The Cricket on the Hearth

Set during the Victorian era, this novella features a unique structure divided into "Chirps" rather than traditional chapters. The narrative centers on a family whose lives are influenced by a cricket, serving as their guardian angel. The cricket alerts the master to a potential affair involving his wife, introducing tension, but ultimately, the story concludes on a hopeful note where love triumphs and a girl may regain her sight, embodying the spirit of Christmas.