The Washington herald., 1911-09-19
Your Opinion May Be Worth
twenty-five Dollars to You
BY JULIA CHANDLER MANI.

Taking sides with Mr.. Maule, whose |
uncompromising argument of the advis-
ability of undeceiving children with regard
to Kris Kringle was published yesterday
comes later letter, the name Of the
writer of which 1 have been asked to
withhold.
This is the letter:
Dear Mrs Manz-I do not believe in
NEUROLOGICAL stories for children. l be-
Neve we do a child a great wrong when
we teach him or her to believe that
Santa Claus fills the Christmas stock
ings.
''The child mind is as plastic in a
mothers hands as a piece of sculptor
clay, and 1t is within her power to lay
the foundation of Christian faith there
or TO destroy it utterly.
IF in the next breath to the one that
finishes the story of Bethlehem and the
Christ Child mother relates with equal
earnestness and apparent sincerity the
tale of Santa Claus. how is her eager
listener to believe in after years that
the one was fictitious and the other
a fact?
DisiIIusiOnment Inevitable.
Before he is very old some school
friend, who has already discovered the
fraud, will tell the boy mothers and
fathers fill stockings.
"'Oh, then Kris Kringle isn't true"
the amazed child will be shocked into
saying to himself, and when this great
discovery he has made has had time 10
sink in and be turned over and over In
his thought, what is there to prevent
him from asking himself, Then is the
other story about Jesus true"
And. since they have each been told
him from his babyhood with equal sim
cerity, and each has been accepted with
equal faith, he is certain to allow the
one deception to cover both tales.
Tell the children the tale Of KRIS
Kringle but let them understand that 1t is
a fairy story. Christmas will not ne
made any the less happy. nor will THIS
knowledge on the part of the children
make anv of the beautiful old legends
concerning the ule tide saint less at
tractfve to them
Mr.. Burr S. Stottle, 1431 L street north
west enGs an answer to the contest
question that takes up the very point
raised in the above argument
should Santa Claus Be Abolished
ITO deprive a child from a glimpse
into the realm of mythology is to deprive
it Of one of the most beautiful lessons
of life. 1t is conceded by practically all
pedagogists that the most helpful prep
aration that 4 child can have for the
study and appreciation OF literature later
is familiarity with mythology.
1T has been said that. aside from the
truth Of the story of Christ, child liter
ature would suffer greatly if that story
should be lost, because of the beautiful
moral lessons taught; and likewise. the
lessons of love and generosity taught
by the story of Kris Kringle are of no
little ralue to a child.
Answers Objection.
THE objection may be raised that the
child upon learning the truth concerning
Santa Claus, would lose confidence in
its parents assertions. This objection.
however. is not stable. because how
many of us are there who, having at
tained mature age, can say that we owe
any disregard for truth to the fact that
our parents told US that Santa Claus
filled our stockings at Christmas tide?
The only danger in stories of mythology
is that the child may regard the story
of the Saviour in the same light but
that may be guarded against If the pa
rent is careful to impress on the youth
full mind that. although the stories of the
ancients' gods are fictitious, yet the
story of Bethlehem is one of life and
truth. Therefore, think our custom OF
allowing children to delight in the COM
BURR S. STOTTLE."
Everybody Invited.
Remember that the contest closes at
noon on Thursday this week instead of
Friday, as has been the rule. and that no
letter received after that hour will entitle
its writer to consideration in awarding
the SIS, first prize. or any of the five
other prizes which consist Of opportuni-
ties to see The Top o. TIL World
Everybody is invited to enter the de-
date Neither age nor sex bars any one
from the contest. The reason given for
the opinion expressed will be the main
consideration of the judges who have
been chosen to read the essays and award
the prizes. Literary merit is not a neces-
sity.
Read the conditions of the contest care
fully and send your opinion in the mat
ter.
1t may be worth twenty-five dollars to
you!
The winner of this twenty-five dollars