Santa Claus's Partner

by Thomas Nelson Page

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

Genres: Christmas, Fiction, Classics

196 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1899

About the author

Born at Oakland, one of the Nelson family plantations, in the village of Beaverdam in Hanover County, Virginia to John Page and Elizabeth Burwell Nelson. He was a scion of the prominent Nelson and Page families, each First Families of Virginia. Although he was from once-wealthy lineage, after the American Civil War, which began when he was only 8 years old, his parents and their relatives were largely impoverished during Reconstruction and his teenage years. In 1869, He entered Washington College, known now as Washington and Lee University, in Lexington, Virginia when Robert E. Lee was president of the college. After three years, Page left Washington College before graduation for financial reasons. To earn money for the law degree he desired, Page taught the children of his cousins in Kentucky. From 1873 to 1874, he was enrolled in the law school of the University of Virginia in pursuit of a legal career. At Washington College and thereafter at UVA, Nelson was a member of the prestigious fraternity Delta Psi, AKA St. Anthony Hall.

Admitted to the Virginia Bar Association, he practiced as a lawyer in Richmond between 1876 and 1893, and began writing. He was married to Anne Seddon Bruce on July 28, 1886. She died on December 21, 1888 of a throat hemorrhage.

He remarried on June 6, 1893, to Florence Lathrop Field, a widowed sister-in-law of retailer Marshall Field. In the same year Page gave up his law practice entirely and moved with his wife to Washington, D.C..There, he kept up his writing, which amounted to eighteen volumes when they were compiled and published in 1912. Page popularized the plantation tradition genre of Southern writing, which told of an idealized version of life before the Civil War, with contented slaves working for beloved masters and their families. His 1887 collection of short stories, In Ole Virginia, is the quintessential work of that genre. Another short-story collection of his is entitled The Burial of the Guns (1894).

Under President Woodrow Wilson, Page served as U.S. ambassador to Italy for six years between 1913 and 1919. His book entitled Italy and the World War (1920) is a memoir of his service there.

He died in 1922 at Oakland in Hanover County, Virginia.

Reviews

[Susan Molloy · Rating 5 out of 5]

🖋️ This short story is Dickensian in the way that a not-so-kind man discovers redemption at Christmastime. This made for good reading during the Advent season, but it is appropriate at any time during the year. The Project Gutenberg version has the original colorful illustrations. I enjoyed reading it.

📙Published in 1899.

🟢 The e-book version can be found at Project Gutenberg .
🟣 Kindle.
●▬●🔷●🔷●▬●

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

Mr. Page owes a great deal to Charles Dickens for this "rich man finds Christmas, shares with clerk" story, but so do many others in this genre and that's not why I gave it such a low ranking. What disturbs me in this other-wise delightful holiday story is how exclusively the sign on one's goodness rests on material means. Our businessman doesn't become more loving and tolerant--he becomes better at investing his money in sick orphans rather than paintings. I'm not denying that it's a good thing to put money in on Christmas gifts for the less fortunate--in fact, I'm a big proponent of the the idea that money can do great good, right wrongs and even heal hearts. What bothers me here though is the idea that it is the exclusive means by which to do this.

[KVP · Rating 4 out of 5]

Believe

A heart warming story of a man finding his way, with the help of a little girl. The descriptive narrative at the beginning slows the storyline, yet as the story progresses Mr. Livingstone's story draws you in with charm, humility and humor.

Believe in the spirit and magic of Christmas. Enjoy.

[Jimmy Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up because it was an old book (1899) with a Christmas title - something you don't often find (in marked contrast to modern publications, with Christmas books and stories being a dime a dozen). And it offered much more than a Christmas title.

We've got almost everything you'll find in Dickens's "A Christmas Carol" here: choosing friendless job and money over family, hoarding money instead of giving to charity, and prioritizing station in life over love for fellow man. But the build up is subtle; our main character, Livingstone, is understandable - if not likable - as is his supportive clerk who receives annual bonuses, John Clark. And so many people around Livingstone care for him.

It's when Livingstone becomes so wrapped up in his work that he forgets it's Christmas Eve that we realize he's in need of redemption. And redemption he finds, but not from ghosts or spirits - from a child. It's a charming story - though quite close to Charles Dickens's' classic.

My hardcover edition was 177 pages of widely-spaced type - a quick read before bed. And a remarkable story, considering the author's prevailing views and other works. Although Thomas Nelson Page (1853-1922) wrote two similar books on Santa Claus, he primarily wrote fiction about the southern U.S. that romanticized the "Lost Cause" (of the War Between the States) and the hypothetical patriarchal plantations, while vilifying freed African Americans. His 27+ books and short stories were popular during the early 20th century.

I'm glad this book is in the public domain, so any purchase couldn't possibly go to his pocket or estate. Doesn't make this story any less sweet - but highlights how complex people are in their views.

[Mitzi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written 56 years after Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, this lovely story is actually quite similar. No ghosts, but a change of heart nonetheless. Merry Christmas!

[Jessica Fleming · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a delightful read. A short story about the Christmas spirit reaching a not so nice man.

[Janis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ive been reading a bunch of old Christmas books/stories and this one is a gem. A good redemption tale is just perfect at Christmas.

[Bud Russell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another sweet story for the holiday season, bringing to mind Dicken's A Christmas Carol

[Jimmy Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up because it was an old book (1899) with a Christmas title - something you don't often find (in marked contrast to modern day, where we're falling over thematic holiday publications). And it offered much more than a Christmas title.

We've got almost everything you'll find in Dickens's "A Christmas Carol" here: choosing friendless job and money over family, hoarding money instead of giving to charity, and prioritizing station in life over love for fellow man. But the build up is subtle; our main character, Livingstone, is understandable - if not as likable - as his supportive clerk who receives annual bonuses, John Clark. And so many people around Livingstone care for him.

It's when Livingstone becomes so wrapped up in his work that he forgets it's Christmas Eve that we realize he's in need of redemption. And redemption he finds, but not from ghosts or spirits - instead, it's from a child. It's a charming story - though quite close to Charles Dickens's' classic.

My hardcover edition was 177 pages of widely-spaced type - a quick read before bed. And a remarkable story, considering the author's prevailing views and other works. Although Thomas Nelson Page (1853-1922) wrote two similar books about Santa Claus, he primarily wrote fiction about the southern U.S. that romanticized the "Lost Cause" (of the War Between the States) and the hypothetical patriarchal plantations, while vilifying freed African Americans. His 27+ books and short stories about the Lost Cause were popular during the early 20th century.

I'm glad this book is in the public domain, so any purchase couldn't possibly go to his pocket or estate. Doesn't make this story any less sweet - but highlights how complex people are in their views.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this story. It is very much like Dicken's A Christmas Carol but is much sweeter. The wealthy old miser realizes his life is lacking the things that are most important and so decides to change his ways. He takes on the young daughter of his clerk to become Santa Claus's partner and the two of them distribute gifts to poor children who would not have gifts otherwise. His last gift that Christmas was to the little girl's family, a gift that would change their lives for the better.

[E B · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fantastic book that I found in a library while staying at a B&B. It is an original print from 1899 which included beautiful illustrations. The binding was worse for wear, but the story is as powerful as ever. A wealthy man on paper finds what real value and wealth looks like on Christmas Eve. I would read this again.

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a quick read published in 1899 and rather similar to Dicken's A Christmas Carol. It is the story of a successful man who gave up family and friends for riches. It was quaintly entertaining!

[Kimbolimbo · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is a short little story, very similar to A Christmas Carol. If you want a little Christmas story to read next year then this one might fit the bill.

[Laura Bang · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lesser imitation of Dickens's Christmas Carol.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Borrowed WAY too much from A Christmas Carol, but I had to give it 3 stars because writers had such a command of the English language in 1899.