Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-07-15
a SAD FATE.
What Finally Became of q Once Stylishly-
Dressed and Aristocratic Doll.


Dressed and Aristocratic Doll.
Cleopatra lay in the folds of the lace
curtain where Topsy had dropped her
after good run through the house.
She was very much shaken, and glad
of the quiet and the company of the
aristocratic japanese lady and gentle
man on the side of the vase. She began
talking at once.
''Well, know I can not stand this.
Just look at me! I'm a disgrace. You
would not believe what a beauty was
at Christmas. My hair hung in long
yellow curls, my eyes opened and
closed, my cheeks were like pink roses.
l had on a lovely blue silk dress, with
lace overskirt and -brimmed
hat. Now look at me! My hair, what
little there is left of it, is horrid tan
gle; my eyes are great staring glass
balls, all scratched up; one arm is
gone, one foot is broken, both shoes
are lost, and so is my hat. Every body
used to say: What a lovely doll!' Now
l always hear: Ugh! take that MANNED
and dirty doll out of my sight Or:
Say Midget the name of the.
little girl that owns would you
not better send that cripple to the hos
pital?' It's dreadful. If did not
think that it would make me look worse
I'd cry .- ...E
The Japanese lady and gentleman,
on the flower vase made no answer to
this last remark, but they each thought
that it was impossible for Cleopatra to
look worse than she did.
The maid came in just then, and
showed aside the curtains to open. the
window before she began the weekly
sweeping.
Gas sure as I'm aloive, here's that
haste of doll. wish it was burnt.
It's enough to give body bad dhrames
to look at it. ..-.r
'.Do you know, Molly, that Miss Mid
get niver cared for that doll as she did
for the little one with the china head
and calico dress?" said the footman.
''Do yez not know whye Shure, its
because it was so dressed up there was
no comfort in playing with it. She
tould them she'd muss her up so that
the mistress would not keep tellin' her
to be careful"
"Molly, Molly, have you seen Cleo
patra?" said Midget, dancing into the
room, with very plain and quiet
looking doll, with china head, on her
arm.
''Here she is, MISS" said Molly,
picking Cleopatra from the floor.
Il do not want her any more, Molly.
She looks unpleasant. You may put
her in the ash-barrel."
II will be glad to, miss. I do not
think we loved her very much, ever,
miss. -
"No, not as much I do Comfort,''
and she Rugged the, doll in her arms
closer to her. "When Cleopatra was
new she was so. stiff and SO dressed up
that she never made any fun. And
then, when she got mussed ever SO
little, she looked old, and homely..
Mamma says she did not wear well.
Please put her in the ash-barrel, Molly"
ITO think of my being thrown aside
for a doll with china face, and who
wears calico dressi OF course | was
stiff. She could not expect SO, fine a
doll as me to be any thing but dlgni--
fied-she said stiff. She wears q ging-
ham dress sometimes herself, and l
never should have belonged to such a
family. How elegant looked in the
showcase and the other dolls appre-
ciated me. An ash barrel, indeed!
Some paSser-by Will recognize my true
elegance, and rescue me" were the
last words heard by the Japanese lady
and gentleman as Molly carried Cleo
patra Off.
.Hie there, Billy! Do.y we mind the
scarecrow," and a bootblack took
Cleopatra by her torn skirt out of the
barrel. "D'ye want her for yer, little
sister?' ...
"Naw! She got a. clean, whole
one." e
s.But hers rag doll, Billy"
Il know it, But isn't clean, whole
rag doll, with the loveliest smile on its
face, better'n that one with the ugly
scowl between its eyes, and a dirty
silk dress?' s,"a.
And Cleopatra was dropped into the
barrel, where she lay until an Italian
rag-picker tore off her silk dress and
put the pieces in his, pocket for his lit
tie girl, and ripped open the body,
shook out the sawdust and put it in his
bag. That was the last of Cleopatra.
christian Union.