Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-12-24

Written for The Evening Star.
The Complaint of Santa Claus.
Twas the night before Christmas-ihe solemn
stair clock
Was ringing out Twelve with clang and shock,
As sat by that dismal dark hole in the wall
Unheard of, of old, which we register call.
drowsly thought Of the days when, a boy,
gloried In doughnut and talry and toy;
When up in the chimney my stockings ! hung
And after dreamed dreams of the saint Of the
young.
The door opened slowly, and slowly in walked
long-bearded old man, who sat with me and
talked;
felt not afraid, for knew him no spritc,
Though he came to me thus in the middle of night.
fell not afraid of him, simply because
saw at a glance he was old Santa Claus;
gave him pipe which he lit, gan to smoke,
And through the thick cloud that he raised thus
spoke:
"old poet, you're dreaming of days that have
Town,
When Christmas was Jolly, and was well known;
Ny heart is, like yours, fun of sorrow and pain
For the good, good old times that come never
again;
when was power, yea, power in the land,
Ere new-fangled notions Did customs had banned;
When with my sleigh load appeared, Christmas
eve,
And knickknacks galore for the young joyed to
leave.
"Now that Is all over-the girls and the boys
Don't believe In Lac more, though they still do in
toys;
They say that do not exist, but you see
That that is a fb, for, behold, here be.
1.-THE children are wise in these days, and the laws
OF Nature they learn, and forget Santa Claus;
ihey believe not In fairies, and ghosts, and what
For that I'd not care, had they me not forgot.
They say that never filed stockings-that's fiat
They study philosophy-cant credit that:
could not NIL 'en now, il so were disposed;
There's no place to hang em-the fireplace closed.
81 am grieying like you-Iim luckess old fellow,
Occupation all gone-like the tragic Othelo;
My storehouse is stocked yet with many q
thing um-
Bob fine, and in my old sleigh could bring em.
"But as am forgot, I'll not trouble myself;
New knowledge has laid the Old faith on the shelf;
ihe young ones like old one, too knowing by half,
No stockings hang up, and al Inc dare to la ugh.
Its mistletoe, holly, and games no more;
suppose, of course, kissing is still going on,
But fear the old ioiliiy wholly has gone.
"There's too much electric-is that the word,-.
Light;
II hurts my weak eyes, for the glare IL too bright
The piaythlngs are made by machinery now,
And mine now are quite out Of date, you1l allow.
1.-The boys play with toys that are driven by steam
And te!egraphs, kVdaks, that magical seem;
II their forefathers saw them, they'd wonder and
quake,
And vow that old Nick had hand in their make
I'm sick Of the times with theirbig public schools
But The children that knew by no means were
fools;
Though they knew not as much as the children
today,
Their hearts were more Light, think-spirits more
gay.
"lf the children can do without me- well and good,
III not bother about them--be that understood
They may harass their fathers and mothers for
cash,
And buy at ten-cent stores their latter-day trash
"But I'll come no more-rm not needed, think
Good-aye.'-"Ha, hold on, and take something to
drinki"
But stay he would not-out he slipped through the
door
Cried MAY the saints bless you'll saw him no
more.
! was sorry he went and for tears was ripe,
But found On my table fae meerschaum pipe:
To Inquire who left it, scarcely need pause,
But IL believe in good old SANTA CLAUS
w. L. SHOEMAKER.