The Bishop and the Cardinal

A rare cold snap grips the South, and a lonely new bishop—quarantined with the measles—watches a brilliant red cardinal plead for help outside his window. Across the way, brave little Gwinie phones from the orphanage, and a simple request for birdseed sparks a quiet cascade of charity. As pantry doors open and neighbors rally—Mr. Blythe on his way to the trolley, the grocer’s boy with brimming pockets, a mischievous “S. Claus” with handwritten placards—the great spruce between house and asylum becomes a living Christmas tree, decked for His Grace the cardinal and every hungry bird of the snowy morning. Choir voices rise, hearts are mended, and titles yield to tenderness. George Madden Martin’s classic holiday vignette glows with faith, humility, and neighborly grace. Mike Polishuk’s warm narration captures the humor, humanity, and hush of winter worship, making this a cozy, family-friendly listen for fireside evenings and Advent mornings alike—a reminder that the truest gifts are small, shared, and given in love.