The Christmas Hirelings is a story about Sir John, a man who hires three children to spend Christmas at his home to make it a more exciting time for his niece, and after learning to love these children, discovers they are the children of his estranged daughter, which leads to a happy reunion. This change of heart is a theme that can be seen in many other Victorian Christmas pieces and in the efforts at social reform that were prevalent at Christmastime, and is a far cry from Braddon’s usual sensational novels.
