The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1882-05-12

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mine were thought the prettiest, be-
she always took her water colors and
painted face on it. So mine always
had brown hair curling about their fore
heads, little eyebrows, blue eyes, rosy
cheeks and red lips, and were always
smiling.
They all had names, but can only
remember now Susanna and Alice.
Susanna was rather large, and had .
pink artificial rose sewed on the top OF
her head, which made her look always
dressed for a party.
But Alice was my darling. She was
the smallest rag baby of all. and had
the sweetest little face, and q little
blue dress. I do believe she would
look pretty to me now if I had her back
again.
Susie Bradley used to come some
times with her rag-babies, and we
played house on different figures on the
carpet. Julia Davitt came, too. but
she had q doll. and liked to play
queen.
One day they were both at my house.
and the Cohen girls came in little
| while after because it was wet, and their
mother would not let them play out OF
doors.
I'VE haven't brought any rag
babies,'' said Fanny Cohen. ''But
you'll let US play with yours. won't you.
Maidie?'
So l let them each take two of mine
to play with. and we had a beautiful
time.
Julia took the easy-chair for her
house. l had mine under the table,
Sadie and Fanny chose figures on the
carpet, and Lofty Cohen took tbs
hearth-rug, because her mother had
said she must stay where it was warm,
for she had a sore throat. remember
she looked pale.
She seemed very fond of the two rag
babies lent her, and said:
Il never had any so pretty as yours,
Maidie.''
We went visiting each other, and
mother let us have cookies and sliced
apples to pass around. My rag-babies
appeared to great advantage, and SUI
sauna looked really brilliant with her
pink roses on her head.
81 have rag baby bigger she is, at
home,'' said Fanny. "b1t I'll change
with you if You'll give me Susanna.
But I had seen Fannys, and l
wouldn't change, would you? For a
rag baby with no eyes and mouth, and
with fnger-marks where her cheeks
ought to be! Ididn't care if her dress
sU0s made out of an old silk apron.
At last the little girls had to 60. Julia
carried her doll in her arms, and Sadie
huddled all her rag babies into her apron.
"Come along, Lottie," said Fanny
Cohen.
Lofty laid down my two rag-babies re-
gretfully, and said:
81 love 'em dearly, and most hate
to leave 'emr'
However she did leave them, and I
set up the whole twelve in a row, with
Susanna at one end and Alice at the
other. Andyou don't know how cunning
and pretty Alice looked.
She had a more timid smile than the
others. and her arms kept down, while
the rest held theirs straight out. If L
had known what was going to happen,
should have hid her!
The next morning was sitting, inno-
cent and unsuspecting, at the window,
sewing some patchwork, when Lofty
Cohen came in and stood around. She
did not want to take her bonnet off, and
she seemed to have something on her
mind.
Il wasn't very well last night she
said, slowly, after while, coming near
er to me.
felt sorry for her. and she looked at
me with hesitating smile.
81 had to take castor-oa," she went
on, ''and 1 didn't want to take it, but
mother hired me-"
"What did she give your I asked,
with interest.
"Oh, nothing, but she said if would
take it she guessed Maidie Bolles would
give me one of her rag-babies, so l took
it. and she told me this morningI could
come over for the ag-baby."
There was y minute of awkward
silence. I did not see then, and don't
see now, what business Mrs. Cohen
had to hire her little girl to take bad
medicine by promising her one of my
rag-babies.
I felt sort of shyness about object
ing. and had queer feeling that if I
did not give Lofty rag-baby, then her
mother would have deceived her, and it
would be my fault.
My own mother had gone over to
Aunt AIMS on an errand, so there was
no one to consult with, and when Lofty
said, hopefully:
'MayI pick out the one I want
now?" it seemed to me that there was
no help for it, and I crossed the room
with her to where my twelve rag babies
sat in a row. had so many, surely I
could spare her one.
But l thought of course she would
pick out one Of the two she had loved
SO dearly the day before. l almost
knew which one it would be, the one
with the reddest cheeks.
She hesitated, she looked up and
down the row. Ibegan to be afraid she
would choose Susanna; I never thought
of anything worse than that! But She
looked up and down, and-she-took-
Alice'
l remember how badly felt, and how
I never thought of resisting. suppose
l thought I must not Perhaps felt it
would not be polite.