Merry Christmas to all our readers!

One of the wonderful things about Jane Austen's novels is that they give us a realistic portrait of family life in the Regency period. This extract is taken from Persuasion. It gives us a cheerful image of lively children, indulgent parents and conflicting views on what does and doesn't make a perfect Christmas!

Immediately surrounding Mrs Musgrove were the little Harvilles, whom

she was sedulously guarding from the tyranny of the two children from

the Cottage, expressly arrived to amuse them.  On one side was a table

occupied by some chattering girls, cutting up silk and gold paper; and

on the other were tressels and trays, bending under the weight of brawn

and cold pies, where riotous boys were holding high revel; the whole

completed by a roaring Christmas fire, which seemed determined to be

heard, in spite of all the noise of the others.  Charles and Mary also

came in, of course, during their visit, and Mr Musgrove made a point of

paying his respects to Lady Russell, and sat down close to her for ten

minutes, talking with a very raised voice, but from the clamour of the

children on his knees, generally in vain.  It was a fine family-piece.

Anne, judging from her own temperament, would have deemed such a

domestic hurricane a bad restorative of the nerves, which Louisa's

illness must have so greatly shaken.  But Mrs Musgrove, who got Anne

near her on purpose to thank her most cordially, again and again, for

all her attentions to them, concluded a short recapitulation of what

she had suffered herself by observing, with a happy glance round the

room, that after all she had gone through, nothing was so likely to do

her good as a little quiet cheerfulness at home.

Louisa was now recovering apace.  Her mother could even think of her

being able to join their party at home, before her brothers and sisters

went to school again.  The Harvilles had promised to come with her and

stay at Uppercross, whenever she returned.  Captain Wentworth was gone,

for the present, to see his brother in Shropshire.

"I hope I shall remember, in future," said Lady Russell, as soon as

they were reseated in the carriage, "not to call at Uppercross in the 

Christmas holidays."

Whatever your own idea of a perfect Christmas, whether it's a noisy family gathering or something more sedate, everyone here at Historical Romance UK hopes it will bring you whatever you wish for.

A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all of us at Historical Romance UK