3-074-834 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Their Christmas Dinner - Goose, drawn by G. King, 1883. 'Attentive husbands may assist their wives in purchasing, at the end of next week, in the shops of the local poulterer, butcher, or fishmonger, materials for the Christmas feast...the decent and intelligent couple, a journeyman mechanic and his wife, desiring to regale a brother and sister, or their parents, who will dine with them on Christmas Day, are compelled to hesitate about the price of a goose. The husband's finger is upon a small gold coin, only a half- sovereign, which he would take out of his scantily-filled purse, but there will be too few pieces of silver given him for the change. The shopkeeper, whose jovial and dignified countenance betokens much prosperity in a higher range of custom, puts on his most assuring air, while he holds forth this "beautiful fine bird" to the young wife's wistful gaze, and declares that it is the cheapest he ever sold. It would cost half a crown more than they meant to spend that time for the Christmas dinner; and they remember that he lost two days' wages, by taking a chill from the rain he was caught in, at the end of last month...We believe, nevertheless, that the fine goose in question will be purchased for their table, after all'. From "Illustrated London News", 1883.