The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-12-10

NA/ toys-eleetric railways, automo-
 w piles, airships and the like-at- traeted all who passed: persons of all ages stopped and jostled one another in their eagerness to get better points from which to see this or that elaborate top. There were dolls. too, that looked as If they were alive: the very cleverness with which they had been constructed appealed to persons who might have no ordinary inclination to admire ordinary dolls
 It was interesting to watch the faces Of those who passed. Some seemed to quick en their pace as if afraid they might lose determination not to be lured within, where money spent would later be re- garded as reckless disregard of cold ne- cessity. Frequently a man and woman would confer earnestly in half whispers while a child or two gaped at the gilt tering array of color and light, or flat tened noses against the great window pane.
 One man. whose dress and manner in- dicated that he was more prosperous than the majority, turned slightly aside to sat isfy his curiosity as to what was attract ing the others. Instead of stopping to eX- anime the display of modern playthings he moved on slowly, as if in reminiscent mood Nothing in the window appealed directly to him in the way that others were appealed to. perhaps none near and dear ohm would care for such things as gifts.
 'If I could be a boy again. he chuckled as unconsciously he spoke so loudly that one near to him could hear. "If l could be boy again and still be able to buy some of the things that came to me only in boyhood dreams" He passed before another less pretentious store window. Here was the very wagon that he had prayed so earnestly for in the days when he had had supreme faith in Santa Claus Tt needn't have been so finely finished and painted" he said to himself. "But this wagon would have been worth more to me then, measuring by the beating of my heart, than all the wealth of all the automobiles that spin the streets today" As if arguing with himself he went on: You really can't understand how sweet the joy might have been that was denied me; instead my heart was filled with bit terness. It would be such a simple thing to gratify those old wants now, If grati- fication rested only in the purchase of toys that never came"
 For time the man kept his eyes cen tered on the wagon. When he looked about he showed interest as keen as any child's. Here was wheelbarrow, just such a one as he had wished. How he would have taken an interest in garden work if he had had that wheelbarrow; with it he could have helped father in all sorts of ways. And the cost seems such a trihe. But trifies today were hopeless obstacles to the giving of such useful ton when the receiving would have made his heart glad.
 Here also were sleds and skates He recalled the family sled that was not of aristocratic type. It was made of boards with saw and plane. Some of the boys had sleds with slender runners grace fully turned and ornamental necks. They stood high and wouldn't pack the snow when it was damp and if you never rode down steep hillsdes you can't imagine how like the wind they woudl go
 In a corner of the show window, back of some other toys, was a pair of skates the old fashioned club skates. You who have come to look upon the roller skate as the only source of youthful delight can have no sympathy with the man looking in at the window When he was a boy roller skates were not known. More than that, club skates were a luxury. In the township where he went to school only one or two of the boys boasted of club skates. which could be fastened to the boot in moment by a clamp; others were glad to have the kind that had screws to go into the boot heels and then fas- tened with straps
 But you should have seen the wonder ful skates that my brother and I tried to use" The man at the window almost
 laughed aloud. and again he spoke as if to the reflection in the window. "The boys called them rockers. They curved up at both ends and you had to be a
 gymnast to avoid landing on your head.