Norwich bulletin., 1921-12-26
UNCLE JED's TALK TO WIDE
AWAKEs.

A merry Christmas to all the Wide
Awakesi
Probably there is no question that
bothers the children at this time of year
any more than that old-tin1e one Is
there a Santa Claus? You have doubt
less asked or thought it as many others
before you>have. Some years ago there
was an eight year old girl, Virginia o.
Hanlon by name, who was much concern
ed about it. She had been discussing It
with friends who said there was no San
ia Claus but she was not convinced and
wrote a letter to the New York Sun and
asked to be told the truth.
This is the answer that the editor gave
to that famous question and I am sure
you will all be interested in it:
Virginia, your little friends are
wrong. They have been affected by the
skepticsm of skeptical age. They do
mot believe except they see. They think
that nothing can be which is not COM
prehensible by their little minds. All
minds Virginia, whether they be mems
Or children's, are little. In this great
universe of ours man is a mere insect.
an ant, in his intellect. as compared with
the bound ess intelligence capable of
grasping the whole of truth and flnowl-
edge.
yes Virginia, there IS a Santa Claus.
He exists as certainly as love and gen
erosity and devotion exist and you know
that they abound and give to your life It's
highest beauty and joy. Alas. how
dreary would be the world if there were
as if there were no Virginias. There
would be no childlike faith, then, no poet
Try, no romance to make tolerable this
| existence We should have no enjoy
ment, 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 we'll not believe in fairies. You
might get your papa to hire men &C
watch in all the chimneys on Christmas
eve to catch Santa Claus, but even Il
they did not see Santa Claus coming
down what would that prove? Nobody
sees Santa Claus, but that is no sigr
that there is no Santa Claus. The mos
| real things in the world are those thai
neither children nor men can see. Die
you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn
OF course not, but that's no proof tina
they are not there. Nobody can con
ceive or imagine all the wonders there
are unseen and unseeable in the world
you may tear apart the baby's rat
tie and see what makes the noise in
| side, but there is a veil covering the un
seen world which not the strongest man
nor even the united strength of all the
strongest men that ever lived, could teal
apart. Only faith, fancy. poetry, love
romance, can push aside that curtain
and view and picture the supernal beau
I ty and glory beyond. Is 1t all real? All
Virginia, in all this world there is moth
ing>else real and abiding.
NO Santa Claus! Thank Godi he
! lives and he lives forever. A thousand
J years from now, Virginia, nay, ter
times ten thousand years from now, HI
| will continue to make glad the heart o
childhood"
Probably you all have been convinced
1 this morning through your own expert
!: ences, the old as well as the young il
the circle, that there is a Santa Claus
WINNERS OF PRIZE BOOKS.
James McUee, OIL GdleS eIIy-O'
George For England.
Pauline Eisenstein Of Colchester
Tabitha's Vacation.
s-Alics Anderson of Norwich-Th
Trail of the Seneca
4-Freda E. Kollar Of Willimantic-
In the Camp ofsathe Delawares.
5-John Garter of Norwich-The 30
Scouts With the Allies.
6-Jeanette Heckler of Rockville
Little Prudy's Cousin Grace.
| 7-Charies J. Williams Of Baltie-Th