The Democratic advocate., 1908-12-18
SANTA CLAUS HEAVY PACK.
The Old Fellow Has Laid i'm Big
Christmas Stock.


Santa Claus pack is heavier this
year than usual, if we are to judge
by the big stocks on display in the
stores of Westminster. There is GER
tainly no reason why the wants of
Christmas shoppers cannot be filled
from the shops of Westminster and
some pretty gift Old Santa Claus
mailbag is already bulging with let
ters from his young constituents, un-
punctuated and misspelled epistles,
with the letters crawling uphill, but
Santa will manage to decipher them
and indications are that there will be
no untitled stockings this 25th of De-
cember.
The mechanical toys this year will
delight the youngster who can't be
satisfied with a doll unless it says
mamma or papa, or who hasn't eny
use for the dog that can't emit some
sort of a bark.
straight from Paris" have come
some wonderful creations. There is
a trapeze performing lady, who needs
only the impetus of a shove to start
her turning f1ip-fops in midair which
outdo the evolutions of heroine #
the sawdust ring. Then there are
small black bruins that wiggle their
launches and kick up their feet in u
gleeful frenzy, and teddy bear that
has been fitted up with spiral insides,
that put him in frolicking mood and
make his heels lighter than his head.
1t is really true about the cat that
says meow" She purrs delightfully."-
when you pick her up, and if you rock
her gently from side to side she makes
such a characteristic noise that the
humane thing seems to be to get her
saucer of milk There is another
puss that has real fur and a snow
white old tomcat with a mouse be-
tween his paws.
The imported animals are more nu-
merous and elaborate this year thtn
ever. Paris has contributed bulldogs
and toy spaniels, poodles and terriers
that would draw prizes at any dog
show. The Taft elephant and the
Bryan donkey will be favorite gifts,
and puss-in-boots, one of the newest
arrivals, is sure to make tremendous
hit
Of course there are old toys that
can never be supplanted. No one has
been so rash as to try to replace the
Noah's ark or even to modify 1t, and
Noah and his wife, the animals painted
gray and brown with yellow spots,
just as irresistible, tempt little mouths
now as they did years ogo when the
paint tasted so good.
There is an endless variety of water
toys, whales that squirt, eels that wig
gle theis tails as they squirm along.
motor boats and hydroplanes and
fascinating lady in a gaudy bathing
suit who swims like a life-saver.
You can't begin to recount the toys
that there are for boys-drums and
flies and steam engines, clowns and
sailors, soldiers for mimic warfare
and the humpty dumpty circus witt,
it's unlimited possibilities for fun.
For the baby there are blocks ad in
finitum and rattles, balls and rubber
toys that can't be swallowed and, Of
course, picture books galore. There
is no falling off in the demand for
dolls, and the small girl of today has
the material instict just as fully de-
veloped as her grandmother had. Bis
que and china doll babies and an end
less variety of rubber and rag in
fants, French dolls with elaborate toll
cts, and the ever-popular "celluloiti'
uOll are ueIc WdltlHS W UO CidlIuCu
by their prospective owners. Doll
houses and furniture, trunks for the
dolls wardrobe and many accessories
of dress for the diminutive lady have
been provided in unlimited variety at
prices to suit the fattest and the lean
est pocket-book.
The vogue of the "celluloid baby"
/ is greater than ever this year and the
reason for this is, of course, that soap
and water ablutions don't mar her
smiling countenance and that no
amount of bathing will decrease her
chubbiness.
Domestic instincts of the embryo
housekeeper are encouraged by tin
kitchens, dining room sets of dishes,
cooking utensils and household imple-
ments with which the busy make be-
lieve housewife hghtens the burdens
of her home making duties.
Iron ore production in the United
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