, 1874-10-04
THE BLACK DOLL.


j ILL., o-F1oSN - 0-k~s
| From Chambers Journal.
| Dot was little girl, years old, the only child
left to her parents, whose other children all lay
! sleeping still sound sleep under four tiny
mounds Of green turf The parents we're poor,
and lived in one room * over tho water" that is,
| on the Surrey s;lo Of tie Thames. Tho mother
| did what she could with her needle. and her
scissors, and her iron, to increase tho means Of
| subsistence earned By her husband, who piled
| soma mysterious vocation on the riverside, and,
| when lie was not engaged in that vocation, per-.
| formed odd jobs " in all parts Of London.
And somo Of them vero very odd jobs.
Ho vas one OF thoao men who azs SO
very useful when you haze something to gct rid
Ct, and arc at your wits end to know what to TO !;
when. Tor instance. your little dog has died, and
| you don't kEow Tha: to do with tho bod:; or
when there is contagious disease abroad, and it
ecems advisable to hare certain things d!slnfccted
or destroyed. On all su-l occasions Pot.en Tas
your man. He would do anything for next to
Eothing. or ut any rate fo7 nero trlue; any
thing, at east, that WAS not dishonest. for
moro honest man thca Pottcn did not c.
is:. Nor had tho repulsire nature OF the
work on which he was frequently employed re-
suited in any corresponding responsiveness in the
man himself. 1Io had IL saliow, gaunt face, it is
true, fer the lines had no: fallen unto him IN pleas
| ant places; bu: Lo emilcd. when lie did Emile,
very brightly. aud his manner, especially towards
| children, waA gentle, and oven winning. No
| doubt Lis hear: Was u,aler tho eoftcnin5 iu1u-
| cuce Of E double Memory-of Do: and of the
tin; g1avcs. Dl: potsen had certainly ono un-
| pleasant pcculia1ity there were times when he
| looked the very incarnation OF eaep.ciHm dis
belief stood confessed III the twiaklc OF his cyo,
in tho wrinkles round lia nose. in the lines
about his mouth, III the sound OF Ills snisser.
:,tc1ntv adu1onisi. him, te.rlnl3y beg OF hlta,
sosunl,ly pIjurc linn 10 bo very careful, and 10
taao the creates. precantlonaon bis o;;n account.
| sld his wife't. aEd lis ch1idrc:'s if he hal
any; and lie wo1ld answer lm;atientl7: ' All
right, sir: to bo sEro I will, nla'am; don't you
Cc .or to be afraid but alltho while his manner
md Lis laugh were rs much as to say: I" Tut
tai! It's all pack Of Rubbish; no harm, shall
Aa,,t,cl, unto me" Thus does familiarity breed
contempt Who is i: t!,at lights his pipe over
.he pows.cr-ma-a:ine Who Is i. that burns
nakcI candle il. the deadly atmosphere OF the
miI,c2 And yet Ioiteu W:s most scruDulousiy
careful iu al that concerned lia employers; hs
| may ha;o laughed At t!:ecl in lls ele:vc. but
! whotEcr it we're from q conscientious sense OF
uEty. or from fear Of Consequences IN case ol
detected neglect, ho performed their o.ders, as
regarded ule,asttccs, to the very Letter.
Such was the man WHO sas conteutelly emok-
ing Ills Pipe in room whe:e Dot lay sleeping,
:.lL huggiug in her arms large BLACK doll, With
merry BLACK eves. laughing mouth, and grinnins
teeth, Gut without ur.i:-not a doll tbG. mos.
girls would f11lcy but Dot loved it a,,l fondled
II. u ii il had been Il paragon OF beauty. In
1lr. Pottcns section Of so-;ct: 10 s3c';al e1o.,-
iag-r3on IL Provided. aud infants sleep pe.3s-
fully auliia: tie tE!,es of tobS,co. ienap5
tha! raay b.. & :e.son "A7 feyer though ram
PM enough, is 10. Llo.5 ralpa1! IL certain
districts.
We'll, I1r. pottca e.. eraol;n-. FRS Pot.cu &C.
sewing aud Dat lay sleeping. 3r. aud 3lre. Potien
had l. ucal-:able between them; and on tho table
etood q common sor. OF lamp. which gave yo:y
good light hr nesns. il smell DO depended
upon, Of paratnne oil. Dot lay sleeping; but
anybody vino hupposcs that sl!o occupied her own
little cot with lis snow-Tlio covcr.c. and other
accessories which make such pretty pictures CT
eluGlbtr;ng childhood would be very much n!5-
taken. Mr. poltenB liuuLlo establishment did
not admit & SO much luxury and iudcnc adauce.
Mr.. and -lrs. PoI.cn and Dot all shared the Same
bed, which, tho;.1h b? no means lGrge, tooa rp
L considerable pur;l1u ii t:1c apartment. Tho
bed had q coycs.cs Ct patchwork. oil and faded
And vet it was anyt!,lt., but IN ugly spectacle
that presented itself 10 ttlo husband and vile
Gl.e,:c;or TIE: lacked III Dots direction. The
led. -.:Ecn WAS clean, though coareo aud there.
III !. er Ecal ietTcc1l TWO PILLOWS. lay Dot. Hcr
fair ;."ir ytfy lung fur her cge, st1ea.ncd ont III
III! uiic:.ioEs tic long lashes OF her closed oyes
dropped On her checks her smiling mouth. half
OPEN, showed fer "h-se teeth: her Chubby
a1,d i,cr !i.!e cn rested, ilcs been sAld upon
the uooly head Of the black doll. And the black
dbl, With ring through it3 nose, n necklace OF
beads ronnl it5 throat. and u Iaring yellow
f:ock upJn its body, waa gorgeous 70 behold
1r. Fo:ten arose from lis sea-. sEd went softly
M 70 tie bed AID there IGs moisture iu his
c:es wlica ho returned lie resumed his seat,
an! snil, cuucllir:: Lord iovo her: How
happy slc .lo loa5.
sac never had o doll afore, you know.
Potten.' rejuined his "ife. care-wcra tns
cheerful. nice-lookirS "o:a=n, Lar tAea little
Lalf-,ca1,y ones
la. she's Blu a-c-5in'," remarked 7ot.en, !
with look Of inquiry - ECO Two !::::!> =.;irs !
On her little nose. |
"yes," n..catel Hrs po:t2a. WITH light
lauSn. I'VE hal Z few roris about the dull: |
shed had it plavn' With 81 tho hlcsse! da:, and
I though: s!4eI do bs5;cr "':hon.lt 1t noea- Lat
wouldn't even Lave it utaSc:sod So let her
have her own way, ald rhat stopped haz csy;n'.
and made her happy again"
'.Wi,a:'s the harm :" s:owlcd pottca. 'Dleas
he- little heart"
1T must have cost lot o n,onc", tia. doll,'
aaid Mrs. Potten, "w what wllh !1e tizc on it. aud
tic dress, and TIC osna:nens+. @:.i what not
"Ah! 1 daresay," Observed Fc::en, win in-
difference.
You'd never have bocn able TO buy one like
it." continued Mrs. po:ten, with .nu:h emphasis
4 - Not J." asserted po.t.n with short laugh.
"Ah! it's 81 III wind rs b:o'Ts nobody any
Gool.'
- Bnt you nevar tc!: re where you got it
from, +" / cnarxe4 Mrs. potteu- - ioa ouly said
it rss given TO you
what's t.s odl:," said Po.ten, y2.niug. !
" lIe.e. IrI sired TN ago!n' 10 bc3. Coiae,
make haste"
Aud Alr. and Mrs. Pot:ca scso soon aslccp,
With Dot and the black doll between t!le..-
let us change tho tina aud scene. 1t saall ho
the Sans day, but earlier in the evenings and tho
place shall te 4 comfortable house. Oil tue lid
<E& nr;. and n
bo,l3,s Of T:bunia. 1t is early spring. about
an hour sfteg sunses. and little gil, some seven
years of age, is being ru: to bed. sho is evi-
dentIy an IN, aid. Her pretty little faco is Thin
sho tustc1s ii sAs attempts to walk alone. 4
Ia " and ma,-t eryant arc present IN tho rooM