Fiona’s Gift, Part Three
In the Sloan apartment, Nurse Katherine finds Muriel even worse. After she leaves, Mrs. O’Fallon returns for an unwelcome visit.
When Mrs. O’Fallon asks Granny when her husband died, Granny tells her that she doesn’t know that he has died. She tells about his coming to America from Ireland years ago with promises to send for her and Dugan. When he sent divorce papers instead of tickets, she worked and saved to bring Dugan to America herself.
As Mr. McGrath closes down his butcher shop, his childhood friend Dugan Sloan enters. As Mr. McGrath reminisces about their school days and his own father, Dugan grabs McGrath in anger, telling him that he used to hate hearing about the elder Mr. McGrath when they were in school and that he didn’t know where his own father was back then. Mr. McGrath asks Dugan, “Do you suppose your family ever wonders the same thing about you?” Dugan is speechless. He lets go of Mr. McGrath’s shirt and exits.
The next day a fire breaks out in the factory. Miss Connolly rescues the girls from the locked room where they are working. When she falls in the pandemonium . . .
Doreen comes back to save her.
Mrs. O’Fallon brings the Sloan family news about the fire.
Doreen comes in safe, but wonders what they will do now without her job.
On Christmas Eve, Nurse Katherine stops by before her train ride to South Carolina to visit her sister. While she is there, Danny brings in a Christmas tree.
Mr. Harrison comes for the rent. When Granny reaches to get the money from her pawned clock, her purse is empty. Fiona tells that she heard Papa come in last night. They all suspect where the money went. They beg for more time, but Mr. Harrison is firm. Nurse Katherine tells Mr. Harrison to leave the family alone and hands him the money she had saved for her trip.
Following Nurse Katherine’s example, Fiona takes her beloved Rosie to the pawn shop so there will be money for her mama’s medicine.
Meanwhile children gather and decide to put on a nativity play in the street. After an argument about who will be Mary, the little street child walks up and says, “I’m Mary.” The girls decide that she will be Mary in the play.
Fiona returns to the apartment with Muriel’s medicine, but she won’t tell anyone where she got the money. When Papa arrives, he demands to know where Fiona got the money. She tells him that she pawned something that was rightfully hers. Dugan leaves and returns with Rosie. He tells Fiona he doesn’t want to be in debt to a little girl. “I won’t have you getting uppitty on me.”
Fiona leaves to watch the children put on the nativity play.
Since they have no doll for baby Jesus, she puts Rosie in their “manger.”
Jesus, our Savior, strong and good.
I carried His mother up hill and down . . .”
I gave Him my manger for his bed . . .”
I gave Him my wool for a blanket warm . . .”
I cooed Him to sleep so He would not cry . . .”
When the children go home to celebrate Christmas Eve, homeless Mary is left alone, holding Rosie.
With reluctance . . .
. . . and then with joy, Fiona gives Rosie to Mary.
Mary shouts with glee and runs away with her precious doll.
Finding Fiona alone, Dugan Sloan goes to his daughter. He asks, “Where’s your doll?”
When she tells him she gave her away, he asks her why.
Fiona replies, “Because I could see in that girl’s eyes that she wanted her so badly.”
Dugan stands bewildered and silent before saying, “I don’t mind, Fiona. How could I mind you giving and loving? That’s . . . That’s what Jesus would have done.”
Fiona replies, “You know Jesus, Papa?”
“Yes, I’ve known about Him for a long time. I’ve tried hard to forget about Him, but I can’t. Maybe He’d like me to start remembering Him again,” says Dugan.
“Oh, He would, Papa! I know He would! You know what, Papa? When I gave that girl my doll, her eyes started smiling. And now your eyes are smiling, too! I’ve never seen them do that before. Merry Christmas, Papa!”
“Merry Christmas, Fiona.”
It is a trustworthy statement,
deserving full acceptance,
that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.
1 Timothy 1:15