The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1878-12-26
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LEGEND OF THE MIsTLETOE.
From Harper's Monthly.
Old Santa Claus woke, one bright cold morn.
In righteous indignation,
And swore In . way, We blush to say,
Was shocking beyond relstion,
That he could not, would not, should not bear
This state of things any longer;
He'd soon nnd ont, by bis sanity beard,
which, he or Cupid, were the stronger!
It seems that our Saint had earthward peeped
Through star-fifts In his palace,
And seen night that with reason might
Enkindle good saints malice;
Young love had come from his tropic home
With dag and banner flying,
To boldly reign In the Saints domain,
An right and might defying.
The snov-drifts, catching his smiles Of light,
With sunset hues were glowing;
The brookiet, echoing his soft, low laugh,
From winter chains was flowing;
The icicles shone on every tree
With hues of prismatic splendor;
The very sky took softer blue,
The sunbeam . radiance tender;
But worse than all-oh, far, far worse
Than al this tribulation!-
A dreadful spell on young folks fell
In every cline and nation.
The boy, whose hope in Its fartherest scope
Was placed ON his Christmas dollar,
Now rhymed Of doves, and sighed for loves,
And sported Byron COLLAR;
And girls-"Ah, the girls" the good Saint groan-
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Ies 20 Aitogetnef enockin8'
They dreamed of clothes and mustached beaux,
lnstesd OF Cnfistnas stocking!
Au Cupids Work! growied the rase SAINT
Ihe gr7oeiess, gay young SINNER,
IN lay my rod ON that impish god
Ere eat my Christmas dinner.
To beard me thus In my own domain,
The rogue is past redemption.
IN break his d.rtz. IN mend his hearts,
Of III" what, We need not mentlon.
SO santa Claus donned the bearskln coat
Bequeafhed him by Ursa Major,
Took something strong, for the way was long
tOr Saint In . keen old stager.D
His reindeer team shook their silver bells,
And smiled the northwind gladly:
SNOW" Santa Claus cried, "hurrah for ride!
These earth folks need me sadly"
They skinned the frozen polar sea,
Like dart from cross-bow springing.
Der snow-clad plains they swiftly sped,
Like swallows southwark winging;
Through forests dim where ice-clad trees
In ghostly garb were bending;
Through wizard realms, where night and day
In light and shade were blending.
Like fitting dream sped the reindeer team,
The Saint cheering Coward ~ loudly,
TIL hoofs struck fire from tower and spire
Where Cupid's flag no.ted proudly.
Like summer rose glowed the sanity nose
The punch had been somewhat hesdy-
His brow knit with ire, his eye flashed fire,
He grasped his rod and made ready;
Then, hiding his sleigh behind . cloud,
And gathering his furs about him,
With stately port into loves own court
The Saint advanced to rout him.
The traitors court was . crystal han
Bedecked with wreaths and flowers:
For Love had breathed DER the sleeping earth
And wakened the springume nowers.
Inc molly tw1ned round the cleaning dome,
And hung DER each iofty portal
while IVY leaves wreathed each taper pr1ghf,
Like love In it's youth immortal.
The youth and maids of every age
The traitorous god surrounding,
were hainng with JOY the saucy boy
The taoleau was quite confoundmg.
our good saint mutfered In heartfelt wrath,
An insanity exclamation;
FOR CUPID, perched IN swinging wreath,