The Lost Word: A Christmas Legend of Long Ago by Henry Van Dyke

Read now or download (free!)

Choose how to read this book Url Size
Read online (web) https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4384.html.images 81 kB
EPUB3 (E-readers incl. Send-to-Kindle) https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4384.epub3.images 109 kB
EPUB (older E-readers) https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4384.epub.images 109 kB
EPUB (no images, older E-readers) https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4384.epub.noimages 88 kB
Kindle https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4384.kf8.images 234 kB
older Kindles https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4384.kindle.images 226 kB
Plain Text UTF-8 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4384.txt.utf-8 70 kB
Download HTML (zip) https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/4384/pg4384-h.zip 107 kB
There may be more files related to this item.

About this eBook

Author Van Dyke, Henry, 1852-1933
Title The Lost Word: A Christmas Legend of Long Ago
Note Reading ease score: 81.4 (6th grade). Easy to read.
Credits Produced by Charles Aldarondo. HTML version by Al Haines.
Summary "The Lost Word: A Christmas Legend of Long Ago" by Henry Van Dyke is a Christmas tale written in the late 19th century. This narrative reflects themes of faith, sacrifice, and the quest for spiritual fulfillment, set against the backdrop of early Christianity in Antioch. The book delves into the experiences of Hermas, a young man who grapples with disillusionment after relinquishing his wealth and status to embrace a life of faith. The story follows Hermas, who feels a deep sense of loss and emptiness as he attempts to commit to his new life as a Christian, especially during the celebration of Christmas. Despite his apparent dedication and efforts, he struggles with a profound dissatisfaction stemming from his sacrifice. He meets a mysterious old man who offers him worldly pleasures in exchange for his faith, enticing him to forget the name of God. As Hermas gives in to temptation, he ultimately loses what gives his life meaning. The climax occurs when he must confront the reality of his choice when his son falls gravely ill, leading him to recover his lost faith and call upon God in desperation. This poignant tale concludes with Hermas rediscovering the power of faith and the importance of that sacred name which had profound implications for love, hope, and redemption. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
Language English
LoC Class PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature
Subject Christmas stories
Category Text
EBook-No. 4384
Release Date
Most Recently Updated Dec 27, 2020
Copyright Status Public domain in the USA.
Downloads 64 downloads in the last 30 days.
Project Gutenberg eBooks are always free!