Project Gutenberg 2007-03-31 Public domain in the USA. 191 Crothers, Samuel McChord 1857 1927 By the Christmas Fire The bayonet-poker -- On being a doctrinaire -- Christmas and the literature of disillusion -- The ignominy of being grown-up -- Christmas and the spirit of democracy. E-text prepared by Thierry Alberto, Martin Pettit, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team "By the Christmas Fire" by Samuel McChord Crothers is a collection of reflective essays written in the early 20th century. The work examines the themes of Christmas, peace, human nature, and moral progress through a philosophical lens, engaging the reader with both personal anecdotes and broader cultural criticism. The opening essay introduces the concept of a "bayonet-poker" as a symbol of transformation and peace in a world riddled with conflict and challenges to goodwill among humanity. At the start of the book, the author describes his Christmas fire, accompanied by a unique bayonet-poker that once served a destructive purpose but has been repurposed for domestic warmth. This metaphor of transformation sets the stage for a deeper exploration of the Christmas spirit, questioning the often contradictory nature of human existence and the difficulty in reconciling our ideals of peace with the harsh realities of the world. Through a series of contemplative narratives, Crothers addresses the complexities of moral ideals, the nature of humanity's struggles, and our capacity for change, inviting readers to reflect on their own role in fostering kindness amidst life's inherent conflicts. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Reading ease score: 70.4 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. en Essays PS Text Christmas Category: Essays, Letters & Speeches 194788 2025-08-09T04:09:35.507805 text/html 197404 2007-03-31T15:13:44 text/html 388318 2025-08-09T04:09:42.889725 application/epub+zip 389831 2025-08-09T04:09:38.906786 application/epub+zip 130598 2025-08-09T04:09:37.082775 application/epub+zip 534931 2025-08-09T04:09:45.294721 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 518149 2025-08-09T04:09:41.504743 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 222651 2022-09-10T05:03:07.053544 application/x-mobipocket-ebook 171123 2025-08-09T04:09:35.057795 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 170856 2021-01-01T22:42:29 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 170869 2021-01-01T22:42:29 text/plain; charset=us-ascii 58241 2003-12-29T13:14:00 application/octet-stream 10130 2003-12-29T13:14:00 application/octet-stream 9632 2003-12-29T13:14:00 application/octet-stream 30875 2003-12-29T13:14:00 application/octet-stream 8839 2003-12-29T13:14:00 application/octet-stream 63714 2003-12-29T13:14:00 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