Show z Suns Sun's un s Virginia Virginia Still Has I Faith F ai th thIn In Santa Claus Glaus r Yes is Virginia there is a Santa Claus Clans lie He exists as u certainly as aJ love lore and generosity generosity gener gener- 1 and cl devotion tol c n exist and you OU know that they abound and give gile to life its high high- high high- highest I Iest I est cst beauty and jO joy two Forty-two years ago an editorial writer for the New York Sun penned these now-famous now lines in answer to toa a scrawled letter from a little girl named Virginia whose faith in Santo Sant Santa San San- ta to t had been shaken Today Virginia is grown up married married mar mar- ried and serves as assistant principal principal principal prin prin- cipal in an east side New York school Her name is Dr Laura Virginia Vir Vir- Virginia ginia Douglas and this Christmas she's playing Santa Claus Glaus not only to her pupils but her own daughter Pink cheeked vivacious yet shy and hesitant in speaking of personal matters Dr Douglas is not in favor of or breaking the news baldly to a achild achild achild child that there is no Santa Claus Glaus He Re will learn naturally she says as ashe ashe ashe he turns from the free imaginative stage of early childhood to an interest interest in in- terest in the world around him When she first became old enough to realize the full meaning of the Suns Sun's editorial she felt fell badly because because because be be- cause poor children were not able to have Christmas gifts as tangible evidence of Santas Santa's existence Later Later Later Lat Lat- er she says she grew to realize that material gifts gift were not so important important tant as the faith which even the very poor child could have in something spiritual |