Francis Edward Paget
The bonfire
"The bonfire by Francis Edward Paget" is a moral tale, likely written in the mid-1800s during the Victorian era. The book is a short story intended for children, set in a rural English village, and focuses on community values, behavior, and lessons in character. At its heart, the narrative revolves around the events leading up to and following an annual Guy Fawkes night celebration, using this traditional setting to address broader themes of honesty, responsibility, and restitution. The story centers on a group of village boys who, after mistreating a reclusive old man named Jasper Crabbe and carelessly sparking an accident during their bonfire festivities, must confront the consequences of their actions. Their carelessness results in a fire that destroys the winter hay supply of a poor widow, Dinah Marjoram. Guided by their vicar, Mr. Warlingham, and with practical help from Jasper Crabbe, the boys work together to make amends, raising the money needed to compensate Dinah by cultivating and selling produce from a communal garden. Through their efforts, they learn the value of communal responsibility, the importance of honesty, and the satisfaction of making amends—concluding with a lesson about charitable giving and cooperation in the spirit of Christian duty.