The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-12-13


ing quite so beautiful just now as th'
shops. 1t doesn't make any difference
whether you are rich or poor indeed, vol
can be a beggar though they do object
to you being a thief, that is, if you are
pursuing your avocation. But anybody
that is, any honest body, can feast hel
eyes on all the lovely Christmas things
and in one way she will own them just
as much as the richest lady in the land
There is something fine in being able to
enjoy without possessing. l cannot un-
derstand, though how any woman, with
a little money to spare, can go into the
toy shops and come out without buying
some trifle to make glad somebody's child.
There are dolls of all degrees offered TO
the doll-lover; there's the wonderful
French doll, whose face has a naughty
expression, who is so accomplished that
she can cry like a real baby, speak like
a parrot and waltz with the exactness
of machine. 1t is true that, unlike real
ladies when she dances, she furnishes
her own music! Whisper it not in Gath,
but when she moves around to the tune
Of The Beautiful Blue Danube,"- the
tiny music box is concealed under her
e-trimmed petticoat.
There are less expensive dolls, real baby
dolls, dressed in long clothes and reclin-
ing in carriages, with doll nurses standing
beside them; there are little girl dolls,
gowned in short frocks, and having ten
mis- racquets in their hands; and there are
1oIIa
loll on easy chairs of gilt upholstered in
satin. There is bride doll, too, with
Sinking bridegroom, and the bride looks
so modest and the groom so. happy that
am certain that, last night, while all the
world slept, the dolls came to life, and
there was a really and truly wedding
formed in the doll shop. There is every
thing to make doll happy. A closely cur
tanned brass bed of the right size, in which
she may dream; china bath tub, in which
she may take her morning bath and pre-
serve her complexion, while for this pur-
pose there is a special soap warranted not
10 injure the most delicate dolls skin!
Surely, the very hight of luxury in dolls
has been reached; and yet-and yet-how
often is a child happy with an old MANNED
doll, loved not for its beauty, but for its
many sorrows?
There are some toys that never change.
The lovely woolly dog is just as square
at the corners as he was when l was pre-
sented to the first one more years ago than
like to remember. Although science has
progressed, the workings of the woody
dog are as crude as ever. The same
string is pulled, the pink tongue come out,
and the "bow-bow' Is just as hollow and
artificial as it should be- Noah's ARK is
as absolutely artistic as when you and /
first counted the animals therein. The
dog and the elephant are the same hight,
and both are pink. The crocodile and the
camel each have a curly tail, and are a
lively purple, and the only way you can
distinguish Shem Ham and Japhet from
their wives is by their wearing stiff round
hats, not unlike those known as sun
downs. Shem is the joyous brown he al
was; Ham is a brilliant orange, while
Japhet is a pale blue, and Noah is de-
lightfully notified. The dove, with a leaf
IN her mouth, is the same color and size
as the cow, but how lovely they all are!
Has anybody ever decided whether the
original family in the ark got in through
the roof. as do the wooden family? And
did they walk to the ark two by two, as
many procession of wooden animals has
been arranged? l think they did. The
ark is too historical a toy not to be cor
rect. To what small child are you going
TO send am ark? Or was it a firemans
get-up or soldiers toggery that you had
in mind for some boy? Somehow the
toy shop possesses a wonderful fascina>
ton for me. l think it a good thing that
IL does-and | will tell you why. The lit
tie time of delight that comes to you or
TO me while looking over the tops that
duplicate those we loved in days gone by,
bring before us those old days and make
us remember how easily we were made
hdnnV a ma
less we have become hard of heart, which
God forbid! we long with great intensity
70 give joy to somebody else-somebody
else who is a little child.
Perhaps it is for some little child who
like you or me pored over book, thea
away we go out into the fresh air, across
the street. mingle with the bustling,
merry crowd and land at the book shop.
Here there is an aristocratic happiness
TO DE found-there is that delightful scent
that comes from well-bound books and,
seeking earnestly for the book that will
delight some child, we get the chance to
dip first in this and then in that new vol
une, which is a delight to her who
loves books. Here's a book for the little
girl who is a good musician-such a sweet
book-some of the loveliest of the poems
of Eugene Field set to music and bound
in a most delightful way. Think what II
will mean in the nursery to learn to sing
ABOUT ln6 Lduy from t1QSudDy street,
and to raise their voices-these voices
that squeak bit yet--in praise of 1.-The
Diuky Bird" while some ones voice-a
girls voice, / think--a bit sweeter than
all the rest, will linger with tenderness
over the words as she plays the accom-
paniment to the story of Little Boy
Blue" l have always been, as you know,
most ardent admirer of the poems of
Eugene Field. The man l never knew.
hut | think 1t specially sweet that these
poems of chid-life are set TO music by
the friends of the dead man. good musi-
clans all of them. from DeKoven. up or
down, and Offered at this Christmastlde
There's a wonderful book, too, / have
forgotten its name, but it tells Of out-of-
door sports for boys. but oh! but an! here S
richness! This is not a book for child.
but oh! what magnificent book it is for
you or for me, The stories of to-day. the
plays Of to-day are all going back to the
most romantic time in the history of the
world-"Le Grand Steele" Up at the
theater the other night / saw Pompadour
and Louis XIV, | saw the Court of France.
but missed the time OF the grand Louis.
That was the fine time in history. This
book with its magnificent cover, crimson
with great gold crown upon it. tells of