Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-12-23
THE LEGEND OF ST. NICHOLAS.


THE tales of good st. Nicholas
Are known in every cline;
Told in painting, and in statues,
And in the poets rhyme.
For centuries they've worshiped him.
In churches, East and West;
Ofall the saints we read about
He Is beloved the best
Because he was the saint of all
The wretched and the poor,
And never sent little child
UnsucCored from his door.
In Engiand's isle, alone, TO day,
Four hundred churches stand
Which bear his name, and keep it well
Remembered through the land.
And all the little children
In England know full we'll
This tale of good st. Nicholas,
Which I am now to tell
The sweetest tale, think, Of all
The tales they tell of him;
| never read it but my eyes
With tears begin to swim:
There was heather King who roved
About with cruel bands,
And waged fierce and wicked war
On all the Christian lands.
And once he took as captive
little, fair-haired boy,
A Christian merchants only son,
His mothers pride and joy.
He decked him in apparel gay,
And said: You're just the age
To serve behind my chair at meat,
dainty Christian page"
Oh, with a sore and aching heart,
The lonely captive child
Roamel through the palace, big and grand
And wept and never smiled.
And all the heather jeered at him
And called MIN Christian dog,
And when the King was angry
He kicked him like log,
And spat upon his face, and said:
Nov, by my beard, thy gods
Are poor to leave their worshipers
At such unequal Odds
One day, Just as the cruel King
Had sat him down to dine,
And in his jeweled cup of gold
The page was pouring wine,
The little fellows heart ran DER
In tears he could not stay,
For he remembered, suddenly,
1t was the very day
On which the yearly feast was kept
Of good St. Nicholas,
And at his home that very hour
Were dancing on the grass,
With music, and with feasting, all
The children of the town.
The King looked up, and saw his tears;
His face began to frown:
: How now, thou dog. thy sniveling tears
Are running in the cup;
Twas not with these, but with good wine,
I babe thee fill it up.
Why weeps the hound:" The child replied
: weep because to-day,
In name Of good st. Nicholas
All Christian children play;
And all my kindred gather home,
From greatest unto least,
And keep to good st. Nicholas
A merry banquet feast"
The heather King laughed scornfully:
: If he be saint indeed
Thy famous great ST. Nicholas,
ny does he not take heed
To thee to-day, aud bear thee back
To thy own native land?
Hal well / wot he cannot take
One slave from out my hand!'
Scarce left the boastful words his tongue
When, with astonished eyes,
The cruel King giant form
Saw swooping from the skies.
whiIlWinG shOo9 the palace walls,
The doors flew open wide,
And 10! the good st. Nicholas
Came in with mighty stride.
Right past the guards, as they were not,
Close to the Kings gold chair,
With striding steps the good Saint came,
And seeing by his hair
The frightened little page. he bore
Him, i'll q tWinkIing, tIpn
Above the palace topmost roof,
And vanished in the sky.
Now at thai very hour was spread
A banquet rich and dear
Within the little pages home,
To which, from far and near
The pages mourning parents called
All poor TO come and pray
With them, to good ST. Nicholas,
Upon his sacred day.
Thinking, perhaps, that he would heal
Their anguish and their pain,
And at poor peoples prayers might give
Their child to them again.
Now what sight was there to see,
When, flying through the air,
The Saint came carrying the boy,
Still by his curly hairl
And set him on his mothers knee,
Too frightenedyet TO stand,
And holding still the Kings gold cup
Fast in his little hand
And what glad sounds were these to hear,
What sobs and joyful cries,
And calls for good ST. Nicholas
To come back from the skies!
But swift he scared, and only smiled
And vanished in the blue;
Most likely he was hurrying
Some other good 10 do.
But wonder if he did not stop
To take passing look
Where still the cruel heather King
In terror crouched and shook;
While from the palace ali his guards
In coward haste had fled,
And told tht people in his chair
The King was sitting dead.
Hurrah for good ST. Nicholas!
The friend OF all the poor,
Who never sent little child
Unsuccored from his door.
We do not pray to saints to-day,
But still we hold them dear,
And the stories of their holy lives
Are stories good TO hear
They sort OF parable,
And If we ponder well
We shall not find il hard to read
The lesson which they tell
We do not pray TO saints to-day,
Yet who knows but they hear
Our mention of them. and are Glad