The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1890-10-23
HER TEN DOLLS.

/
HER TEN DOLLS.
low . little Girls Family Went with
Her on = summer Picnic.
NO. Dorothy" said Mrs. Prindlo, II
an not make room in our trunks for
,our ten dolls; will try to take two,
md tho others you will have leave at
lome.''
only but just two! sighed Dorothy.
/ have been telling every one OF them
What nice times they would have up in
tho mountains, and how | would take
hem all to ride and every thing. and I
| lave heard you say yourself that it is
lot right to disappoint children %
Mamma Prindle!' Dorothy ended with
wall.
Come, don't cry, girlic;" said man.
ma, cheerily. Il do not believe that
mo OF your children will know the diff
'crence If she stays at home all sum
ncr, SO you need not mind on that ac-
,ount And think you can be very
Happy with two; will take any two
,ou may choose, SO run and make up
Your mind which i. shall be-
Dorothy ran away to her play-room,
where her ten dolls were quietly pass
ng the warm June day.
But it was SO hard for Dorothy to do
tide.
There was pretty Maud Elise. the lit
lie lady from France, who could walk
about the floor or stand quite still with
cut falling.
There was the old little Indian boy.
that Uncle Ralph sent from Oregon.
There were the beautiful twin babies,
with the long white dresses and cunning
little caps, and black, Dinah. their
nurse, who could dance tho funniest jig
you ever saw.
There was tho dear little china doll
hat belonged to mamma when she was
. girl, and the bisque dolly with tho
sweetest face in the world-at least SO
Dorothy thought.
There was Old Nan, poor Old Nan,
who had lost her hair. part OF her nose,
two fingers and toe-how could Doro-
thy leave Old Nan at home! She felt
that it would BIO too cruel
Then there was Anna Louise the
big doll that Dorothy always slept
with, and treated with as much tender
ness and consideration as if she had
been real little girl, and. last OF all.
there was the darling. curly-haired
treasure that came to live with Dorothy
la Christmas, and who had such beau.
tiful gowns and hats. besides real fur
cloak and tiny watch and chain.
What could Dorothy do? What could
any little mother do, under such trying
circumstances?
1t was a sorrowful hour for kind
hearted, loving little Dorothy.
But think as hard as she could, rea-
son as long Is she might, she could not
make up her mind to take any two Of
her dear children away into such pleas
ure, and leave the others in loneliness
at home.
At last she sat tho ten in row on ono
side OF tho room, and dancing across
from the other side with tight-shut eyes
she grabbed two dolls, and held them
resolutely behind her till she reached
her mothers room; then she tossed them
on the bed and ran away
Mrs. Prindle looked in surprise, and
not without smile, at the two that
Dorothy had brought-they were the
Indian Boy and Old Nan.
A few days afterward merry party
set off for the White mountains.
Besides Dorothy herself. there were
Papa and Mamma Prindle, Dorothy's
big brother Frank and her grown-up sis
ter Alice, Uncle Charlie and Aunt
Olive. Grandma, Nurse Dora and Baba
Max.
They arrived at the great hotel in
Bethlehem late at night. and Dorothy
was SO very tired and sleepy that she
did not miss her usual bed-fellow, Anna
Louise.
The next morning, as Mamma Prindle
was unpacking her trunks, there was a
knock at the door, and n walked Uncle
Charlie, Aunt Olive, Grandma, Nurse,
Frank and Alice, each carrying one or
two dolls.
'Oh. l forget my children cried
Dorothy, jumping up.
what does this mean?" asked Mrs.
Prindle, in establishment.
ut means.' answered Uncle Charlie,
with laugh and pinch at Dorothy's
cheek, that your small daughter has
beguiled every one of us into taking ono
of her numerous family in his trunk,
because her mamma could take but two,
and Jane Maria or Lucy Anna or Betsey
or Polly would feel SO dolefal il she
were to be left at home. So, as we I'M
packed our trunks at the same time,
We happened to- meet in the hall with
our babies"
why, Uncle Charlie" said Dorothy,
interrupting, with puzzled look. II
haven't any Jane Maria or Lucy or
Polly: | only gave you the twins, and
their names are Rose Evelyn and Violet
Blanche. and" she added. Il think it
was very nice way to get them all
here. don't you, mamma, when you could
not take only but just two?'
"A capital way!" said mamma. laugh
ing, though Dorothy could not see any
thing very funny about it.
but you did not bring your French
dolly, after all, did you?" said mamma,
running her eyes over tho array at
Dorothy's feet
"Oh, yes" replied Dorothy, quietly.
'.she is in papa's trunkr'
Then they laughed more than ever,
and the story of how the ten dolls
reached bethlehem was told more than
once that summer.-Emma C. Dowd, in
Youths Companion.