
THE DOCTOR'S CHRISTMAS EVE
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On a crisp December morning in central Kentucky, the two lively children of the town’s respected physician set off across rolling fields, their bright red caps and cloaks a splash of color against the winter landscape. Their destination is the home of a close family friend—a university professor whose own children are their companions—where a modest Christmas gathering awaits. As the children trek toward the distant manor, the narrative captures the gentle rhythm of rural life, the warmth of hearths fighting the chill, and the quiet anticipation that fills every household during the holiday season.
Through vivid description and subtle humor, the story explores the bonds of friendship and the unspoken expectations placed on families in a close‑knit community. The children’s innocent scheme to share the festivities with their friends hints at deeper reflections on generosity, duty, and the ways traditions are passed from one household to another, all set against the serene backdrop of a Kentucky Christmas.
Language
en
Duration
~6 hours (356K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Greg Bergquist, Ernest Schaal, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/Canadian Libraries)
Release date
2013-06-12
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1849–1925
Best known for bringing the voices, landscapes, and customs of Kentucky into American fiction, this once hugely popular novelist mixed regional detail with romance, memory, and social observation. His stories helped define the local-color tradition at the end of the 19th century.
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