[Shady]

I leafed through it last night, it will be a blast to read th the Jids! I want to see if we can get our LED Projector so the kids can watch as I read! Thank you again, it is terrific!

[mairdie]

A Non-Statistical Smoking Gun?

Before I settled down with Mac Jackson to gather data for statistical analysis of the poem, I worked with Don Foster. It was Don who recognized that the version of the poem that Moore published in 1844 was NOT based on the originally published 1823 version that you'll find in my book, but the 1830 version, MUCH CHANGED BY THE EDITOR, that the editor sent to Moore when Moore wrote asking if the editor had known who wrote the poem. Only when the man said no did Moore publish the poem under his own name. Don called that "the coast is clear" letter.

These are the differences between the original version, which you'll find in my book, and the 1830 version, which the Troy Sentinel editor created, and which Moore took almost intact.

A descendant of Moore's defended Moore against Henry's authorship in 1920 by getting a deposition from someone who heard Moore say that he wrote the poem down perfectly (explaining why no original existed) and it needed only 2 small changes when he published it in his book. And, indeed, on the editor's 1830 copy are two crossouts. Except Moore never realized the number of differences between the two versions since he probably had never kept the original one that was published in 1823 and came out of the Livingston household.

So in trying to prove Moore's claim, his descendant just opened up a large hole. Unless you believe that a nitpicking author just grabs up every correction made by one random editor, as opposed to all the changes made by all the other random editors editing it at the same time.

Troy 1830		Troy 1823
1	'Twas the night before Christmas, when all thro' the house	'Twas the night before Christmas, when all thro' the house,
2	Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;	Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
3	The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,	The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
4	In hopes that ST. NICHOLAS soon would be there;	In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
5	The children were nestled all snug in their beds,	The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
6	While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;	While visions of sugar plums danc'd in their heads,
7	And Mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,	And Mama in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
8	Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap;	Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap-
9	When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,	When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
10	I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.	I sprung from the bed to see what was the matter.
11	Away to the window I flew like a flash,	Away to the window I flew like a flash,
12	Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash,	Tore open the shutters, and threw up the sash.
13	The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,	The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow,
14	Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,	Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below;
15	When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,	When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
16	But a minature sleigh, and eight tiny rein-deer,	But a minature sleigh, and eight tiny rein-deer,
17	With a little old driver, so lively and quick,	With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
18	I knew in a moment it must be ST. NICK.	I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
19	More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,	More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
20	And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;	And he whistled, and shouted, and call'd them by name:
21	"Now, Dasher!   now, Dancer!     now, Prancer and Vixen!	"Now!   Dasher, now!   Dancer, now!     Prancer, and Vixen,
22	On, Comet!   on, Cupid!     on, Dunder and Blixem!	"On!   Comet, on!   Cupid, on!     Dunder and Blixem;
23	To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!	"To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
24	Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"	"Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
25	As dry leaves before the wild hurricane fly,	As dry leaves before the wild hurricane fly,
26	When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;	When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
27	So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,	So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
28	With the SLEIGH full of TOYS - and ST. NICHOLAS too.	With the sleigh full of Toys - and St. Nicholas too:
29	And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof,	And then in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
30	The prancing and pawing of each little hoof-	The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
31	As I drew in my head, and was turning around,	As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
32	Down the chimney ST. NICHOLAS came with a bound.	Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound:
33	He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,	He was dress'd all in fur, from his head to his foot,
34	And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;	And his clothes were all tarnish'd with ashes and soot;
35	A bundle of Toys was flung on his back,	A bundle of toys was flung on his back,
36	And he look'd liked a pedlar just opening his pack;	And he look'd like a peddler just opening his pack:
37	His eyes - how they twinkled! his dimples, how merry!	His eyes - how they twinkled! his dimples how merry,
38	His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!	His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry;
39	His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,	His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
40	And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;	And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
41	The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,	The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
42	And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;	And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
43	He had a broad face and a little round belly,	He had a broad face, and a little round belly
44	That shook when he laughed, like a bowlfull of jelly.	That shook when he laugh'd, like a bowl full of jelly:
45	He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,	He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
46	And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself.	And I laugh'd when I saw him, in spite of myself;
47	A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,	A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
48	Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;	Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
49	He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,	He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
50	And fill'd all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,	And fill'd all the stockings; then turn'd with a jirk,
51	And laying his finger aside of his nose,	And laying his finger aside of his nose
52	And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;	And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose.
53	He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,	He sprung to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
54	And away they all flew, like the down of a thistle;	And away they all flew like the down of a thistle:
55	But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,	But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight -
56	"Happy Christmas to all,     and to all a good night."	Happy Christmas to all,     and to all a good night.
.
Troy 1830		Troy 1823

[mairdie]

Massive your welcomes! You can praise them for knowing better how to spell “jerk” than the way Henry spelled it - “jirk”. Another thing they love hearing is that the names of the reindeer were the names of the horses in Henry’s stable. I love doing asides while I read and asking questions.