A 1905 Illustrated Copy of "A Christmas Carol" (as an added bonus, a 1951 movie trailer of the film version)

A 1905 copy of "A Christmas Carol"

 8 Color illustrations and 10 drawings, this little copy packs lots of Charm

I purchased this copy of "A Christmas Carol" at the world famous bookshop, "Shakespeare and Company" on the Left Bank in Paris.  It was my first of many trips to The City of Lights and my first to this book shop which is literally stacked to the ceiling with new and used books, of all different genres and all different languages.  It was so overwhelming, I couldn't move.  Then my eyes were captivated by a book binding with beautiful Old English font, in gold on a hunter green cover.  When I realized it was a copy of my favorite Christmas story, I was smitten.  

If you ask, the Shakespeare and Company cashier will stamp the inside of your new purchase with their logo.

So, to my Face Book Friends and Blog Followers, here is my Christmas gift to you.  A quick journey with Mr. Scrooge and his four ghostly visitors by way of color illustrations from this treasured Christmas story and my copy of "A Christmas Carol".

"I have endearvoured  in this Ghostly little book, to raise the Ghost of an Idea, which shall not put my readers out of humour with themselves, with each other, with the season or with me.  May it haunt their houses pleasantly, and no wish to lay it.  Their faithful Friend and Servant, Charles Dickens"

"Are there no prisons"? asked Scrooge

"You don't believe in me" observed the ghost

The curtains of his bed were drawn aside

Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig

Scrooge entered timidly, and hung his head before the Spirit

He had been Tim's blood horse all the way from church

Scrooge crept towards it, trembling as he went

They were looking at the table which was spread out in a great array

"He had no further intercourse with Spirits, but lived upon the Total Abstinence Principle, ever afterwards; and it was always said of him, that he knew how to keep Christmas well, if any man alive possessed the knowledge.  May that be truly said of us, and all of us!  And so, as Tiny Tim observed, God Bless us, Every One!"