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The Spirit of Christmas
The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Spirit of Christmas, by Henry Van Dyke 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.net
Title: The Spirit of Christmas
Author: Henry Van Dyke
Release Date: January 3, 2005 [EBook #14572]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
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THE
SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS
BY
HENRY VAN DYKE
[Illustration: (Frontispiece)]
NEW YORK
CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS
1911
* * * * *
_Copyright, 1905, by Charles Scribner's Sons_
_Published, October, 1905_
* * * * *
CONTENTS
A DREAM-STORY
THE CHRISTMAS ANGEL 3
A LITTLE ESSAY
CHRISTMAS-GIVING AND CHRISTMAS-LIVING 33
A SHORT CHRISTMAS SERMON
KEEPING CHRISTMAS 45
TWO CHRISTMAS PRAYERS
A CHRISTMAS PRAYER FOR THE HOME 51
A CHRISTMAS PRAYER FOR LONELY FOLKS 56
* * * * *
A DREAM-STORY
THE CHRISTMAS ANGEL
It was the hour of rest in the Country Beyond the Stars. All the silver bells that swing with the turning of the great ring of light which lies around that land were softly chiming; and the sound of their commotion went down like dew upon the golden ways of the city, and the long alleys of blossoming trees, and the meadows of asphodel, and the curving shores of the River of Life.
At the hearing of that chime, all the angels who had bee