October 17, 2025 • 11 mins
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
The Festival of Saint Nicholas by Mary Mape's Dodge. We
all know how, before the Christmas tree began to flourish
in the home life of our country, a certain right
jolly old elf with eight tiny reindeer, used to drive
his sleigh load of toys up to our housetops, and
then bound down the chimney to fill the stockings so
(00:21):
hopefully hung by the fireplace. His friends called him Santa Claus,
and those who were most intimate venture to say Old Nick.
It was said that he originally came from Holland. Doubtless
he did, but if so, he certainly, like many other foreigners,
changed his ways very much after landing upon our shores.
(00:43):
In Holland, Saint Nicholas is a veritable saint, and often
appears in full costume, with his embroidered robes glittering with
gems and gold, his miter, his crozier, and his jeweled gloves.
Here Santa Claus comes rollicking along on the twenty fifth
of December, our Christmas morn. But in Holland, Saint Nicholas
(01:03):
visits Earth on the fifth, a time especially appropriated to him.
Early on the morning of the sixth which is Saint
Nicholas Day. He distributes his candies, toys and treasures, and
then vanishes for a year. Christmas Day is devoted by
the Hollanders to church writes and pleasant family visiting. It
is on Saint Nicholas Eve that their young people become
(01:25):
half wild with joy and expectation. To some of them,
it is a sorry time, for the Saint is very candid,
and if any of them have been bad during the
past year, he is quite sure to tell them. So.
Sometimes he carries a birch rod under his arm and
advises the parents to give them scoldings in place of
confections and floggings instead of joys. It was well that
(01:48):
the boys hastened to their abodes on that bright winter evening,
for in less than an hour afterwards, the Saint made
his appearance in half the homes of Holland. He visited
the King's palace, and in the same moment appeared in
Annie Boehman's comfortable home. Probably one of our silver half
dollars would have purchased all that his Saint ship left
(02:08):
at the peasant Bowman's, but a half dollar's worth will
sometimes do for the poor. What hundreds of dollars may
fail to do for the rich, it makes them happy
and grateful, fills them with new peace and love. Hilda
von Gleck's little brothers and sisters were in a high
state of excitement that night. They had been admitted into
the grand parlor. They were dressed in their best and
(02:31):
had been given two cakes apiece at supper. Hilda was
as joyous as any. Why not, Saint Nicholas would never
cross a girl of fourteen from his list just because
she was tall and looked almost like a woman. On
the contrary, he would probably exert himself to do honor
to such an august looking damsel. Who could tell? So?
(02:52):
She sported and laughed and danced as gaily as the youngest,
and was the soul of all their merry games. Father,
mother and grandmother looked on approvingly. So did Grandfather before
he spread as larger at handkerchief over his face, leaving
only the top of a skull cap visible. This kerchief
was his ensign of sleep. Earlier in the evening all
(03:15):
had joined in the fun and the general hilarity. There
had seemed to be a difference only in bulk between
grandfather and the baby indeed, a shade of solemn expectation
now and then flitting across the faces of the younger members,
and made them seem rather more thoughtful than their elders.
Now the spirit of fun reigned supreme. The very flames
(03:36):
danced and capered in the polished grate. A pair of
prim candles that had been staring at the astral lamp
began to wink at other candles far away in the mirrors.
There was a long bell rope suspended from the ceiling
in the corner, made of glass beads netted over a
cord nearly as thick as your wrist. It generally hung
(03:57):
in the shadow and made no sign but to night.
It twinkled from end to end. Its handle of crimson
glass sent reckless dashes of red at the papered wall,
turning its dainty blue stripes into purple. Passers by halted
to catch the merry laughter floating through curtain and sash
into the street, then skipped on their way with the
startled consciousness that the village was wide awake. At last,
(04:21):
matters grew so uproarious that the Grandsire's red kerchief came
down from his face with a jerk. What decent old
gentleman could sleep in such a racket. Minheer von Gleck
regarded his children with astonishment. The baby even showed symptoms
of hysterics. It was high time to attend to business.
(04:41):
Mevro suggested that if they wished to see the good
Saint Nicholas, they should sing the same loving invitation had
brought him the year before. The baby stared and thrust
his fist into his mouth as Minniea put him down
upon the floor. Soon he sat erect and looked with
a sweet scowl at the company, with his lace and embroideries,
(05:02):
and his crown of blue ribbon and whalebone. For he
was not quite past a tumbling age. He looked like
the king of babies. The other children, each holding a
pretty willow basket, formed at once in a ring, and
moved slowly round the little fellow, lifting their eyes. Meanwhile,
for the saint to whom they were about to address
themselves was yet in mysterious quarters. Mevro commenced, playing softly
(05:26):
upon the piano. Soon the voices rose, gentle, youthful voices,
rendered all the sweeter for their tremor welcome friend, Saint Nicholas, welcome,
bring no rod for us to night, while our voices
bid THEE welcome every heart with joy is light. Tell
us every fault and failing, we will bear thy keenest railing.
(05:49):
So we sing, so we sing, Thou shalt tell us everything.
Welcome friend, Saint Nicholas, Welcome. Welcome to this merry band,
happy children, and greet thee. Welcome Thou art gladdening all
the land, fill each empty hand in basket tis thy
little ones who ask it. So we sing, so we sing,
(06:11):
Thou wilt bring us everything. During the chorus, sundry glances,
half in eagerness, half in dread, had been cast towards
the polished folding doors. Now a loud knocking was heard.
The circle was broken in an instant. Some of the
little ones, with a strange mixture of fear and delight,
(06:31):
pressed against their mother's knee. Grandfather bent forward, with his
chin resting upon his hand. Grandmother lifted her spectacles. Mainheer
von Gleck, seated by the fireplace, slowly drew his meersham
from his mouth, while Hilda and the other children settled
themselves beside him in an expectant group. The knocking was
heard again. Come in, said the Maverra softly. The door
(06:56):
slowly opened, and Saint Nicholas, in full array, stood before them.
You could have heard a pin drop soon he spoke,
What a mysterious majesty in his voice, what kindliness in
his tone? Karl von Gleck, I am pleased to greet
thee and thy honored Vrau Katharine and thy Son and
(07:18):
his good Rau Annie children. I greet ye all, Hendrik,
Hilda Broom, Katie Huyans and Lucretia and thy cousins, Wolfert, Didrich, Makon,
Vust and Katrina good children. Ye have been in the
main since I last Accostaty Didrich was rude at the
(07:39):
Harlem Fair last fall, but he has tried to atone
for it. Since Makon has failed of late in her lessons,
and too many sweets and trifles have gone to her
lips and too few stivers to her charity box. Didrich,
I trust will be a polite, manly boy for the future,
and Machon will endeavor to shine as a student. Let
her remember two that economy and thrift are needed in
(08:02):
the foundation of a worthy and generous life. Little Katy
has been cruel to the cat more than once. Saint
Nicholas can hear the cat cry when its tail is pulled.
I will forgive her if she will remember from this
hour that the smallest dumb creatures have feeling and must
not be abused. As Katy burst into a frightened cry,
(08:23):
the Saint graciously remained silent until she was soothed. Master
Broom he resumed. I warn THEE that boys who are
in the habit of putting snuff upon the footstove of
the schoolmistress may one day be discovered and receive a flogging.
Master Broom colored and stared in great astonishment. But thou
(08:44):
art such an excellent scholar, I shall make THEE no
further reproof. Thou Hendrick didst distinguish thyself in the archery
match last spring, and hit to the dull, though the
bird were swung before to unsteady thine eye. I give
THEE credit for selling in manly sport and exercise, though
I must not unduly countenance thy boat racing, since it
(09:06):
leaves THEE too little time for thy proper studies. Lucretia
and Hilda shall have a blessed sleep to night. The
consciousness of kindness to the poor, devotion in their souls,
and cheerful hearty obedience to household rule will render them
happy with one and all. I avow myself well, content, goodness, industry, benevolence,
(09:27):
and thrift have prevailed in your midst. Therefore my blessing
upon you, And may the new year find all treading
the paths of obedience, wisdom, and love. Tomorrow you shall
find more substantial proofs that I have been in your home. Farewell.
With these words came a great shower of sugar plums
upon a linen sheet spread out in front of the doors.
(09:50):
A general scramble followed. That children fairly tumbled over each
other in their eagerness to fill their baskets. Mayreraou cautiously
held the baby down upon the sheet till the little
fists were filled. Then the bravest of the youngsters sprang
up and threw open the closed doors. In vain, they
searched the mysterious apartment. Saint Nicholas was nowhere to be seen.
(10:13):
Soon they all sped to another room, where stood a
table covered with the whitest of linen damask Each child
in a flutter of pleasure laid a shoe upon it,
and each shoe held a little hay for the Good
Saint's horse. The door was then carefully locked and its
key hidden in the mother's bedroom. Next followed good night kisses,
(10:33):
a grand family procession to the upper floor, merry farewells
at bedroom doors, and silence at last reigned in the
von Gleck mansion. Early the next morning, the door was
solemnly unlocked and opened in the presence of the assembled household.
When lo a sight appeared, proving Good Saint Nicholas to
be a saint of his word. Every shoe was filled
(10:56):
to overflowing, and beside each stood a many colored pile.
The table was heavy with its load of presents, candies, toys, trinkets,
books and other articles. Every one had gifts from grandfather
down to the baby, and of the Festival of Saint
Nicholas by Mary Mape's darch
The Festival of Saint Nicholas by Mary Mape's Dodge. We
all know how, before the Christmas tree began to flourish
in the home life of our country, a certain right
jolly old elf with eight tiny reindeer, used to drive
his sleigh load of toys up to our housetops, and
then bound down the chimney to fill the stockings so
(00:21):
hopefully hung by the fireplace. His friends called him Santa Claus,
and those who were most intimate venture to say Old Nick.
It was said that he originally came from Holland. Doubtless
he did, but if so, he certainly, like many other foreigners,
changed his ways very much after landing upon our shores.
(00:43):
In Holland, Saint Nicholas is a veritable saint, and often
appears in full costume, with his embroidered robes glittering with
gems and gold, his miter, his crozier, and his jeweled gloves.
Here Santa Claus comes rollicking along on the twenty fifth
of December, our Christmas morn. But in Holland, Saint Nicholas
(01:03):
visits Earth on the fifth, a time especially appropriated to him.
Early on the morning of the sixth which is Saint
Nicholas Day. He distributes his candies, toys and treasures, and
then vanishes for a year. Christmas Day is devoted by
the Hollanders to church writes and pleasant family visiting. It
is on Saint Nicholas Eve that their young people become
(01:25):
half wild with joy and expectation. To some of them,
it is a sorry time, for the Saint is very candid,
and if any of them have been bad during the
past year, he is quite sure to tell them. So.
Sometimes he carries a birch rod under his arm and
advises the parents to give them scoldings in place of
confections and floggings instead of joys. It was well that
(01:48):
the boys hastened to their abodes on that bright winter evening,
for in less than an hour afterwards, the Saint made
his appearance in half the homes of Holland. He visited
the King's palace, and in the same moment appeared in
Annie Boehman's comfortable home. Probably one of our silver half
dollars would have purchased all that his Saint ship left
(02:08):
at the peasant Bowman's, but a half dollar's worth will
sometimes do for the poor. What hundreds of dollars may
fail to do for the rich, it makes them happy
and grateful, fills them with new peace and love. Hilda
von Gleck's little brothers and sisters were in a high
state of excitement that night. They had been admitted into
the grand parlor. They were dressed in their best and
(02:31):
had been given two cakes apiece at supper. Hilda was
as joyous as any. Why not, Saint Nicholas would never
cross a girl of fourteen from his list just because
she was tall and looked almost like a woman. On
the contrary, he would probably exert himself to do honor
to such an august looking damsel. Who could tell? So?
(02:52):
She sported and laughed and danced as gaily as the youngest,
and was the soul of all their merry games. Father,
mother and grandmother looked on approvingly. So did Grandfather before
he spread as larger at handkerchief over his face, leaving
only the top of a skull cap visible. This kerchief
was his ensign of sleep. Earlier in the evening all
(03:15):
had joined in the fun and the general hilarity. There
had seemed to be a difference only in bulk between
grandfather and the baby indeed, a shade of solemn expectation
now and then flitting across the faces of the younger members,
and made them seem rather more thoughtful than their elders.
Now the spirit of fun reigned supreme. The very flames
(03:36):
danced and capered in the polished grate. A pair of
prim candles that had been staring at the astral lamp
began to wink at other candles far away in the mirrors.
There was a long bell rope suspended from the ceiling
in the corner, made of glass beads netted over a
cord nearly as thick as your wrist. It generally hung
(03:57):
in the shadow and made no sign but to night.
It twinkled from end to end. Its handle of crimson
glass sent reckless dashes of red at the papered wall,
turning its dainty blue stripes into purple. Passers by halted
to catch the merry laughter floating through curtain and sash
into the street, then skipped on their way with the
startled consciousness that the village was wide awake. At last,
(04:21):
matters grew so uproarious that the Grandsire's red kerchief came
down from his face with a jerk. What decent old
gentleman could sleep in such a racket. Minheer von Gleck
regarded his children with astonishment. The baby even showed symptoms
of hysterics. It was high time to attend to business.
(04:41):
Mevro suggested that if they wished to see the good
Saint Nicholas, they should sing the same loving invitation had
brought him the year before. The baby stared and thrust
his fist into his mouth as Minniea put him down
upon the floor. Soon he sat erect and looked with
a sweet scowl at the company, with his lace and embroideries,
(05:02):
and his crown of blue ribbon and whalebone. For he
was not quite past a tumbling age. He looked like
the king of babies. The other children, each holding a
pretty willow basket, formed at once in a ring, and
moved slowly round the little fellow, lifting their eyes. Meanwhile,
for the saint to whom they were about to address
themselves was yet in mysterious quarters. Mevro commenced, playing softly
(05:26):
upon the piano. Soon the voices rose, gentle, youthful voices,
rendered all the sweeter for their tremor welcome friend, Saint Nicholas, welcome,
bring no rod for us to night, while our voices
bid THEE welcome every heart with joy is light. Tell
us every fault and failing, we will bear thy keenest railing.
(05:49):
So we sing, so we sing, Thou shalt tell us everything.
Welcome friend, Saint Nicholas, Welcome. Welcome to this merry band,
happy children, and greet thee. Welcome Thou art gladdening all
the land, fill each empty hand in basket tis thy
little ones who ask it. So we sing, so we sing,
(06:11):
Thou wilt bring us everything. During the chorus, sundry glances,
half in eagerness, half in dread, had been cast towards
the polished folding doors. Now a loud knocking was heard.
The circle was broken in an instant. Some of the
little ones, with a strange mixture of fear and delight,
(06:31):
pressed against their mother's knee. Grandfather bent forward, with his
chin resting upon his hand. Grandmother lifted her spectacles. Mainheer
von Gleck, seated by the fireplace, slowly drew his meersham
from his mouth, while Hilda and the other children settled
themselves beside him in an expectant group. The knocking was
heard again. Come in, said the Maverra softly. The door
(06:56):
slowly opened, and Saint Nicholas, in full array, stood before them.
You could have heard a pin drop soon he spoke,
What a mysterious majesty in his voice, what kindliness in
his tone? Karl von Gleck, I am pleased to greet
thee and thy honored Vrau Katharine and thy Son and
(07:18):
his good Rau Annie children. I greet ye all, Hendrik,
Hilda Broom, Katie Huyans and Lucretia and thy cousins, Wolfert, Didrich, Makon,
Vust and Katrina good children. Ye have been in the
main since I last Accostaty Didrich was rude at the
(07:39):
Harlem Fair last fall, but he has tried to atone
for it. Since Makon has failed of late in her lessons,
and too many sweets and trifles have gone to her
lips and too few stivers to her charity box. Didrich,
I trust will be a polite, manly boy for the future,
and Machon will endeavor to shine as a student. Let
her remember two that economy and thrift are needed in
(08:02):
the foundation of a worthy and generous life. Little Katy
has been cruel to the cat more than once. Saint
Nicholas can hear the cat cry when its tail is pulled.
I will forgive her if she will remember from this
hour that the smallest dumb creatures have feeling and must
not be abused. As Katy burst into a frightened cry,
(08:23):
the Saint graciously remained silent until she was soothed. Master
Broom he resumed. I warn THEE that boys who are
in the habit of putting snuff upon the footstove of
the schoolmistress may one day be discovered and receive a flogging.
Master Broom colored and stared in great astonishment. But thou
(08:44):
art such an excellent scholar, I shall make THEE no
further reproof. Thou Hendrick didst distinguish thyself in the archery
match last spring, and hit to the dull, though the
bird were swung before to unsteady thine eye. I give
THEE credit for selling in manly sport and exercise, though
I must not unduly countenance thy boat racing, since it
(09:06):
leaves THEE too little time for thy proper studies. Lucretia
and Hilda shall have a blessed sleep to night. The
consciousness of kindness to the poor, devotion in their souls,
and cheerful hearty obedience to household rule will render them
happy with one and all. I avow myself well, content, goodness, industry, benevolence,
(09:27):
and thrift have prevailed in your midst. Therefore my blessing
upon you, And may the new year find all treading
the paths of obedience, wisdom, and love. Tomorrow you shall
find more substantial proofs that I have been in your home. Farewell.
With these words came a great shower of sugar plums
upon a linen sheet spread out in front of the doors.
(09:50):
A general scramble followed. That children fairly tumbled over each
other in their eagerness to fill their baskets. Mayreraou cautiously
held the baby down upon the sheet till the little
fists were filled. Then the bravest of the youngsters sprang
up and threw open the closed doors. In vain, they
searched the mysterious apartment. Saint Nicholas was nowhere to be seen.
(10:13):
Soon they all sped to another room, where stood a
table covered with the whitest of linen damask Each child
in a flutter of pleasure laid a shoe upon it,
and each shoe held a little hay for the Good
Saint's horse. The door was then carefully locked and its
key hidden in the mother's bedroom. Next followed good night kisses,
(10:33):
a grand family procession to the upper floor, merry farewells
at bedroom doors, and silence at last reigned in the
von Gleck mansion. Early the next morning, the door was
solemnly unlocked and opened in the presence of the assembled household.
When lo a sight appeared, proving Good Saint Nicholas to
be a saint of his word. Every shoe was filled
(10:56):
to overflowing, and beside each stood a many colored pile.
The table was heavy with its load of presents, candies, toys, trinkets,
books and other articles. Every one had gifts from grandfather
down to the baby, and of the Festival of Saint
Nicholas by Mary Mape's darch
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