Produced by David Edwards, Emmy and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) 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