The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1921-12-22
Story of the
Christmas Stocking

I
nv ~ ings were not hung on
" Christmas eve as We hang
them now. No one ever
heard of such a thing as
IA hanging up stocking for
Christmas gifts. And if
children had thought of such a thing
they would have said, what foolish
idea! A stocking wouldn't hold half
the things we want" So the children
throughout the world placed crooks,
big brass basins, and copper kettles
on the hearth on Christmas eve and
left notes in them telling Santa to
fill them to the brim. Each year the
children left larger vessels to be filled,
children left larger vessels to be filled.
Up in the great white north Santa's
reindeer no longer pranced and paved,
impatient to be off on Christmas eve,
as they once had done. They hung
their heads and a tired look came
into their big brown eyes, for they re-
membered how heavy the loads had
grown and how many more trips they
were forced to make year by year.
st. Nicholas no longer rested now
through the summer months. as he
once had done, but 2abored every
day throughout the year, and often he
built toys late into the night, for a
great many gifts had to be made to
fill the baskets that the greedy children
left. The twinkle left his merry eyes,
and he no longer sang about his work,
for he was sad and thought Of the
time that would come when he could
no longer build enough presents to 60
around.
Late one December day st. Nicholas
stepped from his workshop into the
deep snow. Facing the south, he
stretched out his tired arms and
called: Hear, oh hear, children of the
earth, my loved ones. can you not see
you are becoming selfish and that your
greedy demands are too great task.
even for St. Nicholas, king of the
Christmas spirit? Can't you see, my
children, that you are killing the spirit
of Christmas"
His chin sank upon his chest and
tears glistened in his kindly eyes. A
soft white snowflake fiuttered down
and nestled against his cheek, and a
tiny voice whispered into his ear:
Santa, will help you."
"Who are you?" asked st. Nicholas
II am a snow fairy" answered the
tiny voice. "As my sisters and have
danced about the air we have often
swirled about your sleigh on Christ
mas eve, and have seen the great
loads YOU have always carried and
how tired you have looked"
"What. o what, shall 1 do?' asked
Santa.
"Just 60 about your work as usual"
answered the fairy. 81 and all my
sisters will help YOU"
ooh, thank you-thank you," cried
st. Nicholas And the fairy floated out
among the other snowfakes.
AS the children went about the
snowfiakes whirled around them, and
it seemed as if they heard the chant
ing of tiny voices. and as the snow
flakes nestled against their ears they
seemed to sing: Just stocking
hang stocking up ON Christmas eve"
"Just stocking-just stocking"
rang through the hearts Of the children
on Christmas eve. And in place of
leaving the great vessels as they once
had done they just hung up their
stockings.
Some children were too selfish to
hear the song Of the snowfakes and
left the great baskets as they always
had done. But when they saw the
great joy the unselfish children had
in their gifts and how contented and
happy they were these selfish ones
were ashamed. and they, too, began
to hang up only their stockings when
Christmas eve came round.
When st. Nicholas found stockings
in place of the great baskets and
barrels the twinkle came again into
his laughing eyes, his cheeks grew
red, and he sang as he drove through
the merry sea of snOwf1akes.
With just stockings to fill St.
Nicholas had time to rest, and he
grew strong and we'll. and the spirit
of Christmas lived. SO this is why
nowadays we hang up our stockings
on Christmas eve. All this we are
told by writer, who learned 1t from
a Christmas fairy.