The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-22
THE TRUE SANTA CLAUS.
me Lovely Lesends mat Nave Made ~.
NiCiolas Believed Of All Men.
From the Guardian.

From the Guardian.
Though the actual facts known about
st. Nicholas. whose coinmemoration falls
on Dec Q, would 20 into a nutshell. there
Ia no other saint In the calendar who has
enjoyed 40 wide and long-sustaincd a popu-
larity. The mass OF legendary accretions
that have grown around his memory and
have given rise to vast amount OF popular
customs folk tales and observanoes might
MI respectable volume. The Cottonian
Ms. Legendary says: He Us mych preysed
In holy Chyrch for tire thynges spccyaly.
for his mex lyuyng. for his hevenly chesyns.
for his gret COMPASSION hauyna How
extensive was his popularity may be esti-
mated from the fact that no fewer than 37s
churches In England alone are said TO have
been dedicated to his honor And how
deeply his genial. II some what mythical.
personality impressed the INN gination of
Catholic Europe may be judged from the
varied and heterogeneous clientele OF per-
eons and occupations that have desired to
shelter themselves under his sanity pro-
lection. He is the chosen patron Of children
and schoolboys. OF virgins and maria ceable
maidens, Of scholars and parish clerks, OF
pawnbrokers and travellers. OF sailors and
thieves. OF persons in danger either from
fire or water
Even In his tenderest infancy Saint Nicho-
las the nobn clerk" became an esemplar
Of strict ecclesiastical observance With an
accurate knowledge Of the rules laid down
in that behalf. hardly to have been expected
in n newborn babe. he always abstained
from taking his natural nourishment on
the appointed fast days in each week until
eventide:
For willis he souksd his modcr milk.
Noght withstandnR that he was ying tyounsl
He chastyd his fesch with fasting.
The ferth fery fenol and the seat Away
souA'd bot ones on al the day.
was naturally assumed to take a special
interest in children. who were taught to
aod IN m' TO- day 81 hi. tsS,,.a1 his nro,
IN, y" Wv N"s W - a. n' rI,.,
privileges and indulgence-. In Brittany
long calvacade of schoolohildren may he
met. to whom their master is giving a ride
CONNIE IL est dusase le jour de Ia Saint
Nicolas"
,sou,ia, custom q" non,,,a, IN msd;a~ai
times but to our modern ideas Of such
Boys bishop, Epi.copus Puerorum. in the
North called Barns Bishop" On st Nicho-
lass Day the children pi the choir" in ca
sllo wed to choose one Of their number who
mad the oe., voice ' ana comels-f appearanoe,
to be invested with the NOOK powers OF
little Bishop over his fellows He entered
Day "n nq the sacreS hud,n, 20 ana SAe nSsd
in 's po"soa to mimic the ssrvios. Of ' the
Church.
A curious survival or "reminiscences of the
G.o prvl Sir kep up ahons sfnooI4 Ssy
S 9 Mrvf IN the 'n paysGS%G 0P boy
l.
I hSy h hs ef Sy thu. nsosns the Sry
t%,sd 70 o. immSnty and for the time ia safe
s srnr, moiastatinn """ 'o' '"' ''''''
'rS Sn, nD,y WAS 81 Nicholas hjmse'f a stu
yea. ,saiom NJ otector az scholars he legend tells
how a gentleman Of Asia once sent. his three
sons to pursue their studies A. Athens ems H ON
nm at pn mn Intending to pay their respects
TO 4 Archbi shop Nicholas the next morning
bs the be Inn nx q h hi ,ess resc
en- n,y G ,m nd mrdsred Tho okless students
in their sleep lS and then. to get rid Of the
poc ssox III Them away in picklins tub Which
stood conyenient' and to salt them down
as porE This atrosiSu. b1s!ne;: being
70 mn snd wSo Unable the se
Snsss b, CRIME Is oonsss all The S,o xS9S
and the Youths ma wing received his beDe.
diction' pursued their way. nothing the
worse for their paiaful expcrience This
incident furnished medinval nrt with it,
fayorite repre- sentation OF the saint who is
depictsd standing, In his episcopal robes
and with his pastoral stan, beside a hug
tub in which three naked bows are seen
70 The ws and n9aans sn ,hGr
~ such ,rescoes are found in churches al
Cotton and Tamworth in Staifordshire and
Mt 81 Cross Winchester Because he did
such honor to clerks" says Master Mace
Henry lis chaplain, who tells the story,
CLERKS hold his festival to this day"
A hcinc the professed friend of ali scholars
for whom the generic name was clerk {"
tbe parish clerk i'm particular thou chit HIM
sclf Justified. by virtue Of hs Office, in claim
ing st Nicholas a. his patron With better
ri yht the boys of Eton as being both youths
and scholars placed themselves under TN.
natronaS e OF 81 Nicholas. and used formerly
10 h"id trrir O. lei (inudy Day about I. e
time OF ia festival, though afterward il
WAS transferred TO wi i,suntiie. The once
famous Elton Montem $50 called as in
voivins an lei excursion ad moStsm to the
many features OF the old Boy Bishop pro-
c~ssion one lad masone rading in the "a rb
of n priest and another taxing the 100 Of
III. clsrE A necuIiIr rite csscntiti 10 the
sns,ivi,v was TO distribuiins Of sill nv or.
,aSn rNys called -sslt hon rers Tor IRE nonce
;; n 80 To- monsv cii,s y, /. cms,nn y,
H.. ~ 1000 70 the ;ni,i ,tion of sresbman
nsnownnmsrs 20 scbnni W, n wars 40 ia -
SHsc sss Nod" when comne,ied IN undsreo
sundry sportive trials Of enduranoe. As
the DhrnAN went. they were DiCked with