ESTABLISHED JULY. t!Ob 4
TRF.NA P. POX. EDITOR & PUBLISHER
MISS. TOE YOUNG. ASSOCIATE EDITOR
THURMAN L BROWN, SHOP MANAGER
AHCHIF H. BALLKW. PHOTOGRAPHER & CHESSMAN
PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY BY
YANCEY PUBLISHING COMPANY
SECOND CLASS POSTAGE PAID AT BURNSVILLE, N. C
THURSDAY. DEC ». I*7 NUMBER SIXTEEN
SUBSCRIPTION RATES $3 00 PER YEAR
OUT OF COUNTY $4.00 PER YEAR
t was the night before Christmas,
when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring,
not even a mouse;
Hie stockings were hung
by the chimney with care,
in hopes that St. Nicholas
soon would be there;
'lad to-! settled our brains
a. I nun the bed
* \\ hat was the matter.
/
s to the w indow
; Hew like a flash,
pn» the shutters
"d ‘brew up the sash.
! lie moon on the breast
oi the new-fallen snow
Ca\e the luster M midday
V bjects below,
Wh, i) what to my
wondering eves should appear,
Hut 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.
0
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, CojHet! on. Cupid!
on. Ponder and Bliizen!
1 The Night
Before Christmas
By CLEMENT C. MOORE I
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 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 peddler
just opening his pack.
His eyes how they twinkled!
liis dimples how merry!
Mis cheeks were like roses
his wise lj! a chenv !
He was chubby and plump,
a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him,
in spite of myself;
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 bowlful of jelly.
-A
VI Jp % vkjsf JV *
MfT y i
. nmMkSftSm i fiHMFTn
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,
He sprang to his sleigh,
tp his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew
like the down of a thistle.
And laying his finger
aside of his nose,
And giving a nod,
up the chimney he rose;
But I heard him exclaim,
ere he drove out of sight,
“Happy Christmas to all
and to all a good night.”