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Show . The Santa Clans Myth j There is an attempt every year, on the part of those who are old and wise and a little disillusioned with the drift of the years, to do away with Santa Claus. But somehow, when the odors of spruce and balsam start to spice the air, and the ahop windows sparkle with colored balls, the benevolent benevo-lent old saint with the white whiskers and red coat comes by again. Children may listen solemnly while their elders explain that he is a myth. But they don't believe it. They know better. They have seen him in the toylur.ds of the store, walking up and down the streets, and whispered their secrets in his iars. They are a little sorry for grown up folks who have forgotten that there is a thing called magic in the land. Children bo often are wiser than adults. They realize that life needs a fairytale or two to make it happier. Even if Santa Claus never brings them all the gifts for which they have asked, they have cuught the glamour of a shining moment mom-ent in Which they hoped that he would, and that is something. some-thing. Toys will get broken, of course on Christmas morning and on other mornings. That is why children should be permitted per-mitted to catch magic while they can, before they have learned learn-ed how quickly tinsel tarnishes and that Santa Claus is just the mail next door dressed up. Magic is that breathlessness which makes a child's heart swell in the glad moment just before something lovely happens. hap-pens. It doesn't cost anything. Yet it is as priceless as the myrrh and gotd-ftnd "frankincense which "the- wise men-brought, men-brought, as radiant as the starshjne of a long ago eastern night, and it sings its way with a rhythm that catches the glory of the first Christmas carol that echoed' across the peaceful fields of Bethlehem. ' This year, when there is such an urge to be practical, there is a danger that we shall let the spirit of Christmas slip away. The very fact that life is harder than usual for many people should be proof enough that we need its magic. After all, the-most beautiful things in life are the unseen un-seen things, fantasy, faith, love, romance. And Santa Claus is compacted of all of them. |