The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1885-12-26
A REAL DOLLY.
A self-Sacrificing Brothers Happy Christ
mas.


mas.
"Dear me! wish l had a real dolly
to hug. Perhaps l could go to sleep
then. am so tired and l just can't
be still, My fingers and toes keep
playing wait for the wagon, and
drumming on the sheet, till l am all
tired out Why can't l have one,
mammal One with real hair, and
eyes that can open and shut like
Bertha Scarritt'S that we saw last win
.ter?"
Mamma looked up from her ironing
table with a sorrowful face which tried
to smile. "rll fix you dolly, darling,
and you shall sing it to sleep; but
mamma can't make doll like Bertha's,
only rag baby, such as she used to
play with long ago."
Her mother picked up pillow case
from her basket, and her patient fin
gers had soon fashioned long roll,
which, with handkerchief for shawl,
was handed to the little invalid to nurse
and to fondle.
The sick child seemed content, and
with a tremulous voice began to Groom
lullaby over her new treasure: "By
baby bunting; Papa's gone a-hunting."
The mother turned back to her IRON
ing table, and if the piece she was IRON
ing had grown too dry whilst waiting
for her return, it was "dampened
down" sufficiently once more by the
tears that welled up from her full heart
and overfowed upon her work.
at is so hard to be poor and sick,
too! / get so lonely trying to work for
them all. If papa had only lived,
nothing would have seemed hard, but
without his help everything seems so
heavy! If it were not for Ben l should
give up"
So ran her thoughts when the gate
clicked, quick step came up the gray
cled path, and boy came in.
He was whistling when he entered
the yard, but as he reached the door
he stopped, and turning the latch soft
", stole in on tip-toe.
"How's Blossom, motherP' he
said, peering toward the little bed.
"AsleepP Oh, no; she's waking" Gas
the little head turned from its half doze
to catch the new sounds in the quiet
room.)
Glow now, Sunshine" he said,
cheerily; 'been dreaming of brother
Ben? What's that you've got in your
armsP"
That's my dolly, Ben. Mother
made it. Amt it niceP But, Oh, Ben,
l do wish she had just little hair!n
Ben looked at the smooth roll of cloth
and then at the rueful face and said;
''She is pretty bald about the head, isn't
she, BlossomP l tell you what. little
Daisy, Wen ask Santa Claus to bring
us a new doll that's prettier than this.
| am sure he will do it, when he knows
you are sick!n
Ben thought anybody would be GLAD
to make his little sister happy. Daisy
was the dearest thing in the world tC
him, and the thought that the doctor
might be right and that she would never
be well again made his heart ache S,
that he would not believe it.
cit can't be true" he said to hi
mother. "She's too young to hav,
such disease. Consumption is for OLE
folks, not for little things like GU
Daisy! See how bright she looks thi
morning! It's all right, mother; w
shall soon see her well againn
Ben walked to school that afternoon
very slowly. The snow was piled whit
and soft upon everything, and the boy
were romping as if it had fallen jus
for them, as truly think it had.
Ben didn't look at the snow. II
was in brown study. He even let tn
boys SNOWFALL him without turnin.
round, until one more successful thar
the rest happened to hit him in tn
small of the back.
Halo, VIII, that's a good shot. Yo
deserve to be Captain Of our baseball
nine"
! "Say, Win," he added. u shan't b