Hey, it's Brian.

Back with another episode for those of us who just can't wait until the day after Thanksgiving to start the Christmas season.

Now, if you're listening in real time, Thanksgiving is one week from today, so we're almost there.

Of course, I'll be back on Thanksgiving to kick off another season of backstories to your favorite Christmas traditions and sharing your Christmas memories. Speaking of which, it's time to start sending them in.

Today, I'm here to tide you over with one more preseason episode until we barrel in full

steam ahead. Recently, I shared with you an interview I did with Thomas Ruiz Smith, a professor

and the author of The Last Gift,

a collection of Christmas stories by the 19th century author, Mary Wilkins Freeman.

Since then, I've been enjoying many of the stories from that collection on my own,

so much so that I thought I'd share another one with you.

Today I'll be reading you The Christmas Sing in our village. This story first appeared

in print in the ladies' home journal in December of 1897. I'll be back at the end to wrap up and say

goodbye. But for now, get comfy and cozy with me as we visit a village from a bygone era as they

celebrate Christmas Eve in musical fashion.

It's the Christmas Sing in Our Village by Mary Wilkins Freeman.

The singing school is, of course, a regular institution in our village during the winter months,

but the one of special interest is held

on Christmas Eve. That is called, to distinguish it from the others, the Christmas Sing.

On that night only the Psalms and fugues appropriate to the occasion are sung, and the town

hall is trimmed with Holly and Evergreen. The sing begins at 8 o'clock and is always preceded by a

turkey supper. The supper is in the tavern, as it used to be called. Now we say hotel. Still,

it is the tavern and always will be the same old house where the stages drew up before the railroad

...