Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1868-07-31
The History OF q Doll.

THE first sign of child having quilted
the stage of infancy, is her love for dolls.
l am now speaking of female children.
The distressing case of the young gentle
man who fell in love with Dolladine, his
sisters doll, and never recovered from that
hopeless passion, is rare. But little girls
have most curious delight in these little
wax and saw-dust creatures. 1t is no mat
ter whether the doll is good looking or not;
they devote themselves to it, as mother
devotes herself to baby; whether it is
white or black, they would like to have it
at meals; they insist on having it on their
pillow at night. When they go on jour
ney they hug it in their arms, and would
like something bought for it at the refresh
ment stations.
I have been introduced to great num-
Der Of dolls in my time, but the one that
has impressed me most favorably as an
outsider was and is (for she is still in ex-
istence, although torso,) Topsy. Topsy
was never good-looking, nor, am sorry
to add, even genteel Between ourselves,
and judging from her complexion, doubt
wether she is par Sdaag-strictly European.
In very early life she met with misfor
tune that would have detracted from the
most beautiful; being incautiously left on
a footstool by her mother, (for to nothing
less than to maternity does her lit
tie possessor lay claim the baby got
hold of her, picked her left eye out in
the profoundest silence, and then
with shrieks of triumph threw it
into the fire. With true feminine instinct,
her parent only seemed to cling the closer
to her disfgured offspring, while the baby
Cher aunt) when she came in time to un-
derstand Of what criminal proceeding she
had been guilty, not only expressed her
sorrow, but made every reparation in her
power. She bought her another eye, but,
as was pathetically observed, F" it was not
like the one she lost y and indeed it was
quite different color, and had habit of
turning right around in the socket and
presenting to the astonished spectator its
canvas back.
To attire Topsy with splendor was to
make her deficiencies more palpable. She
was not intended for high life at all. 1 do
not say when unadorned she was adorned
the most, because, having once intruded
upon her privacy while she was being
"batht upon my word, hardly know
how to express myself with sufficient deli
cacy, but the fact is the absence of clothes
did not improve her. A simple cotton
dress, with kerchief Of sober hue tied
round her neck, so as to conceal where the
head and body joined, became her best. II
she had no bonnet it was necessary, before
presenting her to company, to give the
back of her head sharp rap against the
floor or table, to prevent her hair falling
off, which was secured to her head by what
[ believe is called tin tack; and it was
ten to one that the shock of the opera
ton turned her loose eye round How
ever, when all was made right, her
mother would take her in both arms, just
as Punch holds his baton, and bring her
down to the drawing room with the ut
most pride. She was firmly persuaded
that if Topsy was not absolutely beauti-
full, she was perfect lady. Upon this
idea hat and feathers was upon one oc-
casion procured for her; but the incon-
gruity was so glaring-Topsy had always
hitherto looked most respectable, but am
afraid to say what she looked like in all
this fnery very drunk, for one thing
the improperly was so obvious, that this
head-dress was at once transferred to her
first-cousin, doll without any originality
or strength Of character, but formed to
move in much higher circle, to recline
in the ring of the dolls Hyde Park
"Dear papa, poor Topsy has had another
misfortune-she is so unlucky, you know
Now, don't talk nonsense about fetching
the doctor and you can't see her, because
she is obliged to keep her bed. But want
you to take this to the shop, and get it re,
paired. It's her leg, poor dear. Alice
and | both wanted to nurse her at the
same time, and it came off in my hand y
1t was care of compound comminuted
fracture of the knee-pan and beyond the
aid Of the faculty. But I bought her a
new leg, and then another, and then an
arm. AS we humans are said to renew
ourselves entirely and become new crea-
lures once in every seven years or so, SC
Topsy has scarcely limb left which she
started with from the manufacturers
shop. Yet her mothers affection for her
remains unchanged Chambers Journal.