OCR Text |
Show Yes, Virginia, There Is A Santa Clous. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exists and you know mat they, abound and give to your lite its highest beauty and joy. Alas how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Qaus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no child-like faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which criildnood fills the world would be extinguished... No Santa Qaus? Thank God, he lives and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the hearts of childhood. Frank Church ' The Night Before Christmas Cement Clarke Moore 'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house ISbt a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there; The children Vvere nestled all snug in their beds, Vvhile visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads; And Mamma in her kerchief and I in my cap, Had just settled our brains for a long winters nap, when out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter. Away to me window I flew like a flash. Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash. The moon, on the breast of the new-fallen snow, Gave a luster of mid-day to objects below. When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer. With a little old driver, so lively and quick, I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick. More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, And he whistled, ana shouted, and called them by name: "Now, Dasher! noWj Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! on, Qjpid! on, Donder and Hitzen! To the top of the porch, to the top of the wall! Now, dash away, dash away, dash away, all!" As dry lealves that before the wild hurricane fly, Vvhen they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky, So. up to the house-top the coursers they flew, With a sleigh full of toys--and St. Nicholas, too. And then in a twinkling I heard on the roof The prancing and pawing of each little hoof. As I drew in my head, and was turning around, Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound. He was dressed all in fur from his head to his foot, And his clothes were all tarnished with asfe and so Hs droll little ; mouth was drawn up like a bow, And the beard on. his chin was as white as the snow. The stump of a pipe he held u ght in his teeth, And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath; A bundle of toys he had flung on his back, And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack. His eves how they twinkled! his dimples how merry! His cheeks were like roses, his noselike a cherry; He had a broad face and a little round belly That shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly. He was chubby and plump--a right jolly old elf; And. I laughea whenT saw him, in spite of myself. A wink ofhis eye. and a twist of his head, Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread, spokenot a word, but went straight to his work, And tilled all. the stockings; then turned with a jerk And laying his finger aside of his nose, And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose. He sprang to his sleigji to his team gave a whistle, Andraway they all flew like the down of a thisde |