• Author: Irving, Minna
• Editor: B-7413
• Newspaper: The Umpire volume 6
• Page Number:
• Date: 12 25 1917
• Tags:
• poetry
• Christmas

A Legend of Christmas

In sword and sash and scarlet coat Upon a Christmas day, Through frosty woods and hoary field A soldier rode away. She watched him through the faliing snow, A young and lovely maid In milky pearls and flowing robes Of velvet green arrayed.

With rumors of the distant wars The months went slowly by Till once again the Christmas bells Were pealing to the sky, And, walking in the lonely wood, A bush the maiden found With thorns as sharp as little swords And scarlet berries crowned.

She leaned against an ancient oak And wove a wreath to wear Of scarlet berries, bright and gay, And set it on her hair. And, lo, the pearls upon her breast Were changed to berries, too, And, rooted to the oak, a branch Of mistletoe she grew,

When sweet and clear the Christmas bells Ring out o’er vale and hill The maiden-mistletoe is seen In pearls and velvet still, And with her in the revels ruled By musie, mirth and folly, In sword and scarlet still arrayed, Behold the soldier-holly!

— Minna Irving.