, 1879-01-05
Bon Marche and Magasins du
Louvre at Christmas
Time.
A Philosophical DEPRESSION Con-
cerning Toys---S1lopkeep-
ers' Tricks.
Literary Christmas Gifts-Dore's Ariosto-
4 Book on Ballooning by
Sarah Bernhardt.
Gossin Of the Theatres---The Concerts
Anglo-French and French
English.
Special Correspondence Of The Tribune.

Year ALWAYS work an extraordinary change in
the aspect of one most important part of Paris,
--its shops. Ten days or g fortnight before the
arrival OF aLe Jour de Noel'' (how poor sub
stitute it is for grand old Auglo-saxon Christ
mas-lay y, the papers are suddenly flooded with
advertisements. Now advertising Is not so
common thing here as in SONIC other. countries.
French ehopkcepers somehow cannot, as rule,
be induced to brlicve in it. The national quail
tv, economy, does not admit the principle OF
batting with herring to catch whale. It is,
therefore, rather remarkable to find whole pages
Of the Fiqaro filled with trade-announcement
all harping upon the same subject,-the subject
Of subjects from now till January.
LES ETRENNEs,
or, to put it into English, Christmas boxes aud
New-Year's gifts. But our economical friends
we'll know they risk nothing, and are sure to
gain much, by these particular fits Of prodigal-
ity, Customs arc not changed like political in
stitutions. Labruycrc knew what he was about
in writing the oft-quotcd lines: "You may to-
day take away the liberties, rights and privi-
-leges OF this town; but tomorrow do not even
dream Of altering its signboards."
You may turn Monarcbics into Empires, and
Empires into Republics; but, so long as human
nature is human nature, there will De solicitors
and bcstowcrs of Christmas-boxcs in some
sLape or other. So long as children are chill
dren, and rathers and mothers remain fathers
and mothers, there will be toys to make, aud
toys will sell.
In point OF fact,
arc always the great feature Of the beautiful
displays made in the windows of the great
p.-. ftrDn ~ +Fa
"Toys'' Is a generic word, descriptive Of
good many species. Whatever is madeto amuse
NAV be, in liberal sense, called toy To
a baby'it means rattle. To q boy or girl OF 10
it is boz Of soldiers or doll. know many
sweet maid whose toys are flowers, sweet as her.
self, or books. And I know some 1adies-not
quite so sweet, according to our brutal mascu-
line notions-who prefer silk dresses and pretty
bonnets. As they grow old, men do as St. Paul
did: 'tThey put away childish things,n and take
to collecting pictures, just as they would once
have collected postage-stamns. Toys, all tors.
Mr.. Gladstonc's toys are old china and half
penny postcards. Almost q return to the child
hood, here!
You perceive the passion lies deep at the root
OF our nature.
Universal shops, like the Bon Marche and the
Magaxins du Louvre, make the
MOST WONDERFUL EFFORTS
every year to satisfy this universal craving. A
walk through them just now reveals whole
world Of pretty trifles. Newly-shaped bows and
nccktics, fashioned as only the inexhaustible re-
sources of French taste and ingenuity could
fashion them, are there for one class of. ex-
p1orcrs,-feminine, Of course. We Of the stronger
sex are tempted by hundred fancilul
nothinss 10 the form Of purses, glove-boxes,
clocks, cigar-cases, writing-desks,- the
Lord knows what besides. And this to men,
tion none but tue more expensive articles. For
tHnsc WHO care to loosen tliclr 'pursc-stripes
further the Bon Marche and a dozen other mon
z,sr bazars have Japanese Easss China ina sisf
WI. bronzes.
Far the Children there arc TOYS proper,-gups,
so1Giers' ontfits ] en miniature model Stables and
hntchers, shons. dolls. and rocking horses. A
sni1arng ui dol1 witch made snch sensation at
4ha Exhihit;on "a clever trif1e. imiratinr tho
nato+o,x nhor1n"rs ofS'frouvIllc and Etretat with
oston;snino fS1eiitv. These, and nj elahorate
tovs ri thn Kind. cnst outrageous sums of money.
i,,,t thav ara roo1lv charming if vou don,t mind
,re host honpht in those little It'll booths that will
soon o be- nins the bouleyards from the Bastillc
to the Madeleine. The large shops seem to ie-
aoro rn Tue nr when tbev do cater for them oraet
to Iower their prices to the quality Of their
1oods ~ is favnr;te trick Of the Bpn Hinrche and
ia oprra at christmas. rs This which I hold
mn to The ind1gnaut reprobation of all honest
ehonteanars 81 in rhe two hemisnheres. They
fai.a - do7en common German toys,-wood.
~. elA' an,tnn1e uoen s1ate.nencil hoTos anS 50
firth: yal,1e. say q franc. These they
c,1n,';ng1r orronoc within giit wicker hasket.
With plenty Of e. 1avnes and req sot
~ and tbon tiap MT IT, whole un;ler The rlare Of
-, o1eotrc iigbt md charge von etnht. nine. or
+an an f.oncs fnr ~ NV
M hn,s ~ as 70 ~ oter s" attractons of thc
I'u44 " HooNs ~ ~ - -! 80 -