Year: 1868

The first sign of childs having quilted the
stage of infancy, is her love for dolls. am now
speaking of female children. The distressing
case of the young gentleman who fell IN love
with Dolladine, his sisters doll, and never re-
covered from that hopeless passion, is rare. But
little girls have most curious delight in these
wax and sawdust creatures. 1t is no matter
whether the doll is good looking or not; they
devote themselves to it as a mother devotes her.
self to her baby; whether it is white or black,
they want to have it at meals; they insist on
having it on their pillows at night. When they
60 on journey, they hug it in their arms, and
would like something bought for it at the re-
freshment stations have been introduced to
great number of dolls in my time, but the one
that has impressed me most favorably, as an
outsider, was and is (for she is still in existence
although torso) Topsy. Topsy was never
good-looking, nor l am sorry to add even gen.
teel. Between ourselves, and Judging from her
complexion, doubt whether she is pr sang
strictly European. In very early life she mes
with a misfortune that would have detracted
from the most beautiful being incautiously LETT
on footstool by her mother flor to nothing less
than to maternity does her little possessor lay
cam), the baby got hold of her, picked her lett
eye out in the profoundest silence, and then Win
shrieks of triumph, threw it in the fire. With
true feminine instinct, her parent only seemed
to cling the closer to her disfgured offspring
while the baby (her aunt) when she came IN
time to understand of what criminal proceedings
she had been guilty, not only expressed her sor-
row, but made every reparation in her power
She bought her another eye, but as was pa
thetically observed, {" it not like the one she
lost :" and indeed it was quite different color,
and had habit of turning right round in the
socket and presenting to the astonished specta-
tor its canvas back. To attire Topsy with splen-
dor was to make her deficiencies more palpable.
She was not intended for high life at all. do
not say when unadorned she adorned the
most, because, having once intruded upon her
privacy while she was being &" batht"-upon my
word, hardly know how to express myself with
sufficient delicacy, but the fact is the absence OF
clothes did not improve her. simple cotton
dress with kerchief of sober hue tied round
her neck, so as to conceal where the head and
body joined, became her best If she had nc
bonnet, it was necessary, before presenting her
to company, to give the back of her head sharp
rap against the floor table, to prevent her hair
from falling off, which was secured to her head
by what believe is called tin tack and it was
ten to one that the shock of the operation turned
her loose eye round. However, when all was
made right, her mother would take her in both
arms, just as Punch holds his baton, and bring
her down to the drawing-room with the utmost
pride. She was firmly persuaded that if Topsy
was not absolutely beautiful, she was perfect
lady. Under this idea hat and feathers was
upon one occasion procured for her /; but the in
congruity was SO glaring-Topsy had before al
ways looked most respectable; bat am afraii
to say what she looked like in all this fnery
very drunk, for one thing-the improperly,
say was obvious, and this head-dress was at
once transferred to her first cousin, doll with
out any originality or strength of character, but
formed to move in much higher circle, to re-
cline in the ring of the dolls Hyde Park.
" Dear papa poor Topsy has had another mis-
fortune-she is unlucky, you know. Now,
don't talk nonsense about fetching the doctor;
and you can't see her, because she is obliged to
keep her bed. But l want You to take this to
the shop, and get it repaired. It's her leg, poor
dear. Alice and | both wanted to nurse her at
the same time and it came off in my hand" 1t
was a case of compound comminuted fracture of
the knee-pan, and beyond the aid of the faculty.
But bought her new leg, and then another,
and then an arm. AS we humans said to
renew ourselves entirely once in every seven
years or so, so Topsy has scarcely limb left
which she started with from the manufacturers
shop. Yet her mothers affection for her re-


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