Evening star., 1924-12-25

F., other simple gift that Santa might
have stuffed into any one Of his
| capacious pock cts.
| Today. when the furnace chimney
| is too small for any but very thin
Santa Claus, indeed, tho children
| want electric trains. and toy autono-
hiles. and doll perambulators, and other
| articles that would require a derrick
! to get them down the chimney.
Santa Claus Is a wonder worker,
though, the same today as he was
| yesterday. and as he will be in the
days to come. There Is no doubt
about it.
The little ones today no more doubt
| Santa's ability to get an electric train
down the chimney than they do that
| the fine old fellow exists. Some of
| the older boys, of course. take pride
| in refuting the saints existence, but
| these skeptics are with us always.
No, the spirit of childhood is the
| same, and Santa Claus is the same
| and his ability Is the same.
Today hundreds of toy railroads
| will spin around thousands Of miles
OF shining tin track in the District
| Of Columbia.
Johnny is having the time Of his
life-and so is Big John.
| AS a matter 6f fact, Big John
| asked Santa Claus to bring that train
| just so he could play with 1t him
self! Ostensibly he ordered 1t for
little Johnnie, but in the fine ear of
nature the old boy is getting more
fun out of 1t than the young one.
Ask any proud father if that is
| not true. Openly he may deny IT,
but in the secret places of his heart
he will be forced to confess that he
| Is getting a lot of pleasure out Of
that little train.
Ask any wife and mother, as she
watches the two Johns play together,
| which one Is enjoying the train the
| most. Ask mother-she knows!
Nor Is the reason far to seek THE
| elder John is the boy who always
wanted an electric train, but got a
| popcorn ball! Probably 1T did not
run by electricity when he wanted
one. Maybe II was wound up with a
| Key, spring in the locomotive fur
nishing the power.
The toy was essentially the same,
however, and popcorn ball, no mat
ter how fine. could not exactly TAX
Its place Children have a great deal
| more common sense than some folks
give them credit for possessing. The
httie Johnny OF long ago was sat
isied with his popcorn ball because he
knew. In some dim, vague way, that
santa Claus was limited to popcorn
balls in his particular case
AS John grew UP he harbored a
| suppressed desire, as the psychoan-
alyists call II, for one shiny train. His
subconscious mind determined that If
| he ever got the chance he would get
himself one, despite time and tide
His mind behind the mind we know
never lost sight Of it's objective, and
so when the opportunity came along
in new little Johnny. it seized
| upon 1t, so that thes conscious mind
declared: We'll, we must ask Santa
Claus to bring Johnny train this
Christmas
So there the train sits, beneath the
Christmas tree. its sturdy little loco
motive straining at the leash, eager
to haul the shining row of Pullman
| cars around the even more shining
! track
The electric power company that
! scoots the street cars around town.
| that lights our houses and works the
vacuum sweepers is waiting the
| touch of button to start the little
| train on Its way.
Snap,
And away she goes-across the
| switch, through the tunnel. past the
little station, around the bend, while
| big Johnnie and little Johnnie look
on with glowing eyes