It was Tuesday June 8, 1880, a day before the 23rd birthday of Polly Cartwright. The extremely pregnant Polly had been busy all day with the preparations for the next day.
That evening when the twins Jake and Emma were sleeping Polly noticed how tired she really was. Her mother-in-law, Sally Cartwright, saw how tired Polly was and stepped in.
“Polly Cartwright, you go to bed now!”, she said.
“Good ma. Good night everyone”, reacted Polly.
She got up carefully and walked to her bed room. The last few weeks Polly had gained quite a weight.
When she laid in bed Mitch came to sit by her.
“How is it?”, he asked concerned.
“It looks like that it won’t be long before the baby is here”, answered Polly.
“But you don’t feel anything yet, do you?”, asked Mitch.
Polly shook of no.
“Try to get some sleep”, he said calm.
“Trying to sleep with such a big belly? The last few days I already sleep badly”, reacted Polly.
Though she fell asleep a moment later.
It was the very early morning of June 9 1880 when Polly woke up with heavy belly ache.
Polly woke up Mitch and said, “Mitch, wake up. I’m in labor.”
Mitch was at once wide awake.
“Can you let the doctor come?”, asked Polly.
“I will wake up daddy”, said Mitch.
He got up and went to the bedroom of his parents.
“Daddy, can you get the doctor and the parents of Polly? Polly is having the baby”, said Mitch.
Adam was awake at once and went away after he got dressed. Mitch went back to Polly. She walked around in the bedroom to receive the contractions.
“It hurts so much”, Polly said in between 2 contractions.
“I’m with you and you really will get through it. Now you go to bed to have our 3rd one”, said Mitch.
Polly went to bed and Mitch came to sit by her.
“Mitch, I want to sit down. Perhaps it goes better then”, said Polly.
Mitch shook up her pillow and asked then, “Better?”
Polly nodded and looked at her big belly.
“How was it when you had the twins?”, Mitch asked carefully.
“Terrible. I was alone at home when the contractions began. First came Jake and a moment later Emma was born”, answered Polly.
She sighed deep. Mitch and Polly looked at her big belly.
Polly said, “Just let the baby come now.”
“Pol, just hold on for a while. He really will come and maybe sooner than you think”, said Mitch.
“I’m already busy having him”, reacted Polly.
Both knew for sure that would get a son.
An hour later.
Polly felt that the contractions became stronger and came quicker after each other. She puffed an contraction away and noticed that the waters had been broken.
“The waters have broken and I must push. Mitch, I can’t stop the baby anymore”, said Polly.
Polly began to push and had a lot of support from her husband.
Another half an hour later Polly said, “Mitch, catch the baby. I can feel the head already.”
“Push as hard as you can”, Mitch said calm.
Polly worked as hard as she could and screamed it out of the pain when she brought he baby into the world.
“Congratulations with your birthday, darling. We have a son”, Mitch said smiling.
He put the baby by Polly and kissed her. Polly began to cry of happiness when she held their son.
“Thanks darling. You really couldn’t give me a more beautiful present than this boy”, Polly said crying of happiness.
Polly laid in bed recovering of the delivery and her son Benji in her arms. Mitch sat by them.
“It was tough though but by you I could do it”, said the young mother.
“He is my son too. But you had to do most of the work”, Mitch answered smiling.
“I didn’t mind at all”, said Polly.
In the time that Mitch and Polly were busy with their baby Sally looked after her 3 youngest daughters Lisa, Rose and Daisy. Now their parents couldn’t look after the twins Sally took care of them.
“When may we give the presents to mama?”, Jake asked during breakfast.
“I don’t know that son. The baby is coming and mama needs your father now very hard”, answered Sally.
“When does the baby of Pam and Matt come?”, asked Lisa.
“It can also be born any moment. We really will hear it when it’s time. You know that they come anyway because it’s your sister-in-law’s birthday today”, answered Sally.
Lisa nodded and ate on to go to school after that.
Not much later doctor Paul Martin came in and he went straight to the bedroom of Mitch and Polly. Adam followed him and also the parents of Polly, Jack and Cathy Miller.
“Isn’t the baby here not yet, is it?”, asked Cathy.
“We heard some crying though. But if that was of Polly or the baby we don’t know. Coffee?”, Sally asked on her turn.
“Delicious”, Cathy said who helped at once with the children.
Sally poured in coffee and cleaned then the breakfast table.
Doc Martin came into the bedroom. He helped Polly with the delivery.
“The baby came a bit faster than we had thought”, Polly said gasping.
After the bay was examined Doc asked, “He is perfectly healthy. How is the little one going to be called?”
The brand new parents looked at each other and Mitch gave as answer with tears in his eyes and throat, “Benji after grandpa.”
Quite soon Rose, Jake and Emma went to play outside with the dogs Cody and Skip and the cat Lucky. But not for long.
The doctor came downstairs again and said, “I must say from Mitch and Polly that the twins must come to their room straightaway.”
“Then I will call them inside for a second”, said Adam.
He got up and walked to the front door.
“Jake and Emma Cartwright, your parents want to see you and right now!”, he called.
The mentioned children ran at once to the bedroom of their parents.
At the door said Polly, “Boys, greet your little brother Benji.”
Jake and Emma ran to the bed where their mother laid with the baby. They climbed on the bed to see their little brother.
“Happy birthday mama and Benji”, the children said at the same time.
“Thanks boys”, Polly said smiling.
“Why don’t you go and get grandpa and grandma so that mama and Benji can sleep after that?”, Mitch suggested.
The twins ran downstairs to get their grandpas and grandmas. Of course Rose came after them.
Of course the parents of Mitch and Polly were crazy about their grandson too.
“What a darling”, Sally said touched.
Cathy too was touched by her 2nd grandson.
Adam said proud as a peacock, “Benji is exactly Mitch when we found him.”
In brief Adam told about the birth of Mitch and how he had come at the ranch. Everyone saw that Polly was tired and that’s why the visit went downstairs again. Mother and child fell asleep quite soon.
Meanwhile in another house at the Ponderosa something else took place too.
As she knew that her twin brother Mitch became a father Pam Walker Cartwright went into labor too on the morning of June 9, 1880. The Walker family was having breakfast. That were Dan and Laura Walker, their son Matthew and the extremely pregnant Pam. Pam was the only one who wasn’t eating which everybody noticed.
“Pam, you must eat for the baby”, said Matthew.
“I’m not hungry but I have heavy bellyache. It looks like that the baby is coming”, answered his wife.
The following moment Pam got a heavy contraction and she grabbed her belly tight. She sighed deep.
“Dan, go get the doctor”, Laura said right away.
Dan left at once. Matthew helped Pam to their bedroom.
“Matt, our little child is on its way. Oh, there comes another contraction”, Pam said sighing.
She puffed the contraction away and felt that the waters had been broken.
“Matt, the waters have been broken”, said Pam.
Matthew helped his wife to bed. Both realized that their baby really could be born any moment now.
Pam laid in bed with Matthew at her side.
“Sweetheart, keep in account that you might be lying in bed with such a belly often”, said Matthew.
Pam answered, “Well, if the baby in my belly is yours and you are with the delivery I don’t mind.”
A moment later Pam got a heavy push contraction and she said then, “Matt, I need to push.”
Then Laura came into the room and she heard the words of Pam.
“Ma, It’s time. Pam has push contractions”, said Matthew.
Laura looked how far Pam was and said, “Pam, with the next contraction you may push.”
Pam nodded and looked at Matthew for a quick second.
Pam worked hard to have her baby and after an hour the reward was there.
“Pam, just another good push contraction”, said Laura.
The mother to be took a breath and pushed as hard as she could. A moment later Pam got her baby put on her belly. Matthew kissed her of happiness.
“She’s called Mary after her real grandma”, Pam said crying of happiness.
When Matthew held his daughter Pam said, “I feel another baby coming.”
Laura looked and said, “Prepare yourself for yet another baby.”
Pam began to push again and gave again birth to a daughter.
“Matt, your father won’t really like this because now the women are in the majority in this house. Pam and you have received 2 girls”, said Laura.
“As long as the little ones are healthy I don’t mind. We call this one Iris”, Matthew said deliriously glad.
Pam was recovering with the twins with her and Matthew by her when Dan came home with doctor Paul Kay.
“Morning Doc. Pam and Matt are in their room”, said Laura.
Doc went straight upstairs and found a very happy family.
“We got 2 for the price of 1. They came a bit quicker than we had thought and expected”, said Matthew.
“How are the twins called?”, asked Doc.
“Mary and Iris”, answered Pam.
Doc Kay examined Pam and the twins and declared them healthy.
“Pam, just rest very well. Matt, I wish you and your father very much strength with 4 women in the house”, said Doc.
The fresh parents nodded. The heal master went downstairs.
“Dan, your son and daughter-in-law have a very beautiful surprise for you”, said Doc.
The mineworker went straight upstairs where he got to see his 2 granddaughters.
“Congratulations boys. Pam, you are going to rest now and Matt, you are going to tell this news to your family-in-law. Ma and I stay at home for Pam and the baby’s”, Dan said after a while.
The couple agreed.
Later on Matthew rode in the direction of the parental house of Pam to tell the great news when he ran into his brother-in-law Mitch. He was on his way to the big ranch house with Jake, Emma and Skip with him.
Matthew stopped his horse and dismounted. Skip took the reins right away.
“What are you doing here with those 2 toddlers? Mustn’t you be with Polly?”, asked Matthew.
“She sleeps just like her and my son Benji. By the way, why do you leave my twin sister alone when she can give birth any moment?”, asked Mitch.
“She has given birth to 2 daughters this morning, Mary and Iris. I had to flee the house for a second. All those women in the house”, Matthew said laughing.
The 2 congratulated each other and walked then to the big ranch house.
The owner of the Ponderosa ranch was Ben Cartwright and grandpa of Mitch and Matthew. He was at the yard busy when Jake, Emma and Skip came running to him.
“Grandpapa, we have gotten a little brother and aunty Pam 2 girls”, the twins called at the same time.
Ben was being called by Jake and Emma grandpapa. He stopped with working and received the 2.
“Matt, there goes our surprises for grandpa”, said Mitch.
His brother-in-law nodded.
“Gentlemen, congratulations with your children”, Ben said when Jake and Emma went to play with Skip.
“Thanks grandpa. Polly wanted that we name dour child after you or grandma”, said Mitch.
“We have named our daughters after their grandma and Pam herself”, was the answer of Matthew.
They went inside with the twins and Skip.
After Mitch and Matthew had told everything they got congratulated by the others.
“Pa, which new baby are you going to look at first?”, Hoss asked after the coffee.
Hoss was the 2nd son of Ben.
The rancher answered, “Well Mitch, you and the twins come with me to Pam. Matt, you take Skip along to your in-laws to see your nephew. Tell the others about the births of your twins. After that we go look at the other baby so that I can take your brother-in-law and children home.”
The 2 young fathers agreed.
Mitch said, “Pol is having her birthday today and I couldn’t give her a more beautiful present than Benji.”
Again the young Cartwright got congratulated.
Pam was thrilled when she saw her brother. That was the other way around too.
“They are called Mary and Iris. Matt and his mother helped me very well”, Pam said while Ben and Mitch admired the baby’s.
“I helped Benji coming into the world. Daddy said that he looks like me when I had just come to the ranch”, said Mitch.
“Grandpa, do you want to put the twins in their room? I want to be alone for a moment with Mitch”, Pam said after a while.
The rancher nodded and brought his 2 youngest great-grandchildren to their room.
“Mitch, I miss mama so. Especially now I’m a mother myself”, Pam said when they were alone.
Mitch came to sit by her, put his arms around her neck and said, “I miss mama too.”
Pam began to cry in the arms of her brother. Mitch too had difficulty to keep his tears in control.
“Sis, we are going to make our house ready as soon as possible so that we can live there with our families. I promise you that”, Mitch said after the crying party.
“First Polly and I must recover from the delivery”, said Pam.
Her brother nodded and kissed her.
When Jake and Emma saw their cousins they had their opinion ready.
“They are sweet”, began Jake.
“But Benji is sweeter”, his sister added.
Ben advised them, “Just don’t tell uncle Matt and aunty Pam that.”
Jake and Emma understood this though.
Matthew walked Skip while he brought him home.
When the young
Walker came in he said to his parents-in-law, “Grandpa and grandma, you must have the hearty greetings from Mary and Iris Walker.”
Adam and Sally looked at him amazed.
“Pam and I have become parents of 2 beautiful daughters. Ma has help with the births”, Matthew explained.
Sally was totally thrilled but Adam too found it great to have gotten 2 more grandchildren.
When Matthew saw his newborn nephew he said, “Now we have 3 new little players for our youth team.”
“Why 3 new little players?”, Polly asked amazed.
“Pam and I have gotten 2 daughters this morning. They are called Mary and Iris”, her brother-in-law explained.
“How nice. Just give Pam a big hug from me”, Polly said still a bit tired.
“I won’t bother you any longer but grandpa has taken Mitch and the 2 toddlers to my parents. After that they come home again”, said Matthew.
He always called Jake and Emma toddlers.
But before he left he kissed his sister-in-law and he Matthew said, “Still congratulated with your birthday.”
“Thanks Matt”, said Polly.
She fell asleep again and Matthew went away.
Downstairs Jack said to Adam and Sally, “Just you go with Rose to see the twins. We will babysit Benji and Daisy.”
Daisy was the youngest daughter of Adam and Sally. Adam prepared the carriage and took his wife and child along to his oldest daughter. Matthew went with them too.
Sally fell in love with her new grandchildren too. But Adam and Rose too were crazy about the new twins too.
“Mama would be proud of you and also touched because you named a daughter after her”, said Adam.
“I always wanted that and Matt agreed with it. Iris is named after myself”, answered Pam.
Adam, Sally and Rose didn’t sat all too long so that Pam and her twins could rest too.
Of course the uncles and aunts of the Cartwright twins (Hoss and Betsy + Joe and Cora) came to see the newest additions in their family.
Mitch decided to pick up his little sister from school. He wanted to be alone for a while to let all happenings of this day let it get through to him. While he stood waiting at the school Mitch suddenly realized that in a few years time he had to bring and get his own children to the same school.
When Lisa came to him her brother said, “Hello aunty Lisa.”
“Aunty Lisa?”, she first asked amazed but then the young Cartwright understood it.
“Is your baby being born?”, Lisa asked while she mounted on her horse Blackie.
“Yes, it’s a boy and he’s called Benji after grandpa. But first we go to Matt and Pam. They have a very beautiful surprise for you”, answered her brother.
They rode away and after a while they arrived at the house of the family Walker. The Cartwright children were always welcome there too. Brother and sister dismounted and hitched their horses. Here after they went inside.
“Lisa comes for her surprise”, said Mitch.
“Just come along little sis”, said Matthew.
They walked to their bedroom where Pam laid in bed with the twins with her.
“Hello Lisa. We have also received twins. They are called Mary and Iris”, said Pam.
Lisa came to sit by her and got a baby handed over.
“How nice. Mitch came to get me from school and said that he had gotten a son”, she told.
“He came with Jake, Emma and grandpa. Papa, mom and Rose also have been around”, said Pam.
For a second there fell a painful silence.
“Would have mama liked the baby’s too, wouldn’t she?”, Lisa asked then.
“I know for sure she would. We have named Mary after her”, answered Pam.
Lisa gave Mary back and said, “Mitch waits for me downstairs. I will drop again by halfway the week”, said Lisa.
“Don’t let that brother of ours wait too long then”, Pam said laughing.
Lisa quickly went downstairs where after she went home with her brother. There Mitch brought his little sister straight away to his wife and youngest son. Lisa was thrilled with her nephew too at once.
The Cartwright twins and their partners couldn’t ever forget this striking day again. But their families neither too.