Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1921-12-09
Story of the
Christmas Stocking

I&A ~ ings we're not hung on
NW Christmas eve as we hang
I I'D 1 them now. No one ever
1 MM | heard of such thing as
A.A | hanging up a stocking for
Christmas gifts. And IL
children had thought of such 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
nh them to the brim. Each year the
children left larger vessels to be filed,
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
lWere 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 10
I'LL 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 gone when he could
no longer build enough presents 10 60
around.
Late one December day St Nicholas
stepped from his workshop into the
deep snow. Facing the south, ne
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 ChristmasY'
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 yon?'' asked ST. Nicholas
II am 81 snow fairy" answered the
tiny voice. "As my sisters and ! have
danced about the air we have often
Iswirled about your sleigh on Christ
mas eve, and have seen the great
loads you have always carried and
how tired YOU have looked
"What. @ what, shall do?" asked
Santa.
"Just go about your work as usual"
answered the fairy. "I and all my
sisters win help you"
"Oh, thank y0u-thank YOU" cried |
list. Nicholas. And the fairy floated out |
iAmOng the other snowfiakes.
! AS the children went about the |
snOwfiakes whirled around them, and |
liz 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 a stocking up on Christmas eve"
'Just a stocking-just a 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 snowtlakes and |
left the great baskets as they always ,
had done But when they saw the |
great Joy the unselfsh 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 snowfiakes.
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 a writer, who learned 1t from
Christmas fairy.