Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1856-12-31
THE LEGEND OF SANTA CLAUS.

This popular name Of the saint who pre,ides
| over Christmas and the toy gifts of that wei
come season, is derived from Saint Nicholas.
The legend of his first appearances is an Italian
one. AccoriiAg 10 this, y shoemaker, named
| 0iraidi, who lived in Ferrara, was 90 misers.
| bly, poor that his labor from day to day barely
kept his family from starvation, and he was
| unable to give even a small dowry 20 his three
pretty daughters. Ii was not thought proper
| TO marry without dowry; and thus the your z
| girls, though each had an admirer, were COM
PEELED to remain single Their father, how
| ever, went every morning TO the shrine to pray
| to his patron saint, Saint Nichalas, that be
would work miracle to relieve him from his
| distress
One Of his nearest neighbors, q rich mer-
| chant. who CHANGED one day to hear his sim
pie petition, ridiculed the idea Of his expect
ing the saint 10 take care Of bis daughters,
and recommended him to choose n patron saint
who would be able TO do something for him.
Mine" he said, Z" is the Jew, Buonsjuto; he
| lends money at two per cent. month; and If
you know how 10 manage, you may make four
with 1t He is not so deaf as Saint Nicholas. -
The poor man was shocked at this impious
speech, and assured the merchant that his re-
hgious faith could never be shaken He went
every day TO church, Notwithstanding the 9th.
ers mockery.
1t was now Christmas day, when the tney.
chant and the Jew settled up their yearly as.
counts; Buonsjuto found he owed his friend
three hundred ducats, and wishing TO give him
an agreeable surprise, be ordered one of the
ducks he had carefully fattened to be killed
and roasted, and then with his own hands in
troduced the three hundred gold pieces into
the inside, and sewed them up. He then sent
tie duck TO the merchant as Christmas
present
The merchants wife, who shared the com.
mon preJudices against Jews, declared she
would not touch the duck, and the rich man
resolved to sell it, When Giraldi passed on
hiS way from church, his neighbor, as usual,
bsntered him on his devotion, showed him ca.
Christmas gift ms patron saint had sen, him.
aud taunted him with the stOiidity Of Saint
Nicholas, who could not even send him a piece
Of bread Finally, he offered TO cell the duck
tor dollar, and to wait for payment, as he
knew Giraldi 70 be strictly honest The shoe
maker carried the duck home, and when he
carved il for his fsmily's Christmas dinner,
and the hundred ducots fell out, bis first ex-
cls nation was" Praise 10 Saint Nicholss,
W hen he recovered from his surprise, he
would have taken the money back, but his
wife persuaded him that, as he had bought
the duck, 1t was rghtfully his own. He there.
fore divided the sum between the two suitors
for bis two eldest daughters
The merchant, after some DAYS, discovered
his loss Of the three hundred ducats, and went
10 the shoemaker to demand the money, shich
was refused. The cause came before the ms
gistrate, who was pious man, snd beard with
Indignation how cruelty the poor man had
been ridiculed about his religion. His SEN
tence was that Giraldi should keen the money.
and that the merchant and the Jew should
besides, pay fine for their usurious dealinrs
cf one hundred and fifty 6ucats, TO be giyen
as dowry for the shoemaker's yculges.
daughter
The meaning Of this legend is, that a b.n.s.
icent Providence watches over. and taks. cor.
OF the poor who are honest, religious and
truthful The tradition runs that since tba.
time Saint Nicholas pays visit, every Christ
mas night, to all whom be thinks worthy of
his taVors He is known altogether by the
Claus