Passage from Lanterns Across the Snow by Susan Hill

"And then the Christmas table, with its snow-white cloth and polished glasses winking in the light, and the handsome, best silver that made Fanny clap her hands and laugh.  And on the sideboard, a white dish on its stand was piled high with fruit, green and gold, purple and orange, yellow and red, and another held nuts, and a third sweetmeats, sugared almonds and egg-yellow marchpane, and jellies covered in sugar crystal.  Then they all sat down and the food came, smelling of richness and savoury juices, and steaming hot.

The skin of the roasted fowl was crinkled and golden brown, the gravy ran like a thick, dark river; potatoes were fluffed up in the dish like mountains of snow.  Fanny felt her mouth pucker up with hunger as Father said the grace and carved the bird and poured out the glasses of purple-red wine.

Then Fanny caught Father's eye and he smiled at her, so sweet, so tenderly loving, so happy a smile, that she thought she might melt all away with happiness.

"Christmas," she said abruptly, out loud, "oh it is Christmas!"

And everyone laughed. ~ passage taken from - Lanterns Across the Snow by Susan Hill