Faifo fireside lt Fireside Saints Intro- ductory Note INTRODUCTORY NOTE HIS is tht first time that these Fireside Saints have formed a vol- ume by them- selves. They originally appeared in the Punch Al- manack for 1 8 5 7 the year of their author's death and, so far as 1 am aware, have been but twice reprinted since. Once in a volume of Douglas Jerrold's scattered writings published Intro- ductory Note Fireside in America in 1888, a volume that took its name from the "Saints" which occupied its earliest pages. The col- lection was made by a writer who signed his preface " J. E. B., Me/rose, July 24, 1873 ". Whom the initials represent, and whether the volume had appeared in England before being pub- lished in America, I have not been able to ascertain. The second time that the Fireside Saints were re- printed was in The Handbook of Swindling and Other Papers, a volume of Douglas Jerrold's mis- cellanies which I prepared for the "Camelot Series" in 1891. The editor of the first-named volume referred to these little thumb - nail sketches as " the sweetest and sunniest of Jerrold's writings"; the author's eld- est son and biographer spoke of them thus tl presently come trooping from his pen twelve Fireside Saints to sit about Saints men's Christmas hearths, in 1857. They are holy little presences, these, with each her special shining virtue to be imitated. Any home shall be the better for looking at -for studying them. They were their author's last marked success in Punch that is, the last things of his which the public seized upon, and welcomed, acknowledging their author?' This is in one slight point a little misleading, as the " Saints " appeared in the Almanacks/or 1857, and were therefore present at " men's Christmas hearths" in 1856. Each month of the Almanack had a "Saint" allotted to it, the legends being set in very small type, in very narrow col- umns, down the sides of the " cuts ". Never assuredly have they made a more pleasantly fitting appearance than here in company with the delightful illustra- tions with which they have inspired the pencil of Mr. Charles Robinson, one of Intro- ductory Note Intro- ductory Note Fireside the most poetically fanciful of the young artists of the present day. Dainty, fanciful, and quaint, the "Saints" are representative of the least well-known side of Douglas Jerrold's nature, the least well-remembered kind of his writings; he is known as a man of biting, " savage" wit, but not also, as he should be, as a man of intense sympathy and tenderness; as writer he is remembered by such work as Mrs. Caudle's Curtain Lectures and Black-Eyed Susan, but he better de- serves to be remembered by such work as The Chronicles of Clovernook and Time Works Wonders. // is, then, the deeper side of his nature, the more truly individual class of his work that, within their slight limits, these biographies in little represent. WALTER JERROLD Saints ILLUSTRATIONS Frontispiece The Angel of the Fire- side JANUARY Saint Dolly " Now sleeping, she dreamt that the oven was lighted" " She felt falling in a shower about her raisins, currants, almonds, &c." "The fairies vanished, crying,'Draw the cake, Dolly Dolly, draw the cake!'" Illus- trations io Fireside " Behold, it was the first twelfth- cake" FEBRUARY Saint Patty MARCH Saint Norah Saint Norah praying *' Not proud, but useful " APRIL Saint Betsy MAY Saint Phillis " Saint Phillis only wore a red and white rose" " She still carried the red and white roses in her face" JUNE Saint Phoebe "Saint Phoebe set to work" Illus- trations Saints " Never did the husband touch that mat that it didn't clean his temper with his shoes" JULY Saint Sally " On every birthday added a bead " AUGUST Saint Becky " My dear, take wine, and bless your heart with it" SEPTEMBER Saint Lily OCTOBER Saint Fanny " I'd give this ten times over for a supper for my husband" NOVEMBER Saint Jenny " A storm rent their cot in twenty places apart" Illus- trations 12 Fireside Saints DECEMBER Saint Florence The English Mistletoe That Eastern Christmas Illus- trations JAN Saint Dolly f Fireside Saints Saint Dolly T an early age, Saint Dolly showed the sweet- ness of her nature by her tender love for her widowed father: a baker, dwelling at Pie Corner, with a large family of little children. It chanced that, with bad harvests, bread became so dear that, of course, bakers were ruined by high prices. The miller fell upon Dolly's father, and for January i8 Saint Dolly Fireside swept the shop with his golden thumb. Not a bed was left for the baker or his little ones. Saint Dolly slept upon a flour -sack, having prayed that good angels for January Saints would help her to help her father. Now, sleep- ing, she dreamt that the oven was lighted, and she felt falling in a shower about her raisins, cur- rants, almonds, lemon- 19 Saint Dolly for January 20 Saint Dolly Fireside peel, flour, with heavy drops of brandy. Then in her dreams she saw the fairies gather up the things that fell, and knead them into a cake. They put the cake into the for January Saints oven; and, dancing round and round, the fairies vanished, crying: "Draw the cake, Dolly; Dolly, draw the cake." And Dolly awoke and drew the cake; and, behold, it Saint Dolly Fireside Saints Saint Dolly was the first Twelfth Cake, sugared at the top, and bearing there images of Faith, Hope, and Charity. Now this cake, shown in the window, came to the King's ear; and the King bought the cake, knighted the baker, and married Dolly to his grand fal- coner, to whom she proved a faithful and loving wife, bearing him a baker's dozen of lovely children. for January Saint Patty Fireside Saints Saint Patty AINT PATTY was an or- phan, and dwelt in a cot with a sour old aunt. It chanced, it being bitter cold, that three hunters came and craved for meat and drink. "Pack I" said the sour aunt; "neither meat nor drink have ye here." "Neither meat nor drink," said Patty, "but something better." And she ran and brought some milk, some eggs, for February 28 Saint Patty Fireside and some flour, and, beating them up, poured the batter in the pan. Then she took the pan and tossed the cake once; and then a robin alighted at the window, and kept singing these words : "One good turn deserves another ". And Patty tossed and tossed the cakes; and the hunters ate their fill and departed. And next day the hunter baron came in state to the cot; and trumpets were blown, and the for February Saints 29 heralds cried, " One good Saint tiirn deserves another'', in Patty token whereof Patty be- came the baron's wife, and pancakes were eaten on Shrove Tuesday ever after. for February Saint Norah T Fireside Saints 35 Saint Norah I N T NORAH was a poor girl, and came to England to service. Sweet-tempered and gentle, she seemed to for March 36 Fireside Saint love everything she spoke Norah to. And she prayed to Saint Patrick that he would give her a good gift that would make her not proud but useful: and Saint Patrick, out of his for March Saints 37 own head, taught Saint Saint Norah how to boil a Nor ah potato. A sad thing, and to be lamented, that the secret has come down to so few. for March Saint Betsy Fireside Saints 43 Saint Betsy AINT BETSY was wed- ded to a knight who sailed with Raleigh and brought home tobacco; and the knight smoked. But he thought that Saint Betsy, like other fine ladies of the court, would fain that he should smoke out- of-doors, nor taint with 'bacco smoke the tapes- try. Whereupon the knight would seek his garden, his orchard, and for April . 44 Fireside Saint in any weather smoke Betsy sub Jove. Now it chanced as the knight smoked, Saint Betsy came to him and said, " My lord, pray ye, come into the house." And the knight went with Saint Betsy, who took him into a newly- cedared room, and said, " I pray, my lord, hence- forth smoke here: for is it not a shame that you, who are the foundation and prop of your house, should have no place to put your head into and for April Saints 45 smoke?" And Saint Saint Betsy led him to a chair, Betsy and with her own fingers filled him a pipe, and from that time the knight sat in the cedar-chamber and smoked his weed. T for April t MAY. Saint Phillis t Fireside Saints Saint Phillis A I N T PHILLIS was a vir- gin of noble parentage: but withal as simple as any shepherdess of curds- and-cream. She married for May 52 Saint Phillis Fireside a wealthy lord, and had much pin-money. But when other ladies wore diamonds and pearls, Saint Phillis only wore a red and white rose in her hair. Yet her pin- money brought the best for May Saints 53 of jewellery in the happy Saint eyes of the poor about Phillis her. Saint Phillis was rewarded. She lived until fourscore, and still carried the red and white roses in her face, and left their fragrance in her memory. T for May Saint Phoebe T Fireside Saints 59 Saint Phcebe withal I N T PHOEBE was mar- ried early to a wilful, a good - hearted husband. He was a merchant, and for June 6o Saint Pkcebe Fireside would come home sour and sullen from 'Change. Whereupon, after much pondering, Saint Phoebe in her patience set to work and, praying the while, made of dyed lamb's- wool a door-mat. for June Saints 61 And it chanced from that Saint time, that never did her Phcebe husband touch that mat, that it didn't clean his temper with his shoes, and he sat down by his Phoebe as mild as the lamb whose wool he had trod upon. Thus gentle- ness may make miracu- lous door-mats. for June Saint Sally Fireside Saints 6 7 Saint Sally AINT SALLY, from her childhood, was known for her in- nermost love of truth. It was said of her that her heart was in a crystal shrine, and all the world might see it. Now once when other women denied, or strove to hide their age, Saint Sally said, "I am five- and-thirty." Whereupon, next birthday, Saint Sally's husband, at a feast of all for July 68 Fireside Saint Sally their friends, gave her a necklace of six-and-thirty opal beads : and on every birthday added a bead, until the beads mounted to fourscore - and - one. And the beads seemed to act as a charm ; for Saint for July Saints 69 Sally, wearing the sum of Saint her age about her neck, Sally age never appeared in her face. Such, in the olden time, was the reward of simplicity and truth. r for July Saint Becky Fireside Saints 75 Saint Becky VERY good man was Saint Becky's husband, but with his heart a little too much in his bottle. Port wine red port wine was his delight, and his constant cry was bee's- wing. Now as he sat tipsy in his arbour, a wasp dropt into his glass, and the wasp was swallowed, stinging the man inwardly. Doctors crowded, and with much for August 7 6 Saint Becky Fireside ado the man was saved. Now Saint Becky nursed her husband tenderly to health, and upbraided him not. But she said these words, and they reformed him : "My dear, take wine, and for August Saints 77 bless your heart with it: Saint but wine in moderation. Becky Else never forget that the bee's -wing of to-day becomes the wasp's-sting of to-morrow." for August t Saint Lily Fireside Saints Saint Lily AINT LILY was the wife of a poor man, who tried to support his family, and the children were many, by writing books. But in those days it was not as easy for a man to find a publisher as to say his Paternoster. Many were the books that were written by the husband of Saint Lily, but to every book Saint Lily gave at least two babes. for September 84 Saint Lily Fireside However, blithe as the cricket was the spirit that ruled about the hearth of Saint Lily. And how she helped her helpmate! She smiled sunbeams into his ink-bottle, and turned his goose-pen to the quill of a dove! She made the paper he wrote on as white as her name, and as fragrant as her soul. And when folks won- dered how Saint Lily managed so lightly with fortune's troubles, she always answered that for September Saints 85 she never heeded them, Saint for That troubles were Lily like babies, and only grew the bigger by nursing. r for September OCT Saint Fanny Fireside Saints Saint $^2J\S83B A1NT FANNY Fanny ( ^S^lli? WAS a notable housewife. Her house was a temple of neatness. Kings might have dined upon her staircase! Now her great delight was to provide all things com- fortable for her husband, a hard-working merchant much abroad, but loving his home. Now one night he returned, tired and hungry, and by some mischance there was for October 92 Fireside Saint nothing for supper. Fanny Shops were shut, and great was the grief of Saint Fanny. Taking off a bracelet of seed pearl, she said: "I'd give this ten times over for a supper for my husband." for October Saints 93 And every pearl straight- Saint way became an oyster; Fanny and Saint Fanny opened, and the husband ate, and lol in every oyster was a pearl as big as a hazel nut, and so was Saint Fanny made rich for life. for October Nov. Saint Jenny Fireside Saints 99 Saint Jenny AINT JENNY was wed- ded to a very poor man; they had scarcely bread to keep them; but Jenny was of so sweet a temper that even want bore a bright face, and Jenny always smiled. In the worst seasons Jenny would spare crumbs for the birds, and sugar for the bees. Now it so hap- pened that one autumn storm rent their cot in for November IOO Saint Jenny Fireside twenty places apart; when behold between the joists from the base- ment to the roof there was nothing but honey- comb and honey. A little fortune for Saint Jenny and her husband for November Saints 101 in honey. Now some Saint said it was the bees, Jenny but more declared it was the sweet temper of Saint Jenny that had filled the poor man's house with honey. for November Saint Florence Fireside Saints 107 Saint f^^ k l N T Florence \ ^!gJ FLORENCE, by her works, had her lips blessed with comforting, and her hands touched with healing. And she crossed the sea, and built hospitals, and sol- aced and restored. And so long as English mistle- toe gathers beneath it truthful hearts and Eng- lish holly brightens happy eyes, so long will English- men, at home or abroad, for December 108 Fireside Saint on land or on the wave, Florence so long in the memory of that Eastern Christmas will they cry : " God for December Saints I0 9 bless Saint Florence! Saint Bless Saint Nightingale!" Florence for December UBRAR.tr Charity: