The Mailbox, Uncle Ben, Christmas Snows, Christmas Winds- LDS Classics

From 1978The Mailbox:Nancy is about to receive her college degree and she has a special request for Dr. McFarland about the commencement proceedings, where parents are always given special honor. She starts to reminisce about what has led to her successful graduation, and that of her two brothers Jim and Tommy before her, despite having lost both parents long ago. After being widowed when Nancy is only two years old, her mother Laura works hard night and day to support her young family. Their only relative is Laura's brother, and Uncle Ben is a favorite of the children with his story-telling ability and easy charm. However, his own life is dominated by alcoholism, and he finds it difficult to hold a job and be a responsible member of the community. When Laura suddenly passes away, the children beg Uncle Ben to take care of them. He wishes to do so, and fights to gain custody of his young niece and nephews, but his addiction is standing in the way of his fulfilling the role of a parent.Uncle Ben:Nancy is about to receive her college degree and she has a special request for Dr. McFarland about the commencement proceedings, where parents are always given special honor. She starts to reminisce about what has led to her successful graduation, and that of her two brothers Jim and Tommy before her, despite having lost both parents long ago. After being widowed when Nancy is only two years old, her mother Laura works hard night and day to support her young family. Their only relative is Laura's brother, and Uncle Ben is a favorite of the children with his story-telling ability and easy charm. However, his own life is dominated by alcoholism, and he finds it difficult to hold a job and be a responsible member of the community. When Laura suddenly passes away, the children beg Uncle Ben to take care of them. He wishes to do so, and fights to gain custody of his young niece and nephews, but his addiction is standing in the way of his fulfilling the role of a parent.Christmas Snows, Christmas Winds:Mingling with children enjoying a Christmas display in a city department store, a middle-aged man recalls pleasant memories of candy, pies & cookies, the school pageant, the decorated tree with wrapped presents underneath, and the anticipation of finding what Santa would leave on a Christmas morning when he was a child in a 1930's farming community of the American West. Just in time, snow had finally come, seemingly obligatory for Santa's arrival, and adding sparkling magic to the miracle of the holiday. But like a bitter wind, images from a somewhat later Christmas creep into his mind despite his attempts to block them, memories about the cruelty he and his friends had shown the daughter of an immigrant German family. No matter how deep the snows may be, they cannot cover the regret he feels even decades later.

From 1978

Nancy is about to receive her college degree and she has a special request for Dr. McFarland about the commencement proceedings, where parents are always given special honor. She starts to reminisce about what has led to her successful graduation, and that of her two brothers Jim and Tommy before her, despite having lost both parents long ago. After being widowed when Nancy is only two years old, her mother Laura works hard night and day to support her young family. Their only relative is Laura's brother, and Uncle Ben is a favorite of the children with his story-telling ability and easy charm. However, his own life is dominated by alcoholism, and he finds it difficult to hold a job and be a responsible member of the community. When Laura suddenly passes away, the children beg Uncle Ben to take care of them. He wishes to do so, and fights to gain custody of his young niece and nephews, but his addiction is standing in the way of his fulfilling the role of a parent.