Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1870-12-20
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ne.e toys DaVe outllScu tue OpoI3tlOOS Cl
time, they can be obtained at q price which,
reasonably reasonable. The cost Of the arti-
oes vendod is snail fraction of that which
would have bssn demanded under the reign
Of the fourth King George. Nay, with the
sole exception of tho rocking horse, those very
expensive toys which are now 80 conspicuous
in the highest elasa OF shops did not then ex-
let. The toy that then cost six ponce would
nov sest fsnky; but, As genera rule. there
were 10 Dlaythiags at golden prices to tempt
tho fssasst and most lavish grsndmammss.
Five ahillisss would have been expended in
tho pRrshass Of . siacrsek that would now
esat oss bat Z I've shilling present, which
weali havs ksa considered handsome then,
would maize paltry fgurc now.
In tie Georgian era, we children wsro easily
Satisfied, and that brinEs nae baof to the toys
that ere either Lost utterly, or are sunk into 3
low social stratun, whence they are not to be
recovered.
| clearly rssoleve that had great admira'
TINES Jasob's ladder, sometimes Aaron's bells.
Ii consisted Of SIX oblens pieces Of wood,
AdorRsl vith pistsfes on both sidos, aad so
ssns>sssl with tApss tiat whsn the top piece,
which was held II the hand, wSs turned down,
all the s;hsrs ueuld turo down likewise by an
apparently spoHtsasons movement, causing
sew series Of pictures to 30 preseated to the
eye. vhioi Vas highly srati6ed by the change,
~ v>rs slss ths ears BY the gathering Of the
v>els. tablets asd tho tinkling of some little
bile With which thoy wore decorated. The
last tine saw Jaso.'s ladder was many years
ase. A vsry rxdeIy made specimen of the ar
tiss, vithost any bolls, was csrr'ed about the
strssts By e, itinsrant vender, at an absurd
low priss.
by tho way, the isinsrAnt toymsn seem a.
waya to have dealt il GLASS OF ware different
frsn tAAs sold n shops. E.rly in this century
Csisanaa wae sold a ANAL drum, which,
with psas iatids, saswsred the purpose of
rattls, aSd fish suspended at che end or
line, wss a veil ksown . figure as the old
T.,k VIC nd rh1barb ia Cheap side. There
wse tssthsr drum which WA hung from q
stisk BY piece Of borsehsir, and whom this
VA vhiried ro1nd rattlisg sound was pro
2sSsd, not by the drum itself, which Was
merely WEIGHT, bot By the friction OF the
hsrsksir sssiast the stick. A modern and
ysty askrAstirs strest toy was an !ogenlous
naShips, the nsrs nsvensnt OF which caused
q Drrs iock Of slsy birds to futter down
s1aSsr Of virssL Tel years have not elapsed
sinss this isessioss toy vas at the height OF
is popularity, bss VI do net often see 1t
nov.
TIE Aat wooden ssaks, with joints Of catsut,
whish, bsld BY the tip Of The tail, waves back
ward A.d tsrvsrd, ,ts the terror oftimld urchins'
hss stin its pIsss IL some toy-shops 50, also
hss the tod whess tell, turned round, i' fast
es>d Under the throat with cobblers wax and
whs leaps vixen the wax becomes less adbe'
sivs though this rude mods of producing
Spontaneous motion il driven toto tho shade 6y
the more psrfest clockwork: But snake made
Of a single spiral shaving Of horn, with solid
head Of tho same material. which WAS capable
of heinz extended TO considerable length, and
wbisL, whsa pressed together, was packed 10
a ssall cylindrisal box. has fled beyond the
limits OF ny observation: a fault 10 this
mimic reptile was the ridisulons'y extreme
delicacy of it's constitution. The vertcbraal
column, Of which alooe ito body was composed,,
was always getting some unfortunate t"Ist' and
an attempt to rspsi, the misfortune, was gen.
erally followed by . very compeund fracture
Eoutlly fragile were tho,e little hoilo" ws1'
dolls, Which are now iuroishsd by shops OF the
humblest Kind, where the bottle which con-
t.ins them is ranged with other bottles, to.ntl;,
" stocked With ,sssr pluns, brandy balls; and
other oid-fsshioned dsintes. -AH the rear
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