The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-10-08

1T you ever should nave asked E14llA
which one Of her dolls she liked best, she
would undoubtedly have answered, 81
like EN- all best. - and for putting an i'm
pertinent question you would have gone
your way no wiser But If you ever had
watched her while she was playing with
her treasures it would not have taken you
long to discover that Takanira, the Japa-
neso doll, was beyond a doubt the favorite
Takanira always got the best chair. and
when she was put to bed she was tucked
IN with the prettiest blanket, and when
Hilda gave performance in the dolls
theater Takanira invariably occupied the
best seat directly in front of the miniature
stage.
1t was early ia the afternoon and Hi1da
was sitting in her own little room packing
Mile Poupee's trunk. Mile Poupee was
going on a voyage to the basement to see
the new cook, who had promised to furnish
znarnalade for the doll and for Hilda her
travelling companion, whenever they should
come. The little girl was packing the
trunk SO that there should b plenty Of
room left for Mile. POupee TO put any
thing into it that might be obtained in
those mysterious regions ruled over by the
cook and commonly called the kitchen
And so it did not take long to perform this
sat her up on the window sill where she
could look down into tie yards and over
them at the backs Of the little red brick
houses that fronted on the next street.
81 think, ? said Hilda quite out loud,
that the cook would like to see you too,
Takanira
Possibly she would, p answered Taxa
Mira in the naost natural way in the world,
and for some reason Hildh did not notice
anything unusual at the time that her doll
should speak.
Then you may as well come along,
she said.
Not at all - replied the doll. 'sTake
me down some other day. Then you VIII
get marmalade twice. "
To Hlda this was an entirely new way
Of looking at the situa ton, and when she
realized the full possibilities Of the sugges-
ti6n she SGT up and counted all her dolls
20 sec how many expeditions she could
make into the lower regions Of the house.
tsThere are nine, sho said, just as il
Takanira ought to have known what she
was thinking about
''Nine9'' repeated Takanira- ono. There
are but eight dolls %
And you make nine, - said Hilda, point
ing at her japanese toy
But I am not a doll
You are not a dorf Then what are
you, Takanira9''
81 am not doll. I am a broken heart y
Hilda did not quite understand. She
had read in books about broken hearts.
but no one had ever explained to her what
q broken heart was and SO she had merely
q vague and indefinite impression Of a red
figure, like the ace in the pack, all broken
to pieces. or like the pictures Of valentines
with arrows thrust through them
You don't look like broken heart, -
she said presently.
But am q broken heart - persisted
Takanira, . a japanese broken heart -
But as Hilda still stared as If this ex-
PLANTATION were not at all sufficient, the doll
added
1T is different, you know, ia japan.
And Japan is, oh, 50 far awayi'
Takanira sighed and the tone Of her
voice conveyed an impression Of Infinite
sadness. Hilda felt lump rising in her
throat, but before she could speak again
the doll said;
I viii tell you, because you have been
good to me and kind, because you have
laid me softly down and have not thrust
long pins into me, as is the custom Of our
children at home
II was a little girls heart once She
was pretty little girl, with jet black hair
and she wore a dark blue kinonO and
wandered BY the hillside and picked chrys-
anthemums TO sell to the rich people who
visited the temple in Kioto. And one day,
as she sat on the hEOad stone steps in the
great blue shadows, away from where the
sun turned the sand into gold, fair young
foreigner came and spoke to her and lifted
the rich red and yellow blossoms from her
lap and let the golden petals shower into
the folds Of her skirt. Then he spoke to
her in the language Of the great people of
red faces and big noses, and, although she
did not understand his words, she read the
meaning Of his eyes and went with him
into the sunlight and sat while lie painted.
For days and days the fair haired for
eigneF returned, and each day the maid
sat by the old stone well that he micht
paint, and SO let all the world know how
beautiful she zvas. Soon she learned to
talk his talk, and he in turn spoke kindly
to her IN words Of her own land, and he
said, You ara a pretty Little doll and 50
he called her.
And at Length the picture was done, and
the girl hated the picture because he then
had more than she, for all she carried was
a memory And she wept by the hillside
and said, Oh, that I might be a doll, and
that might be carried to the sunset land
where the great tall women VIII make him
forget
$50 It came TO pass that the good spirit
of the temple heard the cry, and as the lit
tie girl grew winter day by day, in the
shadow of the broad stone steps, yearning
ever for him who never came, the little
heart broke, and the spirit took it and
made a doll Of it, which is me-Takanira
And knew then that other hearts had
bean taken and made into the forms Of
dolls
And 10, now, r have come to she great
sunset land, and the spirit Of the temple
whispered to me that I should remain
whole until ha, the fair haired one, re-
turned to her, the little maid And when
her heart mends, then shall break, and
then shall the san shine again through the
eyes Of the little chrysanthemurn picker by
the hillside -
Two big tears were rolling down Hilda's
cheeks, and she reached forward to lift
Iakanira into her little arms. But as she