Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1875-05-13
NY BIRTHDAY.

I'M the mother of six children, and
they aIe all dolls. Pollyis the Oldest. l
can't tell how old she is; but she must
be dreadful long-lived, for | can't remem-
Der the time when she wasn't born. She's
got cloth face and it's real nice; for
when it gets soiled mamma puts on a
clean rag, and then she is as good as
new. Why, you wouldn't believe how
many skins she's got. VIII says no doc
tor living could find the true one; but
think it's beautiful that she can 90 on
having new skin every time she needs
one. Then there's Capt. links. You've
heard of him; but, after all, there's
something more about him than there is
in the song. On his last muster day his
horse got SO lively from the corn and
beans he'd eaten that he ran away with
the poor Captain and tried to Jump over
a fence, when he stumbled and threw
his master over his head, and so his leg
was broken. Then it had to come off:
and he'd got a lovely scar over his left
eye, too. So you may be sure he is
great hero. Then there's my Paris doll,
Marie, that Aunt Lucy sent me last
Christmas; but she's SO nice I never
play with her 'cept when l have on nv
best dress and my hair crimped. I won't
say anything about the others, for there
amt anything particular to say They
are common kind of children; not pc
culiar one among 'em.
Well, while ago when the coasting
was good, l was just crazy to be boy,
so | could coast with the other chaps,
and | used to go with my Will and Rob
every Saturday and Wednesday after
noon to the Common and stand outside
the rope and wish and wish I could, but
you know l couldn't; and forgot all
about my family of children and kept
them in bed days and days; and that
made me sorry when [ did remember
them, so I thought wouldn't remember
any more than | could help; but [ had
to- One Wednesday afternoon, when it
was so drizzly that we all had to stay in
the house, heard the boys laughing and
shouting upstairs in the play-room, so
thought | would go up and have some
fun with them. When | opened the
door they ran out of the other, giggIing
like everything, and / saw my six chill
dren, every one with black cap over it's
face, hanging by it's neck to the chande-
lier. Even dear Capt. links was there,
with his one poor leg dangling in the air.
l don't suppose you know how felt, be-
cause you never were the mother Of six
dolls and saw 'em all hanging by the
neck till they were dead. [ can't tell
you how mad it made me. Mamma saws
that's dreadful word for little girl to
use, and I know it, but there amt any
other that tells how I felt. l know if I
could only have got my hands on Bob
and Will should have done something
dreadful But they knew it, so they
kept out of sight, and I got tired hunt
ing for 'em.
Well, after / had cried I" a little weep"
l got on the top of the table, with my
penknife, and cut all the children down
and laid them side by side. Then took
off the black caps and found they were
all right Even Marie hadn't lost one
kirk in her curly hair, and Capt links,
scar was just as splendid as ever. But
anyway they were dead, as they ought to
be, for they'd been hung; so made up my
mind to have big funeral on the spot,
and went downstairs and told mamma
wanted her and auntie TO come to my
funeral right away. She was dreadfully
scared, and asked me what meant; so l |
told her all about it. Well, she went
back with me to the play-room, and |