The Savannah morning news., 1901-12-30
Toys OF PHARAOHs CHILDREN.
They Were of the Same Kind That
Delight Thousands of Little Ones

From the New York Tribune.
Within the last forty or fifty years
toy-making, as every middle aged per-
son knows, has been revolutionized.
Gone are the simple delights of past
generations; even the speaking doll,
which was once a wonder sufficient to
attract all the neighbors, is now a
mere commonplace. The rich may pay
as much as several hundred dollars for
dolls for their children, and mechanical
toys are built on so vast a style that
the boys of millionaires should their
fathers suddenly become poor, might
hang out signs and go into trade with
no other equipment than that of the
toy shop. Yet, after all, the marvels
of the toy shops of to-day are only
old friends, grown elegant and pros
porous. A doll is doll, and a wagon
is a wagon, even though dozens of dol
lars may separate them from their an
cestors of fifty years ago. You may
change toys, but children remain the
same. Pharaoh, in a soft moment, or
dered for his little ones just the same
sort of TOYS that now fill the shops.
For certain toys are the divine right or
childhood, and children make them for
themselves if they can't have them
otherwise; so parents, since the world
began, have been helping the little ones
to fashion what their hearts desired.
Toys may come and toys may go, but
few stay on forever. girl will have
her doll and a boy will have his wea-
pons and his boats, while both cry out
for wagons and carriages and animals
These are the staple toys, which al
ways have been and always Will be-
until children are born grown up. Ex-
cavations show that the children or an
cient Egypt played with them just as
do those of to-day. What is more, THESE
toys of three or four thousand years
past are just about as good as those
of half as many hundred years ago
The children of the Pharaohs were in
the matter of toys about as well Off
as were the little ones of the Puritans
1t is recently, indeed, that the art or
toy-making has become so elaborate
after remaining for generation atter
generation almost stationary. Dolls
and animals were cut out for young
Egypt and queer boats were fashioned
with the greatest care. At least one
elaborate sedan chair. with lady IN
side who can be taken out, has peen
| dug up. This, however, is less ancient
| than the dolls, and dates back only to
the Roman invasion of Egypt. 1t was
the custom to bury child's toys in its
grave-thousands of years afterward
to be dug up and put in museums, but
not, IL is hoped. without a sigh Tor the
little life that went out ages ago, or Tor
the weeping mother whose hands
placed her darling's toys beside his tiny
body.
Not only in regard to toys were the
children of ancient Egypt like those OF
to-day, but they were told stories SINH
lar to those which help put children 10
bed nowadays A papyrus has oeen
found which gives some of these stories.
1t tells tales Of animals and trees
/ that talked with men, and OF fairies
that foretold evil at the birth Oh a
prince. much as twentieth century cnii-
i dren hear them.
Young Egypt OF long ago would open
its eyes at the marvels OF to-day put
turned into toy shop or win Noi-
ume OF fairy tales, II would hnd 50
many old friends that ancient Egypt
and young America would seem TO De
only a step apart.