Our American Holidays A SERIES of Anthologies upon American Holidays, each volume a collection of writings from many sources, historical, poetic, religious, patriotic, etc., presenting each American festival as seen through the eyes of the representative writers of many ages and nations. EDITED BY ROBERT HAVEN SCHAUFFLER 12mo. Each volume $1.00 net NOW READY. THANKSGIVING LINCOLN'S BIRTHDAY CHRISTMAS ARBOR DAY IN PREPARATION FLAG DAY FOURTH OF JULY NEW YEAR'S DAY MOFFAT, YARD & COMPANY 31 East 17th Street . . - New York WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY ITS HISTORY, OBSERVANCE, SPIRIT, AND Copyright, 1910, by New York Published, January, 1910 PREFACE The popular idea of Washington has recently begun to veer away from the vision of an eighteenth century demigod in a wig, -an old-fashioned statue in dusky bronze, stern and forbidding. We are swinging around toward the idea of a loveable, fallible, very human personality with humor, a hot temper, and a genuine love of pleasure. Accordingly, in gathering material for this book the editor has passed by those earlier writers who are mainly responsible for this distorted view; and he has aimed to gather here the essays, orations, poems, stories, and exercises which best exhibit the modern conception of Washington; together with a selection from his own writings, and the finest of the elder tributes to the memory of our greatest National Hero. (RECAP) NOV 171915 351803 4021 ,811 ..06 |