Victorian Christmas Greeting Card with Children & Flowers

Like a true-crime documentary but make it Victorian, three suspiciously well-dressed toddlers have gathered around a log to conduct what appears to be a very serious holly sprig inspection, because apparently the best way to express 'Hearty Christmas Greetings' is children in buckled shoes treating decorative foliage like evidence at a crime scene. The eldest boy, resplendent in his tiny black vest and red knickerbockers, lounges against fireplace tools adorned with holly while radiating the smug energy of a child who already knows he's the favorite. Meanwhile, the other two huddle over a yellow fan and more holly sprigs with the grave intensity of scientists who have discovered something deeply wrong with Christmas itself — a mood that pairs beautifully with the card's chirpy wish that today be 'the brightest of them all.' Ellen H. Clapsaddle signed this masterpiece of cheerful dread, and honestly, respect.