Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1898-09-27


irons" he added, touching tho two
prongs with artistic suggestion. "Now
look here He was about TO tilt the
doll over when small cry Of feminine
distress aud swift movement Of ma
tronly little arm arrested the evident
indiscretion. II see," he said gravely.
"Well, you come here tomorrow, and
we'll fix up somethin to work ber."
Jack was thoughtful the rest Of the
day. more than usually impatient with
certain stubborn mules to be shod, and
even knocked of work an hour earlier
to walk to Big Bend aud rival shop.
But the next morning when the trust
ful and anxious mother appeared at the
forge she uttered scream Of delight.
Jack had neatly joined the hollow iron
globe taken from the newell post Of
soius old iron staircase railing at the
two prongs and covered IL with coat
of rod fireproof paint. 1t was true that
its complexion was rather high. that 1t
was inclined to be top heavy and that
in the loug run the other dolls suffered
considerably by enforced association
with this unyielding and implacable
head and shoulders, but this did not di.
ninisl Glry's JOY over her restored first.
born. Even its utter absence Of features
was no defect in family where fea-
lures were ~ evanescent as in hers, and
the most ordinary student Of evolution
could see that the "Amplach" ninepins
were in legitimate succession to the
globular headed Misery. For . time
I think that Mary even preferred her
to the others. Howbeit, IL was pretty
sight to see her on summer afternoon
sitting upon a wayside stump, her 9th
er children dutifully ranged around her,
with the hard, unfeeling head Of Mis-
cry pressed deep down into her loving
little heart. as she swayed from side to
side, grooming her plnintive lullaby.
Small wonder that the bees took up the
soug and droned slumbrous accompa-
,nent, ur that high above her head
the enormous pines stirred through their
der tbs by the soft Sierra air-or heaven
knows what-let slip Pickering lights
and shadows to play over that cast iron
face, until the child, looking down mp.
on it with the quick. transforming pow.
er Of love. thought that it smiled.
The two remaining members Of the
family were less distinctive. Gloriana
pronounced as two words, Glory
Anna-being the work OF her father,
who also named it, was simply cylin-
drical roll Of CANVAS wagon covering
girt 20 rs to define neck and waist,
with rudely linked face-altogothe
weak, pitiable, inanlike invention-and
Johnny Dear, alleged to be the rep.
reseutative Of John Doremus, n young
storekeeper, who occasionally supplied
Mary with gratuitous sweets Mary
never admitted this, and as We were
all gentlemen along that road we were
blind TO the suggestion. Johnny Dear
was originally small, plaster phreno'
logical cast Of head and bust. begged
from some shop window in the county
town. with body clearly constructed
by Mary herself. IL was an ominous
fat tLat it ,.gs always dressed rs boy
and was distinctly the most human
looking Of all her progeny Indeed, in
spite Of the faculties that were legibly
printed all over its smooth, white, hair
less head, i, was appallingly lifelike.
Left sometimes by Mary astrids OF
the branch Of wayside tree. borsemen
had been known to dismount hurriedly
and examine il, returning with mys'
titled smile, and it was Of record that
Cuba Eli had once pulled up the rio-
neer coach at the request Of the curiors
and implcrirg passengers aud then
grimly installed Johnny Dear beside
him cn the box seat, publicly deliver.
ing him to Mary at Big Bend, to her
wide eyed confusion and the first blush
We had ever sen on her round, chubby,
suuburned cheeks. 1t may seem strange
that with her great popularity and her
we'll known maternal instincts she had
no. been kept fully supplied with proper
and more conventional dolls. but IL was
soon recognized that she did not care
for them-left their waxen faces, roll
ing eyes and abundant hair in bitches
or stripped them TO help clothe the
more extravagant creatures Of her fancy.
So it came i.at Johnay Dear strictly
classical profile looked out from under
u girls fashionable straw sailor hat to
the utter obliteration Of his prominent
intellectual facilities; the Amblach
twins wore bonnets on their ninepin
heads, IA even an attempt was made
to fix iiaxen scalp OIL the iron headed
Misery. But her dolls were always
creation Of her Own-her affection for