The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-02-18
Correspondence of the GiouoI
IDIsEsGS LETTER.


LoNDoS. Jan t.
Il rsnuot be- denied that although Amcli-
81 is, year by year, approaching England
N her Observance of Christmas, yet Ivy no
means DO the cities Of the west compare
with London IN he extent of preparations
Cor rejoicing, ard arrangement. for merry
ccrcmcuias. Many of the customs Of the
vast centuries are still in yogue--the Christ
,oa> tree glilters in every house, :he mislle-
toe hangs with the holly in every hall, the
lanes Of The country and alleys OF the city
rcsound vita tho "carols," and, in fact,
the advice ot uld Thomas Tuescr, 800 years
ago, is followed TO the lclter-to meet ''at
Christmas, play and make good cheer, for
Christmas comes but once Il year "
Within the past two weeks such meta
morphoses has taken place within the city
and its several districts, that one would
hardly recognize the well known thorough
fares and the usually sombro markets, in
their gay holiday attire. Streets which but
yesterday were dull ana quiet, row resound
with juvenile voices, are crowded with gny.
eager faces, and with ladies a,,d nurses.
porters anu footmcn bearing enormous
packages, with a great degree of facility
which proves their contents TO be 'trilles
light rs air. Ncahs arks. dolls. HOUSES
theatres hush, tell it not in Gath r.
Indeed the world of small folk is strange
y attircd at this season of the year, and the
most untoward mutinies have sprung up in
the nurseries, TO the abolition Of the accus-
toned peace and Quictude.
There Is just now an extraordinary run
upon the legends and fairy tales at the
booksellers, and 10 stand for half an hour
in the shops OF Rutledge or Blackwood,
one would fancy that parliament had de-
creed the universal reading of child-litclA-
tire.
But glancing away from The stories, and
turning our attention to certain shop Win
dows at the "Wcst End" we shall discover
fascinated groups of small people inspect
ing panoramas which the widest dream
would be scarcely potent to Summon. A
row of tlaXen-haired dolls (LondOn dols)
in an undress Of tissue paper stare over the
carthusan work, busted with snow, stands
side by side with q clown, a donkey, Il
mask, drums, trumpcts, and host of fam
lily distractors. There are carriage and
railway trains, (to go by clock work, which
however are never successes) from Murlem-
burg; mimic shops and tea sets from Bava-
ria; there are metal toys of all sorts. in
Guiding, as the catalogue informs us.
hunts, villages, pasturages, from Prus-
STA; paste toys, with cats with real skim
10 move their heads and mcw > cocks to
crow, and bears able, if called upon to
dance. Coburg sends miniature theatres
with two changes of scene, and actors with
huge wires reaching from the crowns OF
their head up among the "fys' like the de-
scended sword of Damocles France, of
course, contributed dolls trosscaux. don
keys, who can bray to the life, and "h0lses
with petticoats INTO which child gets
similar TO those used in the pantomimcs.'
Nor are these articles 1.-THE Of the attrac-
lions in the weird world OF toys. There
are mice which perform unwonied tricks
sheep which it would puzzle a Smithfield
Judge to determine the breed; dolls, with
eyes and hair 9s deliciously untrue 10 ma
tuge az ever, and you will see Noah's ark
with Il strong family resemblance, among
the animals, rs well rs among the members
If the family. For older children there
are games and instruments OF the hunt and
chase, together With the boomerang, an in
tcrcsting present for boy who Is going 10
spend bis holidays among his brothers and
sisters,s since the implement bears the attrac-
live advertisement, fused by the natives Of
New South Wales. who can uso 1t 50 den
tcrously as to kill Il man behind tree,
where he may haze fed for safety in
laN-s ,,F AAi,ur4np e..
commodity has al easy sale
Parents do not stop to think how soon .
mole will be made in the drum how soon
Aolly's head will 20 20 the wall, or her nose
10 the crate, and how, in moment OF IN
vtsiigatiOn, The accOr1ian viii be rippCd
open 10 find where the music came from
i humane LOndoncr proposes that tOys
ought to find their last resting place in
warehouses; and IN the homes Of the poor,
where, year in and year out, the Wietchel
children Of poverty are content TO cherish
q rag doll, or to dag about an oyster shell
in animation Of cart.
The present season, though displaying
one of the bright sides of this great me-
tropolis, yet brings into bold relief the mis-.
cry and wretchcdncss of the poor For
weeks have little half-clad urchns gone
IRON door 10 door, chanting their "Chrlst-
iilho tdlOlS, ~ tlo hOlt VI IcCChlhE q
penny for their eXertions. 1t makes ones
heart bleed to hear these querulous voices
in the night, like a wall borne and dying on
the chill air.
But where there Is much light there must
be shadow, so let us run into Leadenhall
Market.
This antique market was erected in 1903
and by reason of its leaden roof escaped the
great fire of 1862.
Gay in his Trivia remarks "Would'si
thou with mighty beef augment the meal
seek Leadenhall" The place is no longer
celebrated for its beef but is descrvedly es-
teemed the largest and best poultry mar
ket in London.
Very quaint it is with its narrow, wind
ing paths and open air stalls. In fact
the place is merely rooted enclosure
where the vendors select their situations
and display their wares to the best possible
advantage. Small birds are suspended from
tail to bcak in festoons from pillar to pillar
pheasants and rabbits in braces fringe thu
rafters, enormous turkeys and peacocks TO
sale at from five to fifteen dollars each
turtle-doves In straw cages, high-bred dogs
trained cats, singing birds and every va
riety of animate and inanlmate poultry arr