The Christmas Banquet (From "Mosses from an Old Manse")

Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804–1864) was an American novelist and short story writer, best known for his exploration of moral and historical themes within a distinctly American context. Born in Salem, Massachusetts, a place haunted by its association with the Salem witch trials, Hawthorne's ancestry and environment greatly influenced his writing. After graduating from Bowdoin College in 1825, he delved...