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A letter from Santa Claus for Christmas
eighteen forty nine. My dear children,

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as I have always been in the
habit of meeting with you on this anniversary,

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and as I cannot expect to see
you all together this year, for

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the sake of old times, I
am going to write you a letter.

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Perhaps you are not aware that I
have been a silent spectator of your daily

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occupations, but so it is.
I generally take a nap from one year

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to another. So after our glorious
celebration at the bee Hive, I packed

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myself away in the stovepipe for that
purpose, but the hum of merry voices

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kept me awake, and thus I
lay and listened to what was going on.

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The fairies, in whom you perhaps
all believe, have also been quite

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numerous in your vicinity, and from
my relationship to them, I have often

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heard of your excursions over hill and
dale, and the many gay times you

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have enjoyed together. I travel over
many regions at this season of the year,

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and in order to accomplish all I
wish in my endeavors to please the

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young folks, I shall begin my
preparations a little earlier than usual, so

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you need not wonder if I visit
some of you a little before Christmas and

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New Year with one of my gifts. This will consist of a few of

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the simplest little sketches, letters,
and reminiscences of the various occurrences in which

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you have participated, And I hope
the contents of this Christmas bow will give

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you as much satisfaction as those of
by gone seasons. When the festive pine

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tree erected to my honor has been
loaded with gay and glittering gifts, I

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trust you will all enjoy the holiday, and with glad and grateful hearts fully

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appreciate the many privileges you enjoy as
the children of kind parents, and the

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objects of interest to affectionate friends.
Of course, you will be most forcibly

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reminded of the giver of all these
blessings, and you will love to listen

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about the gentle Child Jesus, in
honor of whose birth the day is celebrated.

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By looking back upon the past year, you can see what steps you

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have taken in self improvement, what
you have learned, what left unlearned,

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and the retrospect will help you to
form new plans for the future, which

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now rises bright and beautifully before you. One little girl will have the satisfaction

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of having almost conquered a peevish temper
which made her very disagreeable. Another will

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have acquired habits of neatness and order
so necessary to comfort and enjoyment. This

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scholar will have an increase of memory
and thus avoid the repetition of that troublesome

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phrase, oh, I forgot,
And that one will become more thoughtful and

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will not consider the excuse I didn't
think sufficient to cover her frequent blunders.

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A nice, hearty little fellow that
I know will have learned to read fluently

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and to love his books for the
sake of all the good and pleasant things

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he can find in them. While
another rogue will be kind and gentle to

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his sisters and give up the naughty
habit of teasing his companions. The proud

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child will learn her true value and
not think herself better than her mates on

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account of her pretty face, fine
clothes, or handsome residence. While best

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of all these changes, the cowardly
and deceitful will be ever brave and truthful,

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finding that honesty is the greatest safeguard, and truthfulness a shield from many

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temptations. All foolish quarrels will be
forgotten, and the spirit of love and

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good will pervade all their actions.
As the children resolve to aid their kind

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parents in family cares, the brother
and sister, mutually assisting each other and

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with cheerful bright faces, make a
perpetual will sunshine at home. In this

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delightful progress. The claims of those
who have always served you as devoted domestics

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will not be forgotten, and by
your thoughtfulness you can thus atone for many

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an unkind word or heedless exaction on
your part. As children of benevolent parents,

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you will help to bestow gifts upon
the poor and needy, and nothing

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I know from watching you all will
be more pleasant than this part of the

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Christmas rejoicings. I shall want to
hear from you in answer to this lengthy

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epistle, for I know you are
all used to writing, and be assured

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I shall ever feel a sincere and
hearty interest in your welfare, and whatever

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may be your position in life,
memory will carry me back to the happy

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days spent in the pretty village of
d And now as I draw on my

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seven league boots for other scenes,
I will wish you all a Merry Christmas

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and a happy New Year, Santa
Claus. And of a letter from Santa

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Claus for Christmas eighteen forty nine,