Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1890-01-05

dolls of wood, Of cardboard, or rags; but
she thought them all charming, and talked
to them in the most delightful manner
and as IL they could understand her. and
replied to her.
The 18th Of August was the dolls birth
day, and ali the little girls came with their
dolls and brought the doll Mini bouquet.
ana one also for the real Mini. What
merry day it was for them all.
The bed was covered with howers, and
the doll was so happy that she said again
and again. 'Mammap'
Alas the care OF Mother Gerard, the
love and careeses of ell, the healthful
air Of the country had been able only to
prolong the days of the little sufferer. but
sll together were not able to cure her.
They began 10 count the weeks. then
the days she would be with them.
"She is very i'll, mammals MIMI she
said, caressing the doll. 'She suffers
greatly there" added she. touching tho
dolls chest.
One evening she sat mp suddenly, seized
her doll in both arms, looked at it with
yearnine, shining eyes, and tried to press
the spring. The sound came feebly, and
weakly articulatsd, Mammal
The child repeated Mamma with a
voice still more feeble, and fell back on
her pillow, but still clasping her doll.
She was deadl
And, singular az it may seem, the
spring in the doll Was broken, and the
doll, TOO, was deadl
During all the next day the two Minis,
the two little dead bodies, were left
with uncovered faces, surrounded with
the last flowers OF autumn, white and
yellow, mingled with branches of red
leaves.
II.
When they dressed little Mini for the
last time they found they would have to
Use much force TO take the doll from her
crap. Mother Gerard would not permit
it. She kissed the child once more, and,
without trying to account for the strange
impulse, she kissed the doll also. Both
were put into the eOffiu, with all that be-
longed to them-dresees and bonnets, lit
tie shoes and stockings, and plsy:hings of
all sorts.
-HSu upon tHc Dicft ldtIIcu ny tue
strongest little girls in the villsge-slas! it
was not very heavy-they put all the flow
ers they could find; and 1t was the strang-
est funer that one could imagine. All the
little girls of the school marched behind,
two by two, holding their dolls, and on
the way they were joined by others, and
eech new arrival had her doll. Those who
had two dolls gave one to those who had
more. All the dolls were dressed in their
finest clothes.
When they arrived at the cemetery the
children formed circle around the grave,
with their dolls in their arms, and listened
to the last prayer for poor Mini. Among
the children who had come to bid last
farewell to their little friend and talking
doll-for they regretted the wonderful doll
quite as much as they did Nini-there was
one who had been particular favorite
Of the little invalid.
It was sickly little cripple, nearly her
own age, with sorrowful, pale face. She
almost adored the doll, and when Mini
permitted her to rock it she was perfectly
happy. She, like the others, had doll
which she loved devotedly.
No one cen know what thought passed
through that little brain, but at the mo-
ment that the sexton threw the first spade
fol of earth upon the coffin she kissed her
doll convulsively and threw it into the
grave, saying, "Go with Ninip
This impulsive act 80 impressed the
other children that one after another fol-
lowed her example.
II was touching spectacle.
go with Niniw each little one re-
peated, in letting her doll fall into the
grave.
Only one drew back unable to make the
sacrifice. She was five year. old, perhaps,
the child of poor woman. Her doll was
Of cardboard, old, dirty, and worn, and
had lost one arm. She elasped it in her
arms, and sobbingly said: ''No, not in the
hole not in the hole, my Mini She would
be cold p
The return to the village was, perhaps,
sadder than the walk to the grave.
The next day the Vicar went to Neville
and brought back with him fifteen new
dolls and gave them to the children in the
name OF the two Minis.
In this village for many years after q
doll was called Mini in remembrance of
the one which was buried