The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1919-12-20

n
has not come to us from the
people who so wantonly abused
the children of France and Belgium. When we
call ST. Nicholas Santa Claus" we ere merely
saying in our own way "San Nicolaas." as the peo-
pie of Holland say il. For the Hoanders. who
settled in New York and New Jersey 800 years
ago at the very beginning of our country, brought
San Nicoaas with them, and it was not long be-
fore Americans were saying Santa Claus"
Why, st. Nicholas belongs to all the world
Hundreds of churches in England bear his name.
There than hundred st. Nicholas
churches in Belgium. Thousands of such churches
scattered all over Europe.
The queer thing about it is that St. Nicholas
wasreaIly born In Asia Minor, in Panthera, In the
province of Lyca, in the sixth century. St NichO-
las Of Bari he is oftenest called by Europeans but
only the bones of st. Nicholas reposing for eight
centuries in the crypt of handsome cathedral at
Bari, Italy, have given him that title. He never
lived in Bari. Italian traders, who wOrshiped
him their especial protector. stole his body
from its resting place in Myra in the twelfth CEN
fury and brought it to the Italian seaport. Since
that time the celebration held there in the saints
honor is unique.
The eastern world knew and loved him first. but
it is from western Europe that learn of many
of the quaint customs connected with the ceebra-
ton of his birth. In Iyca he lived to good old
age filling his days in childhood by doing
good deeds and giving avishly to the poor of the
fortune he inherited. 1t was Christlike to give
so, as steward of God his wealth belonged to
Gods children, Nicholas believed. Finally he was
made bishop of Myra where he went to live after
a pilgrimage to the Holy Land
1t was not strange that after such life of
charity he should become a saint of the common
people, St George was a saint of knight.
hood. He was invoked by the labOrer tOiling for
his daily bread, by mariners. by merchants. He
was protector of the weak against the strong the
poor against the rich the captive the prisoner,
the slave. He was especial guardian of maidens
schoolbOys. the orphan poor. Throughout most of
Europe children are taught To reverence him. and
10 believe if they are doce and attentive to their
duties he will fill the cap stocking with dain-
ties; if they are naughty idle he certainly has
IL rod in pickle TO bring along for them.
Here is what the Encyclopedia Britannica has
to say about St. Nicholas:
"St. Nicholas, bishop of Myra, in Lycja, saint
honored by the Greeks and the Lerins the
sixth of December. His cult is as celebrated as
his history is obscure. All the accounts that have
come down 10 us are of purely legendary char
acter and it is Impossible To find any single in
cident confirmed historically The main facts of
his life are usually given as follows:
"Tie was bishop of Alyra at the time of the
Emperor DiocIetiA, was prosecuted tortured for
the faith and in prison until the more toll
Grant reign Oh stantine and present al
the counciI D. 1t should he observed thai
this last ce is ignored by all histnr
ians al hanasius. who knew all tn,
natS The period, never mention.
Myra. The oldest know
lof St Nicholas seems to b,
sous and Nicholas built a
Emperor Justinian. IN tn
Nicholas appears in TIL
pges, and churches dedi
found at the beginning o
however. from the tim
to Bari, In Apulia, tina
The Inhabitants of BaI
seized his remains b
sported them to Bar
rtJfumph on the mint
foundations were Iai
pnor. This was tn
popular pilgrimag
hes In England ded
the patron saint
of children, scho
and is invoked b
art St Nicholas
butes, being mo-
children standir
arious Interpret
cerfafn One @
be legend of S
o life three rio
cut up. and co
pEish innkeep
ID taken lod