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Show i The Night Before Christmas g m & yL WAS the nifjht before Christmas, when all through th bouM VS 9 .1 Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; -ti Q'i rjj The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, yAf 'j In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there j J('K The children were nestled all snug in their beds, f& Wbiie visions of t?u gar-plums danced through their beads; r. Kyx And mama In her 'kerchief, and I in my cap, 'Yu A Hsd just settled our brains for a long winter's nap y 'S ff. WIku out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, j'Jy f I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter. ii Away to the window I flew like a flash, t X.V Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash, A .fi The moon, on the breast of the new-fallen snow, lr feiVf. Cave a luster of midday to objects below; v) When what to my wondering eyes should appear, JC But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer, X:,Y With a little old driver, so lively and quick ysk I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick. More rapid than eagles his couriers they came, VQ Ia And he whistled and shouted and called them by name: -Vi Lvf "Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixenl On, Comet! on, CupU, on, Donder and Blitzent jfPC To the top of the porch, to the top of the wall! Vj jo Now, dash away, dash away, dash away all!" Qa As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, $ kf When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky, Jf) So, up to the house-top the coursers they flew, JKK W With a sleigh full of toys and St. Nicholas, too. ;V And then In a twinkling I heard on the roof The prancing and pawing of each little hoof. jy ! K, As 1 drew in my head and was turning around, y I rj Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound. Xfc 1 He was dressed all In fur from his head to his foot, f. XI X And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot; -L A bundle of toys he had flung on his back, 'jR And he looked like a pedler fust opening hU pack. . His eyes how they twinkled! his dimpli-s how merry I His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a chorryf jyj k His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, And the beard cm his chin was as white as the snow. The stump of pipe he held tight in his teeth. 7 ,V And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath. He had a broad face, and a little round belly W. That shook, when he laughed, like a bowl full of Jelly Yk He was chubby and plump a right Jolly old elf ' jfl And I laughed when I saw him. in spite of myself. XX A wink of his eye and a twist of his head Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread yrj He spoke not a word, hut went straight to his work, i'a And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk, y n.' And laying his finger aside of his nose, -L And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose. yvft . il5 He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, "f Wy And away they all flew like the d'iwn of a thistle; A But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight! V)S U' "Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-nlht 1" M j Clement C. Moore. VU j Pi ii '; scm, J"-io. y'.ia sr-itz s;n a??. Jte. S'n. J-3i j -.M y ! 7 By ELMO SCOTT WATSON i, f . I HRISTMAS would aVs ffl not e Christmas gwV- F j without Santa Claus. But who is 1jr Santa Claus and jg?fB0f- why his name? OPvJ Whatever name he VS..O is called Santa Claus, St. Nicholas, St, Nick, or Kriss Kringle he is the personification of the Christmas spirit and the symbol of childish faith. Santa Claus, originally Sinterklass, the pet name of the Dutch children for their friend and gift-bringer, Bishop St. Nicholas, came to America by way of New Amsterdam, now New York. December 6 was St. Nicholas day, and on St. Nicholas eve he was believed to make his rounds on a fiery white charger, leaving gifts for good children and a birch rod for the bad ones in the wooden shoes or long blue stockings which they put In the chimney chim-ney corner. When the Dutch customs began to merge into the English In the colonial days, the observance of St. Nicholas day gradually merged into in-to the Christmas and New Year's holidays. Soon after the Revolution Rev-olution Sinterklass begaD to change nnd to become Santa Claus, an American Amer-ican character. Instead of being a IhII, solemn person with long robes, popular tradition made him a fat, jolly jol-ly person wearing knee breeches and shoes with Dutch buckles. He also began making his rounds in a little wagon drawn by a fat pony, and bis vldts occurred on New Year's eve Instead In-stead of December 5. Washington Irving had something to do with the change in Santa Claus, for In his 'Knickerbocker's History of New York" be wrote a description of this friend of the children which made him look much like the Santa of today. However, It remained for l!ev. Clement Clarke Moore, professor of oriental literature In the General Theological seminary, to describe Santa Claus minutely and to give him eight reindeer und a sleigh for making mak-ing bis rounds on Christmas eve. In IH'SI Professor Moore wrote the now famous poem, which he called "A Visit Vis-it from St. Nicholas," but which is better known as "The Nlghl P.eforc Christinas." as a Christmas present for Ills children. A niece who Aas at the Moore borne that Christmas cor led Ihe poem Into her allium. The next year It ap eared anonymously In the Tro.v (N. Y.) Sentinel and was widely f.v m - -- - copied. Soon It became known all over the country and bad found its way Into the school readers. Professor Profes-sor Moore was the author of the llrsl Creek and Hebrew lexicon published In America and bad hoped that bis tin me would become famous because of It. As mob. be did not want II known that he had composed what he called this "slll.y verse." hut he llnally admitted Its nnl horslilp nm', presented the' autographed original ta the New York Historical society. Ill lexicon Is forgotten, as would hit-name hit-name probably have been. If be hud not wrillen Hie poem that Christina!-In Christina!-In IS'JLi which lv now looked upon at-Ihe at-Ihe "bin Inlay" of the American Santa Clans, known and beloved by nil American children. |