The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-12-24
The No-Santa Claus Crank
By BLACK

The No-Santa Claus cranks are out
again. I had my first letter this year
from one of them this morning.
Wont you join the chorus Of pro-
test against this foolish old myth? 7"
said my letter. How can We expect
truth from the children II we teach
them such lies7
Will you Join the No-Santa Claus
league and help stamp out this old
cruel and ridiculous falsehood from
the lives of our trusting children
No, my dear madame. / will no.
join any such league If you'd start
an anu-cranck league I'd join 1t fast
enough and the first thing I'd try
to get that league to do would be TO
lock up all the Anti-Santa Claus fiends
where they couldn't possibly get out
till all the lights on the tallest Christ
trees are out, and all the tired little
bobbity heads are laid quietly on
all the little pillows from q enc OF
the world to the other. and II you stop
to think about 1t. that would moan
a long. long time.
Foolish old myth. indeed. It's the
people who talk against 1t that are
foolish. and blind and dear and dumb
into the bargain.
Santa Claus isn't a myth: hes
alive-alive and laughing. and cry
ing. and working, and loving this
very minute. II you don't believe II
look into the eyes OF the first TAT
man you see walking into q top shop
in the next few days and tell ME II you
| ever saw a fat man look so happy any
other time of the yea except santa
Claus time?
What a skinny little dried-up wo-
man that was opposite you in the car
last night, but o her eyes shone.
Did you notice how she kept looking
into that fat parcel she carried. and
smiling and smiling TIL Q nae 70
| smile too In pure sympathy2
Fish for dinner? No, nor for break
fast either. That was a o In thai
parcel, and II you weren't a perfec'
numbskull you'd have known 1t Just
by the little woman's ayes when she
neered into that parcel. Who ever
looks like that when they Just see q
'.ash for supper" or a peck OF po'
tatoes, or anything else th&t ism
a thing but useful" and practical
Oh, yes. she might have bought the
doll some other time. She needn'
have saved for the last six months
to do 1t for this particular season
| need she? And say. wouldn't ms
| world be better off from your oio
point OF view If she never bought II
at all?
VIVA, good Is a doll? Can a doll add
and subtract? Can a doll cook a din
ner. or darn stockings. or hide say.
| ings away in the tea caddy to pc useo
when somebody IL out OF a Job?
Nor Well, what use Is h then, II
mercy's name? And that other q
| cal. / suppose you didn't notlce VIVA
was in that, eitherf
Dear. dear. you'd never qualify foi
a sherlock Holme-never In a tnou'
sand years. Why. that was an en-.
gtne-an engine with red wheels anc
a red snokestack- ..
And there's a car thai . VIII
tired and black with tin wneeis.
loot, toot, Clear h track LOT s
| chicago Limited! Where's eneI'
n.ar9 why. there ahead Of h train
where he should be, to De sure. Se..
his curly head there in the lisnt =,
~ Chrtstmas candles. foot, tooe.
| norvr brakes, we are coming 70 :
s,r,dee. rattle, rattle, we've crossec
,ra r,ver. ch-oo, ch-oo. ch-oo, nAre
Getting up these grades.
Toof foot! Here comes the west.
ho,,nd train. stand by and let ne,
mass. loot. toot! Away, away, ~ ~
r. the dingy rooH, away from -
sordid fat. Who cares whether theie
meat FOR dinner today or not. x.,,
choo choo! We're on 20 see e. 20,
lands and countries stranse IN ~
- h little ten-cent train with ths
On I, IN wheels and the red tin WINS
n, : and the good stout string.
Hush-a-bye hush-a-bye. Mar1oris
Mae. our little mother g worriee
No., Won Is It fever that makes
shose round cheeks SO red? Hush-a.
hve h~nsh-a-bye; there. there. see. you
are .safe-safe in little mothers arms
Nothing shall brighten you; not evei