Heading toward the checkout counter at The Frugal Muse, something small and red caught my eye. What is this, thought I, as I pulled the little box down. A beautiful, bright red box with gold lettering and scrolls. Charles Dickens Christmas, it said. A Collector’s Edition, no less. Five books slid into the tidy box, their spines, showing no wear, were looking daintily back at me, all for $5.00!
You know me, dear reader, do you not? A bargain to be had. More books to fit upon a shelf. Stories to warm the long winter nights. The Time had come. Really. These are a collection of Time Life books, and they have graced the mantle since first they were bought a few long, hard winters ago.
As I made my purchase, the clerk inquired “Where did you find this?”. Like a ghost of Christmas present, I turned, in my long, black coat and pointed to the area where I had. He fondled the book, thinking, perhaps, of what a nice gift it could have made for his favorite uncle or grandmother. Ah, but the gift was mine, for its beauty alone, and the hope of some Christmasy Dickens.
Like all good intentions, this one languished. The books sat contentedly upon the mantle. Scrooge stands guard each Christmas. Mrs. Cratchit holds the Christmas pudding nearby. There’s a cricket, too, on the hearth. I thought I heard it fiddling along with the teapot’s whistling this afternoon.
Finally, this season, I pulled down the collection and out came The Cricket on the Hearth. It has been keeping me entertained on these long winter’s nights ever since.
This is a smallish book from a smallish collection of books. The words are, well, small; a challenge, for sure for someone of my vintage. It is a story worth reading aloud, and I do just that when all alone. It just doesn’t work in a coffee shop, however, or over a spot of tea, but, I’ve kept with it, and read “Chirp the First” and “Chirp the Second”, so, it is just that third chirping chapter to go before putting the book back into it’s spot. Then we will see about The Battle of Life: A Love Story, Chimes: A Goblin Story, The Haunted Man and The Ghost’s Bargain, and you know, that other ghost story that seems to have defined Christmas for more than 150 years. A Dickens’ of a tale if there ever was one, don’t you agree?
Chirp! Chirp!
Oh, I’d have grabbed them too, Penny! Such a lovely little boxed set. Dickens has been a part of Christmas for me as long as I can remember. I’m guessing that it’s because he was writing as the Victorians were inventing what we now think of as the traditional domestic Christmas and captured the very essence of it.
A very happy Christmas to you and your family. I’m really glad to have discovered your blog
LikeLike
I do believe you are right, Perpetua. Dickens did capture the essence of Christmas. I’m enjoying discovering some of his other Christmas stories. My goodness but he was prolific, wasn’t he? I am so lucky that this little boxed set presented itself to me when it did.
I am equally as glad to have come to know you through your blog. Merry Christmas to you as well.
LikeLike
What a wonderful find! I think your volumes are much prettier than mine, but I have a wonderful old multi-volume set that was in our house when we bought it…there’s a long story here and I’ve thought I must tell that story some time. You do find wonderful old editions and I absolutely know what a treasure they are. Speaking of small print, I took an odd shortcut this year and downloaded A Christmas Carol to my iPad…I wanted to make the print larger. A different approach, but I read late at night and unfortunately, vintage eyesight indeed!–ha! Next year I must read the other Christmas stories! Enjoy! Debra
LikeLike
Oh my, that is a story you must someday tell, Debra. I’m already intrigued. I was certainly lucky in finding this set. I don’t think any of the books were ever read, so stiff they are with newness. Good for you. I do most of my reading at night as well and it is a bit of a challenge at times. Vintage eyesight means modern techniques! Do read this one sometime, Debra, if only the first few pages of the kettle singing and the cricket chirping. It is so wonderful.
LikeLike
What a find, and I can’t believe it was so cheap! I love A Christmas Carol and really should pull it out to read every year. It really is the perfect seasonal reading. I think you should definitely read the goblin story. Isn’t there some tradition of reading ghost stories at Christmas? I haven’t a clue how it came about but I have read a number of books set at this time that have the telling of ghost stories in them!
LikeLike
I know. I was so lucky to come across it. I don’t think any of them were ever read. I love A Christmas Carol as well, Danielle. Just think how often it has been adapted into plays and movies and readings across the world. I think there is some sort of tradition of ghost stories and Christmas and will need to do some investigating. You’ve piqued my curiosity.
LikeLike
What a treasure! Cannot believe how many “finds” (and inexpensive ones at that) you seem to run across in your wanderings.
Reading Danielle’s comments set me to searching and look what I found!! I didn’t know that Dickens wrote more than one Christmastide tale with ghosts: http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Ghost-Stories-Charles-Dickens/dp/1934619000
Merry Christmas!
LikeLike
I seem to manage to be in the right place at the right time when it comes to reading treasures, Karen. I know I’ve been very fortunate.
Thanks for the amazon link. There are even more stories than I realized.This looks very interesting, indeed, and set me on a bit of a hunt through the internet with one mention of “Christmas ghost stories” that I’ll post in the morning.
LikeLike
Sometimes I buy books and they just sit on the shelf, biding their time. And then their time arrives, as has Dickens. It looks like a dear little set, despite the challenges of the text size.
LikeLike
Books can be such patient friends, can’t they Juliet? This is a dear set, indeed. Besides the small print, I’m handling it rather gingerly as I don’t think it has ever been opened, so stiff is the spine.
LikeLike
What a great find!! I have just been finishing reading my worn out paperback version of the Christmas Carol. I read while my cookies were baking. I also have the shortened version that Dickens read while he was on tour. They are both unabridged but are slightly different editions. I have read it almost every year to my children, my students, and now to myself and the cookies. I just love your small editions.
LikeLike
I know. I’m so lucky to have this set – or rather that it found me. I hope that the cookies have enjoyed this year’s reading as much as I’m sure your own children, students, and, well of course, you, Janet. tee hee What fun to read while baking all those cookies you’ve baked this year.
I’m really curious now about Christmas ghost stories and their origin after Danielle and Karen’s comments. I’m thinking, too, of a very well known song that I’ll post later or tomorrow.
LikeLike
How fabulous! I have never read this or the other Dickens Christmas tales in your collection. And by other of course I mean except THE ONE, which we always read out loud (when I was the reader and before that, the readee).
Merry Christmas!!
LikeLike
This is my first foray into ghostly waters other that THE ONE, Sallie. How grand that you read it out loud. The best way to read about Scrooge and his ghosts. The best way, indeed, no bah humbug about it.
Merry Christmas to you as well.
LikeLike
What beautiful books and your description of the purchase, their place on your shelf and how you’ve savored reading “The Cricket” this Christmas really drew me into your cozy world!
LikeLike
I’m so glad it did, Janet. Im looking forward to reading the rest – eventually.
LikeLike