New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-12-05
CHRISTMAS TALES
And Booklets Adapted for
Christmas Giving.

VI course, tnefe are eNer-neW sthHu-
ard booklets which may be had from
year to year in all kinds OF editions,
Dickenss christmas Carol" leading
Them all - Illustrated old English
Christmas songs. books of reflection
for the season and of devotion-verse
serious and gay without end. But
every Christmas brings its new offer
ings Of this class. They are no longer
exclusively devoted to the day and its
sentiment; here. as in the book world
generally, any good book is a Christ
mas book now.
Nevertheless. one is glad to begin
this seasons toll with a real Christmas
story, sound in sentiment, romantic for
ell its up-to- dateness. Mary Stewart
Cushing starts her christmas Tale
for Everyone Who Loves the Day"
doubleday, Page & Co.. with a wild
flight Of fancy-a father OF family
who few days before Christmas
dreams of giving himself a Christmas
present. He has already bought his
gift TO his wife, and he has been held
up by his children for the money that
is to pay for their presents TO him. lie
has subscribed for the school janitor's
Christmas turkey-he has done his full
duty as a husband and father, a citi-
zen and a taXpayer-as a mere man
and yet he cherishes that daring am
bition of making himself a present.
Let 1t be said at once in eXtenuation Of
his seltisnness that-another flight Of
iancy-some one has paid him an old
debt just before Christmas. OF course,
the moment he reaches home this wind
fall begins TO dwindle. His wife needs
some money at once to pay the dress
maker, his little daughter has lost her
purse with the money for her present
for him-and, well, father gives up his
selfish dream. But in the end the spirit
OF Christmas descends upon him in
fullest measure. II is his wife's sur
prise and their children's for him.
How did you ever think of it?" he
asks, and "'Because you talked all the
time about it. said his wife scornfully,
with her arms around his neck" A story
with a cheerful ending in the proper
holiday vein. AS a pendant to this
little story Of married life we have
Jennette Lees "The Woman in the AL
cove" (Scribner's), and this, too, has
the right ending OF renewed love and
confidence and faith for the future.
This little tale of the romantic way in
which a prosaic, Woodworking, saving
husband came to discover the other
woman in his wife, the part of her
which he had starved and which had
starved itself for duty's sake, attracted
considerable attention at the time Of
its first publication in a magazine. It's
an..n- L. l.
Mrs. Deland's "The Hands of Esau"
Harper e. Bros.), with its two excel
lent illustrations, presents in attractive
book form one of her short stories
dealing alphabetically and under
standingly with a case of conscience.
Children should not be held respon-
sible for their parents acts, we say;
but, questions Mrs. Delspd, what must
we conclude when, for the sake of their
own advantage and happiness, they
hide the truth in matter of greatest
Importance to others than themselves?
The answer in the case of the young
man in this story, whose father was an
embezzler, is that the flaw in the char
acter has passed from parent TO son.
"A few seasons ago Rupert Hughes
told us story of the hardships of
saleswOmen at Christmas time and OF
our duty to shop early and considerate
ly and TO promote the early closing
This time he shows US how
an old maid, whitening in loneliness
and penurious idleness. renewed her
youth by becoming saleswoman. Thus
did she. who had been pitied by the
of her girlhood and been
patronized by them ever after in their
state, become the rose that
bloomed last into a happy wifehood. /
Harper d Bros.)
That Dr. Henry van Dyke is among |
those present goes without saying. 1t .
is many years now since his publishers /
began to give US some tale or poem |
of his as q contribution to the celebra |
ton of the season. SO here is "The /
Sad Shepherd" first published in 1911, /
in a neat, slim little volume. Uniform 1
with it comes. also from the Messrs. |
Scribner. Thomas Nelson Pages "The /
Strangers Pew" a conventional treat 4
ment of an old theme, that of the .
Stranger revisiting earth and being
admitted by the rich to his
Father's house.