Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1875-12-30
Wonderful Toys.


A writer in New York paper thus de-
scribes some Of the sights at prominent
Eighth avenue toy store: The most won
derful specimens were of French work
manship. The first of these may be
called the walking lady" This is lit,
tie Partisan dame about twelve inches
high, costumed in the latest style. Her
dress is perfect model of elegance, so
rich yet neat are the colors and so perfect
the mt. She is costumed for the street,
and the long skirt, most graceful in its
set, is 50 contrived as to hide the mechan-
ism by which the figure is moved In
one hand the lady carries an elegant fan,
in the other pair of gold eye GLASSES,
after the extreme style of the fashionable
world. Being duly wound up and placed
upon smooth table, or the floor, my lady
begins to glide along with smooth and
graceful motion, while little musical
box, which is part Of the mechanism, be.
gins to play light operate air AS she
walks, the weather being warm, she oc-
casionally fans herself with much grace of
manner, and then, some acquaintance or
friends being supposed to be passing, she
half turns and raises her pretty head, and
with an air of languid hauteur lifts her
eye glasses and calmly looks her friends
out of countenance, also after the manner
of the high-born and fashionable. These
motions are repeated at intervals until the
music is PLAYED out and the little lady
comes to stand-still, ready to be wound
up for another promenade. The second
walking-lady goes through the same mo-
lions, but moves more rapidly. She is
dressed in Louis XIV. style, and has a
long train, which is borne by little negro
page, in Oriental costume, that being an in
dispensable attachment to fine danes of
that period. The page carries in one
hand long handled sun-shade, which he
holds over my lady's head, while with the
other he bears up the gorgeous train The
feet of the lady are, of course, hidden
from vulgar gaze, but the attendant stands
out in plain view, and the way the little
blackamoors fat calves tinkle as he is
running to keep up with his rapidly
moving mistress is indescribably ridicu-
lous. The next toy is the lady at the
toilet table" and is very elaborate. The
lady stands before her rose-curtained
toilet table, on which is large mirror,
combs, brushes and a powder box. She
is evidently just giving the finishing
touches before the ball. After being
wound up low music is heard coming
from the interior of the toilet table, and
the lady bends down aud looks at herself
in the glass. After a moments pause she
daintily powders her face, first one side
and then the other; and this being done,
she rises and observes the effect in small
hand-mirror, which she bears in her left
hand. This is passed before her face
several times while she turns each rosy
cheek to catch the reflection, and slightly
losses her taxen curls with a supremely
self-satistied air. Five tunes are played
by this musical toy, and the lady goes
through her toilet performances till they
are exhausted After this we have the
riders, a lady and her cavalier mounted
on very fiery looking donkeys, gayly
adorned with bright ribbons The gentle
man is in full Louis XIV. costume, riding
boots and all, and the lady the same. On
being set in motion the donkeys gallop
around, urged to speed by the whips of
their riders, who maintain their seats with
true equestrian elegance, and occasionally
turn and look at each other 1t is To be sup
posed with mutual admiration. After
these come the tiower-girl," who walks
in very perfect style and pushes before her
a hand wagon filled with flowers while
in her lett hand she bears a baSkettul of
them, which she occasionally raises rs II
offering her wares for sale. This also is
musical toy. The wheat-cutter" is an
other Here peasant girl, in a costume
which we are more accustomed to see in
the peasants OF the operate stage than IN
those of the wheat field, stands before
patch of growing wheat In her right
hand she holds her sickle, and. bending
over, she puts this into the wheat as in
the act OF cutting il. Lastly we have an
other toy, in which there is rs muck char
acter rs ingenuity. This is apretty French
ricaHdiep, short-skirted, with her hat
perched saucily ON one side OF her curls,
her little canteen slung over her shoulder,
and pistol in her right hand. She
dances Oft At Il rafting speed, very much
in contrast TO the stately motion of the
wai.Iing.lady, and atScvery turn throws up
her arm and discharges the pistol. This in
itself is sufficiently funny, but with each
discharge the little lady losses her head
with saucy vigor 50 full of character
that il is almost impossible to do justice
to il. Nothing could be more perfectly
in keeping than the motions OF this laugh
able little toy and whoever constructed il
deserves the title OF an artist