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Show Is There a Santa Claus ? We take pleasure in answering at once and andthus andthus andthus thus prominently pronunently the communication below belowexpressing , . expressmg expressing at the same time our great gratifi gratifi- gratification gratification gratification - - cation that its faithful author is numbered numberedamong numberedamong numb rcdamong among the friends of the Sun : Dear Edltor-I Edltor I Editor-I Editor Editor - I am eight years old old.Some oldSome . Some of my Lttle little fnends friends say there isno is isno isno no Santa Clar.sPapa ClatesPapa Claus Clates Clar.s Clars ClausPapa . Papa says : "It It "If If " you see it in m the Sun Sunit's Sunit's Sunit's Sunits ' " it's its so Please tell me the truth ; "Is Is " there a aSanta aSanta aSanta Santa Claus ? ' * VIRGINIA O'HANLON OHANLON ' . Virginia Vlrgtma , your little fnends friends are wrong wrong.They wrongThey . They have been affected affectcd by the skepticism of ofa ofa ofa a skept1calage skepticalage skeptical skept1cal age . . They think that nothing can canbe canbe canbe be which wh1ch is not comprehensible by their thc11 ' little littlemmds littleminds littleminds mmds minds . All minds mmds , Virginia Vlrgtnla , wheth whether r they be bemen's bemen's bemen's bemens men's mens ' or littio little children't childrent chIldren's chIldrens ' , , arc are little In t1 t1s this t1great thisgreat thisgreat s great universe of oura ours our man IB 18 is a mere mscct insect insectan . , an ant , , m in his intellect mtellect , , as compared with the theboundless theboundless theboundless boundless world about him lum , as measured by bythe bythe bythe the intelligence mtell1gence capable of grasping the whole wholeof wholeof wholeof of truth and knowledge . . Yes , Virginia , there is a Santa Claus . He HeeXists Heexists Heexists eXists as certainly certamly as love and generosity anddevotion and anddevotlon anddevotion devotlon devotion . .exist exist . , , and you know that they theyabound theyabound theyabound abound aboundand and give gwe to your life bfa its lughest highest highc t beauty beautyand beautyand beautyand and joy . Al Alas ls < ' how dreary would be the world worldif worldif If there were no Santa Claus It would be al as aldrear asdrear asdrear drear as if there were no Virginias Vlrgtmas . . Therewould There Therewou'd Therewou'd Therewoud wou'd woud would ' ' be no ch id-like id like 'd.hIte d.hIte dhIte ld-like ld ' - . faith then , , no poetry poetryno , , no romance to make tolerable this tlus C'Clstencc CClstencc cistence e existence.We existenceWe ' . We should have no enjoyment , , except in m sense senseand senseand senseand and sight The eternal light l1ght with which childhood child child- childhood childhood - hood fills the world would be e extinguished e'ttmguished ettmguished ctingutshed extinguishedNot ' ctingutshedNot Not believe beheve in m Santa Claus ? You might atwell as at aswell aswell well not believe in 10 fairies fames I ! 1 You might rrught getyour get getyour getyour your papa to hire men to watch inall In all the thechunneys thechimneys thechimneys chunneys chimneys on Christmas Chnstmas Evo Eve to catch Santa SantaClaus SantaClaus SantaClaus Claus , but even if they did not se see Sanb Santa SantaClaus SanbClaus SantaClaus Claus coming commg down , , what would that prove proveNobody ? Nobody sees Santa Claus , but that is no sign signthat signthat ignthat that there is no Santa Claus . . The most realthings real realthmgs realthings thmgs things in 10 the world arc are those that thJt neither neitherchlldrcn neitherchildren neitherchildren chlldrcn children nor men can see . . Did you ever see seefames seefairies seefairies fames fairies dancing dancmg on the lawn ? Of course not notbut , but that's thats ' no proof that they are not there thereNobody thereNobody thereNobody Nobody can conceive concclve or imagine Imagmc all the won won- wondcrs wonders wonders - ders dcrs there are arc unseen and unseeable in theworld the theworld theworld world . You may tear apart the baby's babys ' rattle and andsee andsee andsee see what makes the noise inside , , but there II is IIa isa na a veil vCII covering the unseen worldwhich world which not notthe notthe notthe the strongest man , nor even the umted united umtedstrength unitedstrength unitedstrength strength of all the strongest men that ever everbved everlived everlived bved lived , , could tear apart . . Only faith , , fancy , , po- po poetry poetry po poetry - - etry , love , romance , , can push aside that cur- cur curtam curtarn cur curtain - tain tam tarn and view and picture the supernal beautyand beauty beautyand beautyand and glory beyond Is it all real real ? ? Ah , , VlrRlma Virginia Virginiain , , In . , ill 11 this t1UB world there is nothing nothmg else real and andabldmg andabiding andabiding abldmg abiding . No Santa Claus ? Thank Godi Godl he lives bves for for- forever forever forever - ever . A thousand years from now . , , Vlrgmla Virginia Virginianay . , , n:1Y n1Y nay : , . ten times rimes ten thousand thous\nd thous nd ' \ years from nowhe now nowhe nowhe he will WIn continue contmue to make mal"e male " glad the heart of ofcluldhood ofchildhood ofchildhood cluldhood childhood . . |