American essayist, editor, and critic Hamilton Wright Mabie (1846-1916) was born in Cold Spring, New York, on December 13, 1846. Known for his contributions to journalism, children's literature, and literature, he rose to prominence as a literary force in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Mabie started out in journalism, employed by the New York Evening Post. Afterwards, he became an associate editor on the editorial board of the weekly journal Christian Union. As an editor, he had the ability to shape American readers' tastes in literature. In addition to his work as an editor and critic, Mabie promoted children's literature. He edited and put together a number of anthologies with the goal of introducing young readers to classic tales and folktales from throughout the globe, such as "Myths That Every Child Should Know" (1905) and "Folk Tales Every Child Should Know" (1905). He was a literary critic, essayist, and supporter of the usefulness of literature in forming young people's imaginations and cultural values.