New-York tribune., 1907-12-29
PARIS HOLIDAY GIFTS.
THEIR GREAT PROFUSION.
Children Get Theirs ON Christmas
and Elders on Ne7c Years D0y'

- A., ,nroach OF the double ies'i'ai'
Christmas and the New year. '"o -, I'D
~ - s,,.,,,,hered by innumerable booths d"U
a.o,,s tor the sale of cheap presents ana aftio'o
- Dor,s" To the casual tourist stroiiins aoouN
+be place de TOpera or the fue de Id o
sole occupation of Parisians seems u
purchase of holiday gifts. lhere Is -
and rigorous etiquette that governs
80, 81 "atrennes." as remembrances for these
two DAVIS are indiferently called Chiiaren i0
cave theirs on Christmas and their elders o"
New Years Day
II is the chAdren's presents that are iho'' ."
low, -rovs are bulky this year. and they have
;,,-aded all the drapers' establishments lhoeeu'
for come weeks past women have been purchas
ing their furs and their stockings to the accom-
naniment of an automatic military pahu
mounted on a platform each musician heai'S
life size, and the inspiritns strains 'oiu
clearly as a finger post where the toy depart
ment was to be found.
Paris toys faithfully reflect the reho Oh ho
tfonal thought and temperament. In the gloomy
days of the Revolution to little boys were
offered miniature guillotines for their gifts OF
small iamppost from which there dangled tne
roughly hewn body of some aristocrat toys
that must have furnished many nightmare 10
the unreasonable youth Of the day. Under the
First Empire, WnlIe Ine ndtiDH sio"cu iii I" Di0"'
of military glory. the toymakers turned out
scores of "grande ar1nees' and invented that
curious animal known to naturalists as a hobby
horse impressive as to head and incomplete as
to the rest Of him. The Restoration heralded
the phase OF the religious toy, with models of
churches and shrines. which I'm turn gave place
to the first mechanical toys which have been
brought to such perfection In these days.
In fact. it may fairly be said that the toys
of this almost too instructive and
too serious. There is nothing particularly mirth
provoking about the toy electric apparatus, the
cabinets of photography. or the treacherous "tet-
raglotte.' which is nothing but language les
in disguise. Toys for grown-ups dis
tincty more frivolous. for there whole
ries of beautiful beasts cut in wood by the clever
penknife of Caran d'Ache the cariCaturist and
idol of Paris. There is delicious humor about
the profile of his dachs and the bssset hounds.
while the satires on the great Of the earth, kings
and princes following some sport or other. give
to the bourgeoisie comfortable feeling of
equality and fraternity. particularly appropri-
ate to the season.
The tin soldier. which Germany seems 10 have
made its and which II pours into the other
countries of Europe in such vast cohorts. is
brought right up to date in Paris. but it is not
content with giving models of every regiment
in the army; have also retrospective COL
lectlons of warriors in every age. The abo
riginal Gaul. the conquertng Roman are only the
beginning Of a long defIe of the legions of
France in uniforms whose gorgeousness finds
its eliminating point in Napoleon and his STAFF
with d background OF Jena.
But the toy of the season is not tin soldier.
II is the airshir, limitations of the Willie de
Paris" are everywhere in all sizes. showing
clearly what has been the centre of interest in
the last year. Balloons also abound, and their
popularity has received a fllip in the recent
aeronautic gala day for toy balloons organized
by a sporting paper. on that occasion two hun
dred toy balloons were. after due lonial.
inflated measured labelled and started in the
Tuileries Gardens. and the fertility of inven-
ton brought TO bear by the children the prob
lem Of the proper ballasting of their balloons
reflected the keen interest taken in aerial loco
motion by their elders
While the Paris shops provide for her broth
ers TOYS innumerable. for the little girl there is
only one. Her doll remains a doll and seems
TO satisfy its owner. The elegant Parsienne
in wax OF to-day only marks the progressive
ness of the age by her luxurious furnishings
Paris gives her sets of furs. ermne cap. coat
muff and stole. carefully cut and lined
her little mothers. and all the rest of her
toilet is on the same scale. Her salon and her
kitchen are complete as those of a Roths-
child; nowhere could you find copper pots and
pans more brilliant than those hanging her
walls. and from the polished surface of one there
beams the face of the kitchen clock. The chef
in traditional white uniform stands by the table
fitted with the meat chopping machine and stirs
something in a bowl garage with two
three motor cars complete the dolls equipment.
The predominant note in tho Years gifts
for the erown-ups is their uneuuailed luxury.
Gems and precious stones are introduced into
the vsriest trifies; gold and exquisite enamels
charm. the money from your purse. For the
hostess whose bridge teas you have assiduousIy
attended during the season there is disk of
fine enamel in tawny coloring on a pedestal Of
jade The disk, which is about the
size of "A mans watch, has notch in the centre
at the top. and above mounted on fine spring.
is IA large cabochon sapphire. If you press the
apphire small spade club heart appears in
the empty notch thus marking the trump for
absent-mnded "bridgeurs'
There are opera glasses of light tortoise shell
inCrusted with diamonds: large gold purse bags.
of Il mesh as flexible and soft as cloth whose
mounts show long lines of rubies cmerslds.
and for the owners of such bags as these an
appropriate Offering would be this small charm
of gold and enamel. shaped like Il shrine This
when opened by spring reveals "A marvellous
golden st. Anthony of Padua the saint V no in
terests himself more particularly in lost prop
erty. Many beautiful! trinkets are made of gold
of two colors, pink and green. as they are tech
nically called in bands. giving the appearance of
some curious striped material. Precious metals
and precious stones enter into everything A
novel charm consists of tiny object of enamel
and geld OF the form and color of the French
telegram. This opens exactly does the blue
telegram. and within is message of alteration
or constancy for the use of lovers.
We down the scale of "etrennes"