The record-union., 1897-03-30
THE STORY OF FLORA DOLL.
A STORY FOR CHILDREN.
written for the Record Union p1
Kittie Spargur Hulse)
CHAPTER /.
(Where Jessie Found Her)

klttle Sp3rSur HulSe.)
CHAPTER l.
(Where Jessie Found Herr
She was China doh with lovely
pink and white complexion, wide-oDeh
blue eyes and lovely yellow hair. her
hair being chinaware like her face, OIL
course could not be combed, but theh
she never lost any of it, which was some
consolation.
She sat in the grass, leaning against
the trunk of great willow tree Beyond
the tree ran clear stream anu win
birds had their nests in the trees. Beau
tiful flowers made the air sweet but
for all this, it was a lonely spot Ihere
was not a house in any direction Tor
hundred miles and not a soul IN Slght-
Yet there sat the doll all that day ana
night and part of the next day
That afternoon when the shadows
We're very long a train OF wagons
stopped near the willows The wagons
were drawn up to form circle ana ihe
tired cattle and horses were taken OH
to one side and a man left to guard them
while they drank from the brook anu
ate the crisp, green prairie grass. Some
of the women gathered twigs ana
branches, and soon the camp hres were
blazing. Others took chests and pro
visions from the wagons and pusleu
themselves in getting supper Inc
children, tired of riding all day IN the
dust and heat, clambered out OF the
wagons and ran and frolicked on the
grass like young lambs.
One little girl went off alone to pick
the sweet, wild flowers that grew so
thick All at once she stopped in great
surprise At the foot of a willow tree
sat a doll. A large doll with blue eyes
and yellow hair and a sweet red bit Of a
mouth that seemed to say, kiss me,
little girl, do
Jessie Bowman caught the doll up in
her chubby arms and kissed and hugged
her. "Oh you sweet dolly!' she said
again and again. How did you come
here, you darling? What is your
name?" But Dolly said never
a word-and who could blame her? only
her sweet little mouth seemed to say,
kiss me, little girl,' and that is just
what Jessie did.
She ran back to her mother to show
her this wonderful treasure.
"Ah'' said her mother "some poor
little girl has gone off and forgotten her
doll. Well, she is yours, my dear, until
you find the owner. Be careful and
don't break her.
Next day the train went on and the
doll rode. away in Jessie's arms. The
little birds looked down at the place
where the lovely doll had sat so long
and then looked at each other and said
some words in bird-talk. Perhaps they
said they missed her and wondered il
she would ever come back. Who knows?
CHAPTER H.
GLOW Flora Doll Came to be There)
Little Emma Jenison lived on a farm
in New Hampshire. The house was low
one with wide vine-covered porches, set
in the midst of an orchard. river
flowed near, and there was a great
meadow where sweet-scented violets
came in spring; but Emma felt very
sad as she came in one evening with a
great handful of violets. She was to
leave her dear home the next day, and
perhaps she would never come back
She had cried when her father
told her they We're going away. She
could not bear the thought of leaving
the dear little brown house and her flow
ers and pets, but when her father said
she might take her pet chickens and
Daisy. the white heifer, and Flora, her
beautiful doll, and Snuff, her little vel
low dog, she felt better about il. She
had really come to like the thought Of
taking this wonderful journey; but this
night she had been down saying good
by to the old willow tree that had been
her playhorse for so long Her father
had bent 1t down for her years before,
and many a wonderful journey she had
taken, riding on that old willow limb.
She had told the flowers and the cat
tie and horses good-by, and it seemed
as if it would break her heart to leave
them.
She could hardly see her old home for
the tears in her eyes when they left
next morning, and if she had not had
so much on her little mind she might
have noticed tears in the eyes of both
papa and mamma
Away they rolled in the great heavy
wagon drawn by the faithful horses
that Mr. Jenison had raised from little
colts The wagon was canvas covered.
with tall bows so that they might suf-
when warmer weather came.
Emma sat on the broad, Well-cushlon-
ed seat between her parents. She held
Flora doll in her arms and Snuff rode
at her feet.
They had two wagons, one being
driven by a man who had worked for
Mr. Jenison. One by one other wagons
fell in behind them till there were fif-
teen or twenty in the train, and Emma
as it happened was the only little girl.
Behind the train rode several men
driving the cattle and extra horses.
They were to be six months on the
road. Stop and think of it, children.
You can make the journey now in as
many days. riding all the way in a
comfortable and handsomely furnished
car If you go YOU viii probably
grumble- because the smoke is so dis
agreeable. or the noise makes your head
ache or the joltins tires you.
The people l am writing about Jared
better than most enigrants of those
days, yet they had what you would
think a very hard time.
They had great quantities of jel-
lies. preserves and dried fruits, besides
dried vegetables. They had fresh but