Imperial Valley press., 1914-12-22
5a TtrrrR Il 5anta GlanH?

TThs beautiful answer to the above question written
by Charles A. Dana was published as an editorial IN the
New York Sun, September Il, 1897.
We take pleasure in answering at and thus prom
neny the communication below, expressing at the same
time great qualification that its faithful author is
numbered among the friends Of the Sun:
Dear Editor: | am eight years old. Some of my lit
tie friends say there is Santa Claus Papa says If you
it in the Sun it's So Please tell the truth Is there
Santa Claus? VIRGINIA O'HANLON.
"115 West Ninety-ffth street."
Virginia, your little friends wrong. They have
been affected by the skepticism of scepcal They
do not believe except they They think that nothing
be which is not comprehensive by their little minds
All minds Virginia, whether they be mems chidrens,
are little In this great universe of ours man is mere
nSr~ ant in his intellect compared with the bound
about him. measured by the intelligence ca
pable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge
Yes, Virginia, there is Santa Claus He exists as
certainly love and generosity and devotion exist and
you know that they abound and give to our life It's high
est beauty and JOY Alas how dreary would be the world
if there Santa Claus 1t would be dreary if
there were no Virgnias. There would be no childke
faith in them, poetry, romance, to make tolerabe
this existence We should have no enjoyment except in
and sight The eternal light with which childhood
fills the world would be extinguished.
Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as we'll not
believe in faires You might get your papa to hire men
Santa Claus but if they did Santa Claus
ing down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa
Claus but that is no sign that there is Santa Claus
The most real things in the world those that neither
children nor men can see Did you fairies dancing
the lawn? Of not but that's proof that they
are not there. Nobody conceive imagine all the
wonders that unseen and unseeabe in the world.
You may tear apart the babys rattle and see what
makes the noise inside but there is veil covering the
world which not the strongest man. even the
united strength of all the strongest that lived
could tear apart Only faith fancy pOety love- romance
push aside that curtain and view and picture the
perna beauty and glory beyond Is it all real? Ah Vir
ginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and
abiding.
No Santa Claus Thank God he lives and he lives for
ever. A thousand years from now Virginia; nay ten
times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to
make glad the heart Of childhood
And Another Story.
Of course no one will be foolish enough to say there
is Santa Claus, but Santa Claus needs help 1t goes
matter of common than even he cannot take
care of the pressing needs of everybody and in this city
there known to be fifteen families most of them in
cuding number Of children who in great need of
help Who going to contribute to sending groceries and
clothing and toys to these families? The question comes
home to you whether you will do your part in this good
work. If you are, you must act at once
Leave your contribution of money one of the drug
stores of the newspaper offices for the Associated
Charities and send clothing you spare to the Life Line
Mission corner of Commercial and Fifth streets.