St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1885-12-26
A REAL DOLLY.
A Self-Sacriicing Brothers Happy Christ
mas.

Dear me! / wish I had real dolly
to hug. Perhaps / could go to sleep
then. ] am so tired. and / just can't
be still. My fingers and toes keep
playing wait for the wagon and
drumming on the sheet, till am all
tired out. Why can't | have one,
mamma? One with real hair, and
eyes that can open and shut, ike
Bertha Scarritt's that we saw last win
ter?"
Mamma looked up from her ironing
table with sorrowful face which tried
to smile. 'tE'n SIX you dolly, darling,
and you shall sing it to sleep, but
mamma can't make doll like Bertha's,
onlya rag baby, such as she used to
play with long ago. y
Her mother picked up pillow case
from her basket, and her patient fin
gers had soon fashioned a long roll,
which, with handkerchief for a shawl,
was handed to the little invalid to nurse
and to fendle.
The sick child seemed content, and
with tremulous voice began to Groom
lullaby over her new treasure: "By
baby bunting; Papa's gone Admitting"
The mother turned back to her IRON
ing table, and il the piece she was IRON
ing had grown too dry whilst waiting
for her return, it was s'dampened
down" sufficiently once more by the
tears that welled up from her full heart
and oyerfowed upon her work.
ut IS so hard to be poor and sick,
too! I get so lonely trying to work for
them all. # papa had only lived,
nothing would have seemed hard, but
without his help everything seems so
heavy! If it were not for Ben should
give up.'
So ran her thoughts when the gate
clicked. a quick step came up the gray
efed 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.
S'HoW's Blossom, motherp" he
said. peering toward the little bed.
Asleep? Oh, no; she's waking" Gas
the little head turned from its half doze
to catch the new sounds in the quiet
room.
"HoW now, Sunshine he said,
eheerily; ''been dreaming of brother
Ben? What's that you've got in your
arms?''
That's my dolly, Ben. Mother
made it. Amt it nice? But, oh, Ben,
I do wish she had just little hair!''
Ben looked at the smooth roll of cloth
and then at the rueful face and said:
ssShe is pretty bald about the head, isn't
she, Blossom? / tell you what. little
Daisy, we'll ask Santa Claus to bring
US new doll that's prettier than this.
| am sure he will do it, when he knows
you are tsick!''
Ben thought anybody would be glad
to make his little sister happy. Daisy
was the dearest thing in the world to
him, and the thought that the doctor
might be right and chat she would never
be well again made his heart ache SO
that he would not believe it.
lit can't be true" he said to his
mother. ''She's too young to have
such disease. Consumption is for old
folks, not for little things like our
Daisy! See how bright she looks this
morning! It's all right, mother; we
shall soon see her well again.
Ben walked to school that afternoon
very slowly. The snow was piled white
and soft upon everything, and the boys
were romping as if it had fallen just
Tor them, as I truly think it had.
Ben didn't look at the snow. He
was in q brown study He even let the
boys SNOWFALL him without turning
round, until one more successful than
the rest happened TO hit him in the
small of the back.
Halo, win, that's good shot. You
deserve to be Captain of our baseball
nine
"say, WILL he added. Il shan't be
ST.