An abridged retelling of the Margaret Sidney story in which a fatherless family, happy in spite of its impoverished condition, is befriended by a very rich gentleman.

"To help mother": that was the goal of each and every one of the five Pepper children. Yet even as "Mamsie" struggles hard to feed and educate her brood, she still manages to fill the house with joy. The adventures of this poor but loving family-Ben, Polly, Joel, Davie, and the adored youngest, Phronsie-have charmed young readers for more than a century. Overflowing with warmth, suspense, and many delightful surprises, this classic remains as compelling...

"As the modern celebration of Christmas took shape across the nineteenth century, American writers gave it new meaning in the pages of countless books and magazines. Now, for the first time, this rich anthology brings together some of the most significant of those seasonal stories to retell a forgotten tale of Christmases past. From the authors who helped define a national literary culture, to the popular sentimentalists who negotiated Christmas's...