The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-10-02
THE DOLLS PUNISHMENT.
4 story To-Day for Particularly Small
People.

II you havne forgotten me, Mitchell.
III tell you a story. II you have. I'm tell
it anyhow. to remind you Of me.
You know, it IS the custom OF dolls at -
o'clock every New Years night TO get
up and have a ball once every year the
angel pr the dolls comes % the world
from Santa Claus house and wakes them
ont OF their long sleep FOR one hour 40
midnight They open their eyes, IL they
are not already OPEN stretch their little
legs and arms, scramble out of beds,
boxes, and baskets. or wherever they
happen to be and have biz ir0llc to-
gether.
If you can keep them from hearing
you. or finding ont You are looking you
can see them sometime But you must be
certain TO keep perfectly still or they
win hear you and run away before you
can say Jack Robinson Their ears are
as hne as mouse-ears though. and T. II
almost impossible 10 get near them with
out their finding it out
one night when was a little tiny GIRL
not as big as YOU are. j determined TO see
the dolls party IT. I could. Ia spite of
me ! fell asleep. but was lucky enough 10
wakes IN just 90 midnight q heard the
big clock in the hail downstairs striking
u as / opened my eyes The time HAD
come! l lay stil and listened.
just then. DO you know. I heard the
softest little noise in my room. IL sound
cd Ike light drops of rain al first, but 4
knew it couldn't be raining. Then I
thought 1T must be dolls footsteps"
And sure enough &c was. They were COM
ing from all over the house where my
dolls were scattered about into the big
bedroom TO dance. Tip, Tip, tInity they
battered IN and II was the cutest sound
you ever heard. I didn't dare 10 move,
although ] was crazy 20 see them
Then they began 70 talk And DO you
know. TO this day, whenever / think OF &C..
u remember how much Ike mandolin
their fine voices sounded. Ny uncle played
q mandolin sometime. but 1 knew IL was
not ne playing In The dead OF night. Don't
you, Mitchell?
They began talking very socially az
first, asking each other how they We're
and how they had been treated since the
last bail year before. They told some
bad things on their little mammas and
papas. i blushed at the bad things they
told or me, for they were an true. Her
tha-Marie, my Vost beautiful doll. was
the only one wNo had no complaint 10
make OF my treatment. Ny mother made
Sne take care OF her. because she was "a
stranger from up in New York. and
might have been homesick II ] had not
treated her wen. But the others. espec-
Tally Mary Ann, poor thing told dread
full tales of the way l neglected them.
Finally. however. 20 my relief. a little
Jap proposed that the bail begin. \ dear
little tune was struck up by my Sambo
on his tiny banjo. they quickly chose
partners and the dance began. Ny TALES,
doll. whose name was Martin, came
tramping and asked for partner
Now. Martha was al least three times
"a tall as the tallest one OF the others
and five or six times taller than some OF
the rest. So Il was hard TO get her part
ner The Jap stretched his polite arms
high I'D and took a turn with her. but
she lifted him clear over the heads OF the
others and put him out of breath So
ne begged her to excuse him. Then Noah
came out Of his ark. and being a third
as tall as Martha. CALAMITY offered her
his arm They danced together very well
rnfn she STAMPED 81 ana II hls eleaAaRLS