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

mended up the hole. L brought this
over for the baby if she'll have it may
be she won't care"
"Oh, she'll be delighted" said NAM
ma, and she won't mind tho nib
bling"
Nelly went over to where the baby aat
ON the floor, playing with her rattle and
her knit doll.
She held up Bertha.
Baby, want this dolly" she said.
5000 goo % cried baby, reaching
out her two fat hands. Nelly held it
nearer. Baby stuck out one dumpy lit
tie pink finger and put it right into Ber-
tha's big bright eye. There was a
thump and fall, and Nelly hastily
turned it around.
Alas the beautiful eyes were gone
dropped down inside of her head, and
two holes were left in the face, making
her look more horrible than ever.
ooh, Mrs. Rievor p cried Nelly,
bursting into violent tears, she's put
out her eyes Oh oh !" and she threw
the unhappy baby on Mrs. Rievor's
lap, and ran home.
Mamma took it up, and it was droll
looking damsel enough, but she couldn't
help laughing at it, it was so comical
with its nibbled face and its eyes rat
thing around in its head.
Baby didn't care. She liked it just as
well, and stuck her little finger into the
eye-holes as much as she liked. She
had it long time, till Miss Bertha got
very dirty-as to the dress-lost one
arm and one leg, and besides, was taken
with dreadful limpness about the
went. Then mamma thought she
couldn't have her around. So she got
Baby a smaller doll, stuffed with hair,
and handed Miss Bertha over to Robbie
to carry out in the yard.
She fourished there for awhile, rid
ing Robbie kitty horse, and sitting up
in his wagon, and taking tea off his
dishes, but generally lying fiat on her
face in the dirt, in shockingly unlady-
like way.
One day Phillip-who was Robbie's
cousin, and had come to see him-was
racking his brain to think of some
new thing to do, when his eye fell on
Bertha.
Robbie" said he suddenly, let's
burn up that old doll -
Well, said Robbie, who was always
ready to do anything Phillip proposed,
how can we burn up Berfa?'
"We'll tie her to a stick-I can
drive one in-and make a fire round
her"
CT can make fire." said Robbie
eagerly, cause l saw Charley.
Philip found piece of lath and stuck
it up in the soft ground, while Robbie
brought the doll and held it up. Then
Philip found piece of string, and man.
aged to tie her up.
She was a dreadfully draggled wreck
of doll, and think she must have
been glad to be burnt up and out of the
way. The boys got up some old news
handsfull of kindling from the wood
shed, and made pile that came up to
her waist.
Then Robbie went quietly upstairs to
his mammals room and brought down
some matches, and in two minutes more
the flames began to creep up toward the
unfortunate doll.
"Plaze, num-" said Bridget, putting
her head into the sitting-room door,
them b'ys is up to mischief agin.
They've got the yard afre this time"
Mamma sprang up and ran to the
back door. She saw the fire.
Why, boys, what are you doing ?"
she exclaimed.
"Oh, noffin'; jes burnin' up Berfa, "
said Robbie.
"She's horrid old thing" said
Philip, "and we don't want her sprawl
ing round our yard. F"
But you're too little to make fires,
and I'm afraid you'll set the house
afire.
"Oh, no we can't" said Philip, dis
painfully; " don't you see it's too far
OFF,"
"Well, I'll stay and watch you, u
said mamma, sitting down on the
back steps " but you mustn't make an
other fire without asking me. You
won't, will your
"No M" said Philip, rather re-
luctantly.
"I'll let you build fires sometimes,
when I'm here to watch it, but you
must never do it alone.
"Well, said Philip, somewhat molli.
fed by the promise of being allowed tC
build one sometime, ave won't.
Don't Berfa look funny 2" cried
Robbie, dancing around.
Sure enough, the wax that was left OF
her face had melted and run down, fir,
had singed her hair and was running VI
it, and she did look funny enough. But
it was only for a minute or two very
soon Miss Bertha was only pile o.
ashes.
Nelly" said Robbie, the next tim,
she came over, "we've burnt up Bertha.
"Well, I'm glad of it," said Nelly
for she did look so horrid l couldn'
bear to see her.
God Counts.
A little boy and girl, brother and sis
ter, were playing in the dining-room
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