IN THE SHOPS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 697, 23 December 1909, Page 8

IN THE SHOPS.

CHRISTMAS TEMPTATIONS. ' It is-in the toyshop? and toy departments that the temptations' are. strongest, and next to them it.is in. the bookshops' that the;.pitfalls arc most thickly-set, for attractive though the .goods in. other- stops , may be the attractions are apt to be more ordinary.. The grocers bait their windows with toothsome delicacies, and beautifully-smoked 'hams. are surrounded by .raisins,' dates,' ■ and'■ other.' dried : delicacies, but all the year iound> people cat ham,"and havo cakes'with raieins, so whilo the grocers , ' windows aro interesting, they do not urgo them to rnn madly in and'"buy. In the Banio way copper kettles are bright and beautiful, and everyono" would like' to buy either a-copper kottlo or a handsome spirit lamp, but the temptation assails pno. every. day—much. resist: ance has ■ made one."callous. - .■ • ."•■';.

The toyshops ' are different.. In •'. Wellington during ten/months of. the year it is : very' difficult'to find a'good selection of toys, except'in two or three shops, and the sudden outburst at Christmas time finds , both child and parent un-prepared-for resistance,- and'as for the bopkehope they have the assistance of all the.publishers' arts in niaMrig their attacks upon.the Christmas public an. irresistible one. ; .. ■ The toyshops this, year'have wade an even finer display in their windows than in, previous years, and scores of .'little Wellington children are going about with noses flattened at the tips by. reason, of much pressure against plate-glass. . No wonder, for the grown-ups can scarcely pass the charming collections of toys and- animals' that are set: out with such subtle skill. "The mechanical' toy: is much ; in evidence this season. In one window there is a perfect model of Wilbur Wripht's aeroplane that does' everything, but , fly. . Next door is .a raerry-go-round, festooned with greenery;where dolls and animals have many a- delightful whirl, while outside the window the little girls and boys gaze longingly. Another shop has a fine driving set-out, and a lovely doll in ..a largo red-wheeled carriage drives two horses with monkey postillions. • Round' and found the wheels go,- and if,the littlo driver never gets there it-is.not.tho.faultof the.wheels. An Irishman who smiles, and winks his eye cunningly is another attraction,' and all. round are.' magnificent dolls,' and whole- horde's of ■\yild beasts, .One o£.the.finest displays in the city, hae a windoTfful of animals shut in , with great iron bars.. Behind these are bears, monkeys, elephants,: and; niany;. other '.. • charming beasts.. They swing ; from branches of trees, aud.croncli- on'.the ground, and lest any child should-venture .to : take liberties .with' : thein there is a-caro , - on -the .window,' ','Please- do' not tease the'animals.":':.-' ?' .'-■..-.■ ... ..... - i All- day :'lo'ng ,the toyshopsi are crowded: with children, and; their, parents,< and th'e assistants are; , kept, busy..■-..Well'.for them that>part of-their/work-is to'.-play with-'the^' toys ,au'd show just how to, make :the long-tailed * kangaroo go hopping across-.'-the''floor/ th o -bear tern somersaults,, or- tho'. motor-car fun all askew. They arc. very-kind about doing'this, and one cannot ■ help thinking-Ith'at they like it.alihost as much as the children do. Thie year there are many wooden: toys, of -the kind that Liberty showed last, year, and.some'quaint jointed'wooden, animals, that are quite 'new.. The airship is a 'vei-y popular • toy, and, ono can buy an air-machine of- every imaginabls kind.but hardly, one: that will-go, and.thjs is rather strange, tor one of the most successful, toys is a bird with a propeller tajl that, when suspended .from a sfrong and. wound up, will fly swiftly, round in a circle.' ;'■ : ■ ' ■ "She child who believes firmly in ■ Santa Claua must be rather puzzled to find that-within a few yards on the quay, there are no fewer than three' bona-fide Santas, 'one of. whom 'comes down a chimney,- while all three give gifts! in a gracious 3?ath°.r>Christinas:like way. Another old favourite lives-in Cuba' Street, or rather there, one will,find;the House that Jack Built, and .inside the red .hoJiSB.' treasures hidden awdy in bran-tubs for any. child'.'.to, buy.':' For older; folk'thp 'stores have many-temptations, chiefly in --.the'., way" of: pretty'trifles, silk," and lacoi'iind dainty finishes for, pretty costumes; ; Hosiery-and mercery,shops.are.nowadays,invaded'by crowds, of ■ ; women-folk,-' who-'very. anxiously 'consider• tho merits, of coloured socks, and ties, and handkerchiefs with gayrcolpured bordersi or plainly-worked' initials, or-fancy vests' in colours' that" they hope will.pleaso the man for whom so very little can be bought. Sometimes b man will buy his'wife a now hat as a charming Christmas gift, and she wcaxs. it with -pride. ..What, would,happen'if some day a woman took home to,'her liege lord a plum-colouied .or." green or.violbt- hat, • which' she thought would suit his complexion ? Would he wear it, or,bury'it? "The trinket'shops and bric-a-brac shops are:doing a:'good'trade,,and never; have, th,ere, been nipre 'attractive "things offered for sale in:the way of'-china, or mbtal or' enamels. Special reference.should bo made tcp , the enamels, which haro roached : a very high standard of : artistic work. Some of the ornaments where enamel has U-eiT cpmbined x with matrix turquoise are particularly beautifui. ■■• ,-.-'■ . -.'■ ..-;.. '.. '~-..:.-'■: . ,

It is in .the; bookshops that customers waste most time., for here' the'.goods- are;;inosk:bewildering,, 'and it is ■ exceedingly-hard -to. come to'any. decision about" the charm's of various books: 'For, one. thing,: the. mere presence..of book's, in, the. mass has .a .bewildering effect, and'it is quito possible for a. person to become, silly/simply from being in a room lined >'with books, even if he looks;'at none. .When it comes to a question of considering books in their relation to: each other,' to the people one wants presents, for,, and to' one's purse,; the position becomes, so complicated that even 'the most experienced; bookrbuyer "has', been ■ known '"to spend five hours in a shqp./.and th'en L corae away with a ''penny, time-table; which; was : hardly a suitable, gift for.- his eldest .'aunt. There, aro few outstanding good novels, though .quite a good collection, of novels "of ,tho: second'class, and as far as other'books■ are concerned, the. good old Eubaiyat shows •; no abatement -of vigour. • In . various. 'attractive bindings,- it crowds' the , shelves, but perhaps it isj beginning to Jook a little askance :at ■ its', vigorous. rival, Ella Wheeler Wilms, '.who, in all her manifestations,.•'- epjoys.- unbounded popularity. Of art books, and exquisite editions' there- is greats variety, and-one can keep company with the : masters for a few'.pencßj-' or 'with the moderhs'for a great- price. ■':' ~ ■'~„"■ .Christinas would hardly be:a festival.if there we're no confectioners ro celebrate ' it, and mention must be inndeof'.tho gay; and glittering goods displayed in sweetshops, ' and tho" gorgeous attire' of >the Christmas cake .which appears in "snowy beauty'surrounded with' many a 'ruffle of coloured paper to accentuatoife charm's. • Eight.iip'to tho'very last ■hour of. Christmas Eve'.these• shops;'will retain; their; charm, aud raiso gTeat hopes intheiriindslo'f Wellington's young , people., ■- ■~■':,■ .•■-.. ■;'■"• ;■■;■;.