The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1910-12-23
SANTA CLAUS
DETHRONED!
Continued from Page one.)

card sentimentGlism entirely and in
that case in later life, make them
believe that it is wrong to be led by
sentiment in preserving The Old
Gray Bonnet; it should be hurled
with the other rubbage into the
scrap pile together with the blue
ribbons on it. "Baby's First Shoes"
should also be thrown from it's place
in the bureas drawer with all the
other foolishness. Teach them that
the sentiment surrounding Independ-
ence Hall is foolishness and that it's
preservation is a waste of property;
teach them that Mount Vernon has
no reason to be held in higher es-
TEEN than the residence of any 9TH
er man in Virginia. Facts are
what we want in this world" In
doing this we will make the little
ones practical They will grow up
practical men and women; they will
not be led by foolish sentiment. The
story of William Tell is told; it was
beautiful but some investigator
tells us it is false, therefore William
Tell must be thrown among the
junk This is the teaching of Grad
grind, Dickens practical school
master, but it is not our view. We
believe there are sentiments around
which the minds of children twine
and which even though based en-
tirely upon the Imagination serve a
wholesome purpose, and should be
continued. Among these we think
Santa Claus should be classed, and
no child will lose anything by our
failure to disabuse his mind of the
fraud that is being perpetrated up
on him. Teach the child" says
THE HERALD, that these gifts
come from the Giver of all good
gifts; yes, he needs to be taught
that it comes from Him indirectly
and this teaching should be given
special attention while we are dis
abusing his mind of all delusions
because we must remember that
minds considered great, have told
US that the Giver of all good gifts
is only a myth and that none but
molly-coddles now believe that any
such being exists. But if the Giver
of all good gifts should select Saint
Nicholas to dispense his bounty or
have it dispensed in the name of
this great saint we seriously doubt
that children would be harmed by
the imposition. Yes, continue to
! teach the children that their Patron
Saint is interested in them and
should they learn to love him, we
doubt that there is any loss oCcas-
ioned to them; later on they may
wake up to the fact that Santa
Claus did not in reality give the
presents attributed to him, but that
the presents came from others in his
name. Should these children feel
aggrieved and heart-broken at the
awakening from this pleasant delu-
sion, it is only what happens to us
all when we lose a dear and cherish
ed friend, but that is no reason
why we should never have had such
friend. We think Tennyson was
right when he said, 1T is better to
have loved at ALL We think also it
was better to have Santa Claus in
childhood and have lost him in more
mature years than never to have had
him at all. The joy and happiness
occasioned to us in childhood by
this delusion can scarcely be dupli-
Gated by any pleasure later on in life
and to rob the children of this pleas
ure without giving anything in re-
turn would seem a cruelty rather
( than a favor.
How many of us in our more ma
ture years would give a large por-
tion of our success in life could
we turn backwards time in it's flight
and have one more Christmas night
with stockings hanging by the chin
ney prepared for the reception of
the gifts which that old scare crow
imposter" would surely bring. How
many of us would be willing to ex-
change all the pleasures that we now
enjoy for just one night of this de-
lusion, but Mr.. Gradgrind says
facts are the only thing necessary
in this world, and we must have
facts" In this way there will be
more of the practical and less of the
sentiment in life. there will be more
fact but less sweetness and less
heart.