"The real things in the world are those neither children nor men can see."
-Francis P. Church
(1839-1906)
American publisher and editor
Image courtesy/Wikipedia
The following first appeared on the editorial page of the New York Sun newspaper
on September 21, 1897. This now famous response to a little girl's question asking
if Santa Claus is real was written by newspaperman Francis Church.
Dear Editor: I am 8 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." Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?
-Virginia O'Hanlon
115 West 95th Street
(1889-1971)
American educator
Image courtesy/Finger Lake Times
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 compared with the boundless world 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 be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would
be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no child-like 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 your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch
Santa Claus, but even if 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 there
are unseen and unseeable in the world.
You may 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! 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.
(2017)
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