I am a true lover of Christmas Books. I have a large basket of them that I display by my fireplace each Christmas Season. "The Visit", written by Mark Kimball Moulton will be the newest addition and hold a truly prominent spot.
This book is a true holiday treat and has such an amazing family history behind it. In 1822, Clement Clarke Moore wrote the ever classic Christmas Poem "The Night Before Christmas" for his ill daughter as a gift from him to her. This precious gift became a holiday classic; but haven't we all wondered what some of the story meant? Where some of the phrases came from? In 2000, Moore's great-great granddaughter Dinghy Sharp told Author Mark Kimball Moulton how the beloved story came to be.
The story begins in 1936 as Sharp and her family travel to New York City to visit with her grandfather and he begins to tell them a tale that "his very own granddad told his own child".
"Stockings were hung by the chimney with care" as it was a rule if one wanted clean socks for school they must wash them and hang them by the fire to dry. Mama always wore her kerchief and Papa his bedcap as bedrooms were freezing back in those days and it took hours to warm up. Sugarplums were delicious sugared fruits (fruit rolled in sugar preserved them to last longer). They were so delicious and glittered that often visions of them "would dance in one's dreams".
The shutters papa "tore open in a flash" were put on his home to avoid the cold, windy snow that came through in the cracks.
Now on the night before Christmas 1822 Papa Moore headed out to in search of a goose for dinner and then to tell his sickly daughter Charity a tale before bed. As he travelled to town in his sleigh of "coursers" (horses and/or deer)(which from where clearly comes "the miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer") in search of the butcher and came across woodman "Jan-Peter" in a red hooded coat. This man "had a white beard" and was "rotund and jolly and appeared quite old" (hmmmmmm). Jan-Peter would often tell the children tales of his journeys at night or of Saint Nicholas and give each listener a sugarplum candy to eat. This particular Christmas Eve, Jan-Peter was going door to door distributing his gift of the wood he gathered so all who were hungry or poor would be warm. Papa Moore felt he was "a true Saint indeed". As Papa Moore traveled home he thought of his daughter, the story she requested and of course about Jan-Peter and his selfless good deeds. And it was at that moment, Papa Moore had his story and from here we have our classic tale.
The end of "The Visit" treats us to a copy of the Clement's original hand-written copy with signature. I must say; this book is simply wonderful. Its the true story of how the classic story came to be and should be a staple in everyone's holiday collection.
To learn more about author Mark Kimball Moulton and his other "magical" works please visit www.markkimballmoulton.com. Illustrator Susan Winget provides beautiful artwork with a true appreciation for nature and wildlife (a passion of Winget's). I welcomed the holiday season in my house by sharing this wonderful story. I suggest you all do the same.