Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1913-12-26

into automatons. or stuffed dolls. Yet
this is what they would become-mero
little Dry-as-Dusts IL no food for the
imagination were supplied in their
training. The child receives the Santa
Claus myth with the same simplicity
as did his far away ancestors their
sun myths and moon myths and III
myths and he grows away from 1t or
grows through 1t to its deeper meaning
IN the same fashion. He takes years
to distinguish the symbol from h
thing signified. and they look centuries.
That is all the difference, and he pro-
cess is as unconscious in the n case
as in the other.
would say in explanation of their re-
fusal to introduce him to Santa Claus
that they wished him to know nothing
but facts, but here comes in a very
delicate question, for who shall decide
just what constitutes q fact? George
best, is u a garment of truth. which
has 10000 changes Of raiment woven
In the same loom" and In The opinion
Of most Of US there Is no fact In h
universe quite so hearty. so CHEEKY, so
kindly. so saturated with love as our
jolly old Santa Claus with his rosy
cheeks and his snow white beard. Alas
for the child who does not know OF
him and has never sighed with delight
as he listened to the charmed words:
xW8S the OlRnC OcIOT0 CNTlSStl0Ss
when all through the house.
Not a creature was stirring, not even .
mouse"
Who would fear to introduce such .
figure to the child: who would not fear
on the contrary, lest he should fail to
influence Of the innocent mirth. the
kindly charity, the friendly good will
that wrap the saint round about.
He is the sign and symbol of the
Joyous time. q reminder that as the
greatest gift to the world came to us
on Christmas day so we should re-
member it by giving to others what
they lack.
Parents are sometimes said to fear
that as the child grows up n dis
covers that Santa Claus IL only q myth.
so he may come to suspect that his re-
ligson teaching has been q sham and
his God q hollow mockery. but this
would seem, In q normal child. to be q
possibility 70 remote as to be unworthy
Of consider ton, while the kind Of re.
end In chaos. sooner or later. In any
event. Does this little girl cease to
believe In maternal love because she
realizes by and by that the doll She
cherished was not q thing OF flesh and
blood? Is the grown man less q soldier
rior bold when he marched q gallant
5-year-old, with a paper cap on his
hand a broomstick for q gun?
No, we forget that the child in his
rapid growth. relives all the stages
through which h race has passed and
that he is so made that he receives the
myth. the fairy tale. the play. the make
believe. absOrbs from them what ID
necessary to his mental development,
rejects the n-onessential and Is nourish-
ed by the meat his fathers fed on
Take from him his Santa Claus1
| Then you must also take his Snow
White. his Three Bears. his Jack-the-
Giant-Killer and his Cinderella and
you may we'll dread the consequences
Of such z robbery.
You remember what the inspired
Wordsworth said about these things in
1.-THE Prelude :"
"Oh! Give me once again the wishing
cap
OF Fortunatus and the invisible coat
OF Jack b Giant Killer. Robin Hood.
And sabra in the forest with Saint
The child. whose love IL here. at least
doth reap
One precious gain, that he forgets him.
Let him forget himself, then. let him
wander In that enchanted forest where
courage and loyalty always win, whero
right - always might, whore the wick
90 are always discounted ana the GOOD
victorious and 20 In the atmosphere Of
childhood. grow strong against the day
OF life.
II there room for Santa Claus in the
present chimney? II there be not, thenI
say With Cynthia and say It with cour-
sIf. there S. not, then lets pun Il
down and build . bigger onels
Ii AA u Is.