by Jean Little
We had to leave out the Wise Men, as there were not enough of us. Jemima changed back into Joseph and joined Mary and the Baby as I ended with the words: “But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.”
It was such a short play, yet it seemed to take years to perform. How everyone clapped and cheered! We all bowed and Adelaide crowed with delight. In that small room there was so much goodwill that I felt it could spread through the whole world.
After all the exclaiming and congratulations and thanks had settled down, Maria began playing carols while we gathered round to sing. We sang “Adeste Fideles,” “Christians, Awake!” and “Lift Up Your Heads in Joyful Hope,” just like other Christmases.
When it was very late, and we were sitting drowsily with brandy and walnuts, the men had to go back to Burlington. We tried not to weep as we kissed them goodnight, then kissed each other and went to bed.
I sit here now while my sisters, my niece, and my new friend are sleeping. Christmas Day is almost over.
Who knows what next year may bring? I pray for an end to the war. I pray that Papa and Hamilton and James and Charles will not be wounded or killed. I pray that Phoebe’s father will soon be released.
Mostly I pray in gratitude that I am blessed with such a loving family and friends. No matter how bad the war becomes, we have each other.
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace!”
While the events described and some of the characters in this book may be based on actual historical events and real people, the characters are fictional people, created by the authors, and their diaries are works of fiction.
Introduction copyright © 2006 by Scholastic Canada Ltd. All rights reserved.
The stories in this book are the copyrighted property of their respective authors.
“Lo, the Perfect Plan” copyright © 2006 by Sarah Ellis.
“The Keepsake Box” copyright © 2006 by Sharon Stewart.
“Stirring Up a Storm” copyright © 2006 by Julie Lawson.
“Small Beginnings” copyright © 2006 by Jan Andrews.
“What a Blessing Is This Peace” copyright © 2006 by Maxine Trottier.
“Shelter from the Cold” copyright © 2006 by Carol Matas.
“A Home Girl’s Christmas” copyright © 2006 by Jean Little.
“An Unexpected Gift” copyright © 2006 by Gillian Chan.
“Dear Jane” copyright © 2006 by Janet Lunn.
“The Word for Home” copyright © 2006 by Karleen Bradford.
“A Night to Rejoice” copyright © 2006 by Barbara Haworth-Attard.
“No Room for Christmas” copyright © 2006 by Kit Pearson.
Interior illustrations by Susan Gardos. Copyright © 2006 by Scholastic Canada Ltd. All rights reserved.
Cover image: The Christmas Tree, 1911 (oil on canvas) by Tayler, Albert Chevallier (1862–1925) Private Collection/ The Bridgeman Art Library.
Published by Scholastic Canada Ltd.
SCHOLASTIC and DEAR CANADA and logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Scholastic Inc.
All rights reserved under International and Pan–American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read this e-book on-screen. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher, Scholastic Canada Ltd., 604 King Street West, Toronto, Ontario M5V 1E1, Canada.
ISBN: 978-1-4431-1996-2
First eBook edition: December 2012
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Exiles from the War, The War Guests Diary of Charlotte Mary Twiss by Jean Little
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An Ocean Apart, The Gold Mountain Diary of Chin Mei-ling by Gillian Chan
Orphan at My Door, The Home Child Diary of Victoria Cope by Jean Little
A Prairie as Wide as the Sea, The Immigrant Diary of Ivy Weatherall by Sarah Ellis
Prisoners in the Promised Land, The Ukrainian Internment Diary of Anya Soloniuk by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch
A Rebel’s Daughter, The 1837 Rebellion Diary of Arabella Stevenson by Janet Lunn
A Ribbon of Shining Steel, The Railway Diary of Kate Cameron by Julie Lawson
A Sea of Sorrows, The Typhus Epidemic Diary of Johanna Leary by Norah McClintock
That Fatal Night, The Titanic Diary of Dorothy Wilton by Sarah Ellis
To Stand On My Own, The Polio Epidemic Diary of Noreen Robertson by Barbara Haworth-Attard
Torn Apart, The Internment Diary of Mary Kobayashi by Susan Aihoshi
A Trail of Broken Dreams, The Gold Rush Diary of Harriet Palmer by Barbara Haworth-Attard
Turned Away, The World War II Diary of Devorah Bernstein by Carol Matas
Where the River Takes Me, The Hudson’s Bay Company Diary of Jenna Sinclair by Julie Lawson
Whispers of War, The War of 1812 Diary of Susanna Merritt by Kit Pearson
Winter of Peril, The Newfoundland Diary of Sophie Loveridge by Jan Andrews
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Go to www.scholastic.ca/dearcanada for information on the Dear Canada Series — see inside the books, read an excerpt or a review, post a review, and more.
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