When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
but a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer.

With a little old driver so lively and quick, I knew in a moment it 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 Blitzen! To the top of the porch, to the top of the wall, now dash away, dash away, dash away all!"

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 sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholaus 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 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 of 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.

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 a 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 GOODNIGHT!"