Memoirs of a Country Doll.
[Illustration: _My purchase P. 9_]
MEMOIRS
OF A
COUNTRY DOLL.
WRITTEN BY HERSELF.
BY
MARY CURTIS.
COMPANION TO THE "MEMOIRS OF A LONDON DOLL."
With Illustrations by D. C. Johnston.
BOSTON AND CAMBRIDGE:
JAMES MUNROE & COMPANY.
M DCCC LIII.
Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1852, by
JAMES MUNROE & CO.
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District
of Massachusetts.
THURSTON, TORRY, AND EMERSON, PRINTERS.
DEDICATION.
TO MY SISTERS, FANNY AND CAROLINE.
I HOPE YOU WILL
NOT DESPISE MY FIRST EFFORTS, AND THAT YOU WILL FIND
AS MUCH PLEASURE IN READING THIS LITTLE BOOK, AS I
HAVE HAD IN WRITING IT.
MARY CURTIS.
The following Memoirs were written by one of our young friends,
(but eleven years of age,) for her amusement while sojourning in
the country the past summer. The interest she appeared to take in
them, has been the cause of their publication; and to the growing
judgments, and gentle criticisms of such little readers, the
volume is submitted.
THE PUBLISHERS.
BOSTON, DECEMBER, 1852.
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I. MY PURCHASE, AND TWO MOTHERS, 9
" II. ELLEN GREEN, 13
" III. MY SICKNESS, 16
" IV. EMMA'S COUSIN--MY NEXT MAMMA, 19
" V. GARDENING, 22
" VI. BLACKBERRYING, 28
" VII. BALLS, PARTIES, &c., 34
" VIII. DOLL'S CORRESPONDENCE, 37
" IX. THE SEASHORE, 40
" X. AN ACCIDENT, 43
" XI. QUARRELSOME MOTHERS, 46
" XII. THE SNOW-MEN, 50
" XIII. THE THEATRE, 53
" XIV. MY STAGE EXPERIENCE, 56
" XV. THE PANTOMIME, 59
" XVI. MY NEXT MOTHER, 65
" XVII. NUTTING, 68
" XVIII. AN OLD MAID AND A GRANDMOTHER, 74
" XIX. ACCIDENTS, 77
" XX. CONCLUSION, 81
MEMOIRS
OF A COUNTRY DOLL.
CHAPTER I.
MY PURCHASE, AND TWO MOTHERS.
The first I can recollect is, that I was very long lying in a box in
Soho bazaar, till one day I was taken down by one of the shopkeepers,
and shown to a very pretty little girl, about three years old, who,
after looking a whole case through, chose me. This little girl had
flaxen curls, and was dressed very prettily. Her name was Lucy
Fitzhenry. She wrapped me up and carried me home to her house in
the country, which was a very pretty country-seat. Two or three days
after she had me, her nurse cut some very pretty clothes for me. My
under-clothes were of very fine linen, and my dresses of flowered
muslin, blue merino, and spotted calicoes. My mother was very careful
of me; she washed me every morning (for I was a porcelain Doll), and
dressed me, and undressed me at night. One day she took me into town to
see the Queen and Prince Albert, which I enjoyed very much indeed. As
we were coming home in the carriage, little Lucy let me drop out the
window, upon some burdock leaves, where I lay for some time. When I lay
there, several caterpillars came and crawled over me, and I thought
that they were not very pleasant company; however, I did not tell
them so. After I had lain there for about two or three hours, I was
picked up by a little raspberry picker, who was a German, named Johanna
Worstel, who was over-joyed to find such a beautiful doll, and went
instantly to show her brother, Robertin, who was also very glad. They
then agreed to wrap me up in a cloth in which they had brought their
dinner, and there I lay until night and thought over my past life; how
my little mother Lucy had been so kind to me; how she had taken me out,
ducked me in a little stream, then dried me in the sun, laughed with
me, kissed me, and talked about my new mamma, when suddenly a gust
of wind took my cloak off, and I laid there very cold. However, my
mother came very soon and took me up. "Poor doll," said she, "how very
cold she must be," and therefore she wrapped me up in my dress very
tightly, and then we went home. Their home was in a little building,
(it was once an out-house, but the house had been removed and it stood
alone,) where we had a very nice supper of water-cresses, bread and
cheese. After that I was covered over with some leaves, and there I
went to sleep.