A visit from St. Nicholas

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 68631 *** _This little Book conveys the Greetings of_ ............................................................ _to_ ............................................................ [Illustration: (St. Nicholas in a home delivering presents to children)] [Illustration: (Page decoration)] _A_ VISIT _from_ St. NICHOLAS ∵ _By Clement C. Moore_ _Boston The Atlantic Monthly Press_ 1921 [Illustration: (Sleigh and rein-deer on top of home)] _’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 through 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,_ _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 rein-deer,_ _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 them by name:_ “_Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!_ _On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder and Blixen!_ _To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!_ _Now dash away! dash away! dash away, all!_” _As leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,_ _When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,_ _So up to the housetop the coursers they flew,_ _With the sleigh 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 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,_ _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!_” [Illustration: (St. Nicholas at the fireplace)] ⸿_Designed by Bruce Rogers and printed by William Edwin Rudge, Mount Vernon, N. Y. The text is that of the original (1837) edition. The woodcuts are by Florence Wyman Ivins._ [Illustration: (Original back cover)] *** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 68631 ***