Victorian Christmas Card with Child in Snow Suit & Red Flowers

Why did this small white creature need a walking stick to deliver an enormous bouquet of red flowers? Dressed head-to-toe in fluffy fabric complete with a pointed elf hat, the child appears to have decided that the best way to express 'Happy Christmas' is by showing up looking like a lost Alpine shepherd who raided a florist. The bouquet itself—a volcanic explosion of red blooms trailing dramatic green ribbons—is nearly as large as the child carrying it, raising serious questions about Victorian gift-giving proportions. Painted by Ellen H. Clapsaddle, who was apparently committed to the vision of 'small white creature overwhelmed by floral arrangement,' this card radiates the specific energy of a child who was told to smile for the painting and is doing their absolute best under difficult circumstances.