He's Coming To-Morrow

In Short

This brief nineteenth-century allegorical tale presents a world thrown into quiet commotion by the announcement that Christ will return on Christmas Day. Through a vivid dream vision, the story contrasts those who greet the Second Coming with fearful dread against those who await it with profound relief. Harriet Beecher Stowe crafts a pointed critique of nominal Christian faith and worldly materialism versus authentic spiritual longing. Its enduring appeal lies in its sharp, timeless psychological observation of how easily everyday habits, wealth, and social obligations obscure deeper moral convictions.

The Story

The narrative opens on an ordinary Sunday as a congregation listens to a solemn sermon on the Second Coming. While the minister’s words spark a temporary thrill of spiritual reality in the narrator's heart, the impression immediately begins to fade as the service ends. Walking down the church aisle, the narrator observes how quickly his fellow parishioners slip back into trivialities and material concerns. A neighbor reminds him of an upcoming bank directors' meeting, a woman invites his wife to a social party, and his wife criticizes another parishioner's overly expensive Paris attire.

Reflecting together on the drive home, the narrator and his wife ponder the gap between what they profess to believe in church and how they actually live. They wonder what would happen if Christ were to announce His arrival for the very next day. The wife suggests that city leaders, councilors, and the wealthy would feel immense embarrassment trying to organize a formal reception for Him, though she earnestly confesses that she would give up all her material possessions if they stood between her and seeing Him.

That night, the narrator’s waking thoughts shape themselves into a vivid dream. He finds himself walking through city streets filled with a strange, hushed stillness. Men gather on street corners, whispering the incredible news that Christ is arriving tomorrow, on Christmas Day. Soon, a serene celestial guide with a glowing forehead appears at his side. When the narrator asks if the news is true, the angel confirms it, adding that while the event brings joy to some, it fills many others with sheer terror.

To demonstrate this, the angel takes the narrator into a variety of homes across the city. First, they visit the luxurious palace of a wealthy, bald-headed man sorting through his financial papers in panic, wishing he could pay millions to postpone Christ's arrival because his riches will become worthless paper. His pious, ill wife, however, looks forward to the day with quiet joy, illustrating a deep spiritual gulf between them. Next, they visit a freezing, impoverished attic where a struggling mother and her hungry children rejoice, viewing Jesus as their only faithful friend.

The angel then leads him to a lonely woman, falsely slandered by a cruel world, who welcomes the coming judgment to vindicate her integrity. They move on to a room of wealthy, troubled women surrounded by fine silks and jewels, shuddering at the sudden disruption to their comfortable lives, while their humble seamstress longs only to be with her Lord. Finally, the dream concludes outside a church where clergymen of various divided denominations stand hand in hand, realizing their theological disputes and rituals were merely scaffolding for the true substance of Christ. Looking toward the faint morning light, they unite in a single prayer for His swift arrival.

How It Unfolds

The Sunday sermon A minister preaches on the Second Coming, briefly stirring the narrator's soul with a sense of cosmic reality. Upon exiting the church, however, the congregation immediately resumes its usual chatter about bank meetings, parties, and costly fashions.

A conversation at home The narrator and his wife candidly discuss their own worldliness and the gap between religious profession and practice. They wonder how the city's rich and powerful would react if Christ were authoritatively announced to arrive the very next day.

The dream begins Falling asleep, the narrator dreams of walking through hushed, expectant city streets on Christmas Eve where citizens whisper the news of Christ's imminent return. A radiant angel joins him to reveal how different people react to the news.

The panic of the wealthy The angel takes the narrator into a lavish home where a wealthy businessman desperately searches his financial records, offering millions to buy off or delay the Second Coming. In contrast, his suffering wife welcomes the event with radiant peace.

Rejoicing among the poor In a freezing attic, a destitute mother returns to her cold, hungry children with the joyful news. The family instantly believes and celebrates, trusting that the good Lord will care for them as He always has.

Vindication for the slandered They visit a solitary, forsaken woman whose character has been cruelly ruined by public gossip. Hearing of Christ's arrival, she leaps up in rapture, eager to present her cause before a perfectly just judge.

Unity among the divided The dream ends on the steps of a church where ministers of competing Christian denominations set aside their historical debates and institutional structures. Clasping hands, they turn toward the morning light to welcome the Lord together.

The People

• The Narrator begins as a reflective, somewhat passive churchgoer who senses the hypocrisy of his everyday routine. Troubled by how easily worldly distractions eclipse spiritual truth, his inner seeking leads to the instructive dream vision.
• The Narrator's Wife is a well-meaning woman caught between her desire for social standing and her sincere faith. Though preoccupied with Christmas presents and fashion comparisons, she demonstrates genuine goodness when she declares she would give up all her wealth to see Christ.
• The Wealthy Businessman (John) wants only to accumulate riches and preserve his earthly status. Terrified by the news of Christ's return, which threatens to turn his millions into useless paper, he offers vast sums to postpone the event because he fundamentally hates spiritual things.
• John's Wife (Mary) is an emaciated, suffering woman who has lived for years in the same house as her husband yet remains spiritually separate from him. She seeks true divine companionship and rises to the news of Christ's coming with joyful anticipation.
• The Celestial Attendant acts as the narrator's guide through the city. Serene and authoritative, the angel reveals the hidden hearts of men and women, explaining that Christ's arrival brings either joy or terror depending on what each person truly loves.

In Its Own Voice

"If we are looking for that coming, we ought to feel and live differently from what we do!"

After leaving church, the narrator confronts his wife with the gap between their professed beliefs in the Second Coming and their actual daily priorities.

"To-night it's mine; and to-morrow it will be all so much waste paper; and then what have I left?"

A rich man frantically sorts through his financial papers, filled with horror that his immense wealth will become utterly worthless upon Christ's arrival.

"He shall gather the lambs with His arms, and carry them in His bosom."

A poor mother comforts her cold, hungry children in their barren attic room, assuring them that the Lord who supported them through hard times is coming to care for them.

What It's Really About

At its core, the story examines the spiritual drift that occurs when religious beliefs become routine cultural habits rather than living convictions. Stowe critiques the subtle ways materialism and social ambition erode faith, showing how modern society creates a life where people profess one set of values on Sunday while serving money and status the rest of the week. The narrative explores how a sudden confrontation with the ultimate reality exposes the true state of a person's heart. It argues that earthly wealth and status build a spiritual gulf between people, whereas suffering, humility, and trust prepare the soul to welcome divine truth without fear or hesitation.

Why Read It Today

Readers who appreciate classic Victorian allegorical fiction and thought-provoking moral parables will find this a moving, quick read. Stowe avoids grand, sensationalized apocalyptic spectacles in favor of an intimate, psychological exploration of how different social classes react to the news of Christ's return. The writing moves smoothly from polite social commentary into vivid, emotional vignettes that depict both tragic panic and serene joy.

The text presents very few barriers to modern readers. Its nineteenth-century vocabulary is clear and accessible, uncluttered by dense regional dialects or tedious descriptions. At a very brief length, the narrative moves at a swift pace through its series of illustrative dream scenes. What stays with the reader afterward is the story's striking challenge to evaluate one's own life: if what we claim to value most were suddenly to arrive tomorrow, would it bring us terror or pure relief?