Against the iron railings opposite and the high white road these
toys stood with sharp, distinct outline behind the slanting light of the
glass. There were dolls--a fine wedding doll, orange blossom, lace and
white silk, and from behind it all, the sharp pinched features and black
beady eyes stared out.... There was a Swiss doll with bright red cheeks,
red and green clothing and shoes with shining buckles. Then there were the
more ordinary dolls--and gradually down the length of the window, their
clothing was taken from them until at last some wooden creatures with
flaring cheeks and brazen eyes kicked their limbs and defied the
proprieties.
He would be a Boy ... he would not care about dolls....
There were soldiers--rows and rows of gleaming soldiers. They came from a
misty distance at the top of the shop window, came marching from the gates
of some dark, mediaeval castle. Their swords caught the lamplight, shining
in a line of silver and the precision with which they marched, the
certainty with which they trod the little bridge ... ah, these were the
fellows! He would be a Boy ... soldiers would enchant him! He should have
boxes, boxes, boxes!
There were many other things in the window; teddy bears and animals with
soft woolly stomachs and fat comfortable legs--and there were ugly, modern
Horrors with fat bulging faces and black hair erect like wire; there
were little devils with red tails, there were rabbits that rode bicycles
and monkeys that climbed trees.
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