The Farmville herald. (Farmville, Va.) 1957-current, 1961-12-12
Interview
Continued from Page l

tCOnltnlieQ lItHu rage ~
conduct of the children during
the afternoon while waiting il
lire tc mount his ample, stront
lap. They were orderly; the
absence Of pushing was notice
able. Closer, they were polite
and respectful. too. Santa siad
It speaks well for your town" hi
observed.
Their reaction ran the gamut
Some knew precisely what they
wanted and. thanks to the rot
ency OF Madison avenue. ever
knew what brand it should be
and the price. Others. overcome
BY this face-to-face encounter
with Sa' ia Clus at long last
couldn't remember they
lust left it to the visitors judge
ment. He promised to give real
thought to overcoming this un
certainty to make Christmas day
merry for the hesitant ones.
Edge of Faith
Some, I guess the taller ones
although Santa didn't specify
looked at him with a Quizzical
glance that showed they had
reached the borderline Of faith
Some where just to overcome to
speak at all.
But to Santa, the cherished
memroies he'll take back to toy.
land were of those and
there we're many who sub
merged their own hopes in this
on-chance meeting. Please
Santa. don't forget to visit South
side Hospital. my friend will
will be there on Christmas and
its sorta of out of the way"
And. like this. my little brother
couldn't come today, he's sick
can I give you his list instead
of mine?"
Santa was pretty definite about
it, it was children like these last,
although they were all loveable
that made the long trip here
worthwhile.
He had one word of advice to
parents. It just isn't good to
force a frightened, aed child onto
his lap not even for picutre
taking possibilities. There is just
too much anguish in the exper.
fence for both the child and
for him, he declared.
Comprising all the wants
into the four most aften asked
for Santa found these way out in
front! talking and kissing dolls,
bicycle, transistor radio and
sports wear or equipment.
Santa said he needed be
nimble- witted, too. Several tim
es when asking what child wished
for Christmas he got such an
sWers as You ought to know,
wrote you that letter" or
haven't you read my letter."
Message to All
To those youngsters and all the
others Santa asked us to convey
this message: he gets stacks
and stacks Of mail. It takes
days of reading right up to the
might before Christmas. But
read them he will in time for
the holiday! {
l knew how busy his schedule
was, so I ended my questioning
with a final request. l phrased
it something like this: Santa, you
had whole community and
thousands of visitors from be-
yond in the palm of your hand at
the moment of your triumphal
appearance in the parade. If you
could get across to that NOM
entarily malleable, hailing mass
of human beings one request.
what would you ask Of them?
Santa, obiously still moved by
his experience, didn't hesitate
a minute.
1T did give me a happy
thrill, no question Of that" he
said" and if the feeling still
fingers, make this one re-
quest:
Tell them that unselfishness
makes the grandest Christmas
Of all. The true spirit Of Christ
mas lies in remembering others
forgetting self"
And remembering that Main
and High roar we couldn't help
feeling that somehow the age Of
the hydrogen bomb may have
brought us all Just q little closer
to agreeing with Santa.