Bassetts Scrap Book, Vol 2, No 10
Articles in this issue
- p. 2
A Christmas miscellany tracing how King Alfred established a twelve-day holiday tradition and how Americans inherited Christmas customs from Dutch, English, French, and German ancestors, each adding their own distinct festive practices.
- p. 2
A collection of Christmas reflections from Shakespeare, Tennyson, Dickens, Longfellow, and Washington Irving, united by themes of charity, hospitality, and the fellowship of shared celebration.
- p. 3
A reader-generated list debate featuring three competing top-ten lists of the best American novels, including Uncle Tom's Cabin, Ramona, David Copperfield, and Ben Hur, along with commentary on the merits of each selection.
- p. 3
A selection of top-ten short story lists submitted by readers, with strong representation for Poe (three entries) and Bret Harte (two), along with a competing list from W.F.C. and another from L.M.G.
- p. 5
A meditation on the art of gift-giving, arguing that the value of a present lies not in its commercial worth but in how faithfully it expresses the real relationship between giver and receiver.
- p. 4
A report on goose-bone weather prophet Elias Hartz of Reading, Pennsylvania, aged 90, who after reading the breastbone of his first goose of the season predicts a hard winter with heavy snowstorms starting early in November.
- p. 15
A direct appeal to readers to give a year's subscription to the Scrap Book as a Christmas gift, promising twelve months of good cheer for the recipient.