Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-12-22
CHRISTMAS STORIES FOR YOUNG AND OLD
An Excursion the Yulede-Taes Them
Famous and Some Little known, Which Breathe
the Spirit of the Season.
BY FREDERIC A. CHILD
President Of the Philadelpha Story Tssrs' League.

by Maxine Du Camp, to be found in vol
ume entitled christmas Stories From the
French and Spanish" edited by A. Ogden.
Another class of children's stories worthy
of note is the purely historical. telling how
Christmas was celebrated in the past. Ammo
Hollngsworth Wharton's christmas in
1776," to be found in "The Last Century Maid
and Other Stories for Children" and THE
First New England Christmas in Stone and
Fickett's EVERY Day Life in the Colonies"
are good examples of such stories.
Dickens-and After
without a doubt the most popular Christ
mas story among grown-ups is Dickens "a
Christmas Carol" Dickens himself tells us
that "he wept and laughed and wept again"
over IT, land excited himself in most ex-
traordinary manner in the composition" A
close second to the carol in popularity is THE
Chimes" concerning which Dickens said "he
had written tremendous work and knocked
the Carol out of the field" The reading pub
lie. however, has not rendered its verdict ac-
cordingly. Both of these stories breathe
spirit of lkindliness and goodwill and a con-
sderation for the less fortunate. Who can
read of Scrooges different vlstatons and not
feel convinced at his sudden conversion, ana
who reading this story. is not affected much
in the same manner as the author, and Is not
inclined to weep and laugh and weep againf
Mrs, Fezziwig and Tiny Tim are household
words. and will remain such as long as the
language is read.
The fashion set by Dickens has been fol-
lowed by many writer's, some Of whom have
been able to produce little more than weak
imitation of the machinery of "The Christ
mas Carol" The Christmas story takes It's
inspiration from the spirit of the time,
spirit glowing with an interest in Life. Love
and Reconciliation. The celebration of the
birthday of the patron saint of children ST.
Nicholas. long associated with the celebration
of the birth oe Christ, affords inspiration
found at no other season OF the year.
Entertaining, But Unfair
It would, however, be too much to expect
that the wonderful happenings and sudden
conversions and reeoneiliatiops of the usual
Christmas story should not meet with a eer-
tain amount of rdlcule and satire One OF
the most successful of these, carried out with
a close adherence to the dream machinery
of "Tbe Christmas Carol" is Frank stock
toms 'stephen skarrdge's Christmas" found
in his 'story Teler's Pack" Stephen skar-
ridge is a second Serooge whose eynieism
takes the form of collecting his tenants rent
on Christmas Eve. Where money is not
forthcoming he confscates personal property,
A dream is closely followed by his oonver-
sion in the form of most generous bounty
The story ends with the question. slave you
ever read a story like this before2n And OF
course. the answer is yes" Another such
story is George Ade's "Mr. Payson's satiri-
cal Christmas" TO be found In his in Babel"
Entertaining as these are. perhaps they arc
unfair for the Christmas story is essentially
a story OF miraculous happenings for chill
dren and grown-upsi for children Nin their
more mature, groWn-up moods and Tor their
elders in their moods OF childishness