Merrimack’s Margaret Bagley has a way with words. Officials at Reader’s Digest evidently concur for they recently published a short story of hers – a contest entry about a childhood memory regarding an anonymous donor and a most unusual Christmas gift.

Bagley not long ago entered her story, “You just never know,” into a Reader’s Digest contest with a two-part grand prize of $25,000 and publication in Reader’s Digest. The contest was called, “Your Life…The Reader’s Digest Version.” The entry could not exceed 150 words.

Reader’s Digest, according to media tracking sources, is the best-selling consumer magazine in the U.S. and one popular in nearly 70 countries. It was the release of a Reader’s Digest book titled, “Life…The Reader’s Digest Version: Great Advice, Simply Put” that launched the celebratory contest.

Friends, family members and Bagley’s co-workers at Souhegan High School in Amherst voted for the story on Facebook. It gleaned 26 votes before the deadline of Nov. 15.

Gary Davis, vice president of Public Relations and Brand Communications of Reader’s Digest of North America, said there were 6,670 submissions. The winner of the $25,000 will be notified by mail in January. Ten runners-up will receive $2,500.

“Like many of the entries submitted, Margaret’s was well written and had an interesting life lesson to impart,” Davis said. “I personally found Margaret’s entry to be a powerful reminder of the difference a single act of kindness can make in someone’s life. Her message is something to keep in mind this holiday season.”

Bagley thanks her supporters and hopes the story may help others.

“I only got 26 votes,” said Bagley, the mother of two. “That’s OK. I just hope my story will inspire someone else to donate a gift. Sometimes, it only takes one gift to make a big difference in a person’s life.”

Bagley writes from the heart, mostly about childhood memories. She was the only girl among five brothers. The youngsters were orphaned when she was 10 years old.

She remembers a Christmas when she and her brothers had to stay with a family they didn’t know. The family opened presents. But there were none for the boarders. In fact, Bagley was forbidden to play with any of the gifts, or even touch them.

“There was nothing for us,” Bagley said. “The girl there got what I wanted – a wonderful toy – an Easy Bake Oven. While I didn’t stop believing in Santa, I lost my spirit of Christmas.”

Her outlook changed when she was a teenager living at the New England Home for Little Wanderers – a Boston agency founded in 1865 to assist children made homeless by the Civil War. There, at age 16, Bagley had a renewal of her Christmas spirit. The memory morphed into her poignant entry to the Reader’s Digest contest.

Bagley said receiving such a wondrous gift from someone she did not know gave her a new outlook on life. She promised herself she would be a vehicle for sharing joy with others, from that moment onward.

“As I matured, I got involved in many donation drives,” Bagley said. “It’s been my duty to spread the word of how much power everyday people have over the life of a child. That one experience as a teenager showed me that I was not forgotten about – that someone cared for me.”

She noted that plenty of opportunities to help children originate at Souhegan High School. She said the school community has a long history of making wishes come true, especially at the holidays. That’s when local agencies supply the school with the names of area children in need.

Maggie Paul, the school’s community service coordinator, organizes the effort that focuses on newborns through youth age 17. Students of every grade level participate in fundraising, buying and wrapping the gifts. Then, they deliver the bounty to a designated collection center. Bagley said the students often buy extra gifts because they get “caught up in the spirit of giving.”

“The hallways are loaded with piles of presents,” she said. “It warms my heart that the school really gets into the spirit of anonymous donation. The joy, for me, is just imagining the child’s face as a dream comes true.”

Bagley said the story she submitted to Reader’s Digest is meant to open people’s eyes that needy children are everywhere. She added that people who donate routinely may be unaware of how much good comes from their gifts.

“When considered from a child’s point of view, it’s clear that one act of generosity can change a life,” Bagley said. “An anonymous gift is the key to a joyful Christmas.”