
In a quiet South Kensington townhouse, two children—Diana, a thoughtful girl with a pencil always poised over paper, and her spirited brother Chris—wait anxiously for their mother’s return. Their anticipation is fueled by whispered rumors of a mysterious new sibling arriving from far‑away India, and the house hums with the rustle of heavy curtains and the creak of stairs as they try to catch a glimpse of the strangers in the hallway.
When the door finally opens, their mother appears, graceful in a green gown, cradling a tiny, curly‑haired boy named Noel. The reunion is tender yet tinged with the strange unfamiliarity of a newborn brother who seems both fragile and oddly self‑assured. As Diana reaches out, Noel pulls away, hinting at a personality that will challenge the siblings’ expectations and set the stage for a holiday season full of discovery, gentle rivalries, and the warm, chaotic joy of a growing family.
Language
en
Duration
~4 hours (253K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
London: Ward, Lock & Co., Limited, 1926.
Release date
2023-09-16
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

d. 1929
Best remembered for lively children's stories with a strong Christian message, this late Victorian and Edwardian writer produced a long stream of popular books that stayed in print for decades. Her fiction often blends adventure, family life, and gentle moral lessons in a way that still feels warm and readable.
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