Little Match Girl

~ Reminds me of Philly ~
Thanks Nikki!
Painting by Richard Savoie

Last month, my sisters and I were reminiscing about various Christmas books from our childhood. One title that came to mind was The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Andersen. This sweet, sad story has been illustrated, beautifully, many times over the centuries, but naturally, our holiday nostalgia tends toward the version we grew up with.

My younger sister, Diane, said to me,

"As a child,
I don't remember feeling happy when reading it.
Yet I was drawn to it."

She was curious to see once again the illustrations
imprinted in our collective memory:

Just as we remember!

The story appears in this anthology;
but, sadly, no artist's name is given.

For additional commentary
on the topic of children out in the cold,
take a look at this excellent blogpost
on "The Little Match Girl,"
Wordsworth, Dickens, and more:
Memories of Snow in Literature