The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1889-01-24
EXPECTANT CHILDREN.
How They are Anticipating the Annual Visit of
Old Santa Claus.

Old Santa Claus.
The children are now looking for
ward with eager expectation to the
visit of their patron saint. They are
asking innumprablp questions of
papas and mammals, regarding the
mythical old man, who showers alike
blessings on the rich and poor, and
commentaries the birth Ofthe Savior
over 1900 years agO-the message
Ofpeace and goodwill In Intervening
they sit around the tireside and listen
enraptured to the story of st. NichO-
las, and how every year he drives over
the roofs with his cight-in-hand team
of pransing reindeer, and his sleigh
loaded down with toys of every de-
scriptiOn to make glad the hearts of
the little ones who were perchance
dreaming of his coming.
Far away in the distance the tink-
ling of the silver bells is heard, in the
little ones dreams, and grandma, as
she sits in the old arm chair, tells
them of the many times she has
watched for the fur-attirpd old saint,
with his happy smile and long flow
ing beard, as he stops his prancing
steeds. and nOiselessly descends the
chimney and fills the stockings until
they can hold no more, and then as
shyly ascpnds the chimney and whis-
Ting to his reindeer, is off like flash
to complete his nights work.
Curiously the children listen again
as she tells them of old Santa ClauS's
work shop, in the wild and weird re-
giOns, where the SHOWS are eternal,
and which no human being has ever
visited. She tells them, too, how the
old saint works the year around, max
ing the toys which he gives away on
Christmas Day. Then she tells them
in her own way Of the gladness of the
little chimney sweep, who, on that
night only in the year, is allowed to
leave his corner and wander where
ever it may please him. He's the
same little dried-up old man who
lived forever by the side of the CHM
ney, and who will live on until the
name of every human being has been
checked off of the register of time.
The story of Santa Claus is always
new to the children, and is beauti-
full and enhancing one. 1t is even
more fascinating to the poor little
boys and girls than to the children
Of the rich, and they are far more
pleased with a little gift, than thelat-
ter are with an expensive toy.
In fiction the name of ST. Nicholas
or Santa Claus, as he is known, is
most familiar and the Christmas
books are brimful of his stories.
There is an old legend that says
that ST. Nicholas was the bishop of
Myra and that he died in the year
1926. He is supposed to have sup
piled three destitute maidens with
marriage portions by secretly leav-
ing money at their window, and as
his day occurred just before Christ
mas, he thus was made the purveyOr
of the gifts of the season to all the
children in Flanders and Holland,
who put out their shoe or stock
ing in the confidence that Santa
Claus, "Knecht Globes" as they call
him, would put in a prize for good
conduct, before morning.
Another legend describes him as
having brought to life three murder
ed children; and this rendered him
the patron saint of the boys. What
ever may have been the origin of the
saint, the children have been taught
to look forward to his coming with
pleasure, and they are the better for
it, as are old and young, for the an-
nual recurrence of the gladdest holi-
day of the year.
Little Girl-"LastC Christmas hung
upmy stockings. What did you hang