The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-12-23
SANTA CLAUS.

| Charles A Dana whose brilliant
editing of the New York Sun, placed it
in position of prominence among the
forcefuI newspapers of the nation, was
a gruff, old bear of a fellow when he
| was writing about men and measures
that were not in keeping with his high
ideals. He was ofttimes as savage as
he was sarcastic with his attacks, and
few men have been able to cut as
deeply as he could with a pen. But
those who were privileged to know MIN
were also aware of the fact that he
had a heart as tender as his courage
was robust. and that he was the will
ing defender of any and every cause
worth while, no matter how humble or
apparently insignificant it might be. He
gave some wonderful evidence of this
not so long before his death when he
replied editoria1ly in the Sun to little
girl who was in doubt concerning the
reality of Santa Claus. Her letter, and
his reply which properly has a place
among the classics, are reproduced
herewith:
Dear Editor: I am s years old.
Some of my little friends say there Is
no Santa Claus. Papa says if you see
me the truth. Is there a Santa Claus?
VIRGINIA"
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
n
great universe of ours, man is a mere
insect. an ant, in his intellect, COM
pared with the boundless worlds about
him. as measured by the intelligence
capable of grasping the whole truth
and knowledge.
YES, Virginia, there is Santa
Claus. He exists as certainly as love
and generosity and devotion exist. and
you know that they bound and give to
your life it's highest beauty and joy.
Alas. how dreary would be the world
if there were no Santa Claus. 1t would
be as dreary as if there We're no Vir-
pinias. There would be no chfldlike
faith, then, no poetry, no romance to
make tolerable this existence. We
should have no enjoyment except in
sense and sight. The eternal light
with which childhood fills the world
would be extinguished.
mot believe in Santa Claus? You
might as well not believe in fairies.
You might get your papa to hire men
to watch all the chimneys on Christmas
Eve to catch Santa Claus; but even
if they did not see Santa Claus coming
down what would that prove? Not
everybody sees 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 were not there. No one
can conceive or imagine all the things |
that are unseen and unseeable in the
world.
You may tear apart a baby's rat |
tie and see what makes the noise inside, |
but there is a veil covering the unseen |
world that not the strongest man, nor
even the united strength of all the 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. 1t is all real. All, Virginia,
in all this world there is nothing else
real and abiding.
mo Santa Claus? Thank God he
lives. and he lives forever. A thou
sand years from now, Virginia, nay
ten thousand years from now, he will
continue to make glad the hearts of