The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-12-19
SANTA CLAUS.
PART l

PART I.
Twas n cold. wild night. and the ground was whit
With the frosi-howers OF the snow;
And he stars looked down ON NOISY town
With It's streets and halls aglow.
Il was Christmas-time, and the merry chime
OF the evening bells rang clear
ON the frosty air as If 20 declare
II vas the happiest time VI the year.
For Jolly Saint Nick has clever trick
OF hling his sleigh with toys, -.
And swift as a dream, with his reindeer-teah,
lie visits the girls and boys.
Now I've heard it said that he has dread
OF freezing his turn-up nose;
Well il may be SO, for herce winds DO"
And it's cold where he often goes.
But think . "a ruse and a poor excuse
For wanting 60 smoke his plpei
As every one knows that his pug nose glows,
Red a cherry full-ripe!
But he's getting old. and we will not scold.
If we don't quite fancy his ways,
For we must depeud on hisl as friend,
Or what would We do holidays?
When wasa boy, with what perfect JOY
/ used b. hear dear mother say ,.,.,s cor,o.
" We must keep out Of sight, Santa Chus ooinoS
And tomorrow -lio5T' will be Christmas Day
And thought The old sprite when he came IN at
H to crawl down the chimney wid'
And that al little boys who wanted hs Toys
Must hang up their stockings inside
Well. one night 1 slept where the stockings were
All ready for Saint Nick to fill;
There I crept into bed and covered III! ne"u'
Determined for once to keep stu
The place for the sre was wider and higher
Than places are made nowadays s ,
f.1H IA.aFt flau
Were wrapped in u bright, rudu! Dia]e'
PART Il.
That night the fire was buried deep
Underneath the ashes
IT. flashing eyes were fast asleep
Under dull, gray lashes'
so long waited there TO hear
Those reindeer hOois a-druhlhlhgi
That began at last % ttar
The good saint vas not coming.
But suddenly / thought heard
Footsteps coming near me
| never moved nor SAID word,
Fearful he might hear me
The sound increased and louder was,
That first was but rustling,
Tin 1 felt sure That santa Clans
Was IN the chimney busting!
Ikney, ned find the stockings there
But feared he'd on the wrong ones,
For HAD borrowed sisters par,
She wore Such very long ones.
And go bought to take peep
While Santa Claus was near me,
For when ne thought was asleep
knew he would not hear me.
No doubt you think his merry looks
You'd recognize lustauter;
You We seen hin in the picture-books
With reindeer on canter!
That | should know him anywhere,
felt profoundly certain,
80 cautiously, while he was there,
folded bacl. the curtain.
And jhcn I looked for Santa Claus,
Nor dreamed I'd see another
NON, who do you suppose il was?
WY, bless you, was Ny MOTHER
She came and bnelt down by my bed
When that sweet work was over
God make him kind and good she saldi
"O'er lin good angels 10y T.
never told her that knew
She was my Christmas giver,
4 q coon she went, as so must IOu
Across the Silent River.
Aud then a little heart was left
without her love 10 shield Il,
OF almost everything bereft
That happiness could yield II.
And many many times I've thought
OF lil the thousand others,
Whose little hearts have yalnly sought
TO ind love like mothers.
and I have thought of what she said
That night when she war Eueeling
Beside my little trundle-bed,
Her tender love revealing;
Then | have vowed would be true,
To all be kind and tender:
And 20 ! .ope at last with Eor.
good account 10 render.
TO be a rich old Santa Claus
To all IL Is not given,
But we must all be good, because
II il that will make cur heaven!