Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading From Captain Jones who commanded the ship to Elder Brewster who ruled and guided in spiritual affairs, all alike were of that stock and breeding which made the Englishman of the days of Bacon and Shakespeare, and in those days Christmas was knit into the heart of every one of them by a thousand threads, which no after years could untie.
affairs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From Captain Jones who commanded the ship to Elder Brewster who ruled and guided in spiritual affairs, all alike were of that stock and breeding which made the Englishman of the days of Bacon and Shakespeare, and in those days Christmas was knit into the heart of every one of them by a thousand threads, which no after years could untie.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading From Captain Jones who commanded the ship to Elder Brewster who ruled and guided in spiritual affairs, all alike were of that stock and breeding which made the Englishman of the days of Bacon and Shakespeare, and in those days Christmas was knit into the heart of every one of them by a thousand threads, which no after years could untie.
alike
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From Captain Jones who commanded the ship to Elder Brewster who ruled and guided in spiritual affairs, all alike were of that stock and breeding which made the Englishman of the days of Bacon and Shakespeare, and in those days Christmas was knit into the heart of every one of them by a thousand threads, which no after years could untie.
all
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From Captain Jones who commanded the ship to Elder Brewster who ruled and guided in spiritual affairs, all alike were of that stock and breeding which made the Englishman of the days of Bacon and Shakespeare, and in those days Christmas was knit into the heart of every one of them by a thousand threads, which no after years could untie.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Sunday morning found the little company gathered once more on the ship, with nothing to do but rest and remember their homes, temporal and spiritual--homes backward, in old England, and forward, in Heaven.
back-bone
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were, every man and woman of them, English to the back-bone.
backward
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sunday morning found the little company gathered once more on the ship, with nothing to do but rest and remember their homes, temporal and spiritual--homes backward, in old England, and forward, in Heaven.
Bacon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From Captain Jones who commanded the ship to Elder Brewster who ruled and guided in spiritual affairs, all alike were of that stock and breeding which made the Englishman of the days of Bacon and Shakespeare, and in those days Christmas was knit into the heart of every one of them by a thousand threads, which no after years could untie.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Christmas carols had been sung to them by nurses and mothers and grandmothers; the Christmas holly spoke to them from every berry and prickly leaf, full of dearest household memories.
berry
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Christmas carols had been sung to them by nurses and mothers and grandmothers; the Christmas holly spoke to them from every berry and prickly leaf, full of dearest household memories.
breeding
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From Captain Jones who commanded the ship to Elder Brewster who ruled and guided in spiritual affairs, all alike were of that stock and breeding which made the Englishman of the days of Bacon and Shakespeare, and in those days Christmas was knit into the heart of every one of them by a thousand threads, which no after years could untie.
Brewster
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From Captain Jones who commanded the ship to Elder Brewster who ruled and guided in spiritual affairs, all alike were of that stock and breeding which made the Englishman of the days of Bacon and Shakespeare, and in those days Christmas was knit into the heart of every one of them by a thousand threads, which no after years could untie.
BREWSTER'S
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ELDER BREWSTER'S CHRISTMAS SERMON.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Sunday morning found the little company gathered once more on the ship, with nothing to do but rest and remember their homes, temporal and spiritual--homes backward, in old England, and forward, in Heaven.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading From Captain Jones who commanded the ship to Elder Brewster who ruled and guided in spiritual affairs, all alike were of that stock and breeding which made the Englishman of the days of Bacon and Shakespeare, and in those days Christmas was knit into the heart of every one of them by a thousand threads, which no after years could untie.
CaptainnounUS /ˈcaptain/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading From Captain Jones who commanded the ship to Elder Brewster who ruled and guided in spiritual affairs, all alike were of that stock and breeding which made the Englishman of the days of Bacon and Shakespeare, and in those days Christmas was knit into the heart of every one of them by a thousand threads, which no after years could untie.
carols
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Christmas carols had been sung to them by nurses and mothers and grandmothers; the Christmas holly spoke to them from every berry and prickly leaf, full of dearest household memories.
CHRISTMAS
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ELDER BREWSTER'S CHRISTMAS SERMON.
commanded
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From Captain Jones who commanded the ship to Elder Brewster who ruled and guided in spiritual affairs, all alike were of that stock and breeding which made the Englishman of the days of Bacon and Shakespeare, and in those days Christmas was knit into the heart of every one of them by a thousand threads, which no after years could untie.
company
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sunday morning found the little company gathered once more on the ship, with nothing to do but rest and remember their homes, temporal and spiritual--homes backward, in old England, and forward, in Heaven.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading From Captain Jones who commanded the ship to Elder Brewster who ruled and guided in spiritual affairs, all alike were of that stock and breeding which made the Englishman of the days of Bacon and Shakespeare, and in those days Christmas was knit into the heart of every one of them by a thousand threads, which no after years could untie.
days
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From Captain Jones who commanded the ship to Elder Brewster who ruled and guided in spiritual affairs, all alike were of that stock and breeding which made the Englishman of the days of Bacon and Shakespeare, and in those days Christmas was knit into the heart of every one of them by a thousand threads, which no after years could untie.
dearest
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Christmas carols had been sung to them by nurses and mothers and grandmothers; the Christmas holly spoke to them from every berry and prickly leaf, full of dearest household memories.
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Sunday morning found the little company gathered once more on the ship, with nothing to do but rest and remember their homes, temporal and spiritual--homes backward, in old England, and forward, in Heaven.
ELDER
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ELDER BREWSTER'S CHRISTMAS SERMON.
England
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sunday morning found the little company gathered once more on the ship, with nothing to do but rest and remember their homes, temporal and spiritual--homes backward, in old England, and forward, in Heaven.
English
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were, every man and woman of them, English to the back-bone.
Englishman
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From Captain Jones who commanded the ship to Elder Brewster who ruled and guided in spiritual affairs, all alike were of that stock and breeding which made the Englishman of the days of Bacon and Shakespeare, and in those days Christmas was knit into the heart of every one of them by a thousand threads, which no after years could untie.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading They were, every man and woman of them, English to the back-bone.
forwardnounUS /forward/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Sunday morning found the little company gathered once more on the ship, with nothing to do but rest and remember their homes, temporal and spiritual--homes backward, in old England, and forward, in Heaven.
foundnounUS /found/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Sunday morning found the little company gathered once more on the ship, with nothing to do but rest and remember their homes, temporal and spiritual--homes backward, in old England, and forward, in Heaven.
FromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading From Captain Jones who commanded the ship to Elder Brewster who ruled and guided in spiritual affairs, all alike were of that stock and breeding which made the Englishman of the days of Bacon and Shakespeare, and in those days Christmas was knit into the heart of every one of them by a thousand threads, which no after years could untie.
full
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Christmas carols had been sung to them by nurses and mothers and grandmothers; the Christmas holly spoke to them from every berry and prickly leaf, full of dearest household memories.
gathered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sunday morning found the little company gathered once more on the ship, with nothing to do but rest and remember their homes, temporal and spiritual--homes backward, in old England, and forward, in Heaven.
grandmothers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Christmas carols had been sung to them by nurses and mothers and grandmothers; the Christmas holly spoke to them from every berry and prickly leaf, full of dearest household memories.
guided
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From Captain Jones who commanded the ship to Elder Brewster who ruled and guided in spiritual affairs, all alike were of that stock and breeding which made the Englishman of the days of Bacon and Shakespeare, and in those days Christmas was knit into the heart of every one of them by a thousand threads, which no after years could untie.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Christmas carols had been sung to them by nurses and mothers and grandmothers; the Christmas holly spoke to them from every berry and prickly leaf, full of dearest household memories.
heart
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From Captain Jones who commanded the ship to Elder Brewster who ruled and guided in spiritual affairs, all alike were of that stock and breeding which made the Englishman of the days of Bacon and Shakespeare, and in those days Christmas was knit into the heart of every one of them by a thousand threads, which no after years could untie.
Heaven
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sunday morning found the little company gathered once more on the ship, with nothing to do but rest and remember their homes, temporal and spiritual--homes backward, in old England, and forward, in Heaven.
holly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Christmas carols had been sung to them by nurses and mothers and grandmothers; the Christmas holly spoke to them from every berry and prickly leaf, full of dearest household memories.
homes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sunday morning found the little company gathered once more on the ship, with nothing to do but rest and remember their homes, temporal and spiritual--homes backward, in old England, and forward, in Heaven.
household
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Christmas carols had been sung to them by nurses and mothers and grandmothers; the Christmas holly spoke to them from every berry and prickly leaf, full of dearest household memories.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Sunday morning found the little company gathered once more on the ship, with nothing to do but rest and remember their homes, temporal and spiritual--homes backward, in old England, and forward, in Heaven.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading From Captain Jones who commanded the ship to Elder Brewster who ruled and guided in spiritual affairs, all alike were of that stock and breeding which made the Englishman of the days of Bacon and Shakespeare, and in those days Christmas was knit into the heart of every one of them by a thousand threads, which no after years could untie.
Jones
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From Captain Jones who commanded the ship to Elder Brewster who ruled and guided in spiritual affairs, all alike were of that stock and breeding which made the Englishman of the days of Bacon and Shakespeare, and in those days Christmas was knit into the heart of every one of them by a thousand threads, which no after years could untie.
knit
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From Captain Jones who commanded the ship to Elder Brewster who ruled and guided in spiritual affairs, all alike were of that stock and breeding which made the Englishman of the days of Bacon and Shakespeare, and in those days Christmas was knit into the heart of every one of them by a thousand threads, which no after years could untie.
leaf
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Christmas carols had been sung to them by nurses and mothers and grandmothers; the Christmas holly spoke to them from every berry and prickly leaf, full of dearest household memories.
littlenounUS /little/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Sunday morning found the little company gathered once more on the ship, with nothing to do but rest and remember their homes, temporal and spiritual--homes backward, in old England, and forward, in Heaven.
made
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From Captain Jones who commanded the ship to Elder Brewster who ruled and guided in spiritual affairs, all alike were of that stock and breeding which made the Englishman of the days of Bacon and Shakespeare, and in those days Christmas was knit into the heart of every one of them by a thousand threads, which no after years could untie.
man
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were, every man and woman of them, English to the back-bone.
memoriesnounUS /ˈmɛm.ə.riz/
Recollections of past events.
From this reading Christmas carols had been sung to them by nurses and mothers and grandmothers; the Christmas holly spoke to them from every berry and prickly leaf, full of dearest household memories.
more
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sunday morning found the little company gathered once more on the ship, with nothing to do but rest and remember their homes, temporal and spiritual--homes backward, in old England, and forward, in Heaven.
morningnounUS /morning/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Sunday morning found the little company gathered once more on the ship, with nothing to do but rest and remember their homes, temporal and spiritual--homes backward, in old England, and forward, in Heaven.
mothers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Christmas carols had been sung to them by nurses and mothers and grandmothers; the Christmas holly spoke to them from every berry and prickly leaf, full of dearest household memories.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading From Captain Jones who commanded the ship to Elder Brewster who ruled and guided in spiritual affairs, all alike were of that stock and breeding which made the Englishman of the days of Bacon and Shakespeare, and in those days Christmas was knit into the heart of every one of them by a thousand threads, which no after years could untie.
nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Sunday morning found the little company gathered once more on the ship, with nothing to do but rest and remember their homes, temporal and spiritual--homes backward, in old England, and forward, in Heaven.
nurses
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Christmas carols had been sung to them by nurses and mothers and grandmothers; the Christmas holly spoke to them from every berry and prickly leaf, full of dearest household memories.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading They were, every man and woman of them, English to the back-bone.
old
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sunday morning found the little company gathered once more on the ship, with nothing to do but rest and remember their homes, temporal and spiritual--homes backward, in old England, and forward, in Heaven.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Sunday morning found the little company gathered once more on the ship, with nothing to do but rest and remember their homes, temporal and spiritual--homes backward, in old England, and forward, in Heaven.
once
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sunday morning found the little company gathered once more on the ship, with nothing to do but rest and remember their homes, temporal and spiritual--homes backward, in old England, and forward, in Heaven.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading From Captain Jones who commanded the ship to Elder Brewster who ruled and guided in spiritual affairs, all alike were of that stock and breeding which made the Englishman of the days of Bacon and Shakespeare, and in those days Christmas was knit into the heart of every one of them by a thousand threads, which no after years could untie.
prickly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Christmas carols had been sung to them by nurses and mothers and grandmothers; the Christmas holly spoke to them from every berry and prickly leaf, full of dearest household memories.
rememberverbUS /rɪˈmɛm.bər/
To recall to mind.
From this reading Sunday morning found the little company gathered once more on the ship, with nothing to do but rest and remember their homes, temporal and spiritual--homes backward, in old England, and forward, in Heaven.
restnounUS /rest/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Sunday morning found the little company gathered once more on the ship, with nothing to do but rest and remember their homes, temporal and spiritual--homes backward, in old England, and forward, in Heaven.
ruled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From Captain Jones who commanded the ship to Elder Brewster who ruled and guided in spiritual affairs, all alike were of that stock and breeding which made the Englishman of the days of Bacon and Shakespeare, and in those days Christmas was knit into the heart of every one of them by a thousand threads, which no after years could untie.
SERMON
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ELDER BREWSTER'S CHRISTMAS SERMON.
Shakespeare
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From Captain Jones who commanded the ship to Elder Brewster who ruled and guided in spiritual affairs, all alike were of that stock and breeding which made the Englishman of the days of Bacon and Shakespeare, and in those days Christmas was knit into the heart of every one of them by a thousand threads, which no after years could untie.
shipnounUS /ship/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Sunday morning found the little company gathered once more on the ship, with nothing to do but rest and remember their homes, temporal and spiritual--homes backward, in old England, and forward, in Heaven.
spiritual
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sunday morning found the little company gathered once more on the ship, with nothing to do but rest and remember their homes, temporal and spiritual--homes backward, in old England, and forward, in Heaven.
spoke
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Christmas carols had been sung to them by nurses and mothers and grandmothers; the Christmas holly spoke to them from every berry and prickly leaf, full of dearest household memories.
stock
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From Captain Jones who commanded the ship to Elder Brewster who ruled and guided in spiritual affairs, all alike were of that stock and breeding which made the Englishman of the days of Bacon and Shakespeare, and in those days Christmas was knit into the heart of every one of them by a thousand threads, which no after years could untie.
Sunday
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sunday morning found the little company gathered once more on the ship, with nothing to do but rest and remember their homes, temporal and spiritual--homes backward, in old England, and forward, in Heaven.
sung
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Christmas carols had been sung to them by nurses and mothers and grandmothers; the Christmas holly spoke to them from every berry and prickly leaf, full of dearest household memories.
temporal
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sunday morning found the little company gathered once more on the ship, with nothing to do but rest and remember their homes, temporal and spiritual--homes backward, in old England, and forward, in Heaven.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading From Captain Jones who commanded the ship to Elder Brewster who ruled and guided in spiritual affairs, all alike were of that stock and breeding which made the Englishman of the days of Bacon and Shakespeare, and in those days Christmas was knit into the heart of every one of them by a thousand threads, which no after years could untie.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Sunday morning found the little company gathered once more on the ship, with nothing to do but rest and remember their homes, temporal and spiritual--homes backward, in old England, and forward, in Heaven.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Sunday morning found the little company gathered once more on the ship, with nothing to do but rest and remember their homes, temporal and spiritual--homes backward, in old England, and forward, in Heaven.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading They were, every man and woman of them, English to the back-bone.
TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They were, every man and woman of them, English to the back-bone.
thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading From Captain Jones who commanded the ship to Elder Brewster who ruled and guided in spiritual affairs, all alike were of that stock and breeding which made the Englishman of the days of Bacon and Shakespeare, and in those days Christmas was knit into the heart of every one of them by a thousand threads, which no after years could untie.
thousand
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From Captain Jones who commanded the ship to Elder Brewster who ruled and guided in spiritual affairs, all alike were of that stock and breeding which made the Englishman of the days of Bacon and Shakespeare, and in those days Christmas was knit into the heart of every one of them by a thousand threads, which no after years could untie.
threads
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From Captain Jones who commanded the ship to Elder Brewster who ruled and guided in spiritual affairs, all alike were of that stock and breeding which made the Englishman of the days of Bacon and Shakespeare, and in those days Christmas was knit into the heart of every one of them by a thousand threads, which no after years could untie.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Sunday morning found the little company gathered once more on the ship, with nothing to do but rest and remember their homes, temporal and spiritual--homes backward, in old England, and forward, in Heaven.
untie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From Captain Jones who commanded the ship to Elder Brewster who ruled and guided in spiritual affairs, all alike were of that stock and breeding which made the Englishman of the days of Bacon and Shakespeare, and in those days Christmas was knit into the heart of every one of them by a thousand threads, which no after years could untie.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading From Captain Jones who commanded the ship to Elder Brewster who ruled and guided in spiritual affairs, all alike were of that stock and breeding which made the Englishman of the days of Bacon and Shakespeare, and in those days Christmas was knit into the heart of every one of them by a thousand threads, which no after years could untie.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were, every man and woman of them, English to the back-bone.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading From Captain Jones who commanded the ship to Elder Brewster who ruled and guided in spiritual affairs, all alike were of that stock and breeding which made the Englishman of the days of Bacon and Shakespeare, and in those days Christmas was knit into the heart of every one of them by a thousand threads, which no after years could untie.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading From Captain Jones who commanded the ship to Elder Brewster who ruled and guided in spiritual affairs, all alike were of that stock and breeding which made the Englishman of the days of Bacon and Shakespeare, and in those days Christmas was knit into the heart of every one of them by a thousand threads, which no after years could untie.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading Sunday morning found the little company gathered once more on the ship, with nothing to do but rest and remember their homes, temporal and spiritual--homes backward, in old England, and forward, in Heaven.
woman
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were, every man and woman of them, English to the back-bone.
years
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From Captain Jones who commanded the ship to Elder Brewster who ruled and guided in spiritual affairs, all alike were of that stock and breeding which made the Englishman of the days of Bacon and Shakespeare, and in those days Christmas was knit into the heart of every one of them by a thousand threads, which no after years could untie.