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CHRISTMAS.A VISIT FROM ST. NICHOLAS.[by- CLEMENT C. MOORE ]'Twas the night before Christinas, when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse ;The stockings were hung by the chimney w*th care,In hope that St. Nicholas soon would be there ;The children were nestled all snug in their beds,While visions of sugar-plums danced through their heads ;And mamma in her Kerchief, and 1 in my cap,Had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap— hen out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,I sprang from tny bed to see what was the matter ;Away tj the window I flew like a flash,Tore open the shatters, and threw up the sash,The moon, on the breast of the new-fallen snow,Gave the lustre of mid day to objects below.When, what to my wandering eyes should appear,But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer,With a little old driver, so lively and quick,1 knew in a moment it mast be St. Nick.More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name : ‘‘Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer! now, Vixen ! On, Comet, on ! Cupid, on ! Dooder and Blixen !To the top of the porch! to the lop of the wall!Now, dash away, dash away, dash away all!”As leaves that belore the wild hurricane fly,Wheo they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,So, up to the house-tops the coursers they flew,With the sleigh full o! toys—and St. Nicholas ton.And then in a twinkling 1 heard on the roof The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.As 1 drew in my head, and was turning around,Io*u the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.He was drewed af1 in far, from his head to his foot,And his clothes were all tarnish’d with ashes and soot ;A bundlj of toys he had flung on his back,And he look'd like a pedlar just opeuing his pack.His eyes—how they twinkled ! his dimples, bow merry !His cheeks were tike roses, his nose like a cherry;Hi* 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 bowl full of jelly.He was chubby aud plump; a right jolly old elf;And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself.A wmk of his eye, and a twist of his head,So.n gave me to know I had nothing to dread.He spoke n.t a word, but went straight to hia work,And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jirk,And laying his fingers aside of his nose,And giving a nod, up the chimney he isse.He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,And away they all flew like the down of a thistle ;But 1 heard him exclaim ere he drove out of sight,“ Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night !”
Newspaper Details
Washington National Intelligencer
Washington, Washington-DC, US
Mon, Dec 25, 1837
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Scott N.
USA 10 Aug 2018
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