Toys and National Character

Feilding Star, Volume VIII, Issue 66, 4 December 1886, Page 1 (Supplement)

Toys and National Character

Gorman Sociability — French Reiiueuieut — Euglisn Muscularity— American Ingenuity. An old toy-maker of New York holds the rather peculiar notion that a nations character is found by the toys it uses instead of the character governing the toys. " Show me a nations toys," he says, •• and I will tell you i what kind of people they are. Now I the Germans, you know, are a great toy nation. They go in for quantity rather than quality. They manufacture cheap toys aud every child in the country lias plenty of toys, and the result is that the nation has become the most sociable, kindly, aud honest one in the world ; possessed of all the household virtues, and good to their wif«s aud children. The French j on the other hand, go in for quality rather than quantity ; everything they make is a work of art : their children have few toys, aud those they have are very expensive, and must be pluyed with in a very quiet, gentle way. Therefore, the French are refined, polite, suave. The Chinese have always been great people for toys, as far as th«ir history can show us. Thpy ransack earth and sky and s«'rt for ideas ; giants and dwarfs and I .-tuingH fish n:id >h« si-rponts and curious nondescript > eings and animals all srne, mihJ ti ey give the children plenty ot them. The result is that the Chiiu'sr are like the Germans among themselves great for feast da; s mul celuhi-utious, and very iudustrous. Japanese are much the same. The English, now, run more for toys for outdoor use aud games which exercise — projectile*, tennis, football, cricket, »hiuuy, hoops, and marbles. The boys play pullaway, tag, and all such running gamea, and the girls play ring games. How did we find the English? Social, athletic, boisterous and roujgh. Again, look at the Spaniards. Very few toys they use. What's the result? Why they are treacherous, harsh, and implaceable. The Indian, whose only toy is the bow and the arrow, has thereby cultivated the killing instinct till he has become entirely untamable. Americans have always been great for giving their children something which will exercise their ingenuity. They must hare someting new , and the children are so precocious that they tire of a toy quickly, unless its possibilities of a combination are very hard to exhaust The consequence is that the American children grow up into the most clever inventive, and adaptative people on the face of the globe." Mr Di*n B-meicault ii working, tooth and toenail, to prov* tint hi* children, of whom Agne< llobertsAn Baucicnult it tie mother, are illegitimate. He if doing this not by setting up any standard of justice, but by invoking the aid of a j technical point of British law. Mr < Buueieault, of course, has a new wife now, Lord Lomdale is Mri Violet Cameron's manager. Mr Cameron objected to the noble lord's iatimacv with Mrs Cameron and raited a row when he found the two in a room together. Lord Lonidale promptly kicked the intrusive husband dewn stairs It is now in order f*r tome actor t# lick a pn»a«h#r for denouncing immorality on the stage.- - Brooklyn Eagle. " Buchu-Paib*. " — Quick, complete cure, all annojring kidue/, bladder, aid •rinarj diseases. It Chemists and Draughts. Kempthorne, Prosser, & Co., Agents, Wellington. — Advt. Skinny Men.— "Wells' Health B*. newer restores health and vigor, cure* dyspepsia, impotence, Sexnal Debility. At chemists and druggists. Kempthorne, Prosser it Co. Agents, Wellington. - Ad*t» " Rough on Corns." Ask for Well*' "Bough on Corns." Quick relief, conplete,. permanent cure. Corns, warts, bunions. At chemists and drsggists. — Adtt.

An Australian j •urna! (ells the f<)Uowing story : ' A number of genilemW, parrot fanciers, agreed to meet in twelve m«n the* time and exhibit parrots fpf a prize to be awarded to tl.-e bird wb>«e inlking qunluies were the most mertlori* uiik. On the d.-iy appointed nil the jjentleajen uUendcd, bringing tlieir birds wish the exception of one, who excused himself fir not bringing his bird as a competitor on the ground that it was xucli n stupid beast. This excuse, howerer, was not admitted, nnd the gentle* ni«n at once returned for his bird which lie soon produced, «nl on setting it down amon«{ the others it looked witli a »fcara of astonishing aud audiLL- «j adulated, ' By Jove! what a lot of parrots.' Amid roas of laughter the prie • was unanim* uously awarded to th^ ' stupid beast,"