'Twas The Night Before....

Christmas, when all through the house

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.

Mamma in her

'KERCHIEF 

and I in my cap,

Had just settled down for a long winter's nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,

Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,

Gave a lustre of midday to objects below,

When what to my wondering eyes did appear,

but a miniature

 SLEIGH AND EIGHT TINY REINDEER,

With a little old driver so lively and quick

I knew in a moment he must be

 ST. NICK!.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called out their names...

Now...

DASHER!, now DANCER!, now PRANCER, and VIXEN! On COMET, on CUPID, on DONNER, and BLITZEN!

So up to the housetop the coursers they flew
With the

 SLEIGH FULL OF TOYS

 and St. Nicholas too!

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 peddler 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 bowl full of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old

ELF

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself.
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the

 STOCKINGS

then turned with a jerk.


 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, as he flew out of sight...


"HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT!