Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1921-12-23
Story of the
Christmas Stocking
/ "

Nv Christmas eve as we hang
SS them now. No one ever
III heard Of such a thing as
AA hanging up a stocking for
Christmas gifts. And if
children had thought Of such a thing
they would have said, ''What a 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
eft notes in them telling Santa to
Ill them to the brim. Each year the
children left larger vessels to be filled,
children left larger vessels to be filed
Up in the great white north Santa
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 aabored every
day throughout the year, and often he
built toys late into the night, for
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 go
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 a. 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 fluttered down
and nestled against his cheek. and a
tiny voice whispered into his ear:
"Santa, I will help you"
"Who are you?' asked st. Nicholas
II am q snow fairy" answered the
tiny voice GAS my sisters and l 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 I DOR asked
Santa.
Just go about your work as usual"
answered the fairy Il and all my
sisters will help YOU"
ooh, thank you-thank YOU" cried
st. Nicholas. And the fairy hoated out
among the other snowfakes
As the children went about the
snoWtlakes whirled around them. and
it seemed as if they heard the chant
ing of tiny voices and as the snow
fakes nestled against their ears they
seemed to sing: Just 4 stocking
hang a stocking up on Christmas eve"
Just stoclling-iuSt 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 snowf1akes and
left the great baskets as they always
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 snowflakes.
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 it from
a Christmas fairy.