Christmas Treasures

Known as the “poet of childhood”

Author

By Eugene Field

Publish Date

Dec. 20, 2018

Christmas Treasures

I count my treasures o’er with care.—
The little toy my darling knew,
A little sock of faded hue,
A little lock of golden hair.

Long years ago this holy time,
My little one—my all to me—
Sat robed in white upon my knee
And heard the merry Christmas chime.

“Tell me, my little golden-head,
If Santa Claus should come to-night,
What shall he bring my baby bright,—
What treasure for my boy?” I said.

And then he named this little toy,
While in his round and mournful eyes
There came a look of sweet surprise,
That spake his quiet, trustful joy.

And as he lisped his evening prayer
He asked the boon with childish grace;
Then, toddling to the chimney-place,
He hung this little stocking there.

That night, while lengthening shadows crept,
I saw the white-winged angels come
With singing to our lowly home
And kiss my darling as he slept.
They must have heard his little prayer,
For in the morn, with rapturous face,
He toddled to the chimney-place,
And found this little treasure there.

They came again one Christmas-tide,—
That angel host, so fair and white!
And singing all that glorious night,
They lured my darling from my side.

A little sock, a little toy,
A little lock of golden hair,
The Christmas music on the air,
A watching for my baby boy!

But if again that angel train
And golden-head come back for me,
To bear me to Eternity,
My watching will not be in vain!

Eugene Field

Eugene Field (1850-1895) was an American poet known as the “poet of childhood” because of his output of verse for children. Born in St. Louis, MO, Field began his career as a journalist in St. Joseph, MO, in 1875, before moving to Chicago eight years later where he established his name, writing a humorous column, “Shorts and Flats,” for the Chicago Daily News. His poetry first came to prominence in 1879 with the publication of “Christmas Treasures,” followed by a dozen volumes of verse—and his most famous poem, “Wynken, Blynken, and Nod”—published in the remaining years of his life. He died of a heart attack at the age of 45.