The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-12-18

Concerning Christmas and its patron
saint. IL is frequently asked. Who IS
Santa CLAUSE
That question IS frequently answered in
an ofhand way Santa Claus is the Dutch
d.nluuuve for Saint Nicholas and Saint
Nicholas Is the patron OF boys and girls.
Let us look up the legend of this holy
man and see what satisfaction It viii
afford as.
say let us look up the legend. because
authentic history tells little or nothing Of
the saint. beyond the fact that he was
bishop Of Myra. in Lycia, ana died about
the year 326. Tradition fills out these
moagre details with many a pretty story
that throws a kindly light upon the char
octer OF the good ST. Nlcnolas. Lex US
choose out the most characteristic ana
those which more nearly fCreshadoW the
modern Santa Claus.
Among his parishioncrs $50 runs one
story there lived certain noplcinln WHO
haa three DAUGHTERS. From being rich lac
became poor. SO poor THAT there remain. u
40 means of obtaining food Tor ms uul6h-
tiers but by sacrificing them 10 ui5hon-
orable life. over and over again the
thoueht came into his mind 10 tcli them
80. but shame and sorrow held him dumb.
Meanwhile the maidens wtpt continually,
no. knowing what 10 DO ana having ho
bread Co eat, and their father became
more and more desperate. When st.
Nicholas heard Of this Inc thought IL Il
shame that such thing should happen
IN "a Christian land Therefore one I.iant
when the maidens were asleep and thor
father alone sat watching and weeping,
hc took handful OF gold. add tying IT
up I'm q handkerchief repaired TO tie
noble mans dwelling. He considered how
h 40 ht bestow it without making him.
self known ana while ne stood irresolute
the moon coming from behind cloud
showed him an open window. So he
threw I'm the gold and IL fen ut the feet
o. the father. who when he found it re-
turned thanks and presented il 20 Lis
eldest daughter as her wedding portion.
For il will be remembered that IN those
ages of chivalry, just as in modern France
and iu Italy, the kuighUy WO0er required
thar his lady love should have q certain
portion of the gold that peiishes or he
would not marry her A second time st.
Nicholas collected "a similar sum, and
aeain he threw 1T in by night So a we'd
diug portion was provided for the second
dlulhter But the curiosity of the noble
ran was now excited. He greatly desired
o. know who il was that cam5 to his
aid Therefore he determined 20 watch.
When the good saint came for the third
time and prepared TO throw in The third
portion he was discovered, for the noble
man seized him by the skirt OF his robe
and flung himself at his feet. saying
ooh. Nicholas, servant Of God, why seek
81 hide thyself% And he kissed his feet
and hands. But St. Nicholas made him
promise that he would tel no man.
Now students of comparative folklore.
o. rather amusing sort of people who seek
g. trace all the mysterious manners and
customs Of our times to some common
source i'm the dim and mysterious past,
these clgaEing gentlemen find In this
STORY on origin for two perpleXng things
that bother the inquiring mind. First,
they insist that these three purses Of
cold. which were customarily figured in
all medieval pictures as three golden
balls and which were looked upon as the
special sign and symbol of the charitable
Saint Nicholas, developed in due time
into those gilt balls which sul swing
over n pawnbrOker's shop and indicate
that wellspring Of human Kindness and
ltnevOlcnce which is his distinct Charac-
toristic and which has earned for him the
O9ectionate title OF the Uncle OF tie Dis
tressed. If you have q fine sense Of humor
yol will recognize the last sentence as
sarcasm. And If you have small SYM
Iathy with clever explanations that don't
explain you Will reject this theory Of the
origin of the pawnbrOkers sign and pre-
f-r 10 believe that il came from the gilt
pills wlAch adorned the Shield Of the
Nedici famny-name and shield alike
being n recognition Of the fact that they
FIRST earned their distinction as physicians
before they became the greatest merchant
princes and money changers OF Europe.
But the other theory, what Of that?