A Child's Journal of 1892

Signed and dated by N.C. Bemis of Wiscasset, Maine

Christmas Scene at Nellie's Home

"The True Santa Claus"

written by Eva L. Carson

You bigger boys and larger girls,

Who smile in pitying way

When baby gravelly tells the tale

of Santa Claus's sleigh,

How Santa stops, with bags of toys,

On everybody's roof:

While his reindeer lightly prance and dance

Upon each tiny hoof.

You see the stockings being hung,

With but a scornful laugh;

Why- don't you know the story's true?

That is- the better half?

He's the Christ-Child in Germany,

Here- Santa Claus we say;

But through the world, at home, abroad,

The dear saint makes his way.

It has a meaning deep and true,

The lovely fairy tale,

Where would we be but for love

That watches without fail?

What makes our Holidays delight,

And never knowing pause,

Gives all we are and all we have?

LOVE is our Santa Claus!

"Be Not Simply Good, Be Good For Something" 

a quote from Nellie

A flower for a Happy Home

Greetings to the arrival of the Three Wisemen

The Bemis Family 'Tree'

The Tree of Life

Murray dons his Stocking Cap

Ada waits patiently for Christmas Supper to begin

The Owl and the Skunk (I'm certain the Owl and the Pussycat has a nicer ring to it)

As guests arrive for Christmas

Mother ponders if she's forgotten anything

Warming the henhouse

Ethel Arrives

Merry Christmas Greetings

Mother in her new dress

Arrival on the appaloosa

The Bemis Family

A Kangaroo Toy arrives and the Cat has had at it.

Nellie's school mates mustn't be forgotten

The Family Cats make a fine portrait

The arrival of Rainbow Chicken greeting the family goat

By Sea or by Pram

Tiny the Cat is always good company on a rainy day

Family portrait of Pinky

A dream of flying

Twins

Twins

Apple Picking in the Farmyard

Esther's Hand Age 5

A Stenciled Native American Indian, Noble and Proud

Early Simple drawing

Why do Uncles always have such scratchy beards?

The earliest drawings are of stencils and this tracing of her younger sister's hand, along with heads traced from jar lids and story clippings fro children of the day, as Nellie becomes more confident, her drawings progress nicely.

Here are a few of the 156 drawings, there are also 21 layed-in pages of story clippings.

Holly & I purchased this book many years ago, we'd put it aside and it lay forgotten, yet this Christmas it seemed important to share it with all of you.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Seasons Greetings, Happy Hanukah, and may the sliver of the moon smile upon you for the Ramadan Season. Blessings to all, may we find mutual peace and understanding for all who inhabit this planet Earth.