Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-12-24
A. to Santa Claus.


for little children, this Santa Claus
business. The Hartford Courant tells
how the problem was discussed in
local barber shop where, as in all
barber shops, everything goes, from
prattle to philosophy. The first man
whom we will call A, said that his
Younger child had stuck him with
hard question. AS house, 1t appears,
has a fireplace for Santa Claus pur-
poses; but the fireplace has been filled
in, and a stovepipe runs into the
chimney above the mantel-piece. The
younger child was puzzled to know
how Santa Claus could get in, and the
older sister told her that the stovepipe
hole would serve him very well.
Asked to explain further, the Older
sister said that when the little one was
good it pushed the stovepipe out, and
that by continuous well doing the little
one herself would make a clear road
for Santa Claus. This was too much
for the child, although she is little
one; and she went TO her father about
it.
Il do not like TO lie to my children"
said A, and | did not want to dis
turb my lttlest ones faith in Santa
Claus; so told her that had nothing
to say about it" But said B, why
not in such a case? 1 should have told
my child that her sister had it right.
1 want my children to believe in Santa
Claus as long as possible, lying or no
lying" Il know all that" said A.
and ! have the same feeling: but l
cannot bring myself to tell lie to any
child, and least of all to one of my
own. c. what do you think about it,"
thought it was a hard case. He
frankly said that the dissemination TO
tell lies to children was fine. particu-
larly in this not over-truthful world.
The shock to child when it discov-
ers that ii has been deceived by its
whose words have been yea and amen
to it's great We grown-ups, case
hardened with evasive or Softening
phrases. scarcely comprehend what
the discovery that those whom u
trusts are not wholly worthy of trust
is to little mind that has never
a; pnf
other hand there Is Santa Claus. He
is myth and he is not myth. He
exists and he does not exist. The
big-hearted, broad minded editor of
the Courant straightens out the prob
lem this way:
THE Old Book says that the world.
and all that is therein, were created in
seven days; but that is too round
statement. Man is creating every day
that he lives and has his Imagination
at work. Man can create millions "
money and revel in them without coal
enough in the cellar to cook his break
fast Man can create false friends out
of true ones, and true friends out OF
false ones The process of creation
is interminable and unlimited. Man
created Omnipotent deities down III
Greece and Rome centuries ago; and
although those deitieS no longer live
as such, they still live as historical
personals much so as Julius Caesar
or Hannibal-and in their day they
had as great an influence upon the
course of human affairs as any child of
ADAM All myths; and SO is Santa
Claus a myth. But Santa Claus is
living myth, and on his day in one
way or another he gets into every
house where there are loving hearts.
This is the fact The millions Of
dollars that are paid out every year in
his service is q demonstration after
| the manner Of those who pretend not
| TO believe in him, but have taken up
with the new gospel that all that a
man hath will he give for d dollar.
What does all his money go for year
| after year if he does not live, ana
make visits. and take account of the
| good child. and when he has his own
way. of the naughty child, too? Yet
| he does ont live. in the hard flesh and
blood style, with its ills and pains and
SORROWS: but he lives as 4 dream, as
an imagined being wholly charged
with good will, as that perfection of
human nature to which we have never
attained. but which comes to US as
an annual vision of the mind; and We
all rise up and follow it. and do its
bidding, year after year. AS little
girl will not disbelieve in Santa Claus
when she no longer believes in him:
| when that day of transition comes she
will believe in him more and more
| and in the real way.