Ginevra : $b or, The old oak chest, a Christmas story

"Ginevra: or, The Old Oak Chest, a Christmas Story" by Susan E. Wallace is a tragic tale written in the late 19th century that reflects the traditional Christmas story's themes. The narrative provides a historical glimpse into the life of Ginevra, the beloved daughter of a proud baron living in a gloomy English castle. While the setting is imbued with Christmas cheer, the story ultimately delves into sorrow, focusing on the doomed fate of its protagonist. The story unfolds within a medieval backdrop, centering on Ginevra, a beautiful young lady, who attracts suitors, including her betrothed, Lord Lovel. However, the narrative takes a dark turn when she playfully hides in an old oak chest on the eve of her marriage, only to become trapped. The ensuing search for Ginevra stretches on for days but reveals no trace of her, leading Lovel and her father, the Baron, to despair. As time passes, the baron remains haunted by her absence until the chest is rediscovered many years later, revealing her tragic fate. Through its exploration of love, loss, and the ephemeral nature of life, the story emphasizes the themes of innocence and the unforeseen consequences of seemingly innocuous actions. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Susan Arnold Elston Wallace was an American author and poet from Crawfordsville, Indiana. In addition to writing travel articles for several American magazines and newspapers, Wallace published six books, five of which contain collected essays from her travels in the New Mexico Territory, Europe, and the Middle East in the 1880s: The Land of the Pueblos (1888), The Storied Sea (1883), The Repose in Egypt: A Medley (1888), Along the Bosphorus, and Other Sketches (1898), and The City of the King: What the Child Jesus Saw and Heard (1903). She was also the wife of Lew Wallace, a lawyer, American Civil War general, politician, author and diplomat. Susan completed the manuscript of Lew Wallace's two-volume autobiography following his death in 1905, with the assistance of Mary Hannah Krout, another Crawfordsville author. Wallace died in Crawfordsville in 1907.