Nicholas' biographer, Michael the Archimandrite, tells the tale of Nicholas' gifts, as quoted in Adam English's book, The Saint Who Would Be Santa Claus:
"Acting with caution, (Nicholas) gathered in a cloth a sufficient sum of gold coins which he secretly threw through the window of the man's house, and quickly returned to his home. When daylight came, the man got up from bed and found in the middle of the house a pile of money. He could not hold back his tears but was overjoyed, amazed and stunned. He gave thanks to God but also tried to understand the meaning of this good fortune. Deciding to accept the gift as if it had been given by God, the father of the girls took the serendipitously found gold and noticed that the sum corresponded to the amount of money needed for a dowry. Without delay he adorned the bridal chamber of his eldest daughter. And so his life once again became good, full of joy and peace of mind, thanks to the intervention of the holy Nicholas, who had created a way for his daughter to marry.
"Becoming aware of what the father had done, the man of God and generous alms-giver, Nicholas, seeing that his charity work had resulted in the festivities of a beautiful wedding and created an atmosphere of new joy, went again to the same window, tossed in a similar amount of money, and quickly returned to his home.
"When the father of the girls awoke and got up in the morning, he picked up the new and completely unexpected gift of money and fell on his face before God with cries of gratitude. He was almost unable to open his mouth at the arrival of this new gift. Deeply moved, he turned to God with words half-formed in his mind, praying in his heart with sincere supplications: "Tell me, O Lord, what good angel from among the people you designated for us. Tell me who has prepared this banquet full of delicious treats. Who is administering the riches of your immense kindness to humble people like us? Thanks to that person we have been released, beyond all hope, from misery and the spiritual death of sin that had ensnared us. Behold, for your indescribable gift allowed me to legally marry my second daughter, freeing her and me from the ugly desperation and wickedness in which we had fallen. Glorify your holy name, and glory be to your great goodness without end - which is for us, your unworthy people." (English, The Saint Who Would Be Santa Claus, 60-61)
English notes that the story tugs on the heartstrings, yet may verge on melodrama and be overly sentimental. But despite this, English says, it makes for a compelling story:
"This may be in part due to the fact that Michael fixes our attention on the father's spiritual journey, and this is what he communicates with clarity. The father's salvation was not only from the misery of financial catastrophe but from spiritual crisis: the spiritual death of sin. In his prayer, the man shows gratitude to God and to God's secret agent of grace. The gifts were divine answers to desperate prayers." (English, 61)
Let's pick up the end of the story with Michael, as quoted extensively by English:
"Having conducted the marriage of his second child like the first, the father, who had enjoyed the gifts that God had sent him through his servant Nicholas, spent the following nights in vigil. Staying sober and alert through the night, he hoped that the stranger would bring a dowry to his third daughter also. Because he had brought gifts to the other sisters without being recognized, (the father) would have to remain watchful so as not to miss him while sleeping.
"While the man tried with great effort to remain awake through those long nights, Nicholas, the worshiper of the Trinity and a servant of the one Christ of the Holy Trinity, our true God, came in the night to the usual place. He wanted the third daughter to be able to marry in the same way as the others. Surreptitiously throwing an equal amount of money through the window, he turned away in silence. But soon as the gold landed inside, the father of the girls, who had been expecting the return of our saint, immediately ran out and caught him. Recognizing who he was, (the father) fell prostrate at the feet and broke into tears and sobs. He thanked him warmly and with many words praised him before God as the savior of him and his three daughters. He said: "If it were not for your goodness, which was stirred up by our Lord Jesus Christ, I would have long since consigned my life to ruin and shame."" (English, 61-62)
Again, I highly recommend Adam English's book to anyone. In closing, I'll quote from English's observations about the story's meaning:
"First, Nicholas demonstrated the value of intentional, targeted giving, that is, giving in order to meet specific needs as opposed to giving randomly for the sake of generosity or for ridding oneself of possessions. Second, Nicholas' choice of recipients imparts important implications. By giving his money to three world-forsaken girls so that they might marry, Nicholas affirmed the moral value of marriage in an age when its worth was being severely tested. Third, Nicholas offered a compelling model of ordinary goodness in which good deeds need not be miraculous, angelic, or incredible. The episode shows that Christian generosity can be mundane; anyone might do what Nicholas did. Fourth, Nicholas laid down the highest challenge to those who would strive for Christian virtue: anonymity. Nicholas' example calls those who would take pride in their good words to give in secret." (English, 66)
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