The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-12-11
THE FRIEND OF VIRGINS,

THE FRIEND OF VIRGINS.
He is the patron of virgins. too, and an
other story accounts for this. A certain
nan had three daughters. and his fortunes
were SO reduced that he could give them no
marriage portions Inc scarcely the neces-
sites of life. When he was Mt last at the
point of desperation. st. Nicholas heard of
his need, and coming to the house
at night. threw q purse of gold in attthe
window. With this the father p%ortioned bis
eldest daughter. st. Nicholas the next
night threw in q second purse; the father
pOrtioned his second daughter, and then
watched and discovered the saint ~ he
was about TO throw in q third purse on the
next night. Some sort of connection has
been traced between these three purses
and the three gold balls of the pawn
brokers' sign. but it is rather vague and Is
not important to the present discussion.
Once when st. Nicholas was making q
journey to the Holy Land a storm arose
and wouid have wrecked the ship but for
bis intercession and care that it should not,
and again, when some sailors of another
ship found themselves in great peril. it oc-
Cured to them TO call on ST. Nicholas for
help. He was still alive at that time. but
he came straight to them and saved them.
And SO he became the patron OF sailors, as
we'll as of children and virgins.
The observance of st. Nicholass day,
which connects it with the Christmas Gus
ton of this time and country. Is the ancient
one of filing shoes with little gifts, which
were supposed to have been left there by
the saint. 1t was also the custom In GER
tain converts for the boarders to leave
each a silk stocking at the door of the
abbess on the eve OF st. Nicholas, and
these they would lind In the morning filled
with sweetmears or other tribes. to show
that they were held in remembrance. Both
these habits are supposed to be derived
from the story of the three purses given to
a. ii
be suggested whether the story was not
rather derived from the customs. Chill
dren were told that ST. Nicholas threw
the presents for them In ut the window,
and the main point Is clear enough that ne
is the same person as Santa Claus. who, on
Christmas eve. rides all over every part of
the world where good children live. with
his sIedge and his RENDERS, and comes
down the chimneys to fill the stockings
hung ND to await him with all sorts of
things TO delight childish hearts. spending
all the rest of the year at his home. some
where far up within the Arctic circle. max
ing toys and boiling sugar into candy to
distribute the next Christmas.
THE BOY BISHOP.
Perhaps the most remarkable of all cele-
bratlons in honor of st. Nicholas was the
old one for the boy bishop. The boy bishop
assumed his Office on st. Nicholas day, Dec.
6. and held it till Holy Innocent's day, Dec.
2S. The custom originated on the CONT
nent OF Europe, and was adopted in Eng
land. where it reached what was probably
its fullest development. A boy was chosen
to represent q bishop and was clothed with
all the robes and invested with all the in
sigma pertaining 10 the station. Other
BOYS represented priests. deacons and Othey
suitable persons for the bishops train. The
boy bishop conducted u service in the
chureh. and in some cases he and his com
napinna went ahOnr from honaa IN hnnsa
singing and collecting money. which they
right.
The boy bishop attained his ~fullness of
dignity at Salisbury Cathedral, though he
was known all over England. There he
was chosen from among the choir boys, the
the highest poinp and most absolute au-
thority. He is said To have conducted a.
the services of the church except the mass
lin some other places the boy bishop is
said TO have celebrated the mass Ifself-ii
any prebend tell vacant in his term of Of
fee he filled II. and il he died before his
term expired he was buried with all the
honors due TO a genuine bishop. There is
record of q boy bishop at Salisbury films
avacant prsbend by the appointment of
his schoolmaster. and there is in rhe cathe-
dral there the tomb of one who died While
holding his Office. On the top of it is an of.
figy of the child in full episcopal robes.
Such masquerading plays as this were
not then deemed offensive or derogatory Il
the dignity OF the church. In fact. mucl
coarser and more uncouth exhibitions we're
freely nermltfed on some Occaeions oven II