Old Christmas: From the Sketch Book of Washington Irving
Illustrated by Randolph Caldecott
Published by Macmillan & Co., London, 1882
Fourth Edition
 
Bound in red leather with gold gilt inlay border and inlay on back, cover, and spine.
Gold gilt edged pages in bright condition; intricate inlay border inside front and back cover. Binding is in good condition with beginning of start by front cover. Pages are bright, crisp and clean. 
 
About
Washington Irving's delightful account of a festive Christmas holiday includes five incomparable essays. Written well over a century ago, Irving's sketches "celebrate the celebration" with heartwarming descriptions of Yuletide events. Irving recalls with warmth and wonder his many colorful experiences of a traditional Victorian Christmas while a guest at an English estate — from the Christmas Eve trip by a stagecoach filled with "rosy-cheeked boys" returning from school, and scenes of domestic hilarity during holiday games, to solemn services at the village church and the return home to a sumptuous holiday dinner. Enhanced with more than 100 charming illustrations by noted nineteenth-century artist Randolph Caldecott, this engaging book helped nurture America's recognition of the holiday.