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Show iuiiinmuiunmuimnminimimuiM I St. Nicholas, the I I Holy Man of ihe H Fourth Century aiiuiiiminmimumuuiiuummmufri fN TII13 entire category of tho mints none continues to enjoy a more extended popularity than St. Nicholas, archbishop of Myrn.- At Oils time, when preparations aro being made for the celebration of tho birthday of the Clirlst-chlld, it is particularly par-ticularly fitting thnt we recall something some-thing of the character of this holy man of the Fourth century and ro-member ro-member some of the legends which bring Mm so close to us at Christmas time. Strat-po to say, while St. Nicholas Is regarded as the special guardian of chlldi en, virgins and sailors, ho camo to be regarded as tho patron saint of robbers, from nn alleged ndventuro with thieves, whom he compelled to restore sonic stolen goods to their proper owners. In various parts of the old world It Is customary for the elder members of tbe family to place little presents In tbe shoes as well as the stockings of the joungcr relatives on tho eve of St. Nicholas' day. In convents tho young w omen used to place silk stock-Ings stock-Ings nt the door of the apartment of tho abbess, with n paper recommend. Ing them to "Great St. Nicholas of her chamber." Wlille tho emblem of tho thrco goId?n balls Is derived from tho Lombard Lom-bard merchants, yet St. Nicholas Nicho-las is frequently plctorially represented as bearing three golden bnlls or purses, the origin of which can bo truced to nn act of the saint which has como down to us In the form of on ecclesiastical ecclesi-astical notntlon. |