Old Christmas

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Old Christmas From the Sketch Book of?by Washington Irving

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Washington Irving, by Washington Irving This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
Title: Old Christmas From the Sketch Book of Washington Irving
Author: Washington Irving
Illustrator: R. Caldecott
Release Date: February 24, 2007 [EBook #20656]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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OLD CHRISTMAS
WASHINGTON IRVING

[Illustration: CHRISTMAS]
[Illustration: publisher's logo]
FIFTH EDITION
[Illustration: "The old family mansion, partly thrown in deep shadow, and partly lit up by the cold moonshine"
--Frontispiece.]
[Illustration: OLD CHRISTMAS:
FROM THE Sketch Book of Washington Irving.
ILLUSTRATED BY R CALDECOTT
London. Macmillan & Co 1886]
[Illustration]
But is old, old, good old Christmas gone? Nothing but the hair of his good, gray, old head and beard left? Well, I will have that, seeing that I cannot have more of him.
Hue and Cry after Christmas.

[Illustration: PREFACE]
Before the remembrance of the good old times, so fast passing, should have entirely passed away, the present artist, R. Caldecott, and engraver, James D. Cooper, planned to illustrate Washington Irving's "Old Christmas" in this manner. Their primary idea was to carry out the principle of the Sketch Book, by incorporating the designs with the text. Throughout they have worked together and con amore. With what success the public must decide.
NOVEMBER 1875.

[Illustration: CONTENTS]
PAGE
CHRISTMAS 1
THE STAGE COACH 17
CHRISTMAS EVE 41
CHRISTMAS DAY 75
THE CHRISTMAS DINNER 117
[Illustration]

[Illustration: LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS]
DESIGNED BY RANDOLPH CALDECOTT,
AND
ARRANGED AND ENGRAVED BY J. D. COOPER.
THE OLD MANSION BY MOONLIGHT--Frontispiece.
TITLE-PAGE.
PAGE
ANCIENT FIREPLACE iv
HEADING TO PREFACE v
HEADING TO CONTENTS vii
TAILPIECE TO CONTENTS vii
HEADING TO LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ix
TAILPIECE TO LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xiv
"THE POOR FROM THE GATES WERE NOT CHIDDEN" xvi
HEADING TO CHRISTMAS 1
THE MOULDERING TOWER 2
CHRISTMAS ANTHEM IN CATHEDRAL 4
THE WANDERER'S RETURN 5
"NATURE LIES DESPOILED OF EVERY CHARM" 6
"THE HONEST FACE OF HOSPITALITY" 8
"THE SHY GLANCE OF LOVE" 8
OLD HALL OF CASTLE 10
THE GREAT OAKEN GALLERY 12
THE WAITS 14
"AND SIT DOWN DARKLING AND REPINING" 16
THE STAGE COACH 19
THE THREE SCHOOLBOYS 20
THE OLD ENGLISH STAGE COACHMAN 23
"HE THROWS DOWN THE REINS WITH SOMETHING OF AN AIR" 25
THE STABLE IMITATORS 26
THE PUBLIC HOUSE 28
THE HOUSEMAID 29
THE SMITHY 30
"NOW OR NEVER MUST MUSIC BE IN TUNE" 32
THE COUNTRY MAID 32
THE OLD SERVANT AND BANTAM 34
A NEAT COUNTRY SEAT 35
INN KITCHEN 37
THE RECOGNITION. TAILPIECE 40
THE POST-CHAISE 43
THE LODGE GATE 46
THE OLD PRIMITIVE DAME 46
"THE LITTLE DOGS AND ALL" 49
MISTLETOE 52
THE SQUIRE'S RECEPTION 53
THE FAMILY PARTY 54
TOYS 55
THE YULE LOG 57
THE SQUIRE IN HIS HEREDITARY CHAIR 58
THE FAMILY PLATE 60
MASTER SIMON 61
YOUNG GIRL 62
HER MOTHER 62
THE OLD HARPER 65
MASTER SIMON DANCING 67
THE OXONIAN AND HIS MAIDEN AUNT 68
THE YOUNG OFFICER WITH HIS GUITAR 70
THE FAIR JULIA 72
ASLEEP 74
CHRISTMAS DAY 77
THE CHILDREN'S CAROL 78
ROBIN ON THE MOUNTAIN ASH 80
MASTER SIMON AS CLERK 81
BREAKFAST 84
VIEWING THE DOGS 85
MASTER SIMON GOING TO CHURCH 88
THE VILLAGE CHURCH 91
THE PARSON 93
REBUKING THE SEXTON 95
EFFIGY OF A WARRIOR 96
MASTER SIMON AT CHURCH 97
THE VILLAGE CHOIR 97
THE VILLAGE TAILOR 98
AN OLD CHORISTER 100
THE SERMON 101
CHURCHYARD GREETINGS 104
FROSTY THRALDOM OF WINTER 106
MERRY OLD ENGLISH GAMES 109
THE POOR AT HOME 111
VILLAGE ANTICS 112
TASTING THE SQUIRE'S ALE 113
THE WIT OF THE VILLAGE 115
COQUETTISH HOUSEMAID 116
ANTIQUE SIDEBOARD 119
THE COOK WITH THE ROLLING-PIN 120
THE WARRIOR'S ARMS 121
"FLAGONS, CANS, CUPS, BEAKERS, GOBLETS, BASINS, AND EWERS" 122
THE CHRISTMAS DINNER 123
A HIGH ROMAN NOSE 124
THE PARSON SAID GRACE 125
THE BOAR'S HEAD 126
THE FAT-HEADED OLD GENTLEMAN 129
PEACOCK PIE 130
THE WASSAIL BOWL 132
THE SQUIRE'S TOAST 134
THE LONG-WINDED JOKER 136
LONG STORIES 138
THE PARSON AND THE PRETTY MILKMAID 139
MASTER SIMON GROWS MAUDLIN 140
THE BLUE-EYED ROMP 143
THE PARSON'S TALE 144
THE SEXTON'S REBUFF 146
THE CRUSADER'S NIGHT RIDE 148
ANCIENT CHRISTMAS AND DAME MINCE-PIE 151
ROBIN HOOD AND MAID MARIAN 152
THE MINUET 153
ROAST BEEF, PLUM PUDDING, AND MISRULE 153
THE CHRISTMAS DANCE IN COSTUME 154
"CHUCKLING AND RUBBING HIS HANDS" 155
"ECHOING BACK THE JOVIALITY OF LONG-DEPARTED YEARS" 157
RETROSPECT 159
[Illustration]

[Illustration: CHRISTMAS]
[Illustration]
A man might then behold At Christmas, in each hall Good fires to curb the cold, And meat for great and small. The neighbours were friendly bidden, And all had welcome true, The poor from the gates were not chidden, When this old cap was new.
Old Song.

[Illustration: CHRISTMAS]
There is nothing in England that exercises a more delightful spell over my imagination than the lingerings of the holiday customs and rural games of former times. They recall the pictures my fancy used to draw in the May morning of life, when as yet I only knew the world through books, and believed it to be all that poets had painted it; and they bring with them the flavour of those honest days of