The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-04-09
"WeIl, Hans, don't go without your

"You drew the doll, said the pastor's
sister. You had the lucky number"
"An, Inave no children TO give Dol
to-" said Hans, in his native language
but he went back TO the toy table and
took the parcel that was handed to him.
Il will take it," said Ana.
She carried It home in her arms, say
ing to Hans every now and then:
"This is heavy-heavy as real baby,
as large and soft as if it were alive"
When they reached home she lighted
light, and sitting down began to IN
wrap the folds Of muslin and paper, and
shortly looked upon one of the most
beautiful objects they had ever seen.
1t was one Of those wonderfully fine
imported dolls that are really artistic
Its face was as sweet as a cherub's, its
waxen arms and shoulders had dimpies
in them, its faxen hair curled about its
temples. 1t had the face of little child
| Of two years old, and was as large as a
| baby of six months. When it was held
| up its eyes opened: when it was laid
upon its back they closed. Ana stared
at it solemnly, and suddenly uttered a
cry of rapture. Then Hans all this time
attentive but remote, stepped forward
and knelt down beside his wife. He
timidly touched the doll with his finger.
kiss it, then, my beloved" said Ana.
He obeyed.
"This is no common DOLL" said his
wife. "This is a doll child. The dear
Lord has sent it to US to compensate.
Then they kissed it. That night it lay
between them folded in shawl The
next day the neighbors were astonished
by seeing a cradle carried into Anas
house. Curiosity leading them to call,
they found Ana sitting in her parlor
sewing and softly rocking the doll, which
looked as though alive. She was making
a nightgown for it. No one dared to
laugh-somehow no one wanted to laugh,
for Ana repeated solemnly a German
phrase, which can only be translated
thus, at IS by the love of God given"
A certain superstitious admiration,
such as they felt when they looked at
holy shrines in the church on Christmas
night. possessed them, and Ana played
the mother to her doll in peace. She
dressed it as she would have dressed her
own baby, held it on her knee, folded it
in her arms and babe it kiss Hans on his
return home at night, and actually in
very little while there appeared in the
entry of the little house perambulator,
in which Hans and Ana took the doll to
ride every Sunday afternoon exactly as
other parents took their real babies.
Just as quietly as they had carried out
their long engagement these two grown
up children carried on their pretense of
being parents, and the nine days wonder
ceased to interest the neighbors in time,
save when they told it to astonish some
stranger.
Alas! who could have thought that
this curious play would end tragically?
But it did.
One morning Ana, disheveled and in
tears, appeared at her late mistresses'
house. Her sobs choked her utterance,
bat at last she contrived to say:
"Oh, madam! great droubles-great
1roubles-de worst droubles dot can
come! Oh, madam
rs Hans sick:' the lady asked, fearing
that even worse had happened.
But Ana replied:
His heart is broke like mine! Oh! |
never can We laugh any more-all is
sonel"
The lady waited for an explanation
It came at last.
MY baby doll-my dear, God given
baby dolls dead!''
''Ana, what are you saying? A doll
,annot die" said her mistress.
my doll baby is dead-she is killed
iead!" said Ana-"she is killed dead!
tell you how dot happens: Last night
just put dot child asleep, NIT on her
lie little nightgown and set de cradle in
lie parlor we're all vos still, ven comes
ny goot friend Gretchen und her hus-
'and und her leetle dog, und make
ONE coffee on de table, und we drinks
md laughs. l thinks noding and Hans
inks noding, but all de while Gretchen
ay:
"'Vere goes dat bad dog?
"'Oh, say, he plays-never mind
81 wish to be polite, but she say:
even he is like dot still he does mis-
hief.'
80 ven We laughs und eat leetle
axes und drink coffee a long time dey
o away, und she calls de dog und he
ONES.
II like not dot dogs looks, my friend
ay. He has stole someding. If you
ave got some meat put away for break
asst you find it not
"'Oh, guess all right say. But de
eetle dog lick so on his mouth, und she
ay:
All wrong, am sure
$50 l laugh. ind We all shakes hands
nd go. und We goes in und locks up,
nd | says: .
" Now l get my doll child, and goes
ralght away to bed und l goes into ,,
OF parlor door NIT candle. und | see d,
" child lying deaf ind bitten und I
sten by dot dog on dot floor, und l falls {
own and knows holdings"
As soon as she could quiet Ana little 5
he sympathizing lady went with her to
ar house.
There in the cradle lay very dead t
oil indeed. The dog had eaten the 5
AK head and arms and chewed the kid !
'dy into tatters. There was no posi- +
hty Of repair or renovation; but after E
while it occurred to the lady TO sug-
ST means of comfort, and she said: = =
After a while you can buy another c
III, Ana, One rs pretty will cost some
ing, but you won't grudge that. l a
Ill tell you where, and You can dress it z