Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1857-01-23
The Legend of Santa Claus.


This popular name Of the saint who
presides over Christmas and the toy gifts
of that welcome season, is derived from
St. Nicholas. The legend of his first ap-
pearance is an Italian one. According to
this shoemaker named Giraldi, who
lived in Ferrara, was so miserably poor
that his labor from day to day barely
kept his family from starvation. and he
was unable to give small dowry to his
three pretty daughters. 1t was not
thought proper 10 marry without dowry,
and thus the young girls, though each had
an admirer. were compelled to remain
single. Their father, however, went eve.
ry morning to the shrine to pray to his
patron saint. ST. Nicholas, that he would
work miracle to relieve him from his
distress.
One Of his nearest neighbors, rich
merchant, who chanced one day to over
hear his simple petition, ridiculed the
idea Of his expecting the saint to take
care Of his daug hters. and recommended
him to choose patron saint who would
be able to do something for him. mine"
he said, I" is the Jew Buonajuto he lends
money at TWO per cent. q month !; and if
you know how to manage, you may make
four with it. He is not so deaf as Saint
Nicholas"
The poor man was shocked at his i'm
pious speech. and assured the merchant
that his religious faith could never be
shaxen. He went every day to church.
notwithstanding the others mockery.
1t was now Christmas day, when the
merchant and the Jew settled up their
yearly accounts Buonaiuto found he
owed his friend three hundred ducats, and
wishing to give him an greeable SUR
prise, he ordered one OF tho ducks he
had carefully fattened 10 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 the duck 70 the merchant as a
Christmas present.
The merchants wife, who shared the
common prejudices against Jews. declar-
ed she would not touch the duck, and
the rlch man resolved to sell it. When
Gira!di passed on his way from church,
his neighbor. as usual. bantered him on
his devotion, showed him the Christmas
gift his patron Saint had sent him, and
taunted him with the stolidity Of Saint
Nicholas, who could not even send him a
piece of bread. Finally, he offered to
sell the duck for dollar, and to wait for
payment. as he knew Giraldi to be strict
ly honest. The shoemaker carried the
duck home. and when he carved it for
his tamily's Christmas dinner, and the
hundred ducats fell out, his Grst exclama-
ton was" Praise to Saint Nicholas
When he recovered from his surprise,
he would have taken the money back,
but his wife persuaded him that. as he
had bought the duck, it was rightfully
bis own. He therefore divided the sum
between the two suitors for his two eldest
daughters.
The merchant, after some days, dis
covered the loss of the three hundred du-
cas-. and went to the shoemaker to de-
mand the money. which was refused.
The cause came before the magistrate,
who was pious man. and heard with in-
dlgnHtion how cruelty the poor man had
been ridiculed about his religion. His
sentence was that Giraldi should keep
the money, and that the merchant and the
Jow should. besides, pay 6ne for their
usurious dealings, of one hundred and
hIty ducats, to be given as dowry for
the shoemaker's youngest daughter.
The meaning of this legend is, that a
bene6cent Providence watches over and
takes care of the poor who are honest,
religious and truthful. The tradition runs
that since that time S.. Nicholas pays a
visit every Christmas night 10 all whom
he thinks worthy Of his favors. He is
known altogether by the name-Santa
Claus.-N y Erpress.
F1DEL1rY.-Never forsake friend
When enemies gather around-when sick