IN THE DAYS OF THE PHAROAHS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1008, 24 December 1910, Page 15

IN THE DAYS OF THE PHAROAHS.

■> Soma time, ago" tiio authorities of the British Museum idecided to-, collect together their specimens" of ancient toys. The work ivas accordignly ■ ■ done, and now the toys aro to bo seen grouped together in a large case in ono of tho Egyptian rooms. It is a small but wonderful collection, at once interesting and pathetic. Looking at it, ono is most forcibly reminded of tho perennial sameness of the children's playthings (says a. writer in ,■ "Chambers's Journal").. Theso battered remnants of- the nurseries of long ago may be very different from the gorgeous possessions of tho modem child, yet their essence is tho same. Here are the self-same jointed dolls, tho identical tops, tho rattles, the ornamented figures, the counters. ..To-day wo elders play diabolo; yesterday it 'was ping-pong.; to-morrow it may be hop-scotch. But whatever it he, it will bo, something different; That 'which pleased but a year or two ago will not please now. Tho fancy .of children is happily not so fickle. The jointed doll, tho top, the rattle, havo all.come down' in unbroken _ succession; but their favour has not 'grown dimmer 'because of their long'lineage. . Judged by the specimens in the British Museum, tho earliest instinct in. toys was for dolls. ; Theso aro not only of tho stiff, immovable sort, but there are ithajj, are jpiiitc<3 u . and even one'mado'of "rags' 'dating' back 'to tho second century. _ There is naturally a wide difference in appoaranco between modern Parisian beauties and.these old, carved bono other-day favourites, but the class is the same. The early dolls aro very small and more or less featureless, but they havo at' least endured; tho dynasty of wax and'sawdust is of a more ephemeral kind, whilst the dignity of having belonged to the second century puts to blush : inorc passing charms. Many of these toys havo been found in the tombs, of "children; and there is a touch of'pathos in-tho sight : ofi a dismembered ' doll .; or battered -rattle, poignantly expressing the taste and ago of the child to whom it was oiice a treasure. Golden lads and girls all must, Liko chimney-sweepers, come to dust, i