DEDICATION.
TO
CHILDREN EVERYWHERE,
A Merry Christmas
TO YOU ALL,
WITH MUCH LOVE, I DEDICATE THESE STORIES,
ESPECIALLY TO MY
LITTLE NIECE AND NEPHEW,
Mamie and Wentworth.
MAY WENTWORTH.
About This Book
A collection of short tales intended for children that transplant Christmas legends and folkloric romances to California's landscapes, combining retellings of nativity-associated lore, Spanish and Mexican local legends, and sentimental scenes of childhood. Stories range from a tender origin tale linking saintly gift-giving to Santa Claus, to romantic and supernatural episodes set near missions and mining camps, portrayals of eccentric local figures, and dramatic frontier sketches such as discoveries in desert valleys. Narrative styles alternate between moralizing Christmas vignettes, romanticized sketches of regional life, and fanciful short stories, aiming to entertain young readers with romance, pathos, and regional color.