The Louisiana cotton-boll. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], Attakapas, La.) 1872-1883, 1879-12-18
FOR THE YOUNG FOLKS.

quarters in London, there were three
very busy people. These were Mrs.
Hackett, Miss Hackett, and Master
Hackett. They were working upstairs
in an attic room, sitting about table on
which there were dolls, doll-heads, doll
bodies. All about the room were boxes
of dolls undresscd, except for those in
evitable little paper-cambric slips which
seem to embody the only inalienable
right that dolls have in this world.
Were the Hacketts-Mrs., Miss and
Mastcr-dressing dolls to help out be-
lated Santa CLAUSE No. Were they
making dolls? Again, no. They were
unmaking the creatures.
First, the lovely dears were bcheaded.
Then they were ripped open about
where their clavicles would have been if
the doll-makers hadn't left the clavicles
out of the darlings. When they were
| all tipped, and gaping in q CHASTITY way
from sli6Hlder to shoulder, they were
emptied Of what would have been their
vital organs if it hadn't been sawdust.
Then the heads and bodies were stuffed
like Thanksgiving turkey, not, however,
with oysters. or curry force-me8t, but
with costly lacss --laces fit to adorh q
duchess ....
Mr.. William Hackett was going to
emigrate to America. He was going to
open a toy-shop and lace-shop in the
United States, and make his fortune.
He had put his means, the gatherings
and savings Of thirty years Of work and
economy, into fine laces. II
When the custom-house officials
boarded the incoming steamer, Mr..
Hackett, without hesitation; reported
his dolls and toys, and stood by while
his wares were rummaged so roughly that
Master Hackett, also standing by,
thought that some OF the doll-heads must
surely burst open and let out their Sc
crets But the investigation ended
without any cracked skulls; duty was
paid on the dolls, while the laces passed
in free. aA
The Hacketts, in good numor, took
rooms, and again the dolls were be.
headed, disemboweled and reconstructed.
The laCes were worked over and carded;
toy-shop war opened, and Master
Hackett, instead of going off to fight the
indians, and get scalped, was set to keep
it, while Miss Hackett presided over the
lace-shop. You and / know why her
laces could be sold at low prices low
prices bring quick sales-thus Mr.. Hack
EFT soon found himself back in London,
ready to bring out another lot Of immi-
grant dolls, to find homes In little YAH
kee girls hearts. In the meantime,
some thihgshad happened-amongo others,
the Chicago fire. BY this, many and
many little girl was left doll-less, and
many a. boy atop-less. ALI over the
country, from New England and New
York and Ohio, and the great North
west and the Pacific coast, while mann
mas wete boiling and baking, and pack
ing boxes Of clothing for the burnt-out
folks, and papas were giving their checks
freely, the dear little boys and girls were
getting tops and dressing dollles to COM
fort the burtout children. 1895
And Santa Claus, you must know, was
one Of the heaviest sufferers from the
great fire. Thousands and thousands of
his Christmas toys were destroyed. Bat
when the great holiday came round, the
children in the land stood by their
blessed old saint and friend. Many a
Christmas-box they sent to Chicago for
this and that burnt-0ut Sunday-school.
And SO it came that there was q Christ
mas-tree for certain Presbyterian Stun
day-school in chicago, all of whose gifts
had been sent by children of nobody
knew-what-plaees; that is to say, nobody
knew by the time the articles had reaclted
the tree. S-
Among other things on this certain
tree was wonderful dolly, in a marvel
GUS dress Of pink gauze.
off l could have that, said Josie
Hawley, I'D stop crying about my
"Why don't you to get it, said Patsy
Clark. "I've been praying for that
picture-book up there ever since first
saw it" ia a
We'll, ] will, " said little Josie.
She put her hand up to her eyes, and
looking through her fingers too Keep the
coveted dolly in sight, she said s IL
"Now my me down 10 sloer,
] pray the Lord my soul to keep:
IfIshoild die before wake -
"Ts that the right way? pray
the Santa Claus has looked II
downw she cried.
A lady had just whispered to Santa
Claus. He was looking straight into
Josie's face.
"This beautiful DOLL" he said, "is for
the good little girl, josie Hawley."
Oil where was the little girl who had
sent that pretty doll3 She ought to
have been there to see Josie's radiant,
happy face, as two eager arms were
reached out to receive the beauty.
One day, in the following January,
Mrs. Hawley was thinking, in despond-
ing mood, of her ruined fortunes,
when Josie ran into the room, crying:
"Come quick, Mammal My dolly is
drowned all to pieces In the baf-tub."
why, Josie, what have you been
doingP said Mamma, Fastening to the
bathroom
"I gived her baf; her wantedAa baf
90 bad, said Josie.
There, in and on the booming deep,
with cataract roaring from the open
faucet, was the beautiful dolly, all tln-
pasted. One fair foot and the fairer
head had gone to the bottom Of the tub.
The beautiful unglued curls were aoat-
ing in a tangled mass on the restless
waves.
I" And what this n said Mamma, as,
having rescued the other parts, her hand
plunged and drought up the head. Drip
ping honiton lace was hanging from 1t.
"Did anybody everP continued Mamma,
pullinp at the lace, and drawing out
yard after yard. ),
Further investigation followed; dolly
was dissected, and marvellous anatom-
ical structure was revealed. You see
how 1t was, DO you not? IT was one OF
the Hackett dolls which, by mistake, did
not get its lace insides taken out, on its
arrival in America.
OF course, the matter eonldn' t be kept
out OF the papers; It was published far
and wide. / presume you read nm &C.
count of it. Some eust0mrhOuse officers
did, and the Hacketts did not. They
tooka London paper, setting itdown that
American newspapers were sensational