The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1874-11-06
THE BLACK DOLL.

the only child left to her parents, whose |
other children all lay sleeping a still |
sounder sleep under four tiny mounds |
of green turf. The parents were poor, |
and lived in one poor room "over the |
water" that is on the Surrey side of the |
Thames. The mother did what she
could with her needle and her scissors
and her iron to increase the means of
subsistence earned by her husband,
who piled some mysterious vocation on
the riverside, and when he was not en-
gagged in that vocation, performed ''odd
jobs in all parts of London. And some
Of them were very fine odd jobs. He
was one of those men who are SO very
useful when you have something to get
rid of, and are at your wits end to
know what to do f; when, for instance,
your little dog has died, and you don't
know what TO do with the body or
when there IS contagious disease
abroad, and it seems advisable to have
certain things disinfected or destroyed.
On all such occasions Potten was your
man. He would do anything for next
to nothing, or at any rate for mere
trihe; anything, at least, that was not
dishonest, for more honest man than
POtten did not exist. Nor had the re-
pulsive nature of the work on which he
was frequently employed resulted in any
corresponding responsiveness in the man
himself. He had sallow, gaunt face,
1t is true, for the lines had not fallen
unto him in pleasant places; but he
smiled when he did smile, very bright
ly, and his manner, especially toward
children, was very winning. No doubt
his heart was under the softening in
huence of double memory-of Dot and
of the tiny graves. But Potten had
certainly one unpleasant popularity :;
there were times when he looked the
very incarnation of skepticism disbe-
lief stood confessed in the twinkle
of his eye, in the wrinkle around his
nose, in the lines about his mouth, in
the sound of his snigger. Sternly ad-
monish him, tearfully beg of him, solemn
" abjure him to be very careful, and so
take the greatest precautions on his
own account, and his wifes, and his
children's, if he had any and he would
answer impatiently: All right, sir !;
TO be sure will, ma am don't you go
for to be afraid :" but all the while his
manner aud his laugh were as much as
to say Tut, tut! It's all pack of
rubbish; no harm shall happen unto
me. - Thus does familiarity breed
contempt. Who is it that lights his
pipe over the powder magazine Who
Is it that burns a naked candle in the
deadly atmosphere of the mine And
yet Potten was most scrupulously care
full in all that concerned his employers;
he may have laughed at them in his
sleeve, but, whether 1t were from con-
scientious sense of duty, or from fear
of consequences in case of detected
neglect, he performed their order, as
regarded MenaSelUes, to the very letter.
Such was the man who sat contented-
ly smoking his pipe in the room where
Dot lay sleeping, and huging in her
arms a large black doll, with merry
black eyes, laughing mouth and grin
ming teeth, but without arms-not a
doll that most girls would fancy, but
Dot loved it and fondled it as if it had
been paragon of beauty. In Mr..
POtten's section of society no special
smoking room is provided, and infants
sleep peaceably amidst the fumes of to-
baeco. Perhaps that may be a reason
why fever, though rampant enough, is
not more rampant in certain districts.
Well, Mr.. Potten sat smoking, Mrs.
Potten sat sewing, and Dot lay sleeping.
Mr.. and Mrs. Potten had a deal table
between them and on the table stood
q common sort of lamp, which gave a
very good light by mealts, If smell can
be depended on, of parafhne oil. dot
lay sleeping; but anybody who sup
poses that she occupied her own little
cot with it's snow-white coverlet, and
other accessories which make such
pretty pictures of slumbering child
hood, would be very much mistaken
MIR. Potten's humble establishment die
not admit of SO much luxury and 1nde
pendence Mr.. and Mrs. Potten anG
Dot all shared the same bed, wi ich
though by no means large, took up 6
considerable portion of the apartment
The bed had coverlet of patchwork
old and faded. And yet it was anything
but an ugly spectacle that presented IT
self to the husband and wife whenever
thev looked in Dots direction. The
bed linen was clean, though coarse anc
there, with her head between two pill
lows, lay Dot. Her fair hair, very long
for her age, streamed out in all direc
tions the long lashes of her CLOSED
ewes dropped on her cheeks her smil
ing mouth, half open, showed few
white teeth; her chubby little arms
were folded around the neck and body
and her little chin rested, as has beer
said, upon the wool1y head of the blacl
doll. And the black doll, with a ring
through its nose, a necklace of bead
round it's throat, and Iiaring yelloy
frock upon its body, was gorgeous t.
behold.
Mr.. Potten arose from his seat, ant
went softly up to the bed; and ther
was moisture in his eyes when he re
turned. He resumed his seat, and sal
GhuCknnR: LOrQ love ner how nap
py she does look r.
ssShe never had a doll afore, yo
know, Potten," rejoined his wife,
care-worn but cheerful, nice-lookin
woman, ''bar them little halfpenn
ones"
"But she's bin a-cryin'," remarke
Potten, with look of inquiry. 81 Sc
two little stains on her little nose."
Yes" assented Mrs. Potten with
Light laugh. 'sWe had few word
about the doll: she'd had it playin
with all the blessed day, and though
she'd do better without it abed. Br
she would have dear Blackie, as sh
calls it; and wouldn't even have it VI
dressed. So / let her have her ow
way, and that stopped her cryin' an
made her happy again.
ssWhat's the harm 2' growled Potter
ssBless her little heart.
SIT must have cost lot o. none,
that DOLL" said Mrs. Potten, s'whi
with the size on it, and the ornament
and what not.
ssAb1 dare saw observed Pott<