SOURCE URL: https://web.archive.org/web/2024/https://www.henrylivingston.com/xmas/poemvariants/mcclurealmanac.htm   [page path reconstructed from the site's relative links]
DOCUMENT: "Account of a Visit From St. Nicholas" as printed (anonymously) in David McClure, The United States National Almanac ... 1825 (Philadelphia: R. Desilver), p. 40; title registered 27 Aug. 1824.
PROVENANCE OF THIS TEXT: henrylivingston.com transcription.
VERIFICATION STATUS: [S] SECOND-HAND transcription (not checked against the original)
RETRIEVED: 2026-09-14
NOTES: Live site henrylivingston.com fails TLS in this environment; page fetched from the Internet Archive Wayback Machine (2024 capture) and converted HTML->text; site navigation lines removed. The site (Mary S. Van Deusen, Livingston descendant) transcribes manuscripts of the Thomas Collection / New-York Historical Society; transcriptions are SECOND-HAND and have not been checked against the manuscripts.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Account of a Visit From St. Nicholas - 1825 McClure Almanac
1
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all thro' the house,
2
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
3
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
4
In hope that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
5
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
6
While visions of sugar plumbs danc'd in their heads,
7
And mama in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
8
Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap.....
9
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
10
I sprung from the bed to see what was the matter;
11
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
12
Tore open the shutters, and threw up the sash,
13
The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow,
14
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below;
15
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
16
But a minature sleigh, and eight tiny rein-deer,
17
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
18
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
19
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
20
And he whistled, and shouted, and call'd them by name:
21
"Now!   Dasher, now!   Dancer, now!   Prancer, and vixen,
22
"On!   Comet, on!   Cupid, on!   Dunder and Blixen;
23
"To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
24
"Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
25
As dry leaves before the wild hurricane fly,
26
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
27
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
28
With the sleigh full of Toys.....and St. Nicholas too:
29
And then in a twinkling, I heard on the roof,
30
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
31
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
32
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound:
33
He was dress'd all in fur, from his head to his foot,
34
And his clothes were all tarnish'd with ashes and soot:
35
A bundle of toys was flung on his back,
36
And he look'd like a pedlar just opening his pack:
37
His eyes.....how they twinkled! his dimples how merry,
38
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry;
39
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
40
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
41
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
42
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
43
He had a broad face, and a little round belly
44
That shook when he laugh'd, like a bowl full of jelly:
45
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
46
And I laugh'd when I saw him, in spite of myself;
47
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
48
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
49
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
50
And fill'd all the stockings; then turn'd with a jerk,
51
And laying his finger aside of his nose
52
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose.
53
He sprung to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
54
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle;
55
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight.....
56
Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night.
Comparisons Between 1825 McClure's Almanack and Troy 1823
Jump to Significant Differences
McClure has identical contractions and words not contracted.  Which probably means it comes from the 1823 Troy source.
McClure replaces dashes with multiple periods.
McClure is more comfortable with changing spelling: sugar plumbs => sugar plumbs, Blixem => Blixen, peddler => pedlar, jirk => jerk.
McClure 1825
Troy 1823
1
	'Twas the night before Christmas, when all thro' the house,
'Twas the night before Christmas, when all thro' the house,
2
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
3
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
4
In
hope
 that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
In
hopes
 that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
5
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
6
While visions of
sugar plumbs
 danc'd in their heads,
While visions of
sugar plums
 danc'd in their heads,
7
And
mama
 in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
And
Mama
 in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
8
Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap
.....
Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap
-
9
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
10
I sprung from the bed to see what was the matter.
I sprung from the bed to see what was the matter.
11
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
12
	Tore open the shutters, and threw up the sash
Tore open the shutters, and threw up the sash
.
13
The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow,
The moon on the breast of the new fallen snow,
14
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below;
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below;
15
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
16
But a minature sleigh, and eight tiny rein-deer,
But a minature sleigh, and eight tiny rein-deer,
17
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
18
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
19
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
More rapid than eagles  his coursers they came,
20
And he whistled, and shouted, and call'd them by name:
And he whistled, and shouted, and call'd them by name:
21
"Now!   Dasher, now!   Dancer, now!   Prancer, and
vixen
"Now!   Dasher, now!   Dancer, now!   Prancer, and
Vixen
22
"On!   Comet, on!   Cupid, on!   Dunder and
Blixen
;
"On!   Comet, on!   Cupid, on!   Dunder and
Blixem
;
23
"To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
"To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
24
"Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
"Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
25
As dry leaves before the wild hurricane fly,
As dry leaves before the wild hurricane fly,
26
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;
27
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
28
With the sleigh full of Toys
.....
 and St. Nicholas too:
With the sleigh full of Toys
-
 and St. Nicholas too:
29
And then in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
And then in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
30
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
31
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
32
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound:
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound:
33
He was dress'd all in fur, from his head to his foot,
He was dress'd all in fur, from his head to his foot,
34
And his clothes were all tarnish'd with ashes and soot;
And his clothes were all tarnish'd with ashes and soot;
35
A bundle of toys was flung on his back,
A bundle of toys was flung on his back,
36
And he look'd like a
pedlar
 just opening his pack:
And he look'd like a
peddler
 just opening his pack:
37
His eyes
.....
 how they twinkled! his dimples how merry,
His eyes
-
 how they twinkled! his dimples how merry,
38
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry;
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry;
39
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
40
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
41
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
42
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath
;
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath
.
43
He had a broad face, and a little round belly
He had a broad face, and a little round belly
44
That shook when he laugh'd, like a bowl full of jelly:
That shook when he laugh'd, like a bowl full of jelly:
45
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
46
And I laugh'd when I saw him in spite of myself;
And I laugh'd when I saw him, in spite of myself;
47
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
48
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.
49
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
50
And fill'd all the stockings; then turn'd with a
jerk
And fill'd
 all the stockings; then turn'd with a
jirk
51
And laying his finger aside of his nose
And laying his finger aside of his nose
52
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose.
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose.
53
He sprung to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
He sprung to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
54
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle
;
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle
:
55
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight
.....
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight
-
56
Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night.
Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night.
.
McClure 1825
Troy 1823
SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES
04
McClure 1825:
In
hope
 that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
Troy 1823:
In
hopes
 that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
.
07
McClure 1825:
And
mama
 in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Troy 1823:
And
Mama
 in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
.
21
McClure 1825:
"Now! Dasher, now! Dancer, now! Prancer, and
vixen
Troy 1823:
"Now! Dasher, now! Dancer, now! Prancer, and
Vixen
.
22
McClure 1825:
"On! Comet, on! Cupid, on! Dunder and
Blixen
;
Troy 1823:
"On! Comet, on! Cupid, on! Dunder and
Blixem
;
.
36
McClure 1825:
And he looked like a
pedlar
 just opening his pack:
Troy 1823:
And he look'd like a
peddler
 just opening his pack:
.
50
McClure 1825:
And fill'd all the stockings; then turn'd with a
jerk
Troy 1823:
And fill'd all the stockings; then turn'd with a
jirk