THE BDEVARD NEWS, BREVARD. N. C.
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. -A ^ I >XV
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Is There a
Santa Claus f
Classic Answer of a New
York Journalist Affirming
a Little Girl’s Belief
of the finest things ever
I Cm I 'vrittcn about Christmas was
|ib,ihJ editorial printed 20 years >
ajro by the New York Sun in ;
ansv. er to the earnest appeal of a little
New York girl to be told whether
L<.inta ri;uis roally exists. Its aiithor, j
Frank P. Cliureh, was an accomplished i
journalist and wrote nnich on many
subjects, l)ut his fame will rest chiefly
on this beautiful seltins forth of an !
etern:‘l tnith. With Dr. Clement Clarke
Moore’s “A Visit From St. Nicholas.”
it is one fif the groat classics of the
Christmas season. i
The answer to the eternal question
as printed in the Sun follows:
“We take plesisure in answcnnp at
once, and thus prominently, the com
munication below, oxpressinir at the
same time our great gratification
its faithful at;thor is numbered among !
the friends of the Sun:
“ ‘Dear Editor—I am eipht years old.
Some of my little friends say there is
no Santa Claus. Papa f.ays: If you
.see it in the Sun it’s so. Pleaso tell
me the truth: is there a Santa Claus?
“•VIRGINIA O’HANl-OX.
115 West Ninety-first Street.*
"Virginia, your little frieiids c’re
wron". They have been affected by
the skepticism of a skeptical age. They
<lo 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
him, as measured by the inteiligenfc
capable of grasping the whole truth
and knowledge.
“Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa
Claus. IT(' exirls as certainly as love
and generosity and devotion exist, .ind
you know ‘hat they abound and r,lve
to : our life its Wghest beauty and j.^y.
AlnsI ll')w drciiry would be the world
If There were no Santa Claus! It would
’.'i‘ as dreary as if there were no Vir-
g.niiis. 'I'hcre would be no childlike
faith tlien. no poetry, no romance, to
make lolorable this existence. We
should liave no en.ioynient except in
sens-.' and sight. The eternal light with
which childhood fills the world would
be extinguished.
“Not believe in Santa Claus! Yot
might as well not believe in fairies!
You migbt gel yonr papa io hire mess
u
$)a£T£/IS
Sii%
sMi' M
to watch in all the chimneys on Christ
mas eve to catch Snntu Claus but even
if they did not si'O Santa Ci^aus com
ing down, wbat v/ould tliat jirove? No
body sees Santa Claus, but that is no
sign tbat there is no Santa Claus. The
most real things in the world ;a'e those
that neither children nor men can see.
Did you ever see fairi<'s 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, cun push aside
that curtain nnd view and pictiire the
supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is
it all real? Ah. Virglr.ia. in all this
world there 5s notiiing else real and
abiding.
“No Santa Claus! Thank God, lie
lives and he lives forever. A thousand
.years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times
10,0tH) years fronk now, he will con
tinue to make glad tlse heart of chliii*
hood.”
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 19th, 1919.
A Few Don'ts |
for Christma^'
Don’t court indigestion. j
Don’t gfumble, whatever you do. |
Don’t half fill the kiddies’ stocking.s.^
Don’t give presents which will be
Dseless. '
Don’t forget the mistletoe. Romance
still lives. .
Don’t forget that it ought to be a!
merry Christmas.
Don’t deny the little ones’ ideas
about Santa Claus. ^
Don’t worry about unpaid bills—at;
any rate until tomorrow.
Don’t Kcoff at the lingering supers
stitions of the good old days.
Don’t for the snow of things, buy
presents which you can’t afford.
Don’t oxi)ect too luany presents,,
Take what you got and be thankful.
Don’t, if .v<»u got up on your v/rong;
sid(*, malv'o ovi'? uody else miserable.
Don’t forget to tliink at least once
during the day what Christmas really
moans.
Don't give a present unless you want
tf). rK't 'tor not give at all than give in
sincerely.
Don’t forget that the giving of
riiristmas boxes, like charity, should
\)cgin at home.
Don’t, if you are a girl, stand under-
the mistletoe until you see the right
chap approaching.
Don’t kiss somebody else’s best girl,
evi'n though slie is under the mistle
toe. There might be a row.
Don’t work on Christmas day if yott
can avoid it. If you have to, however,
don’t make a song about it.
Don’t give .Johnnie a trumpet and-
I’eter a whistle and expect to have a
quiet time. It’s unreasonable.
Don’t put off buying presents until
the last minute. You’ll get better value
and avoid the crush if you shop early.
Don’t send an electric runabout to a’
freezing widow with five starving chil-
ilren. This is like throwing a rope of
liearls to a drowning man.
Don’t look pained when somebody
:s.‘!ls a fifty-year-old Christmas story.
That’s one of tl>e unavoidable circum
stances of the festive season.
Don’t give a new song to some one
who doesn’t sing; but be still more
certain that you don’t give a new song
to some one who imagines he can sing.
Don’t refrain from giving because
you can’t afford to give luuch. The in
trinsic value of a gift counts for noth
ing. It is the thought which prompts
it that matters. i
Don’t let the vife give you a Christ
mas present in tlie form of cigars. If
; she persists in doing so, don’t smoke
them—give them away again, without
lettiiis her know about it, of course. ■
Keep Prosperity at Home This Christmas. Buy in Brevard
%
SUITS LADIES
DURABLE
even the most fastideous. Sen-
the most exacting critic of dress
le enough to satisfy even the most
GENTILE sfeNSlBLE
\ Gentile enough foi
si^e enough for even
extravagance. Durah
limited pui^e. /
These are leatur^js which predominate in oui’ season
able Suits fo * ladife? and misses. ^
Below we ubjfoit a list of appropriate Christmas Gifts
—we will be delighted to have yoa come in and inspect
them in person. >.
Shoes
Hand Bags
Silk Hose T
Crepe De Chine Ha?ndkerchiefs
Boxes of Handkerchiefs
Camisoles (All C/blors)
Crepe De Chini Teddies
Bath Robes
Boudior Slippers
Boudior Caps
Georgette Waists
Jersey Underskirts
Tom O’Shanter’s Sweaters
Bath Robes
Men’s Tastes-Boys’ Needs
FOR THE CHRISTMAS TIME
We have considered these, as well as the other mem
bers of the family, in the selection of our stock of
CLOTHING AND SHOES
Whatever the occasion, we have Clothing and Shoes
to fit—for dress, for business, for work.
Every one knows that this is the Family Store of this
town, and so at Christmas time as well as every other
day in the year. Bring the family to Its Own Store.
Collars
Bed Room Slippers
Kid Gloves
Wool Gloves
Sweaters
Mackinaws
Overcoats
Over Shoes
Rubber Boots
Hand Bags
Trunks
Umbrellas
■ -'I
■ 'r- II
'mm
Ties
Neck Scarfs
Handkerchiefs
Silk Handkerchiefs
Suspenders
Garters
Guff Links
Silk Hose
Silk Shirts
Outing Night Shirts
Outing Pajamas
Hats and Caps
eilt’s Cash Stores