Charles City intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa) 1864-1866, 1864-12-22
MlistsIIaup.
The Legend Of Santa Claus.

This popular name Of the saint who
presides over Christmas and the toy
gifts Of that welcome season, is de.
rived from Saint Nicholas. The leg
end Of his first appearance is an Ital.
ian one. According to this, shoe
maker 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 even a small dowry to
his pretty daughters 1t was not con-
sidered proper to marry without a
dowry and thus the youg girls, tho
each had an admirer. were compelled
to remain single Their father, how
ever, went every morning to the
shrine to pray to his patron saint. st.
Nicholas. that he would work mira
Gle to relieve him from distress.
One If his near neighbors, q rich
merchant, who CHANGED one day to
overhear his simple petition, ridiculed
the idea Of his expecting the saint to
take care Of his daughters. and recon-
mended him to choose a patron saint
who would be able to do something
for him. Nine" he said, is the jew
Buonajuto he lends money at two
per cent. q month and il you knew
kow to manage, You may make four
with it. He is not so deaf as Saint
Nicholas"
The poor man was shocked at this
impious speech, and assured the mer-
chant that his religious faith could
never be shaken He went every day
to church. Notwithstanding his neigh.
boris mockery.
1t was now Christmas day. The
merchant and the Jew settled up their
yearly accounts. Buonaiuto found he
owed his friend three hundred ducats,
aud wishing 10 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 introduced the three hundred
gold pieces inside aud sewed them ND.
He then sent the duck to the merchant
as Christmas present.
The merchants wife, who shared the
common prcjudices against the 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, ban
tered him on his devotion, showed him
the Christmas gift his patron Saint
had sent him. and tainted him with
the stoIidity Of Saint Nicholas, who
could not even send him piece of
bread. Finally he offered to sell the
duck for dollar, and to wait for pay.
ment. as he knew Giraldi to be strict
ly honest. The shoemaker carried
home the duck. and when he. carved
it for his Christmas dinner, and the
three hundred ducats fell ont, his first
exclamation was" Praise to st. Mich
olas I"
When he recovered from his sur
prise, he would have taken the money
back, but his wife persuaded him that,
as he bought the duck, it was right.
fully his own. He therefore divided
the sum between the two suitors for
his TWO eldest daughters.
The merchant, after some DAYS. dis
covered his loss of the three hundred
ducats, and went to the shoemaker to
demand the money, which was refus-
ed. The cause came before the mag.
istrate, who was pions man, and
heard with Indignation how cruelty
the poor man had been ridiculed on
account of his religion. His decision
was that Giradi should keep the mon
ely, aud that the merchant aud the
jew should besides pay 6ne for.
their nsarious dealings. Of one hum
dred and fifty dncats. to be given as
dowry for the shoemaker's youngest
daughter.
The meaning Of this legend is, that
a beneiicent Providence watches over
and takes care Of the poor, who are
honest, religious and truthful. The
tradition runs that since that time st.
Nicholas pays a visit. every Christ
mas night, to at whom he thinks wor.
thy Of his favors. He is known alto
gether by the name-Santa Claus.