Evening capital. [volume] (Annapolis, Md.) 1922-1981, 1922-12-19
TUESDAY. December 10. 1872.
IS TnErE 4 sANTA CLAUSE


Although il n'as first published
more than Z quarter Of a century
ago, the passeSe Of time has fail
sd in any way u bedinl the lus-
ture OF the editorial classic is
There A Santa Claus" from the
pen of Frank p. Church, one OIL
the editors OF The New York
Sun. This editorial was written
in reply to letter received by
The Sun from little girl, Nir-
ginia O'Ianlon, who asked:
"Some Of my little friends
say there is no Santa Claus.
Please tell me the truth, is
there Santa CLAUSE
Mr.. Church's editorial reply t.
little Virginia's question has been
reprinted thousands Of times and
in nearly every part of the civil
lied world, but it is such mas
terpiece OF journalistic literature
and it so bly, answers this age
old quest ~ which much too frc-
Cluently assails youthful minds at
this time # year that we have
much pleasure in giving space to
It in these columns. 1t follows:
Virginia, your little friends
arc wrong. They have been af-
fected by the skepticism of a
skeptical age. They do not be-
licve except they sec. They think
that nothing can be which is not
comprehensive BY their little
minds All minds. Virginia,
whether they are mems or chill
dren's, are little. In this great
universe OF ours man is Z mere
insect, an ant, in his intellect, as
compared with the boundlcss
world about him, Is measured by.
the intelligence capable OF grasp
ing the whole OF truth and
knowledge
HYe, Virginia. there is a Santa
Claus. He exists IL certainly as
love and generosity and devotion
exist, and you know that they
abound and give to your life its
highest beauty and JOY. Alas.
how dreary would be the world il
there were no Santa Claus I'll
would be as dreary as il there
wereeno Nrginias. There would
be no childlike faith then. no
poetry, no romance. to make toll
cradle this existence. We should
have no enjoyment, except inI
sense and sight The eternal light
with which childhood fills the
world would be extinguished.
mot believe in Santa Claus |
You might as well not believe in
fairies You might get your papa
to hire men to watch in ali the
chimncys on, Christmas eve to
catch Santa Claus. but even i'll
they did not see Santa Claus
coming down. what would that
prove! Nobody secs Santa Claus
but that is no sign that there IS
no Santa Claus. The most reall
things IN the world are those that
neither children nor men can see. /
Did you ever see fairies dancing
on the lawn7 OF course not. butt
that's no proof that they are notl
there. Nobody can conceive orl
imagine all the wonders there are
unseen and uasecablc in thel
world.
You tear apart the baby's rat
tie and see what makes the noise
inside, but there is a veil covering |
the unseen world which not the |
strongest men that ever lived /
could tear apart. ONLY faith
fancy, poetry. love. romance. can
push aside that curtain and view
and picture the supernal beauty
and glory beyond. Is it all real?
Ah, Virginia. in all this world
there IS a9thing else real and
abiding
No Santa iaus Thank God /
he lives and tie lives forever. AL
thousand years from now. Nir-
GINA, nay, ter times ten thousand f
years from now. he will continue
TO make glad the heart Of child
hood"