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Robert Story: Nicholas

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky, So up to the house-top the coursers they flew, With the sleighs full of toys-and St. Nicholas, too. And then in a twinkling I heard on the roof The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my head, and was turning around, Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur from his head to his foot, And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot; A bundle of toys he had flung on his back, And he looked like a pedler just opening his pack.

His eyes how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!

His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry; His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, And the beard on his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth, And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.

He had a broad face and a little round belly That shook, when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly. He was chubby and plump-a right jolly old elf; And I laughed, when I saw him, in spite of myself. "When I was a little child," said his wife, "my father died suddenly, and my old nurse took me home till my uncle sent for me. One day as she was carry- A wink of his eye and a twist of his head ing me out a villain struck me. My nurse fell with Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread. me to the ground, and I was taken up for dead. But He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, I recovered, and now I wear my head-dress in this And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk, way in order to hide the scar of that wound."

A Visit from Santa Claus.

WAS the night before Christmas, when all through the house 'T Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there; The children were nestled all snug in their beds, While visions of sugar plums danced in their heads; And mamma in her kerchief, and I in my cap, Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap- When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, And laying his finger aside of his nose, And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose.

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, And away they all flew like the down of a thistle; But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight: "Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night?"