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| 46 | (Original First Edition Cover; 1843 Original Illustrations in Color by John Leech) |
| 19337 | (Published in 1905; Illustrations in Black and White by G. A. Williams) |
| 24022 | (Published in 1915; Illustrations in Black and White and Color by By Arthur Rackham) |
| 30368 | (First edition with original hand written pages; Black and White illustrations.) |
A CHRISTMAS CAROL
By CHARLES DICKENS
ILLUSTRATED BYGEORGE ALFRED WILLIAMS
New YorkTHE PLATT & PECK CO.
Copyright, 1905, by The Baker & Taylor Company
"He had been Tim's blood horse all the way from church."INTRODUCTION
The combined qualities of the realist and the idealistwhich Dickens possessed to a remarkable degree,together with his naturally jovial attitude toward lifein general, seem to have given him a remarkably happy feelingtoward Christmas, though the privations and hardships of hisboyhood could have allowed him but little real experience withthis day of days.
Dickens gave his first formal expression to his Christmasthoughts in his series of small books, the first of which wasthe famous "Christmas Carol," the one perfect chrysolite.The success of the book was immediate. Thackeray wrote ofit: "Who can listen to objections regarding such a book asthis? It seems to me a national benefit, and to every manor woman who reads it, a personal kindness."
This volume was put forth in a very attractive manner,with illustrations by John Leech, who was the first artist to makethese characters live, and his drawings were varied and spirited.
There followed upon this four others: "The Chimes,""The Cricket on the Hearth," "The Battle of Life," and "TheHaunted Man," with illustrations on their first appearance byDoyle, Maclise, and others. The five are known to-day as the"Christmas Books." Of them all the "Carol" is the best knownand loved, and "The Cricket on the Hearth," although third inthe series, is perhaps next in point of popularity, and is especiallyfamiliar to Americans through Joseph Jefferson'scharacterisation of Caleb Plummer.
Dickens seems to have put his whole self into the