Washington Irving

I found this quote on c jane today and I love it.

"There is in every true woman's heart, a spark of heavenly fire, which lies dormant in the broad daylight of prosperity, but which kindles up and beams and blazes in the dark hour of adversity." -Washington Irving

I absolutely LOVE Washington Irving. One of my favorite quotes by him is one that both my mom and I keep out in a frame at Christmas time...

"It was the policy of the good old gentleman to make his children feel that home was the happiest place in the world: and I value this delicious home-feeling as one of the choicest gifts a parent can bestow." -Washington Irving

Here are a couple of FASCINATING facts about Washington Irving:

- Irving popularized the nickname "Gotham" for New York City, later used in Batman comics and movies, and is credited with inventing the expression "the almighty dollar".

- One of Irving's most lasting contributions to American culture is in the way Americans perceive and celebrate Christmas. In his 1812 revisions to A History of New York, Irving inserted a dream sequence featuring St. Nicholas soaring over treetops in a flying wagon—a creation others would later dress up as Santa Claus. Later, in his five Christmas stories in The Sketch Book, Irving portrayed an idealized celebration of old-fashioned Christmas customs at a quaint English manor, which directly contributed to the revival and reinterpretation of the Christmas holiday in the United States. Charles Dickens later credited Irving as a strong influence on his own Christmas writings, including the classic A Christmas Carol.

Click HERE to read a bit more about him and click HERE for more thoughtful Washington Irving quotes and click HERE to see information on visiting his neat house. Which, by the way, is one of the places on my 'Would LOVE To Visit' list!