just whispered to me that you’re going to have a boy, and he’s going to be a great servant of God.”
“Is that right, Hannah?” Jenny asked with astonishment. “You’re really expecting?”
“I . . . I haven’t been sure, but I think so.”
“You can be sure of it. The Lord don’t make no mistakes,” Missouri said, smiling. “Have you told Clint yet?”
“No, I wanted to wait until I was absolutely sure.”
“Well, I think if Missouri says it’s so, why don’t you go tell him?” Jenny grinned.
“All right, I will.” Hannah got up but stopped as she reached the doorway. Turning around, with wonder in her eyes, she whispered, “After what I went through in New York, I never thought I’d have a husband, much less a child, but God is good.”
She turned and left the room, and Jenny said, “She’ll be a wonderful mother—just like you, Ma.”
****
“Hand me that screwdriver, would you, Lewis?”
“This one?” Lewis picked up a screwdriver and handed it to Clint. The two of them were putting new rings in the truck. Kat was hovering over them offering her help but was actually more in the way than anything else. She wore the usual ragged overalls and was barefooted, and a smudge of black grease marked her forehead.
“You’ve got grease all over your head,” Lewis said. “Come here.” Pulling a handkerchief out of his pocket, he carefully wiped the girl’s forehead, then squeezed her and gave her a kiss.
Kat was a youngster who held nothing back, saying anything that came to her mind. Lewis knew this, but still he was shocked when she looked at him directly with her gray-green eyes and asked, “Daddy, are you going to love me any less with all those boys around?”
“What a
Indeed, this had been one of the many problems the triplets had brought. Lewis and Missouri had settled on the name Michael if the baby was a boy, but when they were suddenly faced with naming two others, they chose Samuel, Missouri’s father’s name, for one but were stumped for a third name. Then, the day after their birth, Hannah had a dream in which she proclaimed the Lord had given her a name for the boy. “His name is Temple.”
“Temple?” Lewis said. “I never heard of a man called Temple.”
“Well, I have,” Missouri said. “Sam Houston had a son, and his name was Temple. Temple Houston. I think it’s a beautiful name.”
Lewis stared at the three boys lined up on the bed and laughed. “Michael, Samuel, and Temple. Michael, I suppose, will always be the oldest by about thirty minutes.”
“God is going to use these boys. I just know He is,” Missouri Ann had sighed.
Now Hannah and Jenny finished hanging the laundry and then went back inside. Missouri was sitting in the rocking chair, nursing Temple. She looked up and frowned. “I need to be doing some of the work.”
“You’re doing exactly the kind of work you’re supposed to do. You nurse those babies, and we’ll take care of the diapers,” Jenny said, smiling.
Missouri cuddled the infant in her arms and stroked his hair, which was a beautiful auburn color. “I’ve always been embarrassed by being so big, but God knew what He was doing. Only a giantess could nurse all three of these fellows.”
Hannah laughed and began to fold diapers as Missouri continued to speak. “It’s a miracle. Every time I think about it, I just can hardly keep from crying. Here a year ago I was living by myself out in that old house, no husband, my two children grown and gone, and now look at me. Right in the middle of the finest family in the world.” She hugged Temple and whispered endearments to him, then suddenly looked over and said, “Hannah, you’ll be having your own baby.”
The words struck against Hannah with almost a physical force. Her face grew slightly pale, and she whispered, “How could you know that?”
“The Lord just whispered to me that you’re going to have a boy, and he’s going to be a great servant of God.”
“Is that right, Hannah?” Jenny asked with astonishment. “You’re really expecting?”
“I . . . I haven’t been sure, but I think so.”
“You can be sure of it. The Lord don’t make no mistakes,” Missouri said, smiling. “Have you told Clint yet?”
“No, I wanted to wait until I was absolutely sure.”
“Well, I think if Missouri says it’s so, why don’t you go tell him?” Jenny grinned.
“All right, I will.” Hannah got up but stopped as she reached the doorway. Turning around, with wonder in her eyes, she whispered, “After what I went through in New York, I never thought I’d have a husband, much less a child, but God is good.”
She turned and left the room, and Jenny said, “She’ll be a wonderful mother—just like you, Ma.”
****
“Hand me that screwdriver, would you, Lewis?”
“This one?” Lewis picked up a screwdriver and handed it to Clint. The two of them were putting new rings in the truck. Kat was hovering over them offering her help but was actually more in the way than anything else. She wore the usual ragged overalls and was barefooted, and a smudge of black grease marked her forehead.
“You’ve got grease all over your head,” Lewis said. “Come here.” Pulling a handkerchief out of his pocket, he carefully wiped the girl’s forehead, then squeezed her and gave her a kiss.
Kat was a youngster who held nothing back, saying anything that came to her mind. Lewis knew this, but still he was shocked when she looked at him directly with her gray-green eyes and asked, “Daddy, are you going to love me any less with all those boys around?”
“What a
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