Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-12-21

that every child should have the con
| fidence and faith that are typified by |
belief in Santa Claus. don't NEAR
that perfect trust in the integrity o.
parents, which begins before a baby
discovers the moon and the grass and
ice cream and Christmas and ends
when he finds certain packages tucked
away I'm the closet about the middle OF
December.
THAT perfect trust is lovely and
touching, and something to make
thoughtful parents feel meek and IN
adequate, but it can pass without seri
Gus consequences. / mean belief In
people and in the goodness of life. and
in the spirit of Christmas.
This, the grown-up Virginia thinks
as she looks with her grave eyes OF
misty blue upon the Santa Claus
doubters of today, is what the editor
meant in his answer to her.
Reply BY Editor.
This, IN part is what he said:
Eyes. Virginia. there is a Santa
Claus. He exists as 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. il
would be a dreary as if there were no
Virginias. There would be no child
like faith. then. no poetry. no romance
to make tolerable this existence. We
should have no enjoyment, except in
sense and sight. The eternal light
with which childhood fills the world
would be eXtinguished.
Slice that was first printed letters
have come to Virginia O'Hanlon every
Christmas. for the editorial was trans
lated into many languages, even Chi
nese. These letters are addressed in
her maiden name. but they reach her
at the house of her father, DR.. Philip
O'Hanlon. where Christmas is kept
precisely as it was in 1897. There is
a tree. and Laura Virginia. the daugh
ter of that other Virginia. hangs up
her stocking
Symbol of Trust.
In the course of the years Virginia
O'Hanlon has become a legend. She,
who doubted Santa Claus. is appealed
to by lonely people, whose faith in all
things is shaken. To them she has
become the symbol of trust and also of
everlasting childhood. for many of
them seem to think that she is still
only years old.
With her they feel that they can
penetrate again the cherubic and mys.
teal kingdom of Iullabies and nursery
rhymes, that is sealed to all unfortu-
mates incapable of the Santa Claus be
lief-espec,lly in a time when chin.
neys have gone out of fashion, and
Christmas trees are electrified and
bells on sleighs pulled by reindeer are
seldom heard on the housetops.
The latest letter was from Australia
The writer had no notion that Vir
ginia O'Hanlon was college graduate
with a degree of master of arts from
Columbia University and a position
rs assistant principal in the public
schools.
The widow who was Virginia O'Han
Ion in 1897. and who wishes her pres
ent name withheld from this article
still lives IN West Ninety-fifth street
New York, near Central Park. The
house is only two doors from the ad
dress that appeared in her letter tC
the editor. A slender woman. of {
charm decidedly girlish. she shrinks
from public attention, insisting that
she only made an occasion for bit OF
Christmas writing that has stood the
test of years so well.
copyright. 1927 in All Countries. by North
American Newspaper Alliance.)