Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1891-06-12
ANAlS DOLL.

mdicrous, but can assure You that, as
far as the facts relating to Ana's doll 90.
e Is entirely true.
ANA was once in the service of u friend
Of mine, and her present position, her
house and husband, nre a. 1 represent
them. II 1 have failed 10 do justice TO
any one, SC is TO the doll whose beauty
great Judges declare 90 have been indo.
scribable. But Ana had no DOH when
This story begins. She wasa rosy checked
girl with haxen braids wound about her
head, and big blue eyes that slill seemed
staring at the world with inflntile aston
ishment. She was but seventeen, but
even then botrothed to q certain young
Hans who had placed himself with a
grocer-a youth as red checked, round
eyed and baby faced rs Ana herself.
They were very fond Of each other and
very true to each other, but they had
prudent souls, and had set before them
selves the fact that % certain sum must
be saved before they married. Itwas q
comfortable sum, too, not to be made by
n maid servant ard Il grocer's clerk in a
hurry; but, GO Ana colhded to her mis-
tres3, sven some peoples gets married
togeder, right away comes dose children,
and cos dem much money. It is better
dot dose peoples wait until dey got dot
money once already"
No one ever c~ontradicted Ana or strove
TO dissuade her from her purpose. If
Hans ever said anything TO anybody
which seemed unlikely. for he would sit
long hours without speaking, evcn TO
Ana on Sunday evenings. when he al-
ways went TO see her-he was probably
encouraged in his economical Intentions
At all events this honest pair of German
lovers never swervel from their object.
Every month they made a deposit in a
savings bank, and slowly the dimes
turned to dollars, and the dollars to
eagles, and the eagles became the sum
total Of the marriage portion-very
slowly, some s~weethearts would have
fancied, but Hans and Ana possessed
their souls with patience.
Tor years each Sunday afternoon saw
him arrive at the kitchen door Of Ana's
service place dressed in his best clothes
and wearing a red goranium blossom in
hin buttonhole, Sometimes they went to
church together hand in hnnd-were
they not Northumberland If any one
r1innal neither Hams nor Ana was Of
Tended. lie bought hor papers Of pep
permint drcps and sticky slabs Ct tafy.
She knitted him red wCgated comforters,
and blue mittcus, and yellow wristlets,
and sometimes they read their hymn
books and sometimes their banllbooks,
rejoicing when Tho money gathered in
tere5t, until ut last thcro came n day
when Aaa revealed to hor mistress that
the money had been accumulated and
that the wedding was ct hand.
Meanwhile Ana's cheeks had faded
and Ana's eyes wero not so blue, and
little Fuckers were 10 Zee seen at the cor
ners Of her mouth, and certain pencil
lines crossed her forehead, which had
been as smooth as livery on her betrothal
day.
Hans, too, had changed from q round,
curly headed boy to a etocly man, with
a bald spot on the top Of his head, and
both of them had lost sundry teeth,
which they We're far too economical to
seek to have replaced by n daatist.
Still they were as fond Of each other
as ever, and very happy in the little
frame house, with a small garden about
it, which they bought and furnished
from their savings. Hans was also prom
ised a partnership in the grocery, and ii
seemed as though their good angels had
looked faybrably upon these humble aud
honest lovers. Their house shond with
cleanliness. In their little paIlor were
the brightest carpet. The Whi.cst cur-
tains and the most highly colored TO-
ligious pictures % be bought. a clock
set in "a Swiss cottuge Of carved wood
licked away between n German china
shepherd and gheplarlcss. There wac on
escIitoire IN which tle harkhooks wele
locked up, and ile usual number Of
chairs and "a table, also IN enlarged photo
graph Of Hans and Ana, hand IN hand,
taken In their early counting days. Sa-
cred indeed was this apartment, but the
other rooms were just as tidy, and for
q while Ana seemed perfectly happy.
There caine time, lsoweycr, WHEN she
seemed to her late mistress to have
grown gravcr-to be anSious about some
thing. She sighed, and when questioned
answered:
lehs nave some
Pressed TO say what they were, she
shortly added;
Il wait now q good vile for de good
Lord 10 serd dose leetle clildreus, and
dose lectlo childrens did not come. And
Hans, he waits too.
But children ala not come TO them.
One day Hans, having been. as ia duty
bound, 70 the church fair with lis wife
on his arm and his money ia his pocket
had bought several pretty and nsoful
things. and taken chances IN something
on the toy table-he hardly knew what
because that worthy lady, The pastors
sister, had requested him 70 dose. Hans
was economical. but 20 spend money at
q church fair waa a religious duty la his
eyes and Ana'L Il WIS the last day Of
the fair. and inst as lac was about 10
leave the building the pastors sister
touched him o. the arm and said;
wen, Hans, don't 50 without your
doll"
"My dolly Gaid Hans.
"You dfcw tine doll. said Tie pastors
sister. "YOu had On. lucky number.