The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-09-19
HOW DOLLS ARE MADE.
4 Strange, variegated and Most Evenfful
History.

HOW DOLLS ARE MADE.
4 Strange, variegated and Most Eventful
History.
When the word first goes forth, 'Iet
us make dolls" it is not to potter's clay
that the hand of the dolls maker is
stretched forth, but to large roll of
white calico, cold and smooth and as
dead as dead can be. Quaint patterns
are laid upon it, close together. SO that
there shall be no waste and quickly
the sharp scissors cut round them. The
result is a number of articles looking
exactly like those garments which in
fashion papers are known under the
name of combinations. Humiliating
though it may appear to the owners of
q fine family of doll-children, it is new
ertheless true that these coarse white
combinations are the beginning of dolls
of all sorts and conditions. AS yet they
are devoid of any life, even animal life,
but nimble fingers seize them. sew them
neatly together down the sides, round
the short arms and legs (for the calico
the calico legs down to the knees), and
feed the pale form so diligently on dried
seaweed or hay that presently the limbs
begin to grow round and firm the ''mys-
ter Gus part called inside" swells to fair
proportions, the last aperture through
which the intestines have been forced
into the body is sewn up, and behold! a
white torso. which if not exactly like
the perfect marble form of the Venus of
hoe OF ,f
form div me-"
There they lie. dozens by dozens,
awaiting the touch of the hand which
shall create a soul under the ribs of
death" 1t is already near, that life
giving hand, which now puts down be-
side the torsos tray full of arms
and legs and another tray full of heads.
Some of the arms and legs are of leather,
and destined, by wise providence, for
the working classes among dolls, for the
girls and women who will have china
heads with yellow hair, broad faces, fat
red cheeks, and frocks of cheap mate
rial. These heads are made in Ger
many, and for their vulgarity and
coarse looks are cordially despised by
the more refined classes of the COM
naunity. And they are ugly, no doubt,
with cheerful kind of ugliness, those
broad-faced kitchen malkins; but who,
having played with them and loved
them with child's blind, eager love. a
generation ago. when the higher form
Of doll was as yet unknown, does not,
with sense of yearning affection, look
at the blue-eyed lass. and in her heart
of hearts give preference to her? But
the present generation knows nought of
such sentimental preferences; it chooses
the fairest and costliest the doll with a
curly wig of human hair, or that most
perfect of dolls which has every hair on
the head and in the eyelashes carefully
planted into it's place, as if growing out
of the rosy wax.
Then there are china arms and legs,
and pretty French china heads; wax
limbs exquisitely nodded of the best
East Indian wax, and heads with BEAM
ing eyes and blush-rose compilations of
the same material. Dozens there are
of each, and sometimes dozens Of
dozens, and all in turn are taken
up and fitted on one of the white
bodies; the stumps of arms and legs are
beaten and kneaded into shape by q
kind of massage treatment, and then
comes the final painful process out Of
which the complete doll energies into
full life. A long sharp needle, spec ally
made for the purpose, pierces through
the arms and legs and through the white
shoulders sewing to them with stiffest
and strongest of threads the shapely
limbs, the fair young head. 1t is fin.
ished, the doll is alive; for the first time
it looks around; timidly, questioningly
at first, and then with joyful PRESENT.
ment of all the pleasures to come:
Enjoy thy youth, it will not stay,
For oh! it is not always May.
Now begins series of days of perfect
happiness. The boundless stories of a
child's affection and admiration are Law
ished on the darling doll. Dorothy"
she is called, and goes to balls and par
ties and teas and dinners every day of
her life, and for each. event she is
dressed in another frock from her dainty
trousseau. She drives out in her own
private brougham (which is only called
peram bulator when Dorothy" is an in
fant), she goes shopping wrapped up in
furs and shawls and her complexion pro-
tected by soft white veil. When the
long day is over; when tired with pleas
ure, she retires; it is into bed covered
with sheets and pillows of cobweb text
ure, with lace trimmed satin quilts and
curtains, to lie in which is happiness
| itself.-Pall Mall Gazette.