Daily Republican., 1879-12-23
A EChristmas Tale for the
children.

children.
A wealthy gentleman in Asia, the
story runs, sent his two sons to Athens
to be educated. He charged the boys
at parting to stop at Myra on their
way and pay their respects to his rev
srence the bishop. The boys reached
the city at night, and took lodgings In
an inn, intending to make the promised
call in the morning. Now the land.
lord was q very wicked man, and when
lie saw the boys rich store Of baggage
he resolved to rob and murder them.
So when the poor boys were asleep, he
crspt up to their room and despatched
them, and to conceal his terrible deed,
he cut up their bodies and packed
them ia picking tub with some pork,
intending to sell the whole to some
ship in the Adriatic. Now good Saint
Nicholas that night saw it all in q
dream, and in the morning he put on
his pontifcal robes (tor he was now an
arch bishop, and, with his crozier in
his hand, went in holy indignation to
the inn. The landlord was greatly
frightened when he saw the archbish-
op, and on being accused, fell upon his
knees and confessed the crime. st.
Nicholas next went to thb tubin all his
ponti6cals, and he passed his hands
over the boys, who at once hoped up
out of the picked pork alive and whole.
The happy fellows began to sing prai-
ses TO st. Nicholas, but he, good soul,
would not listen to it. He told them
to worship none but God. The boys,
at once recovering Their possessions.
went on their way rejoicing, and st.
Nicholas was regarded as the special
protector Of boys and students from that
hour.
"But how came St. Nicholas to be
the patron OF Christmas gifts and the
particular saint Of the Christmas holt
days!"
After st. Nicholas was made Arch
bishop at Myra, he became very rich,
and because he despised money for his
own sake he spent good portion of
his time in giving away his money to
others, and in such way that none
should know from whom it came. 1t
CHANGED that there was very poor
nobleman in Myra, who had three
lovely daughters. Knowing that they
could have no marriage portion, st.
Nicholas, considerable soul, felt pity for
them, and one moonlight night he took
a purse, round as ball with gold, and
throwing it in the open window at the
feet of the eldest daughter, hid him
self from view. The eldest daughter
could now marry. What a'good saint
st. Nicholas was, and what pity he
died so long agol After while the
Saint visited the nobleman's prem.
ises again. and did the same mysterious
kindness to the second daughter. The
nobleman now began to watch at night,
ih order to discover whence his good
fortune came. As good st. Nicholas
was about to throw another rounded
purse at the feet OF the third daughter
he was discovered by the grateful faith
er, who threw himself at his feet, say
ing: go, st. Nicholas, servant Of God,
why seek to hide myself :" St. Mich
olas made the nobleman promise never
to tell the discovery he had made. But
the secret escaped in SONS unacoounta-
bic way, and after St. Nicholas died the
nuns of the converts in the East used
to initiate him on certain holidays in
making secret gifts to their friends.
They used to put silk stockings at
the door Of the abbess at night, and Ia
bel them with paper invoking the
liberal aid Of the good Saint Nicholas.
In the morning the stockings would be
found full Of presents. In time, as you
know, children began to initiate this
custom, especially at Christmas. st..
Nicholas used to annually be houored
in the old English Churches by the
election Of a boy-bishop, whom tie
whole church were accustomed to obey
for short time, because st. Nicholas
was the patron of boys. He is still hon
ored with grand festival at Bari on
the Adriatic, as the patron saint of 2us,
STA, and Of the great winter season, and
his name is borne by the Russian
Cars. He is also the patron saint OF
New York, which, you know, was SCI
tied by the Dutch, and Of all the saints
here he is the most reverenced in Hol
land. But there the young folks do
him honor on st. Nicholas day, which
came on the 9Th Of November keeping
it very much as we do the Christmas
holidays.