Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-12-27
Dana's Answer to a Child.


written him to. know if there is q
Santa Claus. The letter of the little
one stated that some of the writer s
friends had declared that there was
no Santa Claus. She asked Mr.. Dana
for the truth, and his reply has ap-
peared from time to time as part OF
the Christmas literature ever since
that date. many years ago. 1t is well
worth reading every Christmas, and
the request for the substance Of ii
can best be answered in that gifted
mans own words. Thus he wrote:
Virginia, your little friends are
wrong. They have been affected by
the skcpricism Of a skeptical age.
They do not believe except they see.
They think that nothing can DO which
is not comprehensive by their little
minds. All minds, Virginia, whether
they be mems or children's, are little.
In this great universe OF ours man is
q mere insect. an ant, in his intellect.
as compared with the boundless world
gence capable Of grasping the whole
truth and knowledge. Yes, Virginia.
there is q 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 tie world be if there
were no Santa Claus. 1t would be
as dreary as if there were no VIZ
cinics. There would be no childlike
faith then. no poetry, no romance 10
make tolerable this existence. We
should have no enjoyment, except III
sense and sight. The eternal light
with which childhood fills the world
would be cxtnguIshed. Not believe in
Santa Claus? You might rs wei! not
believe in fairies! You might get
YOUR papa 20 hire men to watch IN all
the chimneyS on Christmas eve TO
catch Santa Claus, but even If they
did not sec Santa Claus coming down.
what would that prove. Nobody 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 no" men can
see. DID you ever sec fairies dancing
on the lawn? OF course not. but
that's no proof that they are not
there. Nobody can conceive or mag
inc all the wonders that arc unseen
and unSccable in the world. You may
tear apart the baby's rattle to sec
what makes the noise inside but there
is a 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, ro-
nance, can push aside that curtain
and view and picture the supernal
beauty and glory beyond. 1t is 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. y thousand
years from now. Virginia-nay ten
times ten thousand years from now
he will continue to make glad the
heart Of cniidlo01.'
With the passing 81 the years since
no diIpinution in tie Christmas senti-
mont, or icSscning Of the determine
the child--cvcr more the simple. beau
tiful, mcalingfui festival Of our chill
dren No Christmas comes nowadays
without the seasons questioning,
both before ana after the day. and wo
dwell much upon the spirit as well as
tho Importance and meaning Of tho
occasion. 1t IS the material. tho nom
essential with which VIC surround the
spirit Of the festival that causes this
rccurrcnt questioning Of the likcli-
hood OF its further survival and intlu-
cncc. Every year. some ministers in
their pulpitS or teachers before their
classes. rwhclmed by q. sudden at
tack OF moral responsibility. take it
upon themselves to notify children
that there is 10 such person as Santa
Claus and to notify older people that
they arc in league with the devil if
they permit this monstrous deceit to
continue. They predict its degenera-
ton into . mere eXtravgant. burden
some. material. compulsory game. in
which the people tax themselves to
maintain q fraud and Il superstition.
But. every year. the spirit Of the
Christmas season grows stronger IN
practical Christianity, in civic service,
in bcnevolcnce in good will toward all
men, and above all toward the poor
and the suffering; and every year We
realize more and more the importance
of the harmless fiction in the lives OF
our ,oung people. AS Dana has said,
and as only Dana could say, Nobody
can conceive or imagine all the Won
ders that are unseen and unsoeablc in
Tie world" If we confinc the
thoughts of our children to practicable
affairs only. We narrow their lives by
q half, and destroy much To be gained
by the cultivation Of the imagination.
The essence of the feeling Of the sea :
son is far older than Christianity and
is an inheritance which has come
down to us from untold antiquity