Stephen Leacock

Stephen Leacock was born in England, grew up in Ontario and became a professor of political economy at McGill University in Montreal. Alongside his academic books he wrote humorous essays and stories. Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town, published in 1912, made him famous, and from 1915 to 1925 he was among the best known English speaking humorists in the world. Merry Christmas is one of his short holiday pieces.