The Winslow mail., 1900-01-11
THE BABY'S RATTLE.
Young Man Goes to Buy One and
Finds Out There Are Many
Kinds.

"Give me baby's rattle, please" said
the young man, bashfully, and he de-
posted a dollar bill on the counter.
''Any particular kind or style?" in
quired the salesman, indicating the
shelves back of him, on which appeared
hundreds and hundreds of articles,
beautifully, queerly, fearfully wrought.
''Great Jupiter! Is there more than
one kind or style?" returned the young
man, surveying the jumbled display
with every evidence of dismayed aston
ishment.
"Just about one thousand, " answered
the salesman, calmly. ''There is hardly
a limit to the styles and the variety OF
materials now used for baby's rattles
The old tin rattle, probably associated
with your infancy, is still made in two
familiar styles-one shaped like di.
minutive bass drum, with the handle
soldered to the rim, and the other
shaped like the section of a cylinder.
headed at both ends, with whistle at
the end of the handle.
"Celluloid rattles are made in great
variety of shapes, such as tambourines
and drums, with tiny bells attached.
Some of them are very cheap; others
are very expensive. Then there is
confusing varity of bone rattles and
| combination of bone and metal AS for
| the rubber rattles and the variety OF
styles we handle, there is no end to
them. Many rattles come in the shape
| of cloth figures, with handles to them,
the extended arms of the figures hold.
ing in each hand small bell or one of a
pair of cymbals.
''In musical rattles some beautiful
things are made. Usually they consist
of dolls head and body, with handle
attached. The body of the doll contains
musical box, and when the doll is
twisted around the handle some lively
or soothing air designed to please the
infant ear is ground off. For the exer
else of the baby's own musical talent
there is usually a whistle in the handle
| Several kinds of musical rattles with
the dolls gayly clad in bright-colored
satins and silks are really delightful and
interesting toys.
San old-fashioned rattle whose pop.
ularity has survived the mutations OF
time and the vicissitudes of fashion is
the light, pear-shaped article of basket
work. Inside of many of this type are
tiny sleigh bells. In some of the rattles
made of combination of materials the
| metal used is aluminium, which is EN-.
| ployed because of its extreme lightness.
"This year fashion seems to decree
| that the silver rattle shall reign-foI
fashion dominates this nursery acces'
sorry as well as the baby's apparel-and
a number of styles are to be had. Some
have ivory, pearl or celluloid rings,
with silver bells attached. Others are
made entirely of silver Then the mar
ket is flooded with silver dumhbells and
silver wheels, pagodashaped rattles
with silver bells dangling from them,
and silver trumpets with silver bells at
| tached. The prices of silver rattles vary
almost as much as the styles, and some
| of them do rot cost as much as you
might think. Gold rattles are also mace
in some variety, but the predominating
style calls for pearl handle, a gid
whistle at the end of the handle and
cluster of tiny gold bells attached to the
head"
"What Go babies rattles cost?' ven.
tured the young man, yislbly impressed
and awed by the salesman's discourse.
Anywhere from two cents to $685.
was his reply. "The old-fashioned tin
rattle fetches the minimum price, and
the most costly silver or gold rattle the
maximum. If you want to see some.
thing finer"
"Gee whiz!" murmured the young
man, breaking for the door. "l guess
I'll let the baby's mother attend to this
deal,"-St. Louis Globe-Democrat.