Front matter
Reading edition
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
PAGE
I
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
V
When a Father finds out about a Son 285
VI
Living out the Years 297
PART I
THE DOCTOR'S CHRISTMAS EVE