Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1920-12-23

There is no other toy made for the
edification Of children that has even han
the vogue of those attractive manikins,
the reproductions of men and wome,
which we know rs dolls. They are older
than any other toy of which we have any
record. almost older than civilization it
self. The dolls were popular in Egypt
almost before the early draughtsmen OF
that advanced country had drawn crude
forms Of the human figure, which are pre-
served today as the earliest expressions OF
art
With the coming of infants into the
world-especially of the girl bahies-there
comes a sense of maternal love and at
lection which seems to be partially salts
fed by these dolls. The children of every
nation and tribe have had their doll ba-
bies TO minister to, and at the same time
to unconsciously serve as the means OF
cultivating a deeper sense of maternal
love and devotion. Not a nation or
people or tribe but whose infants are given
dolls of their own almost before they car
lisp or almost before one would think that
they were capable of experiencing the dI-
vine emotion of motheriy love.
Our own Indian papooses had most IN
teresting dolls, almost counterparts OF
themselves. TO mother and careas, while
the stolid Chinese children have these
little babies modelled after themselves to
teach them the way TO love as mothers do,
and even the Arabs of the desert fashioned
dolls out of wood for the little ones Of the
tribes
Each doh, the world over, has the racial
characteristics In form and feature OF the
people who made It, so we have dolls OF
all nations, just as we have men and
women Of all races.
At Christmas-time the doll is the most
appreciated Of all presents that can make
the heart Of infants glad and keep them
happy for almost all their Juvenile years
and often later. The collections Of many
queens and prinoesscs, some so prosaic as
the late Queen Victoria, for example, are
indeed wonderful in the artistic qualities
and in oost,lming they represent the highest
skill Of the modeIer and other craftsmen.
On the other hand. some Of the famous dolls
Of which we have had glinpses through the
pages Of history have been housed IN
palaces. but were wrought coarsely out
Of wood some old cloth material, or, IN
dead the humble corn cob
Whatever it may be that draws II near
est and warmest in the affections Of the
infant, the rudcfy constructed marikin
az rags, or Of bit Of wood with scarcely
any semblance Of the human form, Is
secret hidden in the hearts Of the little
ones themselves, which no one has been
able TO unveil. We All know, however
that the most unattractive little bundle Of
rags often gets the greater amount Of
their little mothers" affection and ten
der care. Even the beautiful chic French
doll, or the mechanical infant made N
Germany that walks and has few words
Of speech, is often neglected for the little
waif in rags and patches which cover
body Of wood or a corn cob. No matter
how artistic some dolls may be, it seems
always the forlorn one that gets the most
real affection.
Never before, perhaps. have the dolls
offered to shoppers been 50 elaborate and
artistic or SO numerous as now in variety
They likewise have widely varied scale
Of cost which extends from $4,000 for the
most engaging, smiling. talking, walking,
singing, sleeping little French manlkin
to the tiny little tots for ten cents o. less.
Thousands Of dolls are sold in this city
every wear, almost al at Christmas time,
and one can truthfuIly place the average at
more than one and half for each child IN
the city. II is safe to say that every little
girl gets st least one. while many Others
find IS many So SIX or ten in their stocking
on Christmas morning. Nor is this love Of
dolls confined entirely to the girls, for the
little mep Of four and SIX or eight also find
satisfying companionship IN boy mannl-
king dressed as Indians, soldiers, sailors.
cowboys or other characters that typhy
courage and beroism IN the eyes Of youth.
Perhaps at Christmas there are more
dolls sold for children than all the other
toys combined. The total number that
viii find little American mothers on Satur
day morning may not be far short Of 10
O0O. 900. while throughout the rest Of the
Christian world wherever Christmas is
observed the total number Of dolls may
reach 100000 But the Joy Of loving
and mothering q doll is not confined to
Christendom by any means, for wherever
the lamp Of maternal love buns with
warmth. there will we End the tiny spark
to affection ia the infant yearning for dol
Of mother and caress