The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-12-12
WOMAN,S REALM
Your Children
BELIEF IN SANTA CLAUS
 SHOWS FAITH IN UNSEEN
Ry Olive Roberts Barton

Myth Is Good Teaching Principle Every year I have to ease the condolences of those who have lis- tened too hard to the rationalsts concerning Santa Claus. "Shall tell my Johnny direct lisP" they write in. and plead with me to settle it.
 80 shall try, at least to my own way of thinking. Also shall en- deaydr to avoid going too deeply In the pholosophies of right or wrong, because this question has never been settled, notwithstanding the treatises' written about 1t.
 Piunging right into the middle of things, ask, How do we put any lesson or moral over to very small child?" By abstract explanations Of berayior No. We invent, because we have to, direct stor:es with moral. Maybe it is about Uncle Wiggly, the kind old rabbit gentleman; or nice little dwarfs who rescued Snow White because they knew worth when they saw 1t.
 We have to embody such stories, and someone, or something, has to be the great benefactor. We know the limitations of the very young mind. We know, that the age of reason (enormous word) is never quite reached, even with most adults. But when the age of abstract reason is approached then the child will be more able to cope with bodiless theories and goodness with out form.
 Justification for Myth
 Very well then. Let us try to cou- ceive Santa Claus from this angle. mad dispense with sentiment. We can discard the usual alibi of our own happy childhood, which we consider the birthright also, of the next beneration. We must try to justify our reasons for continuing this myth, that 50 many claim to be hangover from the ignorant age. Is there any excuse other than sentiment to challenge these l,ater- ialists? I think there is. In order to do this, we must step out of our stronghold of sentiment and meet them on their own ground.
 In all routine life, people do bet ter for the feeling that their own strength is limited. Ignorant would be the scientist or the pragmatist who refuses to acknowledge strange things beyond the realm of proof, that not only shape life, but ac- tually reward the good life. We are happier when we discover that we ourselves are not n1onarchs of our world. When we sense an ally that is invisible but powerful. and who only asks that we conform to natural, moral and social law, we are more comforted still. Man makes the latter two laws, 50 he thinks, but actually 1t Is only his interpretation of what he has dis covered to be best for men.
 ImpIants Faith in Unseen
 Very early, we try to inculcate in the child, the feeling of an ally. I hope I am not being sacrilegious in saying that the young child can- not very well visualize this power without a body. am not even hint ing that Santa Claus be confused with God in any form, but I think that the belief in any vague or fairylike being, encourages the later needed faith in the Unseen, and for full and good life.
 Childhood needs someone or something as parton for child hood. Some one who rewards them in q little-understood way, not only for doing almost the best they can, but just for being little children; here to stay, and acknowledged t1i- dependently of grown-ups. To be sure he has toearn the patronage. or less. be kind to kitty. and drink his milk: but the gentleman in the red suit wants to show him that there is far more to all this irksorne business than he thinks. Isn't this our mutual conception of mutual, if lopsided exchange? Think 1t over.
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