Newspaper Page Text
Telling the Story of His Life
Is There a
Santa Claus?
Classic Answer of a New
York Journalist Affirming
a Little Girl’s Belief
of the finest things ever
I O I written about Christmas was
LhoJ Q|jjgJ the editorial printed 20 years
ago by the New York Sun in
answer to the earnest appeal of a little
New York girl to be told whether
Santa Claus really exists. Its author.
Frank I’. Church, was an accomplished
journalist and wrote much on many
subjects, but his fame will rest chiefly
on this beautiful setting forth of an
eternal truth. With Dr. Clement Clarke
Moore's “A Visit From St. Nicholas,"
it- is one of the great classics of the
Christmas season.
The answer to the eternal question
as printed in the Sun follows:
“We take pleasure in answering at
once, and thus prominently, the com¬
munication below, expressing at the
same time our great gratification that
its faithful author ts numbered among
the friends of the Sun:
" ‘Dear Editor—I am eight years old.
Some of my little friends say there Is
no Santa Claus. Papa says: If you
see it in the Sun it’s so. Piease tell
me the truth: ia 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 a skeptical age. They
do not believe except 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 man is a mere
insect, an ant, in his intellect, as com¬
pared with the boundless world about
1 him, as measured by the intelligence
capable of grasping the whole truth
and knowledge.
“Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa
Claus. He exists as certainly as love
and generosity and devotion exist, and
you know that they abound and give
to your life its highest beauty ami joy.
Alas! How dreary would be the world
If there were no Santa Claus! It would
be as oreary as if there were no Vir¬
ginias. There would be no childlike
faith then, no poetry, no romance, to
make tolerable this existence. We
should have no enjoyment except in
sense and sight. The eternal light with
which childhood fills the world would
be extinguished.
“Not belieT? in Saata Claus! You
might as well not beiieve in fairies!
You might get your papa to hire men
*)Alre*4
to watch in ail the chimneys on Christ¬
mas eve to catch Santa Claus, but even
if they did not see Santa Claus com¬
ing down, what would that prove? No¬
body sees Santa Claus, but that is no
sign that there is no Santa Claus. The
most real tilings in the world are those
that neither children nor men can see.
Did you ever see fairies dancing on the
lawn? Of course not; but that’s no
proof that they are not there. Nobody
can conceive or imagine all the won¬
ders that are unseen and unseeable in
the world.
“You may tear apart the baby’s rat¬
tle and see what makes the noise in¬
side, but there is a veil covering the
unseen world which not the strongest
man, nor even the united strength of
all the strongest men that ever lived,
could tear apart. Only faith, fancy,
poetry, love, 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 nothing else real and
abiding.
“No Santa Ciaus! Thank God, he
lives and he lives forever. A thousand
years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times
10,(WO years from now, he will con¬
tinue to make giad the heart of child¬
hood.”
THE CLEVELAND COURIER, CLEVELAND, GEORGIA.
Christ Is Born
Louise F. Elmendorf
The world, late racked with pain
through bloody years,
Has climbed its weary long-palhed
Calvary,
Where millions died, as Christ,
that they might free
Others from wrong and black op¬
pression’s tears.
Once more now through the world
comes to our ears
The song of all the ages, “Christ
is born."
Mute tongued to notes of joy have
been the bells,
And only childhood and old age
dared try
To sing, so near (he threatening
battle sky,
The song that told, though dulled
by shrieking shells
Whose bursting turned a thousand
homes to hells,
The wonder of the ages, “Christ
is born."
Our faith in God has brought to us
the goal;
War-weary lands have peace on
earth again;
And in the scarred and fire
purged hearts of men,
Made sweet and strong by suffering
of the soul,
Through travail of a world once more
made whole,
Anew in human hearts the Christ
is born.
Dear God, the Christmas songs ore
fraught with prayer
That Thou wilt be with those
whose tears still pay
That we may have the glory of
this day;
That men may live their thanks;
that lives may beaf
Eternal witness for Thee, every¬
where
Proclaiming that in us the Christ
is born.
Changed His Mind.
Doris—I thought you and George
were going skating?
Marjorie—So we were, but when he
saw I had my hat trimmed with mis¬
tletoe he asked rue to go for a walk.
Making
Merry With
Others
By ELEDA LEDMAN i X
.■••••■••‘•a. •Jo
1919, HcClure'Newspaper Syn¬
dicate.)
I S S II O ELIS T E R
glanced up from her
paper. “That’s pretty
good advice,” she mur¬
mured ns she read the
words once again.
“ ‘The custom of for¬
getting oneself and
making merry with oth¬
ers and for others is a
wise and wholesome
one-’ ” “I believe I’ll
stroll along the streets
to see if I can’t find someone equally
Suiting the action to the words, Miss
Hollister donned her coat and left the
house, calling to the maid, “Probably
I’ll bring home some guests for din¬
ner.”
Looking along the street for some¬
one to share her loneliness she’ spied
a young girl walking listlessly along,
apparently without any destination, as
if site had missed altogether the joy¬
ous meaning of the holiday,
“Merry Christmas,” she said putting
her hand forward. The girl paused a
second, and then repeated, “Merry
Christmas,” adding, “it: may he merry
for you hut not for me.”
“Why are you so lonely on such a
glorious day?” said Miss Hollister,
“the air just seems to tingle with
radiant light.."
“It seems strange to tell one’s
troubles to a stranger, but T left
home because I thought I could sing,
and I have been unsuccessful in my
attempt, and I am too proud to let
the folks know. When 1 think of the
tree at home—the turkey dinner, and
only myself missing, 1 just can’t bear
It.” Her big blue eyes filled with
tears.
“Cheer up, girlie! No one cun en¬
joy a Christmas day alone. You can
only have a merry Christmas if others
slut re it with you. .Let’s celebrate to¬
gether. 1 have a dinner already pre¬
pared. but no guests.
“Let’s find one or two others equal¬
ly lonely, and maybe we can all get
together and have a good time. May
lie we have something in common. I
left home years ago because 1 thought
f could write something worth while.
But the only real human interest is
not in books and magazines, but all
around us.”
“But,” questioned the girl, “can you
go ups to strangers just like that?” with
a wave of the hand.
“Hardly. One must he moved by
the Christmas spirit. Look at that
man over there, staring at that doll
In the window,"
The man turned at the sound of
her voice and asked: “Pardon me, do
you knovt any little girl who would
Just love to have a doll? There must
be hundreds of little girls just aching
for one. That doll Is the counterpart
of a picture my partner has on his of¬
fice desk-—dark curls, blue eyes and
till. That picture has been a mascot
to me, and I would love to buy the
doll. But I missed my train, and 1
am not acquainted in the city. Talk
about a bachelor being lonely at
Christmas! Why, Christmas In a big
city alone—never, never again for me.”
Miss Hollister’s face beamed with
pleasure. “You are Just the person we
want. We will form a triple alliance
of ‘lias-been’ lonelies. You just come
along to my place, it's only around the
corner, and share my Christmas din¬
ner. Christmas is really the children’s
day, so let’s Just pretend we are chtl
‘‘Do You Know Any Little Girl Who
Would Just Like to Have a Doll?”
dren again and don’t need any intro¬
duction, just ‘contemn over.’ ”
“My name is Merton, and I think you
must lie Mrs. Santa Claus.”
"No, I’n not; I’m Miss Hollister, and
this is Miss—”
“Aiken,” interrupted the girl.
“Why, my partner’s name is Aiken,
and I was on my way to join him at
his mother’s house."
“You mean, Thomas Aiken?”
“Sure enough!”
“Oh, he is my brother.”
“Well, I declare! Then surely I
must buy that doll for you r sister.
Doesn’t it look like her?”
“I haven’t any little sister. That
must hove been my picture when I was
a little girl.”
"I don’t understand why you are
here, Miss Aiken, but you are going to
take the next train with me to your
mother's home. You have lost that
‘baby-doll’ expression. How strange
that the little picture girl and you
should be the same. Wiry, one of the
inducements that Jack offered me was
that his sister would be home for
Christmas. I’ll run In and buy that
doll, and then we will proceed to Miss
Hollister’s.”
As they entered Miss Hollister's
apartment, they uttered a cry of sur¬
prise, for standing in the middle of
the room was a child.
“Why, here’s just the one we are
looking for. Here’s a beautiful doll for
you ! Look, little one !" said Miss Hol¬
lister.
“Boys don’t want dolls,” cried the
tot; “they want soldiers and guns, and
steam ears, and”—
“But why are you dressed like a lit¬
tle girl?”
“Because my father don't know any
better. He left, me home all alone on
Christmas, so I just came in here—-the
turkey smelled so good.”
Suddenly a voice was heard, full of
anxiety, asking: “Is my boy hero?"
“Yes,” said Miss Hollister; “come
right in.”
“John!” she added in great aston¬
ishment.
“Yes, Mary,” said the man; “to think
1 have found you,after all these years.
My wife died last, year, and this is all
I have,” lie said,'pointing to the boy.
“John!" She Added in Great Astonish¬
ment.
“Mary, is it too late for you to take
both of us for a Christmas present?”
“How wonderful! This Christmas
was so lonely, and now it is so full of
happiness. I had always hoped for a
chance to explain everything, but when
I heard you were married, I thought
there was no chance.”
“Comet Let’s all go in to dinner
and talk it over.”
“Yes,” said Mr. Merton, “I was just
telling Miss Aiken that when we know
each other better, maybe I will give
John’s sister something better Ilian a
doll.”
“Take it from me, Miss Aiken," said
Mr. Merton, “the best is yet to be, and
Christmas bells ns well as wedding
bells, may ring out (he same merry
tune for all of us."
“To he able to sing or write may he
all right, Miss Aiken, but I think to
write the words ‘wife’ or ‘mother’ after
one’s name is more important than
writing the best sellers ever written,”
added Miss Hollister.
BUYING UNSUITABLE TIES
Tragedy Enough in Such Christmas
Presents Purchased by Woman, but
They Might Do Worse.
“Look at the trouble (tint is being
stored up there,” sneered the morbid
pessimist as lie pointed to a group
of women around the necktie counter.
“It would be funny,” he continued,
"If It were not so tragic. Why it Is
that lovely woman with all her eye
for the beautiful and with all her
accomplishments cannot select a neck¬
tie for a man is one of the things
that rank with the unfathomable mys¬
teries of life. I would sooner send a
blind man to buy me a “warranted
sound” horse than I would enlist the
services of a woman to select a neck¬
tie.
“Think of the fat men that will wake
up on Christmas morning to find in
their stockings a delicate emaciated
baby pink necktie that will look like
a consumptive shoestring when it re¬
poses on their bountiful expanse of
white shirt bosom. Then on the other
hand, ‘Bones, the human skeleton,’ will
probably get delirium tremens when
he is made the recipient of a spotted
necktie big enough to make a shawl
for grandmom. Of course nothing
will do for the nice, dignified old gen¬
tleman who never wears anything hut
a little black bow, but a flowing sash
of passionate hue. Willie, the gay
sport, on the other hand, will get some¬
thing that would look nice on grandpa,
and so it will go on down the line.
“Oh, the Christmas necktie! What
tragedies are written in thy name!"
The pessimist paused.
Then he added thoughtfully: “I
would, though, rather have my wife
buy me a necktie than pick out my
cigars.”—Philadelphia Inquirer.
Surprise in Store for Santa.
Jack—We’ve put the chest of draw¬
ers in front of the fireplace.
Harold—Yes.
Jack—You tied the string to the
handle of the door?
Harold—Yes; and I tied the other
end of tlie string to the water-jug.
Jack—Then we ought to find out the
real facts about Santa Claus.
Remember—it’s the
cloth in your overalls
that gives the wear!
The only way to tell that the
OVERALLS and
COVERALLS
you buy are made of gen¬
uine Stifel’* Indigo — the
strong, last-long, fast-color
cloth that positively will not
break in the print — iB to
I o o o k M§g||
for this
mark t PI'
on the back of the cloth in¬
side the garments.
Dealer.* everywhere sell R«mienf»
of Stifel Indigo. We are makers
of the cloth only.
I L STIFEL & SONS
Indigo Wheeling, Dyers and Printers' A .
A W. Va. jf*
260 Church St.
Cuticura Soap
Meal far the
Complexion
Oil. INVESTMENTS ARK MAKING THOU¬
SANDS WEALTHY. Write to.la> fur Infor¬
mation on good stocks. Geo. W. Gross St
Co., 810 So. Pacific Italic.. Houston, Texas.
AIRPLANE CUli—MENDS ANYTHING but
a broken heart. 25c lartte sample. Thomas.
Aircraft Co., 5iT Mason J.ibjs.. Ilouslon, 'Tex.
Circumventing the Barrage.
Mrs. Newedd—John, we’ll have to
have a' speaking lube from the dining
room to the kitchen.
Newedd—Why?
Mrs. Newedd—Well, I must gee some
way of talking to the cook without
having her throw dishes at me.—Bos¬
ton Keeping Transcript.
Important to Niothera
Examine carefully every bottle of
CASTOItlA, that famous old remedy
for infants und children, and see that it
Bears the
Signature of
In Use for Over JO Years.
Children Cry for Fletcher’s Castoria
Suitable.
“How badly that laundry article is
written." “Well, that is n subject it
is natural to mangle.”
To abort a cold
and prevent com¬
plications, take
alotabs
The purified and refined
calomel tablets that are
nausealess, safe and sure.
Medicinal virtues retain¬
ed and improved. Sold
only in sealed packages.
Price 35c.
PARKER'S
HAIR BALSAM
Bezno y«e Dand rn ff Color -StopsH&irF&llinS and
Restores
HIMDERCOHNS Removes comfort Corns, to Cal-; tbo
louses, etc., stops all pain, ensures mail at Oru^j
feet, makes walking earv. 15c. t&SehogQQtii. by or Y. *
glala. Hiscox Chemical Works,
Coughs Grow Better
surprisingly soon, throat inflammation disap¬
pears, irritation ia relieved and throat tick¬
ling stops, when you use reliable, time-tested
PI SO S