Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1890-05-29

1 ing doll hal prolnced a great scnsa'
| ton. All the children wished to sec
I it, aud SUNDAY most of the little girls
! came to admire the marvellous toy.
TO 20 TO see the little girl from Paris
and hear her doll talk had become a
sort oil fetc, and, then, Mini was SC
/ sweet, so caressing to all who showed
friendship for her or who loved heI
doll that she had become the Idol of the
whole village.
The vicar came to relate to her beau
| tiful stories of heaven, where lived n
mamma marvolously beautiful and
adorably good.
TIE good sister who had charge of
the village school brought her little
images of saints and angels.
One of MINIS greatest pleasures was
to see all little friends come with their
dolls--dolls of wood, dolls of card
board, of rags; but she thought them
all charming, and talked to them in
tho most delightful manner and as if
they could understand her and replied
to her.
The 10th of August was the dolls
birthday. and all the little girls came
with their dolls and brought the doll
Mini bouquet and one also for the
real Mini. What merry day it was
for them all!
The bed was covered with flowers,
and the doll was so happy that she said
again and again Mammal
Alas! the care of Mother Gerard, the
love and carcsses of all. the healthful
air Of the country had been able only
to prolong the days of the little suffer-
er, but altogether were not able to cure
her.
They began to count the weeks,
then the days, that she could be with
them.
She is very i'll, mammals Mini" she
said. caressing the doll. She suffers
greatly there" added she, touching the
dolls chest.
One evening she sat up suddenly,
seized her doll in both arms, looked at
it with yearning, shining eyes, and
tried to press the spring. The sound
came feebly, and weakly articulated
Mammal"
The child repeated Mamma" with
a voice still more feeble and fell back
on her pillow, but still clasping her
doll
She was dead.
And, singular as it may seem, the
spring in the doll was broken and the
doll, too, was dead.
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.
When they dressed little Mini for the
last time they found they would have
to use much force to take the doll from
her grasp. 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 cof-
fin with all that belonged to them
dresses and bonnctS, little shoes and
stockings, and playthings of all sorts.
Then upon the bier. carried by the
strongest little girls of the village
alas! it was not very hcavy-thcy put
all the flowers they could find, and it
was the strangcst funeral 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 each
new arrival had her doll. Those who
had two dolls gave one to those who
had none. 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 the talking doll
for they regretted The wonderful doll
quite as much as they did Nini-there
was one who had been particular fav-
orite of the little invalid.
1t 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 de-
yotedly.
No one can know that thought passed
through that little brain, but at the
moment that the sexton threw the first
spadeful of earth upon the collin she
kissed her doll couyulsiyely and threw
it into the grave, saying: Go with
Nini!'
This impulsive act so impressed the
other children that one after another
followed her example.
1t was a touching spectacle.
Go with Nini!' each little one re-
pcated in letting her doll fall into the
grave.
One only drew back, unable to make
the sacrifice. She was ) years old,
perhaps, the child of poor woman
Her doll was of cardboard, old. dirty,
and worn, and had lost one arm. She
clasped it in her arms and sobbingly
said; No! not in the hole! not in
the hole, my Mini! She would be cold"
The return to the village was, per
haps, sadder than the walk to tho
grave.
The next day the vicar went 10 Ne
vile and brought back with him fif-
teen new dolls and gave them to the
children in the name of the two Minis.
In this village for many years after
doll was called Mini in remem.
brance Of the one which was buried
From the French.
VI