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

Qer.
Hour by hour she would tell her own
sufferings, but always attributing them
to the doll. At times she would yield
to an indefinite despair. She did not
know what death meant, but she would
cry out with indescribable anguish:
No, do not want you to die, even to
go to heaven"
She never spoke of her mother to the
nurse, but sometimes when she thought
herself alone they would hear her MUIR
muir to her doll, IF mamma would
come back Mini would be we'll"
In the village the arrival of the talk
ing doll had produced a great sensa-
ton. All the children wished to see
it, and Sunday most of the little girls
came to admire the marvellous toy.
To 90 to see the little girl from Paris
and hear her doll talk had become a
sort of fete, and, then, Mini was so
sweet, so caressing to all who showed
friendship for her or who loved her
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 a
mamma marvelously beautiful and
adorably good.
The 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
the 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 a 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 ''Mammaw
Alas! the care of Mother Gerard, the
love and caresses 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
'Mammar'
The child repeated Mamma" with
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
coll, 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 COT
fin with all that belonged to them
dresses and bonnets, 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 heavy--they put
all the flowers they could find, and it
was the strangest funeral that one could
imagine. All the little girls of the
school marched behind, two by two,
holding their dolls, and on the way
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 a 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 a particular fav-
orite of the little invalid.
1t was Il sickly little cripple, nearly
her own age, with a 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-
votedly.
No one can know that thourbt naSSad
through that little brain, but at the
moment that the sexton threw the first
spadeful of earth upon the coffin she
kissed her doll convulsively 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 touching spectacle.
60 with Nini!' each little one re-
peated in letting her doll fall into the
grave.
One only drew back, unable to make
the sacrifice. She was D 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 the
grave.
The next day the vicar went TO Ne
vile and brought back with him fif-
teen new dolls and gave them to the
children in the name of the two Minis.