A Country Christmas by Louisa May Alcott, 1882
The magic trick:
Setting up the story as a conscious demonstration of country life for a pair of visiting young urbanites
Merry Christmas to you if you’re reading this today and you happen to be celebrating this particular holiday.
It’s a holiday Louisa May Alcott celebrated and wrote often of, including in this delightfully saccharine “A Country Christmas.”
If you liked Little Women, you will likely love this story version of the same kind of 19th century warmth and charm. Our Jo March of this piece goes to school in the city. Or maybe she’s a young professional in the city? I’m not sure. Anyway, she is visiting her aunt and cousins in the country for Christmas and has decided to invite her friends from the city. They are cosmopolitan and educated. And they think quite a lot of their urbane lifestyle.
So the story has set up a clash, and probably, we assume, a humbling. But the conflict isn’t really what is on Alcott’s mind here. She is less interested in proving any points than she is in gently viewing the country, homespun, do-it-yourself-like-your-mother-taught-you lifestyle she knows well through the appreciation of newcomers from the city.
It’s a nice lens for a story, especially a Christmas story.
And that’s quite a trick on Alcott’s part.
The selection:
“Well, dear, I ain’t the least mite of objection, as long as it pleases you. I guess we can stan’ it ef your city folks can. I presume to say things will look kind of sing’lar to ’em, but I s’pose that’s what they come for. Idle folks do dreadful queer things to amuse ’em;” and Aunt Plumy leaned on the rolling-pin to smile and nod with a shrewd twinkle of her eye, as if she enjoyed the prospect as much as Sophie did.
“I shall be afraid of ’em, but I’ll try not to make you ashamed of me,” said Ruth, who loved her charming cousin even more than she admired her.
“No fear of that, dear. They will be the awkward ones, and you must set them at ease by just being your simple selves, and treating them as if they were every-day people. Nell is very nice and jolly when she drops her city ways, as she must here. She will enter into the spirit of the fun at once, and I know you’ll all like her. Mr. Randal is rather the worse for too much praise and petting, as successful people are apt to be, so a little plain talk and rough work will do him good. He is a true gentleman in spite of his airs and elegance, and he will take it all in good part, if you treat him like a man and not a lion.”
As always, join the conversation in the comments section below, on SSMT Facebook or on Twitter @ShortStoryMT.
Subscribe to the Short Story Magic Tricks Monthly Newsletter to get the latest short story news, contests and fun.
Short Story Magic Tricks 