THE DOCTOR'S CHRISTMAS EVE [Illustration] THE MACMILLAN COMPANY NEW YORK · BOSTON · CHICAGO ATLANTA · SAN FRANCISCO MACMILLAN & CO., LIMITED LONDON · BOMBAY · CALCUTTA MELBOURNE THE MACMILLAN CO. OF CANADA, LTD. TORONTO THE DOCTOR'S CHRISTMAS EVE _Secretum meum mihi_ FRANCIS OF ASSISI BY JAMES LANE ALLEN AUTHOR OF "THE BRIDE OF THE MISTLETOE," "THE CHOIR INVISIBLE," "A SUMMER IN ARCADY," ETC. =New York= THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 1910 _All rights reserved_ COPYRIGHT, 1910, BY THE MACMILLAN COMPANY. * * * * * Set up and electrotyped. Published November, 1910. =Norwood Press= J. S. Cushing Co.--Berwick & Smith Co. Norwood, Mass., U.S.A. TO THE SOWER PREFACE THIS work now published under the title of "The Doctor's Christmas Eve" is the one earlier announced for publication under the title of "A Brood of the Eagle." "The Doctor, Herbert and Elsie's father, our nearest neighbor, your closest friend now in middle life--do you ever tire of the Doctor and wish him away?" "The longer I know him, the more I like him, honor him, trust him." --_The Bride of the Mistletoe._ CONTENTS PART FIRST I PAGE THE CHILDREN OF DESIRE 1 II WHEN A SON FINDS OUT ABOUT HIS FATHER 32 III THE BOOKS OF THE YEAR 69 IV THE BOOK OF THE YEARS 107 V EVERGREEN AND THORN TREE 195 PART SECOND I TWO OTHER WINTER SNOWBIRDS AT A WINDOW 213 II FOUR IN A CAGE 233 III THE REALM OF MIDNIGHT 258 IV TIME-SPIRIT AND ETERNAL SPIRIT 271