Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-08-02
Toys of the Past

Toys of the Past.
mere Is TO be seen at the british
museum an intensely human ana roth.
or pathetic little exhibition. says thc
= .,o"uoh tribune. II is Il norton nf
.ne department labeled officially
nreek ana Roman Antiquities" hut
,hcse particular antiquities arc of
more IMAM ordinary interest. Here. i'm
modest showcase In the Terra Cot
.n l.ooi,i-'iIinos unnoticcl by the Sc.
.,ous'minded people who spent n nor
! liol OF their Whitsun holiday in the
: S'u"' h,uscnni--is wonderful rcvc.
I htion OF the child mind of two thot,-
, sand years ago.
what were The thoughts and do.
sircs of the children of ancient Atbrne
or Romeo Very similar to those or
me children of modern London, IN
Iuuse from the contents OF this show.
case; The most stirling object IN tho
,A'inition is rag doll-a fragile. di.
..pinated little figure. which looks ms
.nVush strong gust of wind would
louucc IL To ashes II was fondlcd and
worshlped 1000 years ago by Some
ii''ic roman maiden. who nrohohIv
regarded Ii as her most prccious ms.
session. Dolls there are of mon,.
kinds-wood and bone and carthcn-
Warc-in the showcase. bnt mono
quite so fascinating MS this ono Ynt
'hc carved and beaten figures hovo
an interest OF their own. some of
.,em arc clever bits of workmanship
though their youthful owners wor,J
weep TO sec them now. For scarcely
one of them has been handed down
through the long ages with its annto.
my complete. Many are withou,
arms and legs; some have lost nm
e"r' or nose. or portion of the
n,''u' lew are battered and bruised
! almost beyond recognition. Most
hearirending of all, there is ouitc n
,v,ohsiucrabie collection of dlsjointcd
ilips ior which no bodies have been
luunu. III Is interesting to notice that
many oi inc little images are jointed
anu INA. inc legs and arms may be
moved up and down. But apparently
the dollmakor of those far orr da,.s
iiad not conceived the idea of tov
baby that could calculate "NIamma :,
Near the rag doll is baby's shcll.
Ike rattle which boasts an antIuuitv
or 100 years. 1t helped to Danish
me tears OF some infant eight ccntu.
rics before the Christian era. Anoth.
CT rattle Is carved in the form of n
srotesque pig; close by il is an earth.
chware whistle with which some
creek or Roman hoy produced the
Shriii sounds in which his soul dc.
iishted There are toys In great vo.
rlcty-carved horses. dogs. birds. and
monkeys, miniature tables and chairs
comic figures on horseback. and n
very rusty chariot and pair. There
are glass and crystal marbles which
are scarcely to be distinguished from
their English, twentieth century pro.
totypes. Dice and counters and
knucklebones" lie side by side with
strange carved fragments which used
10 figure in some classic game. now
long forgotten There Is even n SET
OF plaster draftsmen-not the flat.
round craftsmen with which English
chiidren are familiar, but for all the
world like miniatures of the bakers
ioaves which Mr. Chamberlain once
produced for the qualification of n
tariff reform audience.
The school hours OF the children of
z,uou years ago also resemblcd those
OF me boys and girls of today. There
is Greek wax writing tablet, which
bears remarkable likeness to Il mod.
erh slate. only it's surface bears the
.'''''fiio"tiou tuuiS UP TO three
times ten in Greek numerals. On
another table n wooden one, are en-.
graved six lines of Homer. The curry.
eu handle suggests that this once
hung on the will of some ancient
seminary, rcns of reed and lronze. ink
wells. and fragments OF written excr.
cises' tell of scholastic efforts that
were probably the results of much
travail
Ihere are many other exhibits i'm
the Terra Gotta room from which an
excellent idea may be gathered of the
daily life of the Greeks and Romans.
Lady visitors will find the articles of
dress and the toilet requisites of their
sisters of classic days particularly in
'ereting. Elaborate brooches with
satety pins We're apparently favoritc
articles OF wear while rings, armlots.
buckles, and mirrors were valued for
'neir curious and delicate workman.
snip then, just as they are now.
arA.