Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1897-12-24
GOOD ST. NICHOLAS.
(By Mary Diefendorf.)

thoughts the vision of the guardian
spirit of the season. At the time whel
the name Of St. Nicholas, or the NOR
familiar nickname, Santa Claus, is 81
often upon our lips, 1t Is surely fitting
that we should spend few minutes II
the study Of that well-beloved saint
and OF the traditions in which he hold:
SO prominent place.
The birthplace Of the subject Of oul
sketch was the city of Patava, In Asia
Minor. There he was made abbot, and
won renown by his religious devotion.
He afterward became Archbishop OF
Myra. At the latter place, in course
Of time he died, and was duly buried.
In May, 1887 his remains were carried
| by some pious Italians to Bari, on the
Adriatic coast. There they now rest
In the splendid church that bears his
name.
Every year pilgrimage is made to
bis shrine by the people for miles
around. No one seeking food on that
occasion is refused it by the priests.
while shelter is given to as many as
the edifce will hold.
On St. Nicholas Day, Dec. 6, there
IS a great celebration. Early in the
morning the sailors. who, as we'll as
maidens and children, claim to be
under the peculiar protection Of the
saint, take his image from the priests
and parade with it through the town.
Then they sail away with it, returning
and bringing it back at nightfall amid
the general illumination of the city.
Now, this same pious bishop, who
beams so family upon our vision
through the vistas of the past, yelled
in a dim, religious light" is to US OF
the present day, perhaps, the most be-
loved saint on the calendar. More
over. to all Americans he should be
peculiarly dear, and invested with
great historic interest as the guardian
genius of our metropolis.
In that wonderful book, "Knicker-
bocker's History Of New York." that
work so quaint in humor and rich in
the pcrpetuation Of old traditions, we
find many edifylng references to our
hero. The Dutch ship, the Goede
Vrouw, SO runs the story, came over
from Holland three or four years after
the return of Hudson, bringing settlers
for the new world, who located at
Communipaw. At the bow of the good
ly vessel stood an image Of St. Nicho-
las, smoking a long-stemmcd pipe and
wearing broad-brimmed hat. To his
guiding care all attributed their pros
porous voyage. In due time a prophet
among them dreamed dream, which
was that st. Nicholas appeared and d.
rected him to seek another abiding
place. Thereupon Heer Van Kortland,
the dreamer, and selected band Of
men went in search of another habita-
ton, and were stranded on Manhat-
tan island. There. after RECALLING them
selves on oysters, they rested little
time. Meanwhile the dreamer dreamed
again. Again st. Nicholas appeared,
and sitting down at the foot OF tree,
smoked his pipe. And as the smoke
rose, it spread over vast extent of
] territory, and resolved itself into
many peculiar shapes, as Of spires and
I steeples, after which it finally cleared
away. "And when st. Nicholas had
smoked his pipe, he twisted it in his
hatband, and laying his finger beside
his nose, gave the astonished Van
Kortland very significant look; then
mounting his wagon, he returned over
the tree-tops and disappeared.
"And Van Kortland awoke from his
sleep greatly instructed; and he reused
his companions and related to them
his dream and interpreted it that II
was the will of St. Nicholas that they
should settle down and build a city
here" That spot was Bowling Green
Now, when these voyagers had re-
turned to their homes and related THU
incident, all 1.-The people lifted up theil
voices and blessed the good St. Nicho
has,"
After these thrifty folk had becom'
settled in their new abode, they con
structed a fort, and within the for
they built the first church erected IL
the future city OF New York. 1t wa
made Of stone, and named after st
Nicholas, who, as Irving tells US, i'm
mcdiately adopted New Amsterdam a.
bis special charge, and became its tn
telar guardian.
The people of New Amsterdam swor
by St. Nicholas when they had an.
swearing to do. They blessed hin
when they were happy, thanked hin
when they were favored, committee
their voyaging and absent friends t.
his guiding and protecting care, wen
to the field of war singing his grea
song and fought their conflicts shout
Ing, est. Nicholas and the Mammal
toes" as their battle cry.
Interesting as the history OF tn
grave bishop of Myra may prove
and interviewer as his memor.
must ever be with the tradi
tons of the city Of which he afterwar
became the tutelary saint, it is no
of either Of these manifestations tina
the children like best to think. 1t !
az master of the ceremonies OF Christ
mastide that he appears enveloped l.
the most fascinating glamor.
Bayard Taylor tells lis that on on
occasion, when he was in German,
about December 1, fair was held i
the town he was visiting. atWhich TAI
many toys were exhibited, and 81
Nicholas. in counterfeit presentmen
was everywhere to be seen. On man
Of the little booths were also "bundle
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