Front matter
Reading edition
“Here! what’s this rolling across the floor?”
(Page 142)
THE STORY OF THE MINCE PIE
BY JOSEPHINE SCRIBNER GATES Author of “Captain Billie,” “The Story of Live Dolls,” “Little Girl Blue,” etc. ILLUSTRATED BY JOHN RAE
NEW YORK DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY 1916
Copyright, 1916 By DODD, MEAD AND COMPANY, INC.
By courtesy of St. Nicholas, in which “And Piped Those Children Back Again” and “Anna Belle’s Christmas Eve” first appeared, they are included in this volume.
The Mince Pie has always held an important place in Christmas Tales, but it remained for Mrs. Mildred G. Potter to conceive the idea of making it the main feature.
It is my pleasure to give to her my grateful acknowledgment for the happy thought which it has been my privilege to embody in story form.
Here’s to the Dolls that will come to life, Here’s to the Tales they’ll tell Out of the depths of the Christmas Pie, To the tune of a Christmas Bell! Here’s to the Sugar and Fruit and Spice, Here’s to the Story Elf, Here’s to that Fragrance of Christmas Time, Here’s to the Pie itself! Big and spicy and rich and brown, What does that top crust hide? You know how it looks from an outside view, Now read what it’s like inside!
BY DOT AND NICK WHO ALSO WANTED A FINGER IN THIS PIE!
J. S. G.