Henderson daily dispatch., 1935-12-24
rs THERE A SANTA CLAUS?

In 1897 the New York Sun
Ireceived an inquiry from a little
Igirl regarding the existence OF
lSanta Claus. Her letter was
referred to Francis P. Church,
| q member of the editorial staff
sOf the Sun and the masterpiece
| which we are reproducing be-
low was the result. On each
IChristmas since it first appear
led, it was found its way back
into print. If you have read it
previously. still another read
ling will be worth your while,
land if perchance it has escaped
Iyour notice until now, we com
mend it to you as gem eX-
emplifying the true "Spirit of
christmas" Here it is reprint
cd from the New York Sun Of
September 81 1899:
Eve take pleasure in answer
ing ut once, and thus prOmin-
emily, the communication be-
low, expressing at the same time
our great qualification that It's
author is numbered among the
friends Of The Sun:
Dear Editor--I am years old.
Some Of my little friends say
there is no Santa Claus.
- IN
Sun it's So
please tell me the truth, is
there u Santa Claus?
VIRGINIA O'HANLON
"ll5 West Nncty-fifth Street.
"Virginia, your little friends
are wrong. They have been at
fected by the skepticism Of a
Skeptical age. They do not be-
lieve except what they see.
They think that nothing can be
which is not comprehensive by
their little finds. 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 intel
lect, as compared with the
hOundless world about him, as
measured by the intelligence
capable of grasping the whole
truth and knowledge.
yes. Virginia, there is a
Santa Claus. He exists as Ger
tainly 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 if there were
no Santa Claus. 1t would be as
dreary as if there were no Vlr-
ginias. There would be no child
like faith then no poetry, no ro-
nance, to make tOlerable this
existence. We should have no en-
jOyment, except in sense and
Sight. The eternal light with
which childhood fills the world
would be eXtinguiShed.
"Not believe in Santa Claus?
You might as we'll not believe in
fairies! You might get your
papa to hire men to watch in all
the chimneys on Christmas Eve
to catch Santa Claus, but even
if they did not see Santa Claus
coming down what would that
prove? Nobody sees Santa
Claus, but that is no sign that
there is no Santa Claus. The
most real things in the world
are those neither children nor
men can see. Did you ever see
fairies dancing on the lawn? OF
course not, but that's no proof
that they are not there. No
body can conceive or imagine
all the wonders that are unseen
and unseeabIe in the world.
"You may tear asunder the
baby's rattle and see what
makes the noise inside, but there
is a veil covering the unseen
world which not the strongest
man nor even the united
strength of the strongest men
that ever lived, could tear apart.
Only faith, fancy, poetry, love,
romance, can push aside that
curtain and view the picture
dhe supernatural beauty and
glory beyond. 1t is all real? All,
Virginia, in all this world there
is nothing else real and abiding.
"No Santa Claus? Thank
God! He lives forever. A thou
sand years from now, Virginia,
nav ten times ten thousand
years from now, he will con-
tinue to make glad the heart of
childhood"