New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-05-15
INFLUENCE OF DOLLS.
Many Americas Children Too So
pkiSicated to Play tcith Them.

Thst American children lose their love for dolls
earlier than English children Is The conclusion
which Miss Msr5oras Dawson. en- English woman
yrho has made a study OF dolls and OF children.
hiss come 20.
American children are blase,S she complained
20 Tribune reporter. particularly the rich ones
AZ fsn they cease to pe children. 7 was giving a
DOH e1tertainment n rich house IN Chicago when
one Of the guests came up She was e child OF
ten or eleven and she wore elacl velvet. ermine
and diamonds
ITS al very interesting she said. IN the en-
oouragtag tone that On adult adopts toward a well
meaning child but you know gave Up dolls years
sgn have 4 little sister. though, ana she stu
plays WITH oons. and next time you talk viii
bring her"
Mss Dawson IS past mistress OF "doIfoIogy" She
owns the most wonderful collection of dolls. that
she has picked Up IN the four corners Of the earth
G stone dol several thousands OF years old an
Egyptian del. en- Indian doll. and dolls from all
sorts OF queer places She has studied them geo
graphically and historically and sociologicaIy and
has talked them ell over this continent
1T was little child who first turned my atten-
toa 70 dolls" she said Can you tell me- about
the dolls n the Noahs ArlrT she asked me- Well
I couldn't. Then began to hnd out all could
about them.
dolls ought 70 be considered among the most
wonderful t-achers children have. The child is to
the doll what the mother Is to the child
One night n Nsw-Mexico. where was visiting
NY brother IN G mining camp, sang to the miners
en6 talked dell TO them Some of them cried and
the next day they came around with nuggets of
gold and tuTguoises they had mined
u had awakened memories Of their childhood
That I think. IS the secret OF our enjoyment Of
the highest forms OF music-it makes US remember,
7 gave eight doll entertainments TO employees OF
the Santa Fe Railroad. In some Of the toughest
camps OF the West showed my dolls. Cutthroat
men IN sombreros, fresh from the faro tables and
miners with their sleeves rolled up above their ell
bows would lean over and say TO
q Well you're itr
AT Needles, Cal, after had talked about the
dolls n very rough mining camp, eight young
men came back and played ragtirne for them for
sn hour. The next day they came 10 see me off
and presented me with flowers and a bag Of pea
nuts.
"At Newton. Kan, Ave boys from twelve to seven
teen sat on the front rov OF the hall where
spoke. They had come to 3esr. Presently. 81 IN
unexpected moment thrust great doll n the
srns OF the biggest boy. sEying, There. know you
want fhatF
Everybody began TO laugh at him, and after that
I played old Scotch and Irish airs Soy them to
guess and 4 was clear sailing. 7 told the big boy
he could choose any DOL from my collection that
he fancled, and he chose an Indian dol.
The next morning he came to the train to see
me on with paper bag IN which were two
"As he thrust the bag into my hand. Yer might
want emf was every word hs said
TT ever I 90 West again shall lock- that boy up.
Experiences like that make Us tee1 our humanness.
The hardest kind OF "a Rudiepce 10 entertain Is
& drawing room fun OF Tioh people. cried after
one that gave in Chicago. The people were SO
Indifferent, UnresponHiyel When It was over five
girls fled past
'SiagularIy refreshing said the first. ''Oh, so
charming SAID the gecoa6- They had nothing but
the most stersotyDed eZpressionS- They were Like