Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-05-22
THE TALKING DOLL.

~
In one of the little cottages of that
village. into which hunger had acct
dentally driven me-this story is not an
invention, it actually occurred as l re-
late it-a little girls of perhaps z years
of age was dying.
She was, it seems, the child of a
Partisan, but Partisan who was born
and grew to young womanhoOd at b.
cage.
One morning in May a carriage stop
ped before the door of Mother Gerard,
who now took care of vineyard, but
in her younger days had been a nurse
for little children.
A young woman alighted from the
carriage, followed by maid and lit
tie girl, delicate and feeble, but very
pretty nevertheless.
Mother Gerard said the young
woman to the peasant, Il have brought
my little girl to you; she needs the
country air and goats milk. viii you
keep her a few months?"
The husband of Mother Gerard made
an impatient movement, but before he
could speak the young woman said. 81
will pay you LOCO francs.n
"a thousand francs" said the man;
''she is very sick, and the doctor will
have to be paid"
Doctor or no DOCTOR" said Mother
Gerard, brusquely, II will take care
of your child, Mini: | will care for her
as tenderly as | did for you, my nurse
ling"
Il am sure of it''
Kiss me, little one," continued the
al t,l- Lo -,
her arms.
The little girl did not wait to be urged
but kissed her affectiOnately.
You will pay in advanced" said the
man.
Here are 1000 francs; give me re-
ceipt."
The young mother then brought
from the carriage the child'S clothing
daintily arranged in small trunk.
The maid brought large paper box
in which lay beautiful doll that could
say ''Mammar' when one pressed a
spring.
The little girl had been perfectly sill
ent during this time. but the great
tears were rolling down her thin, white
cheeks.
When the mother noticed that the
child was crying she made an impa-
tient gesture, which she quickly sup
pressed, but not before Mother Gerard
saw it. The little girl also saw her
mothers displeasure, and stretched to-
ward her the little. emaciated hands.
1t was touching appeal, mute ca
ress, a silent prayer, but irresistible in
its eloquence The maid turned away
her head to conceal her tears. The
mother was greatly moved. and taking
the child in her arms kissed her again
and again.
My dear Mini, do not cry, do not
cry any more. shall come back for
YOU very soon"
''Will YOU surely Gomez said the
child between her sobs, and covering
her mothers face with kisses surely,
surely" she added, clasping her little
hands as she did when she said her
prayers.
Mother Gerard looked sharply at her
former foster-child, who turned away
her head with a flushed face.
will you really come back for her,
NmiP" she said in low tone.
"Certainly."
DO not be too long aboutit,n Mother
Gerard said, Significantly.
''Truly, mamma, you will return?"
Surely yes, but do not be impatient.
Good-by, take good care of dolly. Lis
ten how beautifully she says Mamma "
and the mother made the doll repeat
many times the one word "Mamma!'
The child was silent
She will be your little girl and you
will love her very much"
''Oh, yes" said the child with deep
sigh. almost a sob, and she pressed the
doll to her heart. The doll murmur-
ed "Mammar'
She really loved the little inanimate
thing that called her ''Mamma!'' She
spent hours in looking at it, in rocking
1t, and IN talking to it in a low toue. at
the same time crying for her own
mamma.
DO not fear Nini''-she had named
it for herself, Il will never leave you.
never. | am your very own mamma,
do you hear-you real mammar' And
she pressed the spring and the doll re-
peated Mammal"
Then Mini took it in her arms and
Rugged it tightly as if she feared that
someone would take it from her.
The consumption was slowly but
surely accomplishing its deadly work.
Her eyes became more and more bril-
liant, the bones of her cheeks more and
more prominent. A little, dry cough
constantly shook the narrow hollow
chest, and her voice became feebler dav
by day. They wrote to her mother
but received no response.
There Is nothing, | think. more pitt
full than to witness the slow fading out
OF little life, which nothing can arrest,
neither science. nor love. nor PRAYERS
This martyrdom of infancy inhicts up
on those who must witness it the keen
est torture.
Mother Gerard had learned to love
this poor victim of tilial affection, for
Mini was dying of grief-because she
was separated from her mother-much
more than of disease, and Mother Ger
ard, knowing this, nursed her with the
utmost tenderness. Mini came to her
in May, and now it was October
The poor child, fearing that she was
no longer daughter, tried to console
herself by imagining that she was the
mother of her doll. She lavished upon
it all the love that she formerly had
for her mother. She was unwilling to
be separated from it even at night, and
the poor little brain had conceived a
singular idea-it was that she was not
sick. but that it was the doll, her dear
Mini"
She has coughed all night" she
would say to Mother Gerard when she
had passed restless night herself.