In recalling previous Christmas reading lists it struck me that I have been missing one of my favorites – from a Good Housekeeping
December 1931 magazine.     It is called “The Red Glass Bowl” – A Short Story by Margaret Weymouth Jackson and illustrated by Frances Tipton Hunter.   

It was over twenty years ago when the short story was first shared with me – it was with my book club group – which I was a member of for over ten years – and that year for the December book club meeting we decided in advance that all of us would bring our favorite Christmas book (could be short-story) to read aloud selections and this way share some of our favorites.   Someone brought “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever”, AND someone else brought “The Red Glass Bowl” along with their original magazine clipping and it was read aloud.    It became one of my favorites and somewhere I believe still have the reprint somewhere.

How wonderful to have the capability of the internet search engines to be able to locate the short story again! All I had was the Title and variations of the title for beginning my search.   I’ve been able to locate it and in fact have ordered that issue of Good Housekeeping from ebay tonight and should have it next week!

The Milwaukee Journal – from December 24, 1933 has it on their site from December 21, 1933.   Here is a link to the short story   Please note that you can select the expand to full screen (icon has four arrows in the box) and there is also the ability to enlarge/decrease text size”+/-” magnifying glass.

From “The FictionMags Index” – There it was listed (have put in bold below for emphasis)
Good Housekeeping [v93 #6, December 1931] ed. Anon. (Hearst, cover by Jessie Willcox Smith) 

Details taken from eBay listing. Details supplied by Phil Stephensen-Payne.
• • Christmas · Coningsby Dawson · ss; illus. N. C. Wyeth
  • Young Mother Hubbard [Part ? of ?] · Kathleen Norris · sl
  • The Condor · Emma-Lindsay Squier · ss
  • Five Little Houses Standing in a Row · Rebecca Hooper Eastman · ss
  • The Million Dollar Hairpin · Gerald Mygatt · ss
  • From Whence Cometh My Help · Achmed Abdullah · ss
  • Lord of Lonely Valley [Part ? of ?] · Peter B. Kyne · sl
  • The Red Glass Bowl · Margaret Weymouth Jackson · ss
  • Mothers Are Still Important · William L. Stidger · ar
  • An Adventure in Solitude · Samuel Scoville, Jr. · ar
  • Cecilia Beaux · Alice Booth · ar
  • The Land of the Midnight Sun · Frances Parkinson Keyes · ar
  • Uncle Jaggers · James C. Derieux · ar
  • Say “Merry Christmas” with a Book · Emily Newell Blair · ar
  • Mothers and Music Lessons · Margaret Mohler Carlson · ar
  • The Three Kings’ Road · Anna Blake Mezquida · pm
  • Candles · Clare Hood Rugel · pm
  • Longing · Edith Tatum · pm
  • Thus · Fredericka Blankner · pm

The Christmas Holidays are now going to find me writing a letter to my Christmas scrapbook album complete with this story and soon to arrive magazine from 1931 that I will include.  Hope you enjoy the story!  And I hope you will consider writing down your favorite Christmas books you enjoy reading and sharing with your family and friends.

Anchors Aweigh,

Helen

Attribution & Thank you to the following who are referenced today —

Image upper left illustration & image of screenshot of reprint, and image of navigation image – all from short story “The Red Glass Bowl” written by Margaret Weymouth Jackson, posted on the The Milwaukee Journal – from December 24, 1933

Excerpt from “The FictionMags Index” of Good Housekeeping [v93 #6, December 1931] ed. Anon. (Hearst, cover by Jessie Willcox Smith)