Chapter I: Front Matter

THE CHRISTMAS CHILD AND OTHER VERSE FOR CHILDREN

THE CHRISTMAS CHILD

AND OTHER

VERSE FOR CHILDREN

BY

NORA ARCHIBALD SMITH

AUTHOR OF “THE HOME-MADE KINDERGARTEN,” “THREE LITTLE MARYS,” “UNDER THE CACTUS FLAG,” ETC.

_With Illustrations_

BOSTON AND NEW YORK HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY The Riverside Press Cambridge 1920

COPYRIGHT, 1920, BY NORA ARCHIBALD SMITH

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

TO MY MOTHER

(_A Christmas Wish_)

This is the day of the Mother and Child,
Of Blessed Babe and of Mary mild;
Centuries old yet eternally young,
Chanted in praises of every tongue,--
Lily divine of Motherhood,
Child who has taught us Brotherhood!

This is the season of Mother and Child,--
Then let me wish for thee, mother mild,
Who of thy love didst bring me here,
Gave me this life that I hold so dear,
All that thy heart can treasure,
Joy beyond earthly measure!

“_And I, for one, would much rather,
Could I merit so sweet a thing,
Be the poet of little children
Than the laureate of a king._”
LUCY LARCOM

Acknowledgments are made to the following periodicals in which these little verses for children first appeared: _The Ladies’ Home Journal_, _The Outlook_, _The Interior_, _Little Folks_, _The Kindergarten and First Grade_, _The Housewife_, _The Churchman_, _American Primary Teacher_, _The Continent_, _John Martin’s Book_, _Mother’s Magazine_, _Woman’s Home Companion_, _Sunday School Times_, _Youth’s Companion_, _Woman’s World_, _Table Talk_, _Journal of Education_, _St. Nicholas_, _Young People’s Weekly_, _The Primary School_, _The Ladies’ World_.

Also to Doubleday, Page and Company and Houghton Mifflin Company for permission to use verses which have appeared in their publications.

CONTENTS

TO MY MOTHER (A CHRISTMAS WISH) v

THE CHRISTMAS CHILD 1

THE CHRISTMAS TRAVELERS 2

SANTA CLAUS IS COMING! 4

NEIGHBORS OF THE CHRIST-NIGHT 6

THE BENEVOLENT GNOME 8

THE CHRIST-CANDLE 11

THE GOOD FIR-TREE 13

A CHILD’S CHRISTMAS CAROL 15

THE GOOD SHIP SANTA CLAUS 16

GRACE FOR CHRISTMAS EVE 19

CHRISTMAS HELPERS 20

A CHRISTMAS ACROSTIC 23

THE MAN IN THE MOON 24

TO A CHILD ON CHRISTMAS 26

CHRISTMAS SECRETS 27

HOW THE CHRIST-FLOWER BLOOMED 29

A DEAR LITTLE BOY 32

“L’OISEAU DE DIEU” 35

CHRISTMAS IN NORWAY 37

THE HAUGHTY ASPEN 40

REMEMBER! 42

A NEW YEAR’S SONG 44

THE BOASTFUL SNOWFLAKE 46

THE GOOSE FAIR AT WARSAW 47

THE FAIRY RING 49