The Falsoms' Christmas Dinner Page #2

"The Falsoms' Christmas Dinner" by Lucy Maud Montgomery is a heartwarming short story that captures the essence of holiday spirit and the importance of generosity and community. Set against the backdrop of a small rural setting, the narrative revolves around the Falsom family, who face challenges during the Christmas season. As they prepare for their holiday feast, themes of kindness, compassion, and the significance of friendship emerge, illustrating how even the simplest acts can bring joy and warmth to the cold winter days. Montgomery's signature style weaves together emotions and vivid descriptions, making this story a delightful reminder of the true spirit of Christmas.

• Short story

								

cleaning and decorating at a furious rate. By eleven o'clock
everything was finished or going forward briskly. The plum pudding was
bubbling in the pot, the turkey--Burton's plumpest--was sizzling in
the oven. The shelf in the pantry bore two mince pies upon which
Alexina was willing to stake her culinary reputation. And Stephen had
gone to the train to meet Uncle James.

From her kitchen window Alexina could see brisk preparations going on
in the Tracy kitchen. She knew Josie and Duncan were all alone; their
parents had gone to spend Christmas with friends in Lessing. In spite
of her hurry and excitement Alexina found time to sigh. Last Christmas
Josie and Duncan had come over and eaten their dinner with them. But
now last Christmas seemed very far away. And Josie had behaved
horridly. Alexina was quite clear on that point.

Then Stephen came with Uncle James. Uncle James was a rather pompous,
fussy old man with red cheeks and bushy eyebrows. "H'm! Smells nice in
here," was his salutation to Alexina. "I hope it will taste as good as
it smells. I'm hungry."

Alexina soon left Uncle James and Stephen talking in the parlour and
betook herself anxiously to the kitchen. She set the table in the
little dining room, now and then pausing to listen with a delighted
nod to the murmur of voices and laughter in the parlour. She felt sure
that Stephen was making a favourable impression. She lifted the plum
pudding and put it on a plate on the kitchen table; then she took out
the turkey, beautifully done, and put it on a platter; finally, she
popped the two mince pies into the oven. Just at this moment Stephen
stuck his head in at the hall door.

"Lexy, do you know where that letter of Governor Howland's to Father
is? Uncle James wants to see it."

Alexina, not waiting to shut the oven door--for delay might impress
Uncle James unfavourably--rushed upstairs to get the letter. She was
ten minutes finding it. Then, remembering her pies, she flew back to
the kitchen. In the middle of the floor she stopped as if transfixed,
staring at the table. The turkey was gone. And the plum pudding was
gone! And the mince pies were gone! Nothing was left but the platters!
For a moment Alexina refused to believe her eyes. Then she saw a trail
of greasy drops on the floor to the open door, out over the doorstep,
and along the boards of the walk to the back fence.

Alexina did not make a fuss. Even at that horrible moment she
remembered the importance of making a favourable impression. But she
could not quite keep the alarm and excitement out of her voice as she
called Stephen, and Stephen knew that something had gone wrong as he
came quickly through the hall. "Is the turkey burned, Lexy?" he cried.

"Burned! No, it's ten times worse," gasped Alexina. "It's gone--gone,
Stephen. And the pudding and the mince pies, too. Oh, what shall we
do? Who can have taken them?"

It may be stated right here and now that the Falsoms never really
knew anything more about the disappearance of their Christmas dinner
than they did at that moment. But the only reasonable explanation of
the mystery was that a tramp had entered the kitchen and made off with
the good things. The Falsom house was right at the end of the street.
The narrow backyard opened on a lonely road. Across the road was a
stretch of pine woods. There was no house very near except the Tracy
one.

Stephen reached this conclusion with a bound. He ran out to the yard
gate followed by the distracted Alexina. The only person visible was a
man some distance down the road. Stephen leaped over the gate and tore
down the road in pursuit of him. Alexina went back to the doorstep,
sat down upon it, and began to cry. She couldn't help it. Her hopes
were all in ruins around her. There was no dinner for Uncle James.

Josephine Tracy saw her crying. Now, Josie honestly thought that she
had a grievance against Alexina. But an Alexina walking unconcernedly
by with a cool little nod and her head held high was a very different
person from an Alexina sitting on a back doorstep, on Christmas
morning, crying. For a moment Josie hesitated. Then she slowly went
out and across the yard to the fence. "What is the trouble?" she
asked.

Alexina forgot that there was such a thing as dignity to be kept up;
or, if she remembered it, she was past caring for such a trifle. "Our
dinner is gone," she sobbed. "And there is nothing to give Uncle James
to eat except vegetables--and I do so want to make a favourable
impression!"

This was not particularly lucid, but Josie, with a flying mental leap,
arrived at the conclusion that it was very important that Uncle James,
whoever he was, should have a dinner, and she knew where one was to be
had. But before she could speak Stephen returned, looking rueful. "No
use, Lexy. That man was only old Mr. Byers, and he had seen no signs
of a tramp. There is a trail of grease right across the road. The
tramp must have taken directly to the woods. We'll simply have to do
without our Christmas dinner."

"By no means," said Josie quickly, with a little red spot on either
cheek. "Our dinner is all ready--turkey, pudding and all. Let us lend
it to you. Don't say a word to your uncle about the accident."

Alexina flushed and hesitated. "It's very kind of you," she stammered,
"but I'm afraid--it would be too much--"

"Not a bit of it," Josie interrupted warmly. "Didn't Duncan and I have
Christmas dinner at your house last year? Just come and help us carry
it over."

"If you lend us your dinner you and Duncan must come and help us eat
it," said Alexina, resolutely.

"I'll come of course," said Josie, "and I think that Duncan will too
if--if--" She looked at Stephen, the scarlet spots deepening. Stephen
coloured too.

"Duncan must come," he said quietly. "I'll go and ask him."

Two minutes later a peculiar procession marched out of the Tracy
kitchen door, across the two yards, and into the Falsom house. Josie
headed it, carrying a turkey on a platter. Alexina came next with a
plum pudding. Stephen and Duncan followed with a hot mince pie apiece.
And in a few more minutes Alexina gravely announced to Uncle James
that dinner was ready.

The dinner was a pronounced success, marked by much suppressed
hilarity among the younger members of the party. Uncle James ate very
heartily and seemed to enjoy everything, especially the mince pie.

"This is the best mince pie I have ever sampled," he told Alexina. "I
am glad to know that I have a niece who can make such a mince pie."
Alexina cast an agonized look at Josie, and was on the point of
explaining that she wasn't the maker of the pie. But Josie frowned her
into silence.

"I felt so guilty to sit there and take the credit--your credit,"
she told Josie afterwards, as they washed up the dishes.
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