Frank O’Connor wrote how when he was a young child in 1912, Santa brought him a new red train engine for Christmas. It was the only present he received that year. He took it with him when he accompanied his mammy to the local convent, and played with it on the floor while his mum chatted with the local nuns over Christmas tea and biscuits.

A young sister came in and took him by the hand and brought him to see the life-size crib in the church. When he saw the child in the manger he was very distressed, because the little baby had no toys at all. Frank thought to himself how could Santa forget to bring the baby Jesus a single toy?

Frank asked the nun if the baby Jesus didn’t like toys, and the nun replied
“Oh, he does, but his mom is too poor to afford them”. That settled it. Frank remembered climbing up into the crib and putting the red train engine between the infant’s outstretched arms. Then he showed the baby how to wind it up thinking to himself:  ‘A small baby like this probably would not be clever enough to know that!’

When it was time to leave, he remembered looking back and thought he saw the infant Jesus, clutching his toy engine to his chest. The smile of the baby’s face made Frank feel good inside – and he had saved Santa’s reputation as well!  He hoped Santa himself would remember this poor child next year – he would write to him to remind him!

Come Lord Jesus

…..Our thanks to the Memoirs of Frank O’Connor