Building on the success of his Christmas number for 1852, Dickens used the same framing concept for 1853’s Another Round of Stories by the Christmas Fire. This wide-ranging round features tales of angels, ghosts, and marriages that are as treacherous as they are inspiring. With more than one horrifying account of murder, the stories carry warning about love’s dangers as well as its delights. An impressive contributor list includes Elizabeth Gaskell and George A. Sala, whose poignant tales rival Dickens’ own.