Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-12-19
scenes IN TOYLAND
Realism Carried to its Limits
for the Children.
REAL HAIR ON ANIMALS
Generals That Voice Startling
Demands.
DIFFERENCE PAID 70 UTILITY
Practical Playthings for the Boys
and Carbohydrates of Articles
Used by Grown-Ups.
DIFFERENCE PAID 70 UTILITY

If the Bingham Dog and the Calico Cat.
to say nothing of the ''Rah Baby
and the Little Tin Soldier. should wander
into big department store these days
and try to establish amicab Bile relations
with the gorgeous Christmas toys, the
chances are they would be most unmerci-
fully snubbed by barking, walking me-
chanical dogs. Persian cats with real fur.
sophisticated bisque beauties. whose ina
bihty to make their eyes behave" has
earned them the sobriquet Of 1.-The flirting
dolls" and by gorgeously clad Moltkes
and Bismarcks. with shining epaulets and
the power to voice startling demands in
brusque fashion to whole regiments of toy
soldiers. wearing ''come-off- and put-on"
uniforms.
Many Practical Playthings.
In Washington stores it has been noted
that the great ma jority of the toys are
useful, practical playthings, exact dupli-
Gates on smaller scale of the articles
used in everyday life by "grown-ups."
The tool chests for the boys are real tool
chests. capable of giving good. hard service.
The doll houses are regular houses which
the young housewives are required to ex-
ercse ingenuity in furnishing. The wash
boards, stoves irons, tea sets and furni,
ture are practical and devised to stand
constant usage.
However, many Of the people who look
deeply into the matter of toys for the
children say that quite as wide a scope
is given to the more complicated mechan-
ical toys-that the rocking horse which
possesses a flowing name and handsome
coat of real hair, the wuZZy white lamb
and the marvellous animal productions
all teach children to know things as they
are
Partisan Beauties Galore.
Particularly interesting in the displays
are the Partisan beauty dolls who lust
can't make their eyes behave" Then there
are those with the big brown eyes and
heavenly blue ones that open suddenly
and take on roguish CLEAN and-wink
1t is no wonder, many declare that the
song 20 You Beautiful Dolr' should OBJ
tain such wide popularity just at Christ
mas time. The old-time modest doll with
accomplishments confined to ability to
bleat forth under distressing eircum-
stances "Ma-a-amma,' or at most, PA
a-apa," 1t seems, has been supplanted.
One who has apparently come into his
own is the erstwhile humble billy goat"
and he appears in life size with regular
billy goat" hair. a fully-grown beard and
an exceedingly wicked eye.
1t is said to be amazing how many
stead of a live one to present to their
sons. But it is not only the goats. that
have devoted adherents, who threaten the
world-old popularity of Noah's ark. There
is a "Humpty Dumpty Circus which in
PRODUCES bears. lions, tigers. donkeys,
dogs, elephants and other animals each
wearing real fur or tusks. as the case
may be. and each reproduced with de-
gree of verisimilitude that is fairly STAR
Ting. Especially fine, too are the soft
coated Persian eats and innocent white
lambs, and In each case the expression
characteristic of the "beastie' is excel
lently reproduced. ts..
Natural-Looking Animals.
The natural-looking animals, it Is as
serted, give point to the Just So stories.
and will make even Kipling more en-
ioyabie to the children. The story Of
How the Leopard Got His Spots" or
1.-THE Cat That Walked by Himself; or
How the Elephant Got His Trunk" will
surely prove more interesting when a
child has an exact duplicate Of elephant.
leopard and cat to enliven the story.
1t has also been an exceptionally good
year for the Irish MAIL and many OF
these popular vehicles have been sold In
the realm of the small girl the white en-
ameled furniture and mahogany fufni-
ture-for dolls-have been leaders" The
beds, bureaus and chinonies are In many
instances of disable size.
But after all, the toy people declare,
children change very little. Noah's Ark,
they declare, will always be prime IA
vorite, and the blue-eyed, curly-haired
doll will never lose her own. The rock
ing horse will remain in favor. let auto
mobiles come and go as they please, and
the simple lead soldiers will continue to
thrill the breast of the small boy,