Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1890-01-16
adliha aai1y eagle Thursday ornmg gaunary TO- 1890
he little girls came to admire the usarve,ou,

the little girls came to admire the maryelou.
toy.
To 60 to see the little girl from Paris and
hear her DOH talk had become q 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 bad become the idol
of the whole village.
The vicar came to relate to her beautiful
stories Of heaven, where there lived mann
ma marvelously beautiful and adorahly good.
The good sister who had charge Of the Wiz
hge school brought her little images Of saints
and angels
One of Minis greatest pleasures was to see
all little friends come with their doEls-dolls
Of wood, Of cardboard, Of rags; but she
thought them all charming, and tailed to
them in the most delightful macner and as il
they could understand her, and replied % her
The 18th of August YVES the dolls birthday,
and all the little girls came with their dolls
and brought the doll Mini bouquet, and one
for the real Mini What q merry day il va.
for them ali
The bed was covered with flowers, and the
doll was so happy that she said again and
again, -Mammas
Alasl the care OF Mother Gerard, the love
and careSss OF all, the healthful air of the
country had been able only 10 prolong the
days of the little sufferer, 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 III, mammals Mini, :. she.said,
caressing the doll 'She suffers greatly
there she said, touching the dolls chest.
One evening she sat up suddenly seized her
doh in both arms, looked at il with yeax1ing,
shining eyes, and tried TO press the spring
The sound came feebly and weakly articu-
ulated, Mammal"
The child repeated Mamma with a voice
still more feeble, and fell back on her pillow,
but stan clasping her doll
She was dead
And singular as it may seem, the snring in
the doll was broken; the doll, too, was dead !,
During all the next day the two Minis, the
two little dead bodies, were left with TN
covered 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 that they would have 70 use
much force to take the doll from her grasp.
Mother Gerard would not permit it. She
ing TO account for the strange impulse. she
kissed the doll also. Both were put into the
coffin, with all that belonged to then-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-alasl it was not
very heavy-they put all the flowers they
could find; and it was the strangest funeral
that one could imagine. Ali 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 O circle around the grave,
with their dolls in their arms, and listened 10
the last prayer for poor Mini. Among tho
children who had come 10 bid a 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 fayorite of the little in
valid.
1t was a sickly little cripple. nearly her own
age, with a soIrowful, pale face. She almost
adored the doll. and when Mini permitted her
to rock it she was perfectly happy She, like
tho others, had doll which she loved devot-
edly.
No one can know what thought passed
through that little brain, but at the moment
that the sexton threw the first spadeful Of
earth upon the coffin she kissed her doll con-
vulsively and threw it into the grave, saying,
"Go with Ninir'
This impulsive act 50 impressed the other
children that one after another followed her
example.
1t was touching spectacle.
Go with Mini" each little one repeated in
letting her doll fall into tine grave
One only drew back unable to make the
sacrifice. She was > years old, perhaps, the
child of poor woman. Her doll was OF card
board, old, dirty and worn, and had lost ono
arm. She clasped it in her arms and sob
bingfy said: ''No, not in the holel not in the
hole, my Mini Sine would be cold."
The return TO the village was, perhaps, sad |
der than the walk TO the grave
The next day the vicar went % Neville and |
brought back with him fifteen new dolls and I
gave them to the children IN the name Of the /
two Minis.
In this village for many years after doll .
was called a Mini in remembrance of the one /
which was buried. Translated from the l
French for Chicago Inter-Ocean-
BUMeLETHORPE AND BULL