The Night before Christmas

The Night Before

Christmas





ILLUSTRATED WITH SIX
COLOR PLATES AND
NUMEROUS BLACK
AND WHITE DRAWINGS




















CHARLES E.GRAHAM & CO.
-NET YORK:






























and all9 through the house
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The Night Before Christmas

'f'P4S the night beforeChristmas,
and all through the house

Not a creature was stirring-
not even a mouse;
0110
The stockings were hung

L CD and >MOK 1The Baldwin Library
---o Univcrsity
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S In the hope that St. Nicholas u
g soon would be there.
0 0
0 The children were nestled
all snug in their beds,

While visions of sugar-plums
danced in 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 the bed to see
what was the matter.


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I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters
and threw up the sash.
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The moon on -the breast
S of the new-fallen sno
Tore open the shutters
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Gave the lustre of mid-day
to objects below-

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
0 i coursers they came, 0
And he whistled and shouted
n and called them by name:











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"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer!
now Prancer! now Vixen!
On, Comet! on Cupid!
on, Dunder and Blixen!
To the top of the porch,
to the top of the wall!
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Now, dash away! dash away! i
0 dash away all!" ]

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As dry leaves before
the wild hurricane fly,

When they meet with an obstacle,
mount to the sky,

So up to the house-top the coursers
0 they flew, 0
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SWith a sleigh full of toys,
0 and St. Nicholas, too. 0
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I heard on the roof -
0 0
o The prancing and pawing 0
of each tiny 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,











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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 pedlar
o just opening his .pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! 0
0 "his dimples-how merry! 0
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His cheeks were like roses,
his nose like a cherry;
His droll little mouth
was drawn up in 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. 0
0 0
He was chubby and plump,
0 a right jolly old elf, 0
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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
0 I had nothing to dread. 0

SHe spoke not a word, but went 0
0 straight to his work,
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And


And


filled all the stockings- L
then turned with a jerk,

laying his finger c


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:


"Merry Christmas to all,
and to all a good-night!
Clement C. Moore.
THE END.



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