Page:Over the river, and other poems.djvu/82

But up in their own little chamber,
Bright, eager eyes, I know,
Watch for the sledge by reindeers drawn
Over the crispy snow.

Sweet, simple faith of childhood!
Why should I break the spell?
Why should I tell them that only a myth
Is the "saint" they love so well?
Let them cherish a little longer
Their simple nursery lore:
There is time to learn worldly wisdom
In the future that lies before.
But what shall I put in the stockings?
For with morning's earliest light
I shall hear on the stairs the patter
Of tiny feet, bare and white;