The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1880-12-23
ALL ABOUT SANTA CLAUS.
HI. Hi.iory-His Good Deeds-Hi. Bene
oience.

People are very busy inst now making prepar-
ations to fill the stockings which Santa Clans
annually presents to the little folks. And l. who
am somewhat prone to look backward upon the
veiled shadows of my brothers of the ancient
time, have been thinking about the origin of our
present Christmas customs.
We have not yet found any better visible type
of the Creative Power than the Sun; and when
the world was in its childhood, il is not wonder
full that the Respondent luminary was considered
to be itself creative force. We believe that
man has an immortal soul, from which the body
derives its power to move and act. The ancients
believed that trees, mountains, stars, and every
other form of Nature had within them a living
spirit The Spirit of the Sun they placed above
all Others, because his body was SO splendid, and
his dongs so great and glorious. On the oath of
December his return from the winter solstice
was welcomed by all the ancient nations with
songs and dances, professions carrying offerings
to his temples; and, as he was sueh bounteous
giver they distributed bread, vine, and fruits to
honor him. They called him the god of poetry,
because his coming invested the earth with sueh
a rich drapery of vines and foliage, flowers and
fruit that the heart of man was made glad with
in him, and Ie became inspired TO sing of beauty.
They called him the god of medicine, because his
beams impregnated the herbs with healing pow
er, and the bland atmosphere he brought restored
diseased organs of the human frame to heathful
action. They did not find out, as of the nine
teenth century have done. that he was also a
miraculous painter, who with one touch of his
bright pencil could have given them hkenesses
of friends and of scenes they loved to look upon
The Catholic Church, always carefully obser-
want Of human nature, and adroit in using 1t for
its own advantage, adopted the festivals which
they found existing in the ancient world, and
allowed their converts, of all nations, to follow
their old customs, baptized with Christian names.
Causing the Festival of the Sun to be observed
in cOmmemoration of the birth of Jesus, was pro-
a one a. oh
in the worlds history. For what more strongly
marks the progress of mankind than transferring
worship from the visible sun which animates
external nature to that moral light, that spirit
ual warmth, which brings life and growth to the
human souli
Santa Claus has an origin much less ancient
than the festival which keeps him so busily EN-
plOyed; but his history goes far back into the
ancient time, and is, like many Others, singular
mixture of truth and fable. child named
Nicholas was born ut Panthera, in Asia Minor,
some four or five hundred years after the birth
of Jesus. His parents, who were rich and of
high rank, were converts to Christianity. Their
son was born TO them many years after their
marriage, and they received him as an answer TO
their many prayers. They wished TO express
their gratitude to God by educating him for the
Christian priesthood, and the unusual sobrety
and thOughtfulness Of his boyhOOd confirmed
them in that purpose. While he was yet a lad
both of his parents died of the plague, and he in
natural tenderness of heart and conscience and
partly from the pious training he had received,
he did not consider the riches as his own, but rs
a sacred trust, placed in his hands by the Heay-
emily Father. He fed the hungry, clothed the
naked, redeemed slaves, endowed poor maidens
with marriage portions, supported and educated
destitute orphans, and performed all manner of
charitable works, as secretly as possible. As a
priest, lie was greatly loved and reyerenced by
the poor, and when he became bishop he con-
l.aa a
alent as ever. After his death the church can
onized him; his fame extended far and wide, and
he became one of the greatest patron saints in
Italy and in various Northern nations. He was
everywhere reverenecd as the helper Of the poor
and the protector of the weak against the strong;
and he is so represented in great variety OF
pictures in Catholic countries. st. George was
the patron saint of knights and gentlemen; but
St. Nicholas was the patron saint of the poor and
weak, of serfs and prisoners, and especially OF
little children, whe were always taught to be-
believe that all their good gifts came from him.
The story of his benevolent life received the adj
dition of many miraculous incidents, which the
untutOred populace delighted TO believe, and
which artists loved 10 commemorate in pictures.
Ii was said that ON the first day of his life he
stood up straight in his bath, folded his little
hands and audibly thanked God that he was born
into the world. 1t was then the custom for men,
hers Of the church to fast on Wednesdays and
Fridays, and, scrupulous was this baby saint,
that he always refused to take his mothers milk
more than once those days. 1t is recorded
that a word from his month stilled a raging tenn
pest at sea, and saved the life of many sailors;
that his prayers cured the sick, and restored
three murdered boys to life. No saint had more
extensive popularity. The monks called him
Santo Nicolaus. The natural tendency to clip
familiar words changed this TO Santo Nic'laus,
and finally to Santo Claus. Under this name
the good old bishop is still represented as coming
down our ehimneys in the night, with his arms
full of Christmas presents for the children. This
is very kind of him, considering that we Prot
estants, and never dreamed of doing him rever-
enee a saint. But il seems he keeps oil his
old habits of secret benevolence, and never had
he such a charming variety of things wherewith
to fill the mysterious stocking as he has this year.
Lydia Maria Child.