Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1918-06-04
DOLL COUSINS

DOLL COUSINS
MAY 60 down to the other house,
mother, and play with tho little girl
there? She's Just as big as I am, an
her names Bessie"
"How d'you know?" interrupted
Ned.
"Cause she told me. She was
standing by the stone wall, seeing our
trunks come, and we told each other
our names. An told her our father
had bought this land. an built this
house for us to live hero summers, an
she said she lives here all the time,
an her father takes care of our faith
er's land. M then / asked her who
did she have to play with. n she said
she had two dolls, n their names are
Prudy an Polly. Can take Marga-
weet an go over there, mother?"
Eyes. Ruth. II you'll be sure to be
polite"
"Oh, mother Bell"
Eyes, know, dear, that you're not
rude, but 7 want you to be particu-
larry careful. want you to promise
not to say or do anything that can
hurt her feelings"
'"Ill promise, mother" answered
Ruth, earnestly, little thinking how
soon she would be put to the test.
With her beautiful doll, Marguerite,
in her arms, she ran down the lane.
finding Bessie on her doorstep, with
her two dolls beside her.
Dolls? Corncobs! That is just what
they were; corncobe with ink marks
for eyes, nose and mouth. Corncob
dolls were the only dolls little Bessie
had ever owned.
One of these had q red handker-
chief pinned around 1t for a shawl:
about the other folds Of white cotton
were tied with a faded pink ribbon.
A queer feeling of surprise seemed to
go all over Ruth, but before even the
least bit Of it crept into her eyes.
Ruth remembered.
"Oh, aren't they dear!" she cried.
ri never saw any before. Did you
make them? Let's play my dolly is
their cousin, come to visit them.
There, Margaweet," she added, put
ting her doll on the steps beside the
Others, you're introduced, now get
'quainted!"
Bessies shy little face suddenly
frightened and happy comrudeship
had begun.
Sometimes Ruth carried Prudy and
Polly, while Bessie bore, with tender
admiration, the beautiful Marguerite;
sometimes the dollies were carried by
their own little mothers, but always
there was the happy sharing, making
glad the long summer days.
Then one day, when the maple
leaves were turning red, wagon-load
Of trunks went from the big house to
the station ten miles away followed
by carriage with the Bell family.
There were good-bys and good-bys,
till the carriage turned the corner,
and then Bessie ran off to the barn.
She meant to have a good cry all by
herself, but her mothers voice called,
Bessie, Bessie, come and see what
there is for you in this big box"
Bessie, running back, lifted the
cover wonderingly. There was a beau
tiful new doll, axactly like Marguerite
except that her eyes were blue and
Marguerite's were brown. There, too,
was a complete outfit of pretty
clothes, even more and lovlier than
those Of Marguerite. A little note
was pinned to the dolls dress. It
read.
Dear Bessie: This doll is for your
very own, to be another cosen to
Prudy and Polly. Her name Is Pearl,
and she will be cosen to Marguerite
too, 80 they'll all be cosens, and when
como next summer, we will have
perfickly lovly times, just as we did
this year.
Yours loving.
Ruth"
1t would be hard to tell which little
girl was the happier, the one that
wrote the note or the one that read It.
Sophia T. Newman, in The Standard.