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Speaker 1: A letter from Santa Claus for Christmas eighteen forty nine.

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My dear children, as I have always been in the

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habit of meeting with you on this anniversary, and as

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I cannot expect to see you all together this year,

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for the sake of old times, I am going to

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write you a letter. Perhaps you are not aware that

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I have been a silent spectator of your daily occupations,

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but so it is. I generally take a nap from

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one year to another. So after our glorious celebration at

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the bee Hive, I packed myself away in the stovepipe

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for that purpose, but the hum of merry voices kept

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me awake, and thus I lay and listened to what

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was going on. The fairies, in whom you perhaps all believe,

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have also been quite numerous in your vicinity, and from

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my relationship to them, I have often heard of your

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excursions over hill and dale, and the many gay times

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you have enjoyed together. I travel over many regions at

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this season of the year, and in order to accomplish

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all I wish in my endeavors to please the young folks,

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I shall begin my preparations a little earlier than usual,

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so you need not wonder if I visit some of

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you a little before Christmas and New Year with one

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of my gifts. This will consist of a few of

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the simplest little sketches, letters, and reminiscences of the various

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occurrences in which you have participated, And I hope the

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contents of this Christmas bow will give you as much

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satisfaction as those of by gone seasons. When the festive

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pine tree erected to my honor has been loaded with

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gay and glittering gifts, I trust you will all enjoy

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the holiday, and with glad and grateful hearts fully appreciate

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

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and the objects of interest to affectionate friends. Of course,

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you will be most forcibly reminded of the giver of

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all these blessings, and you will love to listen about

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the gentle Child Jesus, in honor of whose birth the

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day is celebrated. By looking back upon the past year,

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you can see what steps you have taken in self improvement,

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what you have learned, what left unlearned, and the retrospect

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will help you to form new plans for the future,

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which now rises bright and beautifully before you. One little

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girl will have the satisfaction of having almost conquered a

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peevish temper which made her very disagreeable. Another will have

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acquired habits of neatness and order so necessary to comfort

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and enjoyment. This scholar will have an increase of memory

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and thus avoid the repetition of that troublesome phrase, oh,

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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

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cover her frequent blunders. A nice, hearty little fellow that

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I know will have learned to read fluently and to

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love his books for the sake of all the good

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and pleasant things he can find in them. While another

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rogue will be kind and gentle to his sisters and

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give up the naughty habit of teasing his companions. The

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proud child will learn her true value and not think

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herself better than her mates on account of her pretty face,

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fine clothes, or handsome residence. While best of all these changes,

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the cowardly and deceitful will be ever brave and truthful,

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finding that honesty is the greatest safeguard, and truthfulness a

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shield from many temptations. All foolish quarrels will be forgotten,

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and the spirit of love and good will pervade all

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their actions. As the children resolve to aid their kind

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

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each other and with cheerful bright faces, make a perpetual

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will sunshine at home. In this delightful progress. The claims

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of those who have always served you as devoted domestics

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will not be forgotten, and by your thoughtfulness you can

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thus atone for many an unkind word or heedless exaction

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on your part. As children of benevolent parents, you will

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help to bestow gifts upon the poor and needy, and

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nothing I know from watching you all will be more

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pleasant than this part of the Christmas rejoicings. I shall

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want to hear from you in answer to this lengthy epistle,

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for I know you are all used to writing, and

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be assured I shall ever feel a sincere and hearty

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interest in your welfare, and whatever may be your position

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in life, memory will carry me back to the happy

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days spent in the pretty village of d And now

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as I draw on my seven league boots for other scenes,

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I will wish you all a Merry Christmas and a

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

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Santa Claus for Christmas eighteen forty nine,