WORK OF "FATHER CHRISTMAS"

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21354, 22 December 1934, Page 14

WORK OF "FATHER CHRISTMAS"

Xhe Tradition of St. Nicholas A MAN WITH LONG EXPERIENCE It can be said of Father Christmas that he is born and not made. In other words the art of being Father Christmas is a gift—a gift of unbounded sympathy for children of all ages and stations. There is more in it than the repetition of kindly platitudes and the administering of grandfatherly pats on the head. One of these old foster-fathers told a reporter yesterday that if he did not have a keen and natural interest in the work he would never be able to stand it. He spoke with the authority of 15 years' experience. "You have to love children," he said, "and that's all there is to it. They come up to me without any fear and trembling, and put their arms round my neck as if I were their grandfather."

It was nearly time for tea, and Father Christmas was attending to the last young petitioners of the afternoon. His arm was round the shoulders of a small boy who shyly whispered his Christmas wishes so that no one could hear except the all-important person who would make a stealthy entry—perhaps down the chimney—into the home on Christmas Eve, bringing with him the heart's desire. Father Christmas was very busy and had no attention for anyone except his child of the moment. Other children followed, and to each was given the same sympathetic hearing. A ready wit was needed at times when demands obviously out of the question were made. Children cannot be easily deceived and Father Christmas would be the last to disappoint them; so occasionally the evasion had to be made: "Just wait and see what Father Christmas will bring you."

Some Reflections Many years of experience of children and their wishes have made Father Christmas carry his reflections far afield. "Sometimes they ask for too much altogether," he said, "forgetting everybody else but themselves. Like a great many grown-ups. selfishness and greed have taken hold of them; and that's what has left the world in the state that it is in to-day. If the children continue to grow up with greed in them they will do their bit in keeping the world where it is. So I try to do something to prevent that." Father Christmas has ready for quotation to greedv children a long piece of verse detailing the demands of an insistent small boy. At the end of the story Nemesis overtakes the greedy one—"Then Father Christmas says, Tut tut! And all he got was one peanut." It must not be thought that Father Christmas is any the less kindly disposed towards those children who regard him as their own particular familiar spirit, ready to bring them at a word all the untold wealth of the toy counters. All receive equal treatment, but by a word in season he hopes to turn their thoughts into more considerate channels.

The Faith of their Fathers

"In my time, of course, we were led to believe that Father Christmas was a spirit," the reporter was told, "and that he followed on St. Nicholas. St. Nicholas was a nobleman and of course he was a lot better off than I am. He was a saintly old man and they tell me he died the death of a saint. He used to distribute his money among the poor. Anybody whom he thought was in poor circumstances he would find out secretly and visit secretly. "It was in snowy country and he travelled round in a sledge, visiting the poor at Christmas time and taking them what we would call in our day a hamper. After he died our forefathers took up the spirit j of Father Christmas, or St. Nicholas, and carried it down through the ages. "Most of us who were taught that Father Christmas was a spirit, and that he could not be seen, had a stronger belief than the children of these days, and most of us were in our 'teens before we found out. But now, since the children can see Father Christmas, and speak to him, the., really believe that he is a man; but the majority of them have great faith in whatever man anpeals to them as their Father Christmas. There are children of 11 or 12 years of age who honestly believe as innocently as the little ones, and if you could see the looks on their faces sometimes when they come to see me. you would be surprised." Conscious of Tradition Clearly this Father Christmas is proudly conscious of playing a part in the keeping up of an ancient and honourable tradition. Whether his derivation from St. Nicholas is historically correct it is at least certain that for him the faith of the children need not be altered because the tradition has been turned to commercial account. One of the chief compensations he finds in his work is the large number of real friendships which he has made with children who, although too old to bx-ing their trustful requests to him, still visit him for the sake of past associations. In fact, if he finds that a child is beginning to doubt, and if he considers that it is time for him to know that Father Christmas is not all that he has been made out to be, he makes a point of revealing himself. Then, he says, the child will not go about spoiling the illusions of other children. As a final word, Father Christmas said that parents could save a great deal of disappointment if they only found out what the children were going to ask for. "A disappointed child can never be happy," he said.