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Saturday, December 17, 2022

The Christmas Hirelings by Mary Elizabeth Braddon


πŸŽ„ Sir John Penlyon is a wealthy landowner. He became a cantankerous, hard hearted old man after the death of, first, his wife, then his first daughter. His youngest daughter's elopement was only the last straw.

πŸŽ„ His best friend, Mr. Danby, and his niece, Adella, have persuaded him to hire poor but respectable little children to liven up the Christmas at the mansion. An agreement was binding between the parties. Mr. Danby agreed to bring the hirelings, but Sir John should never ask about their background; while Sir John agreed to pay for everything on condition that the children leave the house immediately after Christmas - no strings attached!

πŸŽ„ Three little cute hirelings (a little boy and two little girls) arrive on Christmas Eve. The youngest girl, Moppet, instantly steals Sir John's heart with her sweet precocious nature.

πŸŽ„ Christmas celebration in the mansion is as joyful as one hopes; even Sir John's heart is warming up. But when he becomes quite attached to Moppet, something happens that threatens to take her away from him.

πŸŽ„ This story is the epitome of what true Christmas is about; joyful, heartwarming, love, forgiveness, and the chance to let go of the past, to right the wrongs, to start all over again with open heart.

πŸŽ„ A perfect Christmas read, that I might re-read again and again in the future - maybe as much as A Christmas Carol?...

Rating: 5 / 5

4 comments:

  1. Moppet sounds very cute. This does sound like the perfect Christmas read. :D

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    1. A very appropriate nick name for a cute little precocious child, indeed!
      I admire her mother's sense of humor. :)

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  2. I completely loved this story too!!!

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    Replies
    1. It's so loveable, it might replace A Christmas Carol, as far as I'm concerned...

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