Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1870-12-29
A LETTER FROM SANTA CLAUS TO
THE CHILDREN.


My DEAR CHILDREN the beau
tiful summer go and leave you2 And
did you mourn for the flowers and call
In vain for the singing birdsf How
cruel of them to hurry away, Just as
the dismal winter days come on, when
You needed them more than everi
But pray be comforted, my darllngs!
For though your summer friends are
gone, don't you know what is comingi
Somebody who is just starting from
the north with pack on his back,-a
right Jolly Somebody who loves chill
drenl And so he says to himself, '.Ah,
ii will be long time before the birds
and flowers return, long time before
the skies are bright and the fields are
green again. What will become of the
little folksl Something must be done.
For if they would go to sleep as the
bears do, and sleep till spring, what q
dreadful thing it would bel
And so this Somebody comes round
in the very middle of winter, with a
noise and stir and a rowdedow, and
wakes them up and sets them laughing
and singing and dancing and clapping
hands and shouting merry Christ
masl" "Merry Christmas No fear
after that of their doing as the bears do,
and sleeping till SPRING
And, children, the good time draws
near, for am coming, o, very soon.
This long time the north-wind has been
whistling to me and roaring out to me,
"Santa Claus Santa Claus Away with
youi larry no longerl" And my little
nephew, Jack Frost pinches me and
whispers, Hurry up Hurry upl The
children are waiting and longingi"
O, am so glad that you are! 'Tis
such pleasure to be sure of such well
come To know that so many bright
eyes are looking out for me! Bless
your little hearts Santa Claus will be
your friend always, always. He'd rath-
err have the children's love than any
thing else In the whole world
o yes, mean to belong to the chill
dren, and be on their side, and bring
them beautiful things For don't the
grown folks have always dollar bills
growing in their pockets, and ten-cent
bills and other kinds, that they can
spend But the children, poor little
dears, have spent their cents and eaten
up the candy! Never mind, darlings
Just get your stockings ready, that's
all = long stockings, short stockings,
scanned, plain, white, blue, grey, red,
speckled, spotted, striped, footed up,
cut down, heeled and toed, poor little
flannel ones run together at night, after
the washerwoman's work is done, any
thing, no matter what. And be sure
the baby hangs up his sockl But it is
not fair to hang rubber boots, or grand
pas long stockings, that come way up,
they are so hard to fill, and my time is
precious. For just think of al have
to do In a single night And when the
stockings are hung, go to bed and set
your hearts at rest. No need even to
think of what you want most, for Santa
Clans knows much better than you do
yourselves,
Now, then, / am almost ready. NV
pack is made up, and am just putting
on my sevenleagued snow shoes, which
step me over the house-tops. 1 shall
come In the dead of the night, with q
crack of the whip and jingling of
bells though you will not hear me
little dears, for you'll he sound asleep.
But in the morning, the joyful Christ
mas morning, when you see the plump
stockings, then you'll know ali about it,
won't you?
o, the jolly times there'll be taking
out the goodies, opening the papers,
and turning stockings inside out to ge,
what's in the toe O, the shouting and
clappingl O, the thousands of children
that viii dance tor joy! 1t makes my
old heart dance for Joy, too, and the
tears of Joy overflow, and run down my
beard, and there they hang In the long
icicles you've seen In my picture, Isup.
pose.
Yes, my pack is ready and shall
not fail you. How could I fail you
Did ever2 You know I never did II
would break nv heart to think of all
those dear little stockings empty No,
L never was day behind, and never
shall be. l have tried to get for you
the very incest and prettiest things,
and I hope, dear children, that you
viii both give and lend. For selfish
ness does grieve me so. The little
boy to whom I brought that tir
trum believe there was a tassel
to 1t, but may be mistaken, dc
You Think He wouldn't let the others
blowi And the boy that had the sword
what should he do but want to be cap
tain every timel
/ picked out bright-eyed little girl,
and bought her a stick of candy az
large round as a wax-candle, and she
only gave away one little taste! Anoth
er child had a picture-book with Lions
in it,-or if they were not hons they
were some other animals and she car
ned that picture-book to school, and
kept showing the covers, but If any
little scholar peeped in at the pictures
she shut it upl
Another had a scalloped cake. There
was pink candy grated over it, and . big
sugar-plum on top. She carried this
about In her pocket, and pinched OF
little bits at time. When ANYBODY
said s1et me taste,n she only shook hel
head and put another pinch in her OWL
mouth I could tell her name, but
tAwould shame her sol
But one blessed little girl took all
and to every half-starved beggar- child
that came along she gave a taste OF
something nice. o, it did my very
heart good to see herr
For am friend to all the beggar-
children Yes, I'm thinking of You,
you. poor sorrowful onesl Lonely or
phan, Tn thinking of you'll And weak
little cripple, I'm thinking of you
All, it is sad, it is pitifull You have no
home, but hungry and cold you fse
from door to door. Where you sleep
nights nobody knows. In some old
shed, perhaps, or under the doorstep,
or in cart Old Santa Claus can't
bring gifts to you, darlings, for you
ney for him to creep down. But he
mrurns and weeps for you, and tears OF
sorrow mingle with the tears of joyl