Beasley's Christmas Party

In Short

Booth Tarkington’s Beasley’s Christmas Party is a charming, early twentieth-century novella about local politics, quiet compassion, and the restorative power of imagination. Set in the Midwestern town of Wainwright, the story follows a young newspaper reporter who moves into a boardinghouse next door to David Beasley, a respected bachelor running for governor. When neighbors mistake Beasley’s elaborate pretend games with a bedridden boy for madness, a political rival attempts to ruin his reputation. Instead, Beasley’s wholehearted devotion to a sick child wins over the town, melts an old heartbreak, and turns a quiet life into a celebration of community.

The Story

The narrative opens from the perspective of a newly hired reporter for the Wainwright Morning Despatch. Arriving at four in the morning after his first night shift, he falls in love with the quiet charm of a large, brown, old-fashioned brick house situated next door to his new boardinghouse, run by the gentle widow Mrs. Apperthwaite. At the lunch table, the young journalist meets Mrs. Apperthwaite’s beautiful daughter, Ann, a high school mathematics teacher who reads classic French literature and harbors romantic ideals.

When the narrator casually mentions the fine house next door and its lonely owner, the Honorable David Beasley, the conversation is abruptly cut short by George Dowden, a local political figure. The reporter soon learns the town secret: Ann Apperthwaite and David Beasley were once engaged, but Ann broke off the match because she found Beasley infuriatingly silent, plain, and lacking in romantic depth. Beasley, an influential lawyer and former congressman, is currently the leading candidate for state governor. Yet despite his public stature, he lives quietly with only two elderly African American servants.

Mysterious occurrences begin to unfold. Late at night and early in the morning, the reporter catches glimpses of Beasley leaping across his lawn in jumping contests against unseen opponents or addressing invisible guests like "Simpledoria" and "Bill Hammersley." The mystery resolves when the narrator discovers that Beasley is caring for Hamilton Swift, Jr., a frail, bedridden orphan boy with a vivid imagination. To keep the invalid child entertained, Beasley fully commits to a host of imaginary companions—including the Hunchberg family, Mr. Corley Linbridge, and even a temporary pack of bears—playing along with elaborate theatrical gravity.

As the spring gubernatorial convention approaches, Beasley's political foes attempt to sabotage his campaign. A bitter, hard-knuckled local politician named Simeon Peck gathers a group of men, including reporters, on a frigid Christmas Eve. Peck intends to expose Beasley as a raving lunatic by catching him in the act of talking to his phantom friends. The group sneaks up to Beasley's lit window and watches through the glass.

Inside, they witness an extraordinary spectacle: Beasley throwing a full-scale Christmas ball for a room full of imaginary guests. He makes formal speeches under the Christmas tree, dances a wild, four-couple quadrille all by himself, and leads a joyous grand march alongside young Hamilton Swift, Jr. in his rolling wheelchair. Far from proving him insane, the display reveals Beasley's profound capacity for selflessness and love. Touched by his devotion to the sick boy, the onlookers abandon Peck’s scheme, declaring themselves firmly in favor of Beasley's candidacy.

Deeply moved by what she has witnessed from the shadows of the yard, Ann Apperthwaite realizes the true depth and poetic warmth of the man she had once dismissed as commonplace. Steping up to his porch in the falling snow, she asks for his forgiveness and seeks a place in his heart once more, bringing the story to a joyous, tender close on Christmas night.

How It Unfolds

The morning stroll Returning home at dawn from his first night on the newspaper, the narrator admires the dignified brown brick house next door. He learns it belongs to David Beasley, a quiet local bachelor who lives there with two servants.

An awkward interruption At Mrs. Apperthwaite’s lunch table, the reporter brings up Beasley's name, only to be sharply cut off by political operative George Dowden. He later learns that Beasley and Miss Ann Apperthwaite were once engaged until she called off the wedding.

Voices over the fence The reporter overhears Beasley on the lawn conducting leaping contests with an unseen companion named "Bill Hammersley." He confides in Miss Apperthwaite, who is utterly bewildered by her former fiancé's strange behavior.

The secret revealed The narrator discovers that Beasley is serving as trustee for Hamilton Swift, Jr., a frail, sick boy who resides upstairs. Beasley actively participates in all of the boy's vivid imaginary friends and whimsical parlor games.

A political ambush Simeon Peck, a spiteful political enemy, gathers a group of men on a freezing Christmas Eve to catch Beasley in the act of talking to himself. He hopes to publish proof that the gubernatorial candidate has lost his mind.

The Christmas party Peck's group peers through the window to see Beasley throwing a grand Christmas ball for invisible guests, dancing a four-couple quadrille alone, and marching proudly to amuse the bedridden boy.

Reconciliation in the snow Overwhelmed by his generosity, the onlookers abandon the smear campaign and pledge their political support. Ann Apperthwaite steps out of the dark snow onto Beasley's steps, asking if there is room in his home for one more guest.

The People

• The Narrator: An observant, enthusiastic young reporter for the Wainwright Morning Despatch. He acts as the gentle chronicler of the neighborhood, taking an immediate shine to Beasley's house and unravelling the quiet romance and political maneuverings surrounding his neighbors.
• David Beasley: A respected lawyer, former congressman, and front-runner for state governor. He is a man of few words in adult society, but possesses an extraordinary heart and boundless imagination when interacting with children. He wants only to bring joy to a sick boy and live with quiet integrity.
• Ann Apperthwaite: A strikingly beautiful high school mathematics teacher who reads classic literature. Initially foolish and idealistically romantic, she broke her engagement to Beasley because he was too quiet and plain. She grows from a self-absorbed romantic into a woman capable of recognizing true depth of character.
• Hamilton Swift, Jr.: A sharp-eyed, bedridden orphan boy with a frail body and an exuberant mind. He creates an elaborate world of imaginary companions—such as Simpledoria, Bill Hammersley, and the Hunchberg family—which Beasley whole-heartedly brings to life.
• Simeon Peck: A bitter, hard-knuckled local political boss who opposes Beasley’s rise to the governorship. Driven by spite and ambition, he seeks to destroy Beasley by framing his gentle playfulness as madness, only to be completely humbled by Beasley's genuine goodness.
• George Dowden: A practical, friendly local political operative who manages Beasley’s campaign. He protects Beasley from gossip and supports his friend unconditionally, though he is not above laughing heartily at the absurdity of the situations.

In Its Own Voice

“It gave back a great deal for your glance, just as some people do. It was a large house, as I say, yet it looked not like a mansion but like a home; and made you wish that you lived in it.”

— The narrator describes his immediate, affectionate impression of David Beasley's simple brown brick house at four in the morning.

“He hasn't any more imagination than the chair he sits and sits and sits in! Half the time he answers what I say to him by nodding and saying 'um-hum,' with that same old foolish, contented smile of his.”

— The narrator's cousin recalls how Ann Apperthwaite originally complained about Beasley's silence when breaking off their engagement.

“Christmas-time is the best time because it is the kindest time. Nobody ever felt very happy without feeling very kind, and nobody ever felt very kind without feeling at least a LITTLE happy.”

— David Beasley addresses his room of imaginary guests during his solitary Christmas Eve celebration.

What It's Really About

Beneath its cozy Christmas framing, the novella explores the tension between superficial romance and true nobility of spirit. Tarkington contrasts the shallow, high-sounding ideals of youthful romance with the quiet, unpretentious goodness that manifests in real life. Ann Apperthwaite initially mistakes Beasley’s stillness for a lack of depth, failing to realize that his quiet demeanor hides a rich capacity for empathy and imagination. The story argues that true kindness requires active creativity and humility—the willingness to look foolish in the eyes of a cynical world for the sake of bringing comfort to the vulnerable. It suggests that a person’s real character is tested not in public speeches or grand political posturing, but in what they are willing to do in private for a child.

Why Read It Today

Beasley’s Christmas Party offers a warm, nostalgic glimpse into small-town American life at the turn of the twentieth century. Readers who appreciate gentle humor, character-driven narrative, and uplifting holiday classics will find much to enjoy in this concise story. Tarkington writes with an easy, unhurried precision that perfectly captures the rhythms of a Midwestern neighborhood, the cozy atmosphere of a winter evening, and the subtle shifts of human affection.

The novella is remarkably accessible, though modern readers should expect a few minor period details: gentle references to turn-of-the-century local politics, small-town boardinghouse culture, and the era's romantic literary tastes. The dialect and language remain clear, fluid, and delightfully expressive throughout. What lingers long after finishing the book is its profound sweetness—the memorable image of a serious adult willing to make a complete spectacle of himself to light up a sick child's room, reminding us that simple human goodness has a way of disarming even the coldest hearts.