The New York herald., 1864-12-24

NE
styl, and ths ossi Ore ssarkSsd end oraskis'
70 welcome him. "Blsss youi he Dried. sdvanoin
towards q sudden, "R you oaar rsmsnber me III
introduce myself Ny 10 Santa Claus Kriss KriDg'
or st. Nicholas How do you dor" And wiih this h'
held out his hand.
rs MocxsrH At oUR ANAzExsNr.
The reader car imagine better that NO can describe
the astonsbmen OF sane and practical man ct having
such an announcement made TO him In practical q
place a. oaiy newspaper ONCE, and In this most pract
cal and ukeptca year Of Our Lord Certainly this
dream The HERALD establishment not favorable To-
cality for Even the sleepy oncs boy bad felt
OF thIs axiom for noticed that no had taken
his cap and his departure In shamefaoed way after
ushering in tho stranger Santa Claus. forsoothi
visitor had declared himself 10 be Hendrix Hudson,
tired Of playing niaepius and waiting for another
Rip Van Winkls among tho Kaatskis, and on .
visit 70 New York TO the sights Of the town, we
might, perhaps, have believed him. But for Santa
Caus-iml ossiblel Evidently thls vas some mad old
gentleman who had escaped bis keepers and out
masquerade. Stl, while arguing thus the cas-.
lights kept winkng like mad the flames os the coal
nre eaped up and down In frantic SPORT and myste
visitor stood holding out his nttle fat, dmp,sd
hand. We took It. Ths best way 70 deal with insane
parsons b 70 humsr them, esd - we took the offered
hand and shook hsassly. Bat despite this concession
aos must have expressed Of faith and
bswLdsrmsnt; for the stranger immensely amused
and made the ring with tho most rocking laugh
ter. "Ho hoi crsd the little man. sshs Asux believe
mel He Won't beiieve that en- myself This u TOO
goodp And with this our mysterious visitor threw
himself upon chair. the arms OF which appeared 70
embrace him most ansctonatey. "Hal hap hs cried
again, jumping up from bis scat and stamping msrriy
about tho room, 81 have known him since he was 80
Highland he thinks me lunatio 70 We seized tho op-
porunty 70 observe that he had expressed opinion
perfectly but At this he laughed louder than ever
"Ho Ho" the little man shouted, holding his sidos
with gse while the tears rolled down bis jolly face,
sIhis is too much too much. Put away those papers.
close your DESK draw your chair to the fire. and I'll con-
vince you Of my identity Il you be Q reasonable man.
and think you are" Flattered by tho compliment
mindful the mode to madmon, and seeing
other course TO pursue, We obeyed.
HE DIsPELLYTH POPULAR ERR0R 8.
Tho room felt unusually cosy and cheerful % we were
seated BY mysterious visitor In front Of the grate
and e which had been Inclined 70 die out before
his arrival, now blazed up brilliantly, as II stirred
by Invisible poker. ''Sir," said the little man,
al know that It Is against the rules OF tho establish
drew old, LARGE mecrschaum pipe from his pocket
filled from old fashioned pouch and (perhaps acc
dentslly) coal OF re few from the CRATE and set the
tobacco aglow. 'sNow," said the stranger, ''we
quito comfortable and may begin" And he did begin
by blowing out immense cloud OF fragrant smoke.
Ses sir" be continued the influence Of popular super
stilions. They infect practical man a. your
SELF" Mutual bows.) "If had come down this nre.
place you would have believed 70 b either Santa Claus
your ch,dreus stockings N the dead Of night you would
have thought either Kriss Krings or . burglar II
you had seen mo riding over the chinnsy tops In my
Sleigh by Prancer and Dancer and The resi- q my
reindeer, would have imagined me 70 bs either g.
Nicholas or . passing cloud But because ! walk IN
at the door, like anybody elss. you take mo fes
madman NY dear sir, do you suppose that because
have lived several centures am blind to she progrcea
OF the ages You might have learned bsstsr from my
toys which change aad improve every year .bscauss
we'll that the children Of the present day, who
have crying delis and self propeng locomotives 70
please them would not be couent with the rude wooden
tays with which delighted sheir great grandfathera
and grandmothers whom they too were little folks.
Are my toys to have all tho modern improvements and
not myself The great, wide shimnsys and open nrs
places OF olden times navgabe, 10 10 speak but
how could stout. old chap like me get down this narrow
chimney instance. up through those little holes
the floor which you call regstsrs Sir. In the country
still uss ohimDsys sometimes just for the sake Of old
rsooecons but In tho osy have NO chimseys wfds
soousn FOR me- and tue hot Air would stiae tried 70
ess downs and - ths doors the windows, who'll
ever sesms the convenient Al for my sleigh that
ss necessary In some countries bat here the railroads
enable me TO travel faster Why, bess you some pso
pie believe that santa Claus don't know what railroad
H. and yet there the evidence 70 the contrary right
under their eyes the form Of 10Y train for children
It's just like those folks TO Try to talk mo down - an old
fosy and TO tell their children mot hang up thsIs stock
inss and Pa viii bring them them something's II any
Pa alive could supply the place Of the real Santa Caus
With some show OF indignation our visitor now pulled
his pipe profoundly. t
HB ENrrRRrH INTO ooNvERsArioN.
whether that the sincerity Of The above remarks
and the air Of seconsciousness which pervadcd them
had convinced us already Of the identity OF visitor
with tho character he proessed represent whether
there was something 10 the nre-iisht which
converted us, We are not certain but he
had scarcely concluded his opening observatioss
before We found ourselves iacitly admitting that
he Santa Claus In sober earnest. This II evident
from the hasty notes which thes otted down OF the
following conversation II began by our asking IL his
modern mode entering houses by tho doors windows
did not expose him detectIou BY the children "Not
a ALL replied sfor the good children are all asleep"
We then suggested tnat certain oad enuron mRst Poos
bly, lie awske on purpose 10 see him. II never visn
bad children - his brief and shrswd reply. Salts
ned upon this point We v~usured 70 inquire how hs
aged TO select hts toys please ai tho little ones
sust as you make Newspaper 10 please every oue-by
attending 70 my business industriousy," he answered.
We asked where he procured bis toys. "From every
country in the world, !" said the tss man. We begged
to know, agreeable 70 his feelings, what bis Christmas
gts cost "nillions ssd mllioss of dolars" said our
visitor land you easily calculate that II must b %
Take rich poor together, estimate the sum Al nvs
dollars Tor every man 10 Christsndon, and ofssa
that little" II naturally occurred 70 10 that he must
have tremendous revenue and, upon putting shs
thought words he replied, $50 have; more than
thousand petroleum princes combIned All the gold
mines the diamond mines. the silver mlnes the 90 al
rnnss fha lad uninaa and tho Iron. tin