The Exeter Times-Advocate, 1950-12-21, Page 1Seventy-sixth Year Single Copy 6fJEXETER, ONTARIO, THURSDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 21, 1950
This editorial, which has justly become timeless, was
written in The New York Sun in 1897 by Francis Phar-
cellus Church in answer to
year-old girl named Virginia
by some of her friends that
a letter from a little eight-
O’Hanlon who had been told
there was no Santa Claus.
are wrong.
by the scepticism of a
they see.
Virginia, your little friends
They have been affected
sceptical age.
They do not believe except
They think that nothing can be which is not compre
hensible by their little minds.
All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or child
ren’s, are little.
In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect,
an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the
boundless worlds about him, as measured by the
intelligence capable of grasping the whole of
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 and joy,
Alas! how dreary would he the world if there were
no Santa Claus!
It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias.
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 believe in Santa Claus!
You might as well not believe in fairies!
You might get you papa to hire men to watch in
all the chimneys o’n Christmas Eve to catch Santa
CJaus, but even 4f they did not see Santa Claus
coming down what would that prove ?
Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that
there is no Santa Claus.
The most real things 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 wonders that
are unseen and unseeable 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 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 Claus 1
Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever.
A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times
ten thousand years from now, he will continue
to make glad the heart of childhood.
a®