The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1874-02-13
The story OF Little Bertha.

The story OF Little Bertha.
Bertha was a doll and she had some
queer adventures in her life.
The very first thing L knew of her she
was sitting in a sort of swing, in the
splendid window of n toy shop, when
Nelly Wallace happened to walk by
with her papa. OF course nobody-who
was only ten years old-could get by
that window. 1t was just crammed and
stuffed with toys; dolls, houses, blocks,
carts, sets of furniture, and-oh dear!
oh dear it would take all day to tell
the wonders that were there.
Nelly stood and gazed ut the things.
Papa was very patient, but it wasn't
very pleasant, you know, for big man,
who didn't care for toys chat they keep
in toy shops, to stand there all day
So at last she said
"Come, Nelly, tell me what you want
most in the window, and we'll go in and
buy it."
Then Nelly was more perplexed than
ever. She wavered between beautiful
dolls house and this most gorgeous
doll, who sat in swing, as j said and
was dressed in the most wonderful robe
of lace and silk, and covered with ends
of ribbon and tags of lace, and ruffies,
and puffs and things, all in the most
fashionable style.
She didn't waver long, though she
decided on the doll, and they went into
the shop, and the clerk took the beauti-
full creature out of the swing for Nelly
to look at Then it was discovered that
she had real hair that would come down
and she could open and shut her eyes,
cry, and, in fact, she had all the most
desirable doll accomplishments.
Nelly was more delightful than ever,
and scorned the idea of having it sent
home-as papa proposed. SO the clerk
folded big sheet of paper around her,
leaving the head uncovered at Nelly's
urgent prayer. Papa gave the clerk
some rattly paper out of his portmonie,
Nelly took the precious doll in her arms,
and off they went. Before she got home
she had received the name of Bertha.
Well, for a few days the dashing lady
was the envy of all Nelly's little friends,
and the queen of the house, quite put
ting to shame the other bisque and
china, so that they were degraded into
servants. But her reign was short, for
a dreadful accident happened to her be-
fore she had lived with Nelly a week.
She was made of wax, at least her
head was, and she slept at night in
the lower drawer of Nellys bureau.
Now Nelly's family was not the only
family that lived in that house. Behind
plastering, between the walls, lived
cunning little family of mice. Soft and
brown and lively they were, with bright
black eyes, and sharp noses that could
smell-oh splendidly and cute little
ears sticking right up straight to hear
every little sound.
Since the mouse babies began to
grow big and want lots of things to eat
like boys and girls who are growing
big-poor Mamma Mouse found it very
hard to get enough for them. Every
thing about the pantry was locked, and
the doors she had nibbled to get to the
pantry were all stopped up, and every
few days the poor little mouse mamma
had to cut-with only her teeth-a new
door to some rooA1, to hunt for crumbs
and such things.
Well, she had just cut door into
Nelly's room, behind her bureau, when
Bertha had been there a few days. The
very first night that Mamma Mouse
came into the room hunting, her sharp
little nose smelled the wax on Bertha S
face.
Vow, perhaps you don't know it, but
wax is great luxury in the mouse
family, and this little brown mamma
was as much delighted to find it as you
are to find paper of candy, or nice
smelling cake. 1t didn't take her a
minute to run up the back of that draw
er, and take a little nip off Miss Bertha's
neck. Then she thought of her hungry
mousies, so she ran back into the hole,
gave little squeak or two, and the
whole family came running out. They
all ran through the door, scrambled ur
the back of the drawer, in beside poor
Bertha, and all began TO nibble. They
didn't think it any harm, you know
they didn't know she was a doll
Well, they all had enough to eat thai
night, but how do you think Nelly fell
when she opened the drawer in TIN,
morning before she was dressed-as she
always did? There was poor Bertha
her pretty pink nose nibbled off, he
forehead and eyebrows dreadful
wreck, and her chin-well, her chii
looked ~ though she had the measles
the worst way.
Poor Nelly 1 won't tell you how
badly she felt but in the afternoon sh,
took the unfortunate dolly, and wen
over to Robbie's.
"Why, Nelly ~ said Robbie's nam
ma "what ails your dolly"
"a nasty mouse nibbled it," sai'
Nelly, with trembling lip "but pap,