Everybody knows “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens, a story about greedy ans miserly Ebenezer Scrooge, who is taught the true meaning of Christmas by a series of ghostly visitors. Dickens created a vivid Christmas fable about the message of goodwill towards mankind. To the left is this book at our presentation.
On page 153 of this book, the other charming story “A Christmas Tree” published by Dickens in 1850, and ever since it has an enduring influence on Christmas 
traditions, becoming inextricably linked with our celebrations of the festival. To the right is the start of this story, and another photo of Charles Dickens, writing it. This is how he started:
“I have been looking on, this evening, at a merry company of children assembled round that pretty German toy, a Christmas tree. The tree was planted in the middle of a great round table and towered high above their heads. It was brilliantly lighted by a multitude of little tapers, and everywher sparkled and glittered with bright objects.”
The illustrations were done by the world-renowned artist and author from Australia, Robert Ingpen, and they are so beautiful that I could not help gathering them together for a picture show “Robert Ingpen’s Delights”.
At the end of the story:” …I hear a whisper going through the leaves, “This, in commemoration of the law of love and kindness, mercy and compassion. This, in remembrance of Me!”
Author
valpat21@hotmail.ca