Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-12-14
Is There a Santa Claus?

This is the season of the year when
the old, old problem, rs there Santa
CLAUSE" vexes many a childish mind,
and when many parents debate among
themselves the effects of allowing
children to harbor the belief in the
Santa Claus myth which is so dear TO
their souls. In this connection the
answer written some years ago by the
editor of the New York Sun to child,
concerning Santa Claus, is worth pub
fishing again and We hope it will be
read by all the readers Of the Journal.
II is one of the gems of our literature
and ought to be published yearly at
Christmas time in every newspaper
and magazine Here is the letter and
the answer, just as they were for the
little maid, who must now be quite a
young lady:
Dear Editor: ] am years old.
Some of my little friends say there
is no Santa Claus Papa says, If you
see it in the Sun it's so Please tel
me the truth, is tHtIt N1iHtd ClauS
Ills West 95th ST.
VIRGINIA O'HANLON."
Virginia, your little friends are
wrong They have been affected by
the skepticism of a skeptical age.
They do not believe except they see.
They think that nothing can be which
is not comprehensive by their little
minds All minds, Virginia, whether
they BE- mems or childrens are little.
In this great universe of ours man is
a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect,
as compared with the bOundless world
about him, as measured by the intelli-
gence capable Of grasping the whole
Of truth and knowledge.
Yes, Virginia. there is a Santa
Claus He exists as certainly as love
and generosity and devotion exist, and
you know that they abound and give
to your life its highest beauty and joy
Alas! how dreary would be the world
| if there We're no Santa Claus! II
would be as dreary as if there We're no
! VirginiaS. There would be no child
like faith then, on poetry. no romance,
| to make tOlerable this existence. We
should have no enjoyment except i'll
|
with which childhood fills the world
would be extinguishPd.
Not believe in Santa Claus, You
might as well not believe in fairies,
You might get your papa to hire men
! to watch in all the chimneys on Christ
| mas eve to catch Santa Claus, but even
! if they did not see Santa Claus coming
down, what would that prove? NJ
! body sees Santa Claus, but that is no
! sign that there is no Santa Claus. The
most real things in the world are
those that neither children nor men
| can see. Did you ever see fairies
dancing on the lawn? OF course not;
but that's no proof that they are not
| there Nobody can conceive or
! imagine all the wonders that are I'M
| seen and unseeable in the world.
You may tear apart the baby's
rattle and see what makes the noise
! inside. but there is veil covering the
unseen world which not the strongest
man, nor even the united strength Of
| all the strongest men that ever lived,
could tear apart. Only faith, fancy.
poetry, love, romance, can push aside
that curtain and view and picture the
supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is
it all real? All, Virginia, in all this
world there is nothing else real and
abiding.
NO Santa Claus, Thank God, he
| lives, and he lives forever, A thou
sand years from now, Virginia, nay ten
times ten thousand years from now,
he will continue TO make glad the
heart of childhood"