
The story opens on a bright, bustling Christmas holiday at Mr. Lee’s house, where siblings Frank and Flora are buzzing with anticipation. Their city cousins, Henry and Sarah Vernon, arrive by train, bringing fresh chatter about home comforts and adventures. When Flora discovers the parlor doors mysteriously locked, she suspects a surprise and keeps the secret, adding a gentle sense of wonder to the festive preparations.
Inside the upstairs playroom, the children gather around a charming little dollhouse, a miniature world of rose‑wood beds, tiny books, and a delicate wax‑head doll named Miss Dolly. Flora, bright‑spirited and full of plans, watches the cousins explore every nook, while the room becomes a cozy museum of imagination. The narrative captures the simple joys of childhood curiosity, the warmth of family gatherings, and the magic that can linger in a locked door on Christmas Eve.
Language
en
Duration
~29 minutes (28K characters)
Series
Riverdale story books
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
Boston: Lee and Shepard, 1862.
Credits
Carol Brown, David Edwards and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
Release date
2024-01-03
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1822–1897
A 19th-century American storyteller and educator, he wrote lively adventure books for young readers under the pen name Oliver Optic. His tales of ships, schools, and moral choices made him one of the best-known juvenile authors of his era.
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