Show XMAS STOCKING long ago in the city ot of padua in italy there lived a good man whose life was spent in doing good tar for the poor though he wished for his kindnesses no thanks and did not even want to be recognized on the errands of 0 service to hide his coming and going he usually set about on hla his errands of mercy under the cover ot of dark and set aside tor for his good that holy night of the year christmas eye eve under the dark aldes he would go from house houe to house where the really needy and deserving poor were known to dwell and then when no one was looking he would throw into the tha window a money bag these money bags were purses made ol of yarn and fastened at both ends their shape being not unlike a stocking without a fooklip naturally these gifts from a an n unknown hand were called the blessing ot of a saint and a saint indeed became the kind ot of man in the eyes of his poor beneficiaries in time however the people began to look tor for gifts on an christmas eye eve and would hang the purses out of 0 the window so the good saint could fill them as he be made hla his rounds this was the origin of mhd th christmas stocking and Is the background for the reason that you hang up your stocking on christmas eye eve after a while money grew scarce and toys were left instead for the children and some useful present tor for the older folks every country has its good saint in holland he Is santa claus in italy he Is saint nicholas in switzerland he Is Sa Saml klaus in germany he be Is kris kringle in Heli goland ha be Is sonner klas and in france he Is noel but no matter what his bis name he is the spirit of goodness and love for only to truly loving hearts can the spirit of the saint come and only to tho the good are his blessings truly known know |