The Press., 1890-06-12
THE DEATH OF THE DOLL.

In one of the little cottages of that village, into which hunger had accidentally driven me-this story is not an invention, it actually occurred as relate it-a little girl of per- haps years of age was dying.
 She was it seems the child of Parisian, but Parisian who was born and grew to young womanhood at Bocage.
 One morning in May carriage stopped be- fore the door of Mother Gerard, who now took care of vineyard, but in her younger days had been nurse for little children.
 A young woman alighted from the car riage, followed by a maid and little girl, delicate and feeble, but very pretty, never theless. et 'sMother Gerard" said the young woman to the peasant, II have brought my little girl to you; she needs the country air and goats milk. Will you keep her for few monthsg' The husband of Mother Gerard made an impatient movement, but before he could speak the young woman said II will pay you a thousand francs"
 IA 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, sI will take care of your child, Mini; will care for her as tenderly as l did for you, my nurseling."
 ssI am sure of it."
 "Kiss me, little one" continued the good woman, taking the child in her arms.
 The little girl did not wait to be urged, but kissed her affectionately.
 "You will pay in advanceF' said the man.
 stHere are the thousand francs; give me receipt"
 Tho young mother then brought from the carriage the child's clothing daintily arranged in a small trunk.
 The maid brought large paper box in which lay beautiful doll that could say Mamma" when one pressed spring.
 The little girl had been perfectly silent dur ing this time, but the great tears were rolling down her thin, white cheeks.
 When her mother noticed that the child was crying she made an impatient gesture, which she quickly suppressed, but not before Mother Gerard saw it. The little girl also saw her mothers displeasure, and stretched toward her the little, emaciated hands.
 It was touching appeal, a mute caress, 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 comes' said the child be- r 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 for mer foster child, who turned away her head with a flushed face.
 twill you really come back for her, Ninig' she said in a low tone.
 Certainly"
 ''Do not be too long about it," Mother Ge- rard said significantly.
 ''Truly, mamma, you will return"
 ''Surely, yes, but do not be impatient. Good-by; take good care of dolly. Listen how beautifully she says mammal" Y" and the mother made the doll repeat many times it's one word, mammal 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 murmured mammal
 She really loved the little inanimate thing that called her s'mamma.' She spent hours in looking at it, in rocking it, and in talking to it in low tone, at the same time crying for her own mamma
 ''Do not fear, Nini'-she had named it for herself. Twill never leave you, neverl I am your very own mamma, do you hear? Your real mamma! And she pressed the spring and the doll repeated tsmammal"
 Then Mini took it in her arms and hugged it tightly, as if she feared that some one would take it from her.
 The consumption was slowly but surely ac- complaining it's deadly work Her eyes be- came more and more brilliant, 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 Spof fO f,op1, l,,.% received no response.
 There is nothing, tllinlS, more pitiful than to witness the slow fading out of little life, which nothing can arrest, neither science, nor love, nor prayers. This martyrdom of infancy inflicts upon those who must witness it the keenest torture.
 Mother Gerard had learned to love this poor victim of flial affection, for Mini was dying of grief-because she was separated from her mediterranean more than of dis ease, and Mother Gerard knowing this nursed her with the utmost tenderness. Mini came to her ill May, and it was now October.
 The poor child, feeling 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 ssdear Nini.'
 ''She has coughed all night" she would say to Mother Gerard when she had passed a restless night herself. s:You suffer, my dear Mini, but will cure you We will cure her, nurse, will we nota How feeble her voice isr' si.s would add, ill listening to the weak sound which the doll made, because the pres- sure upon the spring grew weaker as the little hands graw thinner.
 Hour by hour she would tell her own suf- ferings, but always attributing them to the doll. At times she would yield to an inde- finite despair. She did not know what death meant, but she would cry out with indescrib- able anguish: "No, do not want you to die, even to go to heaven.n
 She never spoke of her mother to the nurse; but sometimes, when she thought her self alone, they would hear her murmur to her doll: Eff mamma would come back Mini would be well.n
 In the village the arrival of the talking doll had produced great sensation. All the children wished to see it, and Sunday most of the little girls came to admire the marvellous toy. ..s4
 To go to see the little girl from Paris and hear her doll talk had become sort of fets;