In the bleak midwinter
Dec. 20th, 2015 11:49 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lady_maryChristmas passes relatively quietly at Downton. Mary can hardly remember the last time the family celebrated Christmas at home rather than on holiday at Duneagle. It's a shame to miss out on the opportunity to visit their younger cousins, but Mary agrees that it would be inappropriate to make a large party of it when so many of Britain's young men, including Cousin James, are spending Christmas at the front. Annabelle and little Rose send a news-filled missive to their Crawley cousins, and Rose includes a charming little drawing of Duneagle Castle.
The new year brings good news from the Western Front. Though it's not the much desired victory in Flanders, Mary was relieved to read of the unofficial Christmas truce. Along the front lines, guns fell silent on Christmas as soldiers on both sides left the trenches sing carols, exchange gifts, and kick around a football.
It's one more day that Matthew's life has been spared, and one day closer to next Christmas when, with any luck, the world will have returned to normal.
Historical notes: 1)The 1914 Christmas truce really happened, and was not covered in the British press until a week later, following a story by the New York Times. In the following years of the war, there were Christmas truce's between some units, but never on the same scale. 2) "In the Bleak Midwinter" was written by Christina Rossetti. Originally published in 1872, the poem was set to music by Gustav Holst in 1906.
The new year brings good news from the Western Front. Though it's not the much desired victory in Flanders, Mary was relieved to read of the unofficial Christmas truce. Along the front lines, guns fell silent on Christmas as soldiers on both sides left the trenches sing carols, exchange gifts, and kick around a football.
It's one more day that Matthew's life has been spared, and one day closer to next Christmas when, with any luck, the world will have returned to normal.
Historical notes: 1)The 1914 Christmas truce really happened, and was not covered in the British press until a week later, following a story by the New York Times. In the following years of the war, there were Christmas truce's between some units, but never on the same scale. 2) "In the Bleak Midwinter" was written by Christina Rossetti. Originally published in 1872, the poem was set to music by Gustav Holst in 1906.
