Year: 1861

harncssed to tiny sleigh, with his tiny
toys, books and other little presents, for
good little BOYS and girls, never forgets to
call on Christmas eve with tokens Of his
remembrance; and you think him very
nice as well as very funny little man
for so doing. We presume you often
wonder Who old Santa Claus must be;
and who his father and mother were ;
where they lived; and how he manages
TO get money enough to buy so many
nice things for all the good little children
in the world; and what makes him so
mindful of them; and how he can visit
all the houses in the same night, and
make such delightful distribution of his
presents Now we shall leave all these
questions and wonderments to be settled
by your parents, and we will introduce TO
you another person no less worthy Of your
admiration, though much unlike Santa
Claus.


You no doubt often wonder why the
day on which you find such nice presents
in store for you, when you wake in the
morning, and when, after breakfast, you
call on all the storekeepers and wish them
a Merry Christmas" and get stick Of
candy, few nuts, raisins, or something
you like equally ms well, for 50 doing and
your little school-mates call TO see you and
tell you and show YOU what they have
got for Christmas present, and you, in
turn, bring out what you found in your
stocking in the morning. and what you
have since received from Others, you no
doubt often wonder, we say, why that
day is called Christmas.


Now this matter we propose to explain
ourselves, and TO fully understand it you
must 60 away back, back, back, in your
little minds, one thousand eight hundred
and sixty-one years, very long time ago,
when man named Joseph, carpenter
by trade, and his wife Mary, who lived
in Galilee, that you have often seen on
the large maps that are frequently hung
before you at the Sabbath School, when
you are shown by your Superintendent
where this and that place, mentioned in
your lessons, may be found.


We'll, Joseph and Mary lived in Cali
lee, province of Palestine, and in the
delightful city, Nazareth, but by order Of
the Emperor, Cesar Augustus, they were
required to go into the province Of Judea
to the city of Bethlehem, where they were
probably born, TO settle matter of taxes
that they were required to pay the Ro
man government, (you know your father
pays taxes,) but as there were great
many people visiting the same city, al
the same time, and on the same business,
when Joseph and Mary got there they
could find no empty room, at the inn, OF
tavern, for them, and they were obliged
to take lodgings in the Same building
with the cattle and horses, though it was
far from being as pleasant as nice room
in the house would have been, but they
no doubt made the best of it.


They were detained at Bethlehem sew
eral days before their business was cos
pletcd, still occupying a little space will
their friendly companions, the horses an(
cattle, when one day little stranger
made its appearance. II was wrapped il
loose clothing and laid in mangcr e
sleep, and no doubt it slept just rs sweet
ly and soundly there rs either Of you di(
in your nice mahogany or willow cradle
and Mary, its mother, watched it Their


with as much love and delight rs you


mother ever watched over you when yol


were tiny, wo-bit of an infant. Blu


while this little stranger lay there in tn


manger, as you would suppose, scarccl.


noticed by any one save its father an,


mother, some shepherds, on the noun


tains, not far of, who were watching thei


sheep, that no wolves or other wild AM


mails might do them harm, were informe


Of the birth that had occurred in so low


ly place, in very curious and wonder


ful manner


AS they were looking up, as we imae