Christmas in Legend and Story

Christmas in Legend and Story -
A Book for Boys and Girls

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Title: Christmas in Legend and Story A Book for Boys and Girls
Author: Elva S. Smith
Release Date: February 10, 2004 [EBook #11014]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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CHRISTMAS IN LEGEND AND STORY ***

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CHRISTMAS IN LEGEND AND STORY

Some say that ever 'gainst that season comes Wherein our Saviour's
birth, is celebrated, The bird of dawning singeth all night long: And
then, they say, no spirit dares stir abroad; The nights are wholesome;
then no planets strike, No fairy takes, nor witch hath power to charm,
So hallow'd and so gracious is the time.
SHAKESPEARE.

CHRISTMAS IN LEGEND AND STORY
A BOOK FOR BOYS AND GIRLS
COMPILED BY
ELVA S. SMITH
CARNEGIE LIBRARY PITTSBURGH
AND
ALICE I. HAZELTINE
PUBLIC LIBRARY ST. LOUIS
ILLUSTRATED FROM FAMOUS PAINTINGS
1915

CHRISTMAS IN LEGEND AND STORY

PREFACE
In our experience in library work with children we have learned that it
is very difficult to find Christmas stories and legends which have
literary merit, are reverent in spirit, and are also suitable for children.
This collection has been made in an endeavor to meet this need, and
thus to be of service to parents, teachers, and librarians.
Most of the stories and poems in this book are of the legendary type.
They have been chosen from a wide variety of sources and represent
the work of many writers. There are other stories also, which, although
not strictly traditional, have the same reverent spirit and illustrate
traditional beliefs and customs. These have been included for their
literary value and their interest for young people.
In the arrangement of the selections we have followed the natural order
of the events in preference to grouping the stories for boys and girls of
different ages.
Although no attempt has been made to adapt the legends for
story-telling, most of them may be used for that purpose. Many of the
selections are also well suited for reading aloud.
Above all it is hoped that this book may bring real joy to the boys and
girls for whom it has been compiled.
ELVA S. SMITH,
CATALOGUER OF CHILDREN'S BOOKS,
CARNEGIE LIBRARY OF PITTSBURGH.
ALICE I. HAZELTINE,

SUPERVISOR OF CHILDREN'S WORK,
ST. LOUIS PUBLIC LIBRARY.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The compilers wish to thank Mrs. Margaret Deland for permission to
use "The Christmas Silence;" Mrs. Etta Austin McDonald for her
adaptation of Coppée's "Sabot of Little Wolff" from "The Child Life
Fifth Reader;" Josephine Preston Peabody for "The Song of a
Shepherd-Boy at Bethlehem;" Mrs. William Sharp for "The Children of
Wind and the Clan of Peace," by Fiona Macleod; Nora Archibald Smith
and the editors of the Outlook for "The Haughty Aspen;" and the
editors of _Good Housekeeping Magazine,_ Little, Brown & Company
and Mrs. Velma Swanston Howard for her translation of "The Legend
of the Christmas Rose," by Selma Lagerlöf, taken from _Good
Housekeeping Magazine_, copyright, 1907. Copyright, 1910, by Little,
Brown & Company.
Thanks are also due to the following publishers for permission to
reprint poems and stories on which they hold copyright: The Century
Company for four selections from _St. Nicholas_, "The Little Gray
Lamb" by A.B. Sullivan, "A Christmas Legend" by Florence Scannell,
"Félix" by Evaleen Stein, "The Child Jesus in the Garden;" The
Churchman Company for "The Blooming of the White Thorn" by Edith
M. Thomas; Doubleday, Page & Company for "Neighbors of the Christ
Night" by Nora Archibald Smith; E.P. Dutton & Company for "The Sin
of the Prince Bishop" by William Canton; Ginn & Company for
"Christmas Carol" from "Open Sesame;" Mr. William Heinemann for
"The Flight into Egypt" by Selma Lagerlöf; Houghton Mifflin
Company for "The Child Born at Bethlehem" by H.E. Scudder, "The
Christmas Song of Caedmon" by H.E.G. Pardee, "The Little
Mud-Sparrows" by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps.
"St. Christopher of the Gael" and "The Cross of the Dumb" are
included through the courtesy of Messrs. Duffield & Company. From
"Poems and Dramas" by Fiona Macleod, copyright, 1901, 1903, 1907,
by Thomas B. Mosher; 1910 by Duffield & Company.
The selection "Christmas at Greccio" from "God's Troubadour" by
Sophie Jewett is included by special arrangement with T.Y. Crowell
Company. "The Little Friend" by Abbie Farwell Brown, "Christmas

Hymn" by R.W. Gilder, "The Three Kings" by H.W. Longfellow, and
"The Star Bearer" by E.C. Stedman are included by special