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IS THERE A SANTA CLAUS?;____The classic of all Santa Claus literature is the famous New York Sun editorial, which has done more to maintain faith in Santa Claus than anything else ever written. A little girl, in mental distress, wrote a touching inquiry and an editorial writer, Francis Pharcellus Church, undertook, as part of his day’s work,, to answer it and reassure the children. It became permanent literature. This classic was written in 1887 and is in many scrap books. In order that later readers may have a chance to preserve it, the-editorial is here reproduced in full:Is There a Santa Claus?$ -We take pleasure in answering at once and thus prominent-y the communication below, expressing gratification that its aithful author is numbered among the friends of the Sun:Dear Editor:I am eight-years-old. Some of my little friends say there is no Ssinta Claus. Papa says, “If you see it in the Sun, it’s so.” Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?VIRGINIA O’HANLON,115 West Ninety First street.Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of skeptical age. They do not believe they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours a man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with he boundless world about him as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole truth of knowledge.Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exists, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. \las, how dreary would be the world if there was no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there was no Virginia. There would te no child-like faith then, no poetry, no romance, to make tol-?rabe this existence. We should have n eon joy men t except in smse and light. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well 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 [rove? Nobody sees Santa Claus but that is no sign that there is ro Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies danc-rng on the lawn.. Of course not but that’s no proof that they are rot there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen in the world.You tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which rot the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, love and romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world, there is nothng else real and abiding.No Santa Claus! Thank God he lives and he lives for ever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.
Newspaper Details
Democrat American
Sallisaw, Oklahoma, US
Fri, Dec 20, 1929
Page 13
Full Page
Clipped by
Robert M.
OK, USA 26 Aug 2018
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