The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-12-25
VIRGINIA O'HANLON-GREETING!

r TITLE Virginia O'IIanlon OF New York, who was
years old in 1897, is Little Virginia no longer,
but her name and fame twin immoralities
in the realm of childhood. Elsewhere in this paper
is reproduced the famous editorial from the New
York Sun Of that far-gone year which answered Vr-
gina's question to whether there is a Santa Claus.
This is one OF the supreme classics of Christmas lit
erature Thousands OF newspapers have reproduced
it from year to year Thousands of scrapbooks have
embalmed it to impcrshabe memory. The editorial
deserves its evcrgreens and mmorelles.
We do not know, Virginia, ii yon living in the
flesh at this late year. We trust that you are, and
that you happy you we'll deserve to be,
ing that your ingenious query has conferred upon
this more less sorry old world such golden geams
OF faith and hope and charity 1t may be that you
have gone long ago into "thc ongueless silence OF the
dreamless dust" and that full many of the SHOWS
OF yeseryear have been scd softly upon your grave
Christ tmas time, and that in successive sprngtimc
the roses and the lilies above your grassy mound have
lifted peifumed lips to the kiss OF Nays caressng
breeze We do not know; but we do know that even
though you be what the undivnirG macralist calls
dead you live in millions of hearts that love YOU for
asking the editor ii there is a Sanrl Claus
1t may be, hapy, that you grew up and married
and now nave a Little Virginia of your own who is "a
hte girl years old for you are % yourself if still
living in the flesh. And if you have your own Little
Virginia, we fell very sure indeed tha; her papa has
ho need TO 'd'isc her to write to The Sun about
the oncc-diirrt'd problem lie existence OF
Santa Claus on the theory that ''if Won see it in
The sun it's So This assumed new-time Little
Virginia cannot doubt the existence of Santa Clans
tor does not her own mamma know full well that there
IS one, having been given such eloquent assurance
thereof when she was a little girl?
We are glad, Virginia OTIarlon that your Christ
ian name is Virginia and not Edith nor Ger
rude nor Maud, nor even the cver-blcsscd Mary;
or the name Virginia fits your fame having in its
4Iables lyric sweetness and being in its derivation
suggestive of purity and freshness and the pristine
innocence of childhood
Little girl Of the long ago, YOU could not know
what JOY YOU creating for uncountcd millions of
little girl, and boys. and of grown-up and grown-old
grls and boys likewise, when you sat down and wrote
that brief letter to the editor of The Sun Why, that
letter itself proof positive that there a Santa
Claus, and the wise and warm-hearted editor who
sat down in h and wrote his reply to your query
simply clinched the proof. From that date onward
forever nobody could doubt the existence OF Santa
Claus without being denounced and dishonorcd as
intidel with big l.
As a matter OF fact laying aside all metaphysical |
theological and other bjg-worded controversies and
contentious, the belief in Santa Claus for both Young
and old, is the underlying and inevitable and cardinal
tenet of the Christian faith. For Santa Claus is the
personitcaton OF kindness OF generosity of the love
one-another injunction OF the living Christ Sa,tl |
Claus IN TACT Is the Nazarcnc going about doing
Eooa SAYING over and over again from year to year
Suffer the little children to come unto me"
And so, the prairies and the rivers and the
mounains-and across the years-this Christmas Eve
does the West give greeting to the East and the
Oklahoma Ardmoreitc to the New York sun; and to
the Little Virginia that and is and mlst be for
eyermore the accepted child-sant of the Christmas
tide we send our reyering love-