A Montana Christmas by Maud Van Buren

Name: A Montana Christmas
Author: Maud Van Buren

On the Payson ranch in Montana, David and Florence Payson live with their parents far from any neighbor or town, yet find their isolation no barrier to a rich Christmas. Their first celebration comes on Christmas Eve, when Mr. Payson's tree — trimmed with tinsel, streamers, holly, candy, toys, and books — is unveiled in the living room, and the two children dance around it in delight, saving most of the presents to unwrap the next morning. At Christmas breakfast, David asks his father whether everyone has Christmas, prompting Mr. Payson to admit that some have far less than others. David presses further, wondering aloud whether the family in the log cabin behind the bluff has any Christmas at all. His mother's reaction shows the thought has struck home, and David proposes that, since they have so much, they can spare some for their neighbors. Mrs. Payson agrees at once to fill a basket with good things for David and his father to deliver. Before the basket is finished, Florence raises the question of how it can be Christmas without a tree, so Mr. Payson takes David out with an axe to a stand of small pines near the river and cuts down a shapely one. While they are gone, Mrs. Payson and Florence prepare two baskets instead of one: one filled with food and clothing, the other with ornaments and holly taken from their own tree, along with a generous share of fruit, candy, and toys. Declaring themselves "Santa Claus & Co.," the family sets out through light snow: David and Florence ride the horse Diamond, dragging the tree behind them, while Mr. Payson rides ahead on General carrying the baskets. He goes on faster and, meeting the children on the way back, tells them he has left the baskets on the brow of the hill for them to drag down to the cabin themselves. At the log cabin, a family who staked a claim the previous summer and own little beyond the land itself are taken entirely by surprise. The man who answers the door does not understand David's announcement that they have "brought Christmas" until his wife joins him, exclaiming that they had lost all track of the days and asking where the children came from. Florence explains they are Santa Claus & Co. from the Payson ranch on the river, and the man invites them in. Because the cabin is too small for the full tree, they cut off its top before setting it up, and everyone joins in decorating it. The couple's three children, initially silent, grow noisy with joy as the tree reveals its gifts, and when the parcels of clothing are opened, the grown-ups are moved to tears of happiness. Late in the afternoon, David and Florence ride home on Diamond. Back at the ranch, their mother asks which Christmas celebration was better. David answers that both were wonderful, but they were somehow even happier at the cabin. Florence explains this by observing that the first had been a "getting Christmas" and the second a "giving Christmas" — a remark the narrative endorses as showing where the season's richest happiness truly lies. A closing note records that the story first appeared in "Youth's Companion" on December 12, 1918, and is reprinted by permission of the author and that publication.

By Maud Van Buren · First published 1927 · Genre: Children's Literature, Christmas Fiction, Moral Tale · 1,614 words

First lines

_John Clair Minot_

David and Florence Payson live with their parents on a ranch in / Montana. The nearest neighbor is a mile away and the nearest town / nearly twenty miles; but that does not mean that they are so much out / of the world as city children may imagine.[3]

Open reader

What this Textopian page supports

A Montana Christmas is listed on Textopian as a short story by Maud Van Buren, dated 1927 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Work type: Short story
Author: Maud Van Buren
Date: 1927 CE
Language: English
Genres: Children's Literature, Christmas Fiction, Moral Tale, Realistic Fiction, Family Fiction
Length: 1,614 words
Structure: 1 section, 34 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

Good citation fit

Work identity for A Montana Christmas by Maud Van Buren
Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
Readability and classroom-planning context
Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph

Similar titles

Genres

Children's Literature — The story centers on two children, David and Florence, and uses clear, accessible language, a child-focused viewpoint, and an instructive emotional conclusion.
Christmas Fiction — Christmas customs, including a decorated tree, presents, holiday food, and the spirit of seasonal generosity, drive the entire plot.
Moral Tale — The narrative explicitly contrasts a 'getting Christmas' with a 'giving Christmas,' presenting generosity as the source of deeper happiness.
Realistic Fiction — Although idealized in tone, the story portrays plausible ranch life, rural isolation, poverty among homesteading families, and an act of neighborly charity without fantastical events.