A wonderful period piece with a beautiful message is my offering today. The Christmas Angel (1910) by Abbie Farwell Brown brings our focus down to the importance of the holiday and will remind you of A Christmas Carol.
It is Christmas Eve but Miss Terry is bitter and alone living in her childhood home. Her brother has sent a note hoping to see her, but she has refused. She sits before the fireplace on this special night sorting an old box of toys while her servant goes out to see the candlelit homes and hear the carolers. Many of the treasures of her past are discarded into the fire. Some of the toys, however, she uses to conduct an experiment on the state of human greed. One by one she places them outside and hides behind the curtains to see what happens. Each of these toys is taken away in some manner reinforcing her low regard for her fellow man.
Despite a resolve to rid her home and memory of these old childhood toys she cannot toss the pink Christmas angel into the fire. Soon the angel speaks to Miss Terry and takes her to see what has become of the cast off toys. Her icy heart melts and she is ready to celebrate Christmas in some surprising ways.
This story is positive, although the beginning is sad, and well worth an evening's read, I highly recommend it. This short story, 104 pages, is free for the Kindle or to read on your computer. It can also be found on Google Books.
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