V-^^' ./•\ V .^"^^ '^..^^ ^^^ ^^, • rf5^V>^* O • jj^Sxtv*.*^ o ..* o ."1* ♦•iyJKi-' "^ 0»« % ° -is^' °o /\.i^.\ O0*.ia^.>o /\'>;^.\ ^^ ♦••o« .-^ ♦ '' \:^ • .*'% Mk-wt.j' ^ ^-=i^^^-^^^^^^^^^^^ ^ THE LAND of MAKE-BELIEVE and other ^ CHRISTMAS ^ ^ P O E M S BY WILBUR NESBIT author of "the gentleman ragman." tr NEW YORK AND LONDON HARPER & BROTHERS PUBLISHERS M C M V 1 1 ^ t ' riraRARY of COMGFtESS f \w« Cooles Received i OCT 24 «?0f ^ CnnyneJif pntrv 7 COPY lj. J 1 •^ Copyright, 1907, by Harpkr & Brothers. Ali rights rese^'ved. Published October, 1907. CONTENTS PAGE "Merry Christmas" v The Land of Make-Believe 3 The Lost Boy 8 ^The Christmas-tree Wood II /The Empty Stockings 13 ''Tlie March of the Toys 15 '^The Skeptic Convinced 18 ^The Unseen Tragedy 21 JThe Druggist's Daughter 23 An* not forgot to say my prayer ; An* never jerked or slammed the door. Nor gone a slidin* on the floor. Becatise foar weeks ago I knew That Christmas Day would soon be dm — I*m waitin* for the twenty-sixt*! I've had a thousand chances where I might *a yanked somebody's chair; I*ve seen a thousand dandy ways Where I might do some things to raise The dickens, but I've had to wait Till Qiristmas is wiped off the slate — I'm waitin* for the twenty-sixt'! Three nights a week I've set an' read Until 'twas time to go to bed, [27] When I was tempted strong to go An* tease my sister an' her beau; Three nights a week her beau has smiled An' said I am a model child — I'm waitin' for the twenty-sixt'! I've been the best boy in the school. Learned everything an' broke no rule; The teacher tells the other boys To notice how I make no noise. An' how I get my answers right. An' how I always am polite — I'm waitin' for the twenty-sixt*! I've gone to Sunday-school each week An* told why Moses was so meek, An* who was Cain, an* all about The way Golia' got knocked out. The teacher Sunday told my ma I'm the best boy she ever saw — I'm waitin' for the twenty-sixt' I [2iU to