The Strange Visitation

"The Strange Visitation" by Marie Corelli is a late 19th-century tale occurring on a stormy Christmas Eve, where a wealthy but heartless multi-millionaire, Josiah McNason, dismisses the holiday's spirit and the suffering of others. Uncaring for an ill former worker desperately needing financial assistance, he engages in a revealing conversation with his overseer, Mr. Pitt, only to be confronted by a strange, goblin-like figure named Professor Goblin. This mysterious creature aims to challenge McNason's greed and moral deficiencies, implying a supernatural intervention connected to his behavior, thus framing a narrative that contrasts material affluence with ethical duty and hinting at an upcoming personal metamorphosis.