Victorian Christmas Wishes Card with Santa & Praying Child

The fact that Santa has one hand raised to his ear in a gesture that screams 'I am absolutely eavesdropping on this prayer situation' somehow makes the entire scene deeply uncomfortable — loaded down with toys including what appears to be a doll, a teddy bear, and a trumpet, he lurks behind a child's bed like a department store Santa who just remembered where he parked. The little girl in a white nightgown kneels beside the bed in a prayer pose, blissfully unaware that Saint Nick is crouched approximately two feet behind her in the dark. Her tiny shoes sit neatly beside her, which is adorable, and also somehow the most unsettling detail in a scene already featuring a grown man sneaking up on a praying child. 'Best Christmas Wishes' declares the card, presumably from the era before anyone asked whether the magic of Christmas required quite this much crouching.