"What you again? My yearly call!
By Jove, how soundly I have slept!"
Then, with a laugh that shook the wall,
Unto his feet Old Christmas leapt.

"What! Twelve! 'Tis time that I awoke,
And to the waiting world appeared."
He yawned, and cracked his annual joke,
And ran his fingers through his beard.
"How say you? Is it slop or snow?"
She answered, "Come along, old chap!
We've much to do and far to go,
Ere you resume your annual nap."

THE DEPARTURE.

And on the Old Sire's arm she leant,
And round her waist his arm did fold;
And forth into the world they went,
To glad the grieved, to warm the cold.
Across the town, and far away,
Of kindness full, and frolic whim,
To cheer all hearts went Christmas Day,
That white-wing'd Presence following him.

Near Nineteen Hundred times hath she,
The gentle goddess, free and fair,
Awaked with kiss Old Father C.
To make the wintry world their care.
O'er town, o'er country far away,
Where'er hearts ache, or eyes grow dim,
His annual round makes Christmas Day,
Sweet Charity attending him.

[Illustration: THE AWAKENING OF FATHER CHRISTMAS

OR, A CALL TO ALMS.]

MORAL.--So, British Public, take my lay,
And _if_ you find no moral there,
Then _Mr. Punch_ must sadly say
His ministry is fruitless care.
Nay! To good uses you will put
The Legend _Punch_ doth thus transpose.
Your pockets sure you will not shut,
Your hearts to his appealings close!

For e'en the man who runs may read
The lesson with this lay entwined.
(If Topsey-turvey thus succeed,
The noble Laureate will not mind!)
And liberal applications lie
In this quaint Legend, good my friend.
So, put the song and picture by,
And hook it--to some useful end!

* * * * *

CARMEN CULINARIUM.

[Illustration: Cook Personally Conducting.]

If you're anxious to eat without any repining,
Read THEODORE CHILD upon "Delicate Dining."
This sage gastronomic full soothly doth say,
That no mortal can dine more than once in the day;
Then he quotes LOUIS QUINZE, that the art of the cook
Must be learnt most from practice, and not from a book;
While you also will find in the readable proem,
Doctor KING said a dinner resembled a poem.

We shall next see a cook can have only the dimmest
Of notions of art, if he isn't a chemist.
So we learn here t