‘Twas the nights before leaving the Governor’s Mansion
‘Twas the night before moving, when all through the Mansion
not a creature was stirring, not even Bandit, Lady or even our son.
The closets were empty, and the pictures all pulled down,
Knowing our time in the Mansion was now on a countdown.
The adult children had all come to the Mansion to sleep in their beds,
while visions of moving danced in their heads.
And Mama by the fireplace, and Papa with a nightcap,
we had just settled our brains for a long winter’s nap.
When out in the Rose Garden there arose such a clatter,
Mama sprang from the chair to see what was the matter.
Away to the balcony door she flew like a flash,
tore back the curtain, and threw open the door in a dash.
The moon on the tennis court below,
gave a gleam of midday to objects with a glow,
when, what to her wondering eyes should appear,
but a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer.
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
She knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles, his coursers they came,
and he whistled and shouted and called them by name:
“Now Dasher! Now Dancer!
Now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid!
On, Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch!
To the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away!
Dash away all!”
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane Ida fly,
when they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky.
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
with the sleigh full of gifts, and St. Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, it was heard on the roof
the prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As we left the family room 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 gifts he had flung on his back,
and he looked like a lobbyist 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 on 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 bowl full of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
and we laughed when we saw him, in spite of ourselves.
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head
soon gave us to know we had nothing to dread.
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
and filled all our 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 we heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,
“Merry Christmas, Edwards family!
I will see you in Roseland next year Christmas night.”
As we celebrate this Christmas time and the birth of our savior I am reminded of the grace and love that Jesus brings to us all. 
with our Jewish friends. Hearing them speak and say the prayers in Hebrew is so beautiful and a reminder of our shared Jewish roots.
