Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house...

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicX8KpZjLs6UhI5OX_KmPmA0NNs3F3PocmxudRMkMF0WLMP5uVR5adL72KLbwQVL1JIZjkf3xarJr7vmqPnXe30E0CNr55BzCZxV1f7nWJrYAQH5-WoIhnHGhE-D9kwq4KvMf32At_TvWs/s1600/Lincoln+Park-Xmas-MR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicX8KpZjLs6UhI5OX_KmPmA0NNs3F3PocmxudRMkMF0WLMP5uVR5adL72KLbwQVL1JIZjkf3xarJr7vmqPnXe30E0CNr55BzCZxV1f7nWJrYAQH5-WoIhnHGhE-D9kwq4KvMf32At_TvWs/s320/Lincoln+Park-Xmas-MR.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td><span style="font-family: comic sans ms, HELVETICA, ARIAL;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house</div><div style="text-align: left;">Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;</div><div style="text-align: left;">The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,</div><div style="text-align: left;">In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The children were nestled all snug in their beds,</div><div style="text-align: left;">While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;</div><div style="text-align: left;">And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,</div><div style="text-align: left;">Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,</div><div style="text-align: left;">I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Away to the window I flew like a flash,</div><div style="text-align: left;">Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></span></span></span></td></tr><tr><td><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow</span></div><span style="font-family: comic sans ms, HELVETICA, ARIAL;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">With a little old driver, so lively and quick,</div><div style="text-align: left;">I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.</div><div style="text-align: left;">More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,</div><div style="text-align: left;">And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">"Now, DASHER! now, DANCER! now, PRANCER and VIXEN!</div><div style="text-align: left;">On, COMET! on CUPID! on, DONDER and BLITZEN!</div><div style="text-align: left;">To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!</div><div style="text-align: left;">Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,</div><div style="text-align: left;">When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,</div><div style="text-align: left;">So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,</div><div style="text-align: left;">With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof</div><div style="text-align: left;">The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.</div><div style="text-align: left;">As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,</div><div style="text-align: left;">Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,</div><div style="text-align: left;">And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;</div><div style="text-align: left;">A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,</div><div style="text-align: left;">And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!</div><div style="text-align: left;">His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!</div><div style="text-align: left;">His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,</div><div style="text-align: left;">And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,</div><div style="text-align: left;">And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;</div><div style="text-align: left;">He had a broad face and a little round belly,</div><div style="text-align: left;">That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div></span></span></span></td></tr><tr><td><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,</span></div><span style="font-family: comic sans ms, HELVETICA, ARIAL;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><div style="text-align: left;">Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,</div><div style="text-align: left;">And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,</div><div style="text-align: left;">And laying his finger aside of his nose,</div><div style="text-align: left;">And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,</div><div style="text-align: left;">And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.</div><div style="text-align: left;">But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'comic sans ms', HELVETICA, ARIAL;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"</span></span><span style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT!</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">"</span></span></span></div></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table>

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house...

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; The stockings were hung by t...

Read more »