The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-12-25

were so reduced toat he could give them
no marriage portions aud scarcely the
necessities OF life. Whel he was at last
at The point Of desperation, ST. Nicholas
heard of his need, and coming to the house
at light, threw a purse of gold In at the
window With this the father portioned
his eldest daughter ST. Nicholas the next
night threw in a second purse; the father
poruonsd his second daughter, and then
watched and discovered the saint as be was
about to throw in third purse the next
night Some sort OF connection has been
traced between these three purses aud the
three gold balls Of the pawnbroker's sign,
oct 1t IS rather vague and 10 not importaut
to the present discussion.
Once whsn st. Nicholas was making n
journey to the holy land. q storm arose and
would have wrecked the ship but for bis in
tercessIon and care that it should not. and
again when some sailors Of another ship
found themselves in great peril it occurred
to them to call on st. Nicholas for help. He
was still alive at that time. but he came
straight 70 them and saved them. And so
he became the patron Of sailors, as well as
OF children and virgins
The observance Of St. Nicholas day
winch connects 1t with the Christmas GUS
tom OF this time and country Is the ancient
one OF filling 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
silk stocking at the door of the abbess on
the eveof St Nicholss, and these they would
ma IN the morning filled with sweetmeats or
other trities TO show that they we're held in
remembrance! Both these habi:s are sup
posed to be derived from the story OF the
Ghres purses given TO the three virgins,
though the question may be- suggested
whether the story was not rather derived
EV.ftNN4 Pk
ST. Nicholas threw the presents for them
in at the window, and the main point is
clear enough that be 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 slsdge and his rein
deeri, and comes down the chimneys to fill
the stockings hung up 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 in the Arctic
circle, making toys and boiling sugar into
candy to dis tribute the next Christmas.
Perhaps the most remarkable ot all cele-
brstions in homer Of st. Nicholas was the
old one Of the boy bishop. The boy bishop
assumed his Office on st. Nicholas day, Dec.
g. and held il till Holy lnnoceDts' day, Dec
%. The custom originated on the continent
OF Europe, and was adopted in England,
where, it reached what was probably its
fullest development. A boy was chosen TO
represent a bishop and was clothed with all
the robes and invested with all the Insignia
pertaining to the station. Other boys rep
rese ated priests, deacons and other suitable
person for the bishops train. The boy
bishop conducted service in the church,
aud in come cases be and his companions
went about from house to house singing and
collecting money, which they did not ask as
u gift, bat demanded as a right.
The boy bishop attained his fullness Of
dignity at Salisbury cathedral, though ne
was known all over Englaud. There he
was chosen from among the choir boys, the
rest forming his retinue, aud he ruled with
the highest pomp and most absolute author
ity. lie Is said 10 have conducted all the
services Of the church except the m1ss-In
some other places the boy bishop is said to
have celebrated the mass itself-it any
prebend fell vacant in his term of office he
filed it, aud II he died before his term ex-
PRED be was buried with all the honors due
TO genuine bishop. There is record of a
boy bishop at Salisbury filling vacant
prebend by the appointment Of his school
master. and there lie in the cathedral the
tomb OF one who died while holding his
office. On the top Of it is an effigy of the
child in full episcopal robes
Such mssquerading plays as this were
not then deemed offensive or deroEatory TO
the dignity of ths church. In fact, much
coarssr and more uncouth exhibitions were
freely permitted on some occasions, even to
the extent of burlesques Of the ser vices of
tie church within its own walls OF course
the evil and discreditabls side was bound TO
be seen in time, and the functions Of tho
boy bishop were at last forbidden by Henry
VIII. They werS restored, however, for
time, by Mary. Tho peculiar custom at
Elton, known ia the Noneem is supposed to
have originated in that Of the boy bishop,
but the Montem Is too large a subject 20 be
discussed here.
A writer in Chambers Book OF Daysngives
an interesting account OF the ceeuration of
st. Nicholas day at Bari. whore his bones
lie under the crypt Of the church which
bears his name. On that day the town is
thronged with pilgrims from all the coun-
try around. When they get TO the church
they show their devotion by walking all
around tit it-esn be called walking-on
their knees. and some OF them even do it
with their foreheeds to the floor, each be-
ing guided by child who leads the pill
grim with handkerchief OF which be
holds corner in his mouth. Each pilgrim
is entitled to a meal without cost and on the
especial occasion described over $3.50 were
fed. Water comes up through the floor Of
the crypt over the grave of st. Nicholas,
and this is supposed to have great curative
powers. 1t is gathered in sponGes and
squeezed into bottles and sold TO the pill
grins. 1t is called the mama OF st. Nicho-
las
But the most remarkable part OF the
whole celebration Is that performed by the
sailors. They come on shore early in the
morning, go TO the church in a body and
get the wooden image OF the saint. They
carry this about the city in triumph, visit
ing the cathedral. and finally carry it on
board ship and out to sea. They bring it
back at nightfall and again bear 1t about
the streets. this time with torchlights and
illuminations. aud visit the church again,
buT do NOT restore the image till late at
night.
What saint has ever received more general
and more hearty honor that this one, and
what saint ever more richly deserved it, It
is worth a life Of self-denial and fasting to
give name to Santa Claus. and no one
who has ever been a child and has kept any
thing of the heart Of child can ever cease
TO remember and to love st. Nicholas.