Christmas Magic Comes to Nashville: Part 4
Katie's Letter Gets Delivered
Christmas Magic Comes to Nashville is a four-part holiday story based on actual events which took place in and around Nashville, TN between 1883 and 1888. Some creative liberties have been taken in bringing this wonderful lost & found story back to life, however, every effort has been made to honor the heart, soul and sentiments of the original story throughout the process.
On Christmas day of 1886, a writer identified only by the initials M.L.G. shared a story with readers of The Banner under the title, “Katie’s Letter: a Christmas Story for the Little Ones”. As with the other stories I found in The Banner and shared during this series, I’ve taken some creative liberties with this one while maintaining its heart and message.
I have had so much fun bringing this sweet lost and found story back to life, and I hope it has brightened your holiday season this year. I know it has mine!
Merry Christmas to you all, Peace on Earth and may the joy of the season stay with us throughout the coming year!
Lori
Release Date: December 24, 2024
The faith of children
It was Christmas Eve in Nashville, a night shrouded in wonder and promise. Snow drifted gently through the lamplight, cloaking the bustling streets in a quilt of white, softening the world’s edges. Carriages creaked and chimneys puffed their plumes, while shop windows, aglow with warm light, displayed tantalizing treasures. The air hummed with a peculiar magic, the kind only Christmas could conjure.
In a humble cottage on the edge of town, two sisters—Katie and Nellie Vane—sat perched at the frosted windowpane. Their noses brushed the cold glass as they watched the passersby hurry along, bundles under their arms. Some faces glowed with cheer, their pockets full and hearts fuller still. Others wore worry as they trudged through the snow, eager for the shelter of home.
The girls’ mother, Mrs. Vane, had gone out in the bitter cold to deliver a seamstress order, hoping for payment to brighten their meager holiday. Alone in the dim twilight, Katie, the elder at seven, and Nellie, just five, whispered to one another.
“Oh, Katie,” Nellie sighed, her small fingers tracing patterns on the frosted glass. “I wish we had goodies like those people out there. I bet they have plum pudding and candy sticks.”
“So do I,” Katie admitted, her voice tinged with longing. “Do you remember when Papa was alive? We’d hang our stockings by the big hearth, and Santa Claus would fill them with toys and sweets.”
Nellie nodded solemnly. Those days, now only a memory, seemed like another lifetime.
Katie furrowed her brow, a determined spark igniting in her eyes. “Nellie, I’ve been thinking. Maybe Santa Claus doesn’t know where we live now, in this tiny house with its stovepipe chimney. I think we should write him a letter and tell him.”
Nellie gasped, her face alight. “A letter? Really? Do you think he’ll get it?”
Katie nodded firmly. “He’s Santa Claus. He’ll find it.”
The two girls set to work with the seriousness of diplomats drafting a treaty. Katie unearthed a crumpled scrap of paper from a drawer, and Nellie produced a stubby pencil from her pocket. Kneeling by the stove for warmth, Katie painstakingly printed the words, pausing to rub out mistakes and consider how best to address the great man himself. When at last it was finished, the note read:
Dear Santa Claus,
Ples don’t be vext at us for this letter. We ant got any turkey nor pudin, and my dols hed is brok of, and Nellie ant got any. We wud like a little candy if you can spare it. Ples put it in the basket on the step. Your two little frends, Nellie and Katie
Your friends,
Katie and Nellie
Satisfied, Katie folded the paper with care, addressing it boldly: “To Mr. Santa Claus.” They decided to wait for their mother’s return before tying the note to the gate.
When Mrs. Vane came home, her face was weary, her hands red from the cold. The lady she sought had not been in, and there would be no money tonight. She barely noticed her daughters’ chatter as they hurried out, fastening the letter to the gate latch with string.
As the sisters drifted to sleep, their heads full of dreams of Santa Claus, a man named John Gray passed by their gate. A retired carpenter and widower, Mr. Gray was no stranger to loneliness, especially on Christmas. His wife and young daughter had long since been laid to rest, leaving him with only memories to warm his quiet home.
Something brushed his hand as he passed. Startled, he turned to find a scrap of paper fluttering in the wind. Curious, he untied it and stepped beneath a streetlamp to read the childlike scrawl. As he deciphered the misspelled words, a lump rose in his throat. “Bless their little hearts,” he murmured, his voice soft in the snowy night.
Tucking the letter into his coat, Mr. Gray made his way into the bustling streets. That night, he bought toys, sweets, and enough provisions to fill a family’s pantry. By the time the town’s bells chimed midnight, a heavy basket rested on the Vane family’s porch, accompanied by a small note:
Santa Claus was glad to hear from Katie and Nellie. He hopes they will accept these gifts in the name of one who has gone before.
The next morning, as the pale light of Christmas dawned, Nellie shook Katie awake, her breath visible in the cold room. “Katie, wake up! There’s something on the porch!”
The girls scrambled to wake their mother, who, still bleary-eyed, opened the door to reveal the overflowing basket. Inside were dolls with golden curls, a tin tea set, shiny red apples, oranges, and candies wrapped in foil. Beneath it all lay a turkey fit for a feast.
“Oh, Mamma, Santa Claus did find us!” Nellie cried, clapping her hands.
Mrs. Vane read the note aloud, tears glistening in her eyes. Though the children didn’t grasp its meaning, she understood the generosity born of a stranger’s love for his lost family.
That day, the Vane family’s cottage was alive with joy. The turkey roasted, the girls played with their dolls, and laughter echoed in every corner. Katie and Nellie even invited their neighbors—Jimmy and his little sister Annie—to join the feast. They carried food to the widow down the street, sharing their bounty with those who had even less.
As the sun set on that Christmas Day, John Gray sat by his fire, young Katie’s letter in his hand. He had no family with which to share the holiday, but in his heart, he carried the warmth of remembered happiness and the true spirit of the day.
And so it was that a simple letter tied to a gate brought renewed promise to a wanting family, and reminded a lonely man that Christmas is not found in the giving or receiving of gifts, but in the love we share with one another.
“Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Matthew 25:40 KJV
Copyright 2024 Lori Olson White
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Christmas Magic Comes to Nashville Sources:
Newspapers.com
“Pa Will Get the Clothes”, The Tennessean, Nashville, TN, December 25, 1881, P. 4
“A Little Girl’s Letter to Santa Claus”, The Tennessean, Nashville, TN, December 18, 1881, P.1.
“A Letter to Santa Claus From Claudia and Eva”, The Nashville Banner, Nashville, TN, December 19, 1882, P. 1.
“The Fairy Wave and her Cargo of Goodies: Interview with the Great Friend of the Juveniles”, The Nashville Banner, Nashville, TN, December 8, 1883, P. 3.
“Old Kris. A Reporter has another Interview with the Jolly Fellow. What He Says about Children without Food or Presents”, The Nashville Banner, Nashville, TN, December 13, 1883, P. 4.
“Old Kris. The Good Work of Charity Goes Bravely On”, The Nashville Banner, Nashville, TN, December 17, 1883, P. 4.
“Old Kris. The Progress of His Fund for the Poor Children”, The Nashville Banner, Nashville, TN, December 22, 1883, P. 4.
“Old Santa Clause. The Jolly Old Fellow at Hand with his Beautiful Boat”, The Nashville Banner, Nashville, TN, December 18, 1884, P. 3.
“Letters to Old Kris” The Nashville Banner, Nashville, TN, December 18, 1884, P. 3.
“Santa Claus Children. List of the Names of Little Girls and Boys for Him” The Nashville Banner, Nashville, TN, December 19, 1884, P. 3.
“Good Santa Claus. Letters from the Little Folks, Which the Banner has Given Him” The Nashville Banner, Nashville, TN, December 22, 1884, P. 3.
“More Letters to Santa Claus” The Nashville Banner, Nashville, TN, December 23, 1884, P. 1.
“Old Santa Claus. More Letters from the Children – Names That Were” The Nashville Banner, Nashville, TN, December 23, 1884, P. 3.
“Santa Claus’ Department”, The Nashville Banner, Nashville, TN, December 12, 1885, P. 6.
“Santa Claus. A description of His New Boat and Its Appointments. The Old Gentleman Writes a Letter to the Banner”, The Banner, Nashville, TN, December 4, 1886, P. 2
“Katie’s Letter. A Christmas Story for the Little Ones”, The Nashville Banner, Nashville, TN, December 25, 1886, p.3.
Lovely story. Thank you and happy holidays.
A blessed Christmas to you too!