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The Christmas Pony by Ann Wilmer
During the cold spell, a prize Black Angus cow belonging to Mary Elizabeth Powell whose farm was located along the mainland across the bay from the northern end of Assateague Island wandered away from the herd and her safe berth. Disoriented, she traveled the ice-covered bay until she finally turned inland following the creek that fronted a cedar knoll thicket behind the Hudson’s snug farmhouse. Sam Hudson found her there stranded, slipping and sliding on the ice, unable to climb the slight rise when he went to cut down a small cedar for his family’s Christmas tree. It took the three men, Farmer Hudson and a couple of his neighbors, to rescue the exhausted cow and lead her to warmth, food and safety in his barn. Her appearance was the subject of much comment on the farms in and around the tiny hamlet. Where could she have come from? No one nearby had Black Angus cattle. The family was poor and it must have been tempting to remain quiet about the cow, but the farmer asked everyone he knew or came across about who might own the cow. It was nearly spring before someone finally mentioned that Mrs. Powell up toward Eagle’s Nest had a few Black Angus cattle and was slowly building a herd of them. They got word to Mrs. Powell about their barnyard guest and when things thawed a bit she came to look at the animal. Sure enough, it was one of her cows, now very pregnant. They decided that the cow should remain where she was until she delivered her calf and then Mrs. Powell arranged to come and take both of them back to her farm. Mrs. Powell was very grateful to Farmer Hudson for rescuing the cow and caring for her for many weeks while he sought her owners. The following Christmas brought another visit from Mrs. Powell. This time it was to bring the gift of a small pony for Farmer Hudson’s two sons, Junior and Edward. At 13, their older sister Frances was old enough to be involved in helping to make Christmas for her two younger siblings that year. After the boys had gone to bed she helped her mother and father to trim the tree and decorate the picture frames in the sitting room with crows feet, an evergreen that grows like a vine in the woods, and holly. On the table in the kitchen she put out a plate at each child’s place, which was filled with nuts and an apple and orange, traditional gifts from Santa in the days when everything under the tree did not come from a toy store or department store. Last of all, Farmer Hudson brought the pony from the barn and tied her to the newel post at the bottom of the stairs and they all retired to bed. They hadn’t even got to sleep when the pony began to stamp and snort. It didn’t take long to wake the two sleeping boys who were probably not sleeping very soundly anyway. And it wasn’t long before the whole family was awake and downstairs marveling at the wonderful pony that Santa Claus had brought. There was nothing to do but what the boys must have a ride on their new pony right away. Farmer Hudson lit a kerosene lantern while his wife, Daisy, bundled up the children in coats and scarves and mittens. And at 4 a.m. by the light of the lantern they rode round and round the barnyard as their father lead the pony. It must have looked very much like the holy family traveling to Egypt to escape the wrath of King Herod. No one remembers for sure quite how they came up with the name “Mary Elizabeth” for the new pony, except that she was named after Mrs. Powell, but it was probably Daisy’s idea. And for many years after she was a cherished playmate and friend to little Sam and Edward Hudson. Now whenever we look at this photo of Edward and Sam, Jr. with “Mary Elizabeth” we remember that she was a thank you gift to a poor farmer who rescued Mrs. Powell’s prize cow. Good deeds are always rewarded, sometimes at Christmas. Family story re-told by Ann Wilmer.
Bio:
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The winter of 1934 was colder than most along the shores of the Sinepuxent Bay. The wind howled and the Bay froze between the mainland and the island southward from the inlet where the waters of the Sinepuxent meet the Atlantic Ocean past Public Landing where the Hudson family lived on the Purnell Farm, a small tract owned by the First National Bank in Snow Hill and let to tenant farmers. 
