The Portland daily press., 1868-04-22
Miscellany.
The History of "a DOiI.

The first sign Of childs having quilted
the stage of infancy, is her love tor dolls. L
am now speaking of female children. The
distressing case OF the young gentleman who
fell in love with Dolladine, his sisters doll.
and never recovered from that hopeless pas
sion, is rare. But little girls have a most Gu
TiouS delight in these wax and sawdust crea-
lures. 1t is no matter whether the doll is
good looking or not; they devote themselves
to it as a mother devotes herself to her baby;
whether it is white or black, they would like
to have it at meals; they insist on having it
on their pillows at night. When they go on
journey, they hug it in their arms, and
would like something bought for it at the re-
treshment stations
/ have been introduced to a great number
of dolls In my time, but the one that has i'm
pressed me most iavoIaby, as an outsider,
was 9nd is (for she is still in existence al
though a torso) Topsy. Topsy was never
good looking, nor, Il am sorry to add even
9enteeL Between ourselves, and judging
from her comp lexon, doubt whether she is
pH sGny-strictly European. In very early
lie, she met with a misfortune that would
have detracted from the most beautiful; be-
ing incautiously left on footstool by her
mother (tor to nothing less than to maternity
does her little pos essor 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 in the fire. With true fem
mime instinct, her parent only seemed to cling
the closer to her disigured offspring; while
the baby (her auntl, when she came in time
TO understand OF what criminal proceedings
she had been guilty. not only expressed her
sorrow, but made every reparation in Per
power. She bought her another eve, but as
was pathetically obs arved, it was not like
the one she lost;" and indeed it was quite a
different color, and had habit of turning
Fnnnh in fln bot nj 4.,,o ID
the astonlshed spectator its canvas back.
10 attire TOpsy with splendor was to make
her deficiencies more palpable. She was not
intended for high lite at all. ] do not say
when unadorned, she was adorned the most,
because, having once intruded upon her pri-
vacy while she was being "batht"-upon my
word, hardly know how to express myself
with sufficient delicacy, but the fact is the alb
sence OF clothes did not improve her. A sim
pie cotton dress, with kerchef 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 bead sharp rap against the floor or
table, to prevent her hair from falling of,
which was secured to her head By what be-
Geve is called tin tack; and it was ten to one
that the shock of the operation turned her
loose eye round. However, 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
utmost pride. She was firmly persuaded that
If Iopsy was not absolutely beautiful, she was
perfect lady. Under this idea a hat and
feathers was upon one occasion procured for
her; but the incongruity was so glaring-
Topsy had always hitherto looked most re-
spectacle, but 1 am afraid to say what she
looked like in all this finery; very drunk, Tor
one thing-the improperly, L say was obvi-
Gus, thai this head dress was at once trans
ferred to her first cousin, a doll without any
originality or strength OF character, bus form
ed to move in a much higher circle, to recline
in the ring of the dolls Hyde Park.
Dear papa, poor Topsy has had another
misfortune sic is SO unlucky you know.
Now, don talk nonsense about fetching the
doctor; and you can't see her. because she is
obliged to keep her bed. But l want you to
take this to the shop, and get it repaired. It's
her leg, poor dear. Alice and both wanted
to nurse her at the same time, and it came
OIL in my hand"
1t was a case of compound comminuted
fracture Of the knee pan, and beyond the aid
OF the faculty. But Dou ht her a new LEG,
and then another, and then an arm. AS we
humans are said to renew ourselves entirely
once in every seven years or so, so fopsy has
scarcely a limb left which she started with
from the manufacturers shop. Yet her
mothers affection for her remains unchang-
ed.-Chdm6er'S Journal.