74. Hans Brinker

in full costume, with his embroidered robes glittering with
gems and gold, his mitre, his crosier, and his jewelled gloves.
Here Santa Claus comes rollicking along on the 25th of De-
cember, our holy Christmas morn; but in Holland, St.
Nicholas visits earth on the 5th, a time especially appropriated
to him. Early on the morning of the 6th, which is St.
Nicholas Day, he distributes his candies, toys and treasures,
and then vanishes for a year. :

Christmas Day is devoted by the Hollanders to church-rites
and pleasant family visiting. It is on St. Nicholas Eve that
their young people become half wild with joy and expectation.
To some of them it is a sorry time; for the saint is very can-
did, 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 scold-
ings in place of confections, and floggings instead of toys.

It was well that 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 selfsame moment ap-
peared in Annie Bouman’s comfortable home. Probably one
of our silver half-dollars would have purchased all that his
saintship left at the peasant Bouman’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 van 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 had
been given two cakes apiece at supper. Hilda was as joyous
as any. Why not? St. Nicholas would never cross a girl of