Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1890-01-16
THE DEATH OF THE DOLL.

Oh DOcage, IN central france.
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 Partisan,
but Partisan who was born and grew to
young womanhood at Bocage
One morning in Maya carriage stopped be-
fore 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 ahghted from the car
riage, followed by maid and a little girl,
delicate and feeble, but very pretty, never
theiess.
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 for few monthsr
The husband of Mother Gerard made an
impatient movement, but before he could
speak the young woman said II viii pay you
a thousand francs"
"a thousand francs,n said the man; s'she is
very sick, and the doctor viii 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 nurseling"
81 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 afectionately.
''You will pay in advancei" said the man.
Here are the thousand francs; give me a
receipt"
The young mother then brought from the
carriage the child's clothing daintily arranged
in a small trunk
The maid brought a large paper box in
which lay beautiful doll that could say
"Mammaw 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 inpatient 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
1t was touching appeal, mute caress, q
silent prayer, but irresistible in its eloquence
The maid turned away her head to conceal
her tears. The mother was greatly moved,
AuQ Ut1k1IS Auc CuAO IL GCt Sll hlSSSO utI
again and again.
MY dear Mini, do not cry, do not cry any
more. / shall come back for you very soon"
''WIl you surely comes' said the child be-
tween 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 for
mer foster child, who turned away her head
with a flushed face.
"Win you really come back for her, NiniF"
she said in a low tone.
Certainly"
''Do not be too long about it," Mother Go
rard said significantly.
Truly, mamma, you will return"
Surely, yes. but do not be inpatient
Good-by; take good care Of dolly. Listen
how beautifully she says mammal" and the
mother made the doll repeat many times its
one word, mammal The child was silent.
'She viii be your little GIRL and you win
love her very much!"
"Ohl yes" said the child with deep sigh,
almost sob, and she pressed the doll to her
heart The doll murmured mamma"
She really loved the Little inanimate thing
that called her mammal She spent hours
IN looking at it, in rocking it, and III talking
TO it in low tone, at the same time crying
for her own mamma.
4Do not fear, Ninin-she had named it for
herself. Twill never leave you, never! am
your very own mamma, do you heart Your
real mamma! And she pressed the spring and
The doll repeated mammal
Then Mini took it in her arms and Rugged
it tightly, as If she feared that some one
would take it from her.
The consumption was slowly but surely 40
It's deadly work Her eyes be-
,ane more and more brilliant, the bones Of
per cheeks more and more prominent A
little dry cough constantly shook the narrow,
hollow chest, and her voice became feebler
lay By day. They wrote to her mother, but
received no response.
There is nothing, I think, more pit1ful than
20 witness the SOW fading out of little life,
sbich nothing ran arrest, neither science,
,or love, nor prayers This martyrdom Of
infancy infaiets upon those who must witnes
t the keenest torture
Mother Gerard mad learned to love this
ooor viesim Of flnl affection, for Mini ~as
lying Of gTief-becaase she was separated
rom her noeher-much more than CT dis
Ter with the utmost tenderness. Mini came
% her in MAY, and il was Row October
The poor child, feeling that she was no
ongsr daughter, tried 70 console herself by
imagining that sue WIS TIE mother Of her
ioh- She iayished upon IL ali the love thai
ne formerly had for Fer nactEer. she was
unwilling TO be separated from it even a.
light, AID the pocr h*tle brain bad conceived
singular i5ea-i. was that SIZE was not Sex,
,ut tina. is was the ooli, her dear yini-'
''She has coushed aH night, see would sy
o Mother Gerard when she had passed
estless night hersef. You suffer, ny dear
sini. bu. / VIII cure you Tewiu cure hsr,
.ure, Will we ncsi How feeble her roice
sl= sse weak add, In ksseuinz to i1s weak
ound which the doll mace, b~ra1ss rs pres
7ars upo0 Gae sPrfae grss '1ssker e. tee
ltsie hands grew t:airnsr.
Eczr bv hour see wo-.d tsli ker OWL s1f
erlngs, but sl~srs att<1s1ii1s thez 70 tie
loIL AZ times sbe voci1 yleid to az iDde-
irsfe d>spa,r SEE did not know VIA: death
meant, 10. she wosis cry CIT with is4@=cr.D-
l5.e anguish: NO. do not rao: ycu 20 lie,
,vea 20 20 10 hssvsz-
Sac never spoke q hsr rotnsr 70 ths
.Erse: bot sometimes, WHEN KEs ;h0cEaE her
eE sseze .heT xsEla ssar Der E-lar1asT 20
,er DOB: II mamma woEA coHe back Mini
rrxAd &c well
Il the village .Ee arrival e. ne talking dol
I'D frodaoei graf sz-sassoa- Al re
-s.--yp, Shs1 - 1sy E.oxt 81