With the sleigh full of Toys, and St. Nicholas too.

　　And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof

　　The prancing and pawing of each little 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,

　　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 peddler just opening his pack.

　　His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!

　　His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

　　His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,

　　And the beard of 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;

　　He had a broad face and a little round belly,

　　That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly.

　　He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,

　　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 I had nothing to dread;

　　He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

　　And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,

　　And laying his finger 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,

　　“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night.

　　英文散文佳作赏析：母亲的礼物 My Mother's Gift

　　My Mother's Gift

　　母亲的礼物

　　I grew up in a small town where the elementary school was a ten-minute walk from my house and in an age, not so long ago , when children could go home for lunch and find their mothers waiting.