90 THE DOLL AND HER FRIENDS.

of interest I ever received from her. I had no rea-
sonable ground of complaint, but I began to grow
weary of the insipidity of my life, and to ask myself
whether this could be my only destiny. Was I
never to be of use to any body? From time to
time other toys were carried away. Many a giddy
top and lively ball left my side in childish company,
and disappeared through those mysterious gates by
which the busy human race entered our calm se+
clusion.

At last even dolls had their day. The beauti-
ful waxen princess no longer graced our dominions.
She was bought by an elderly lady for a birthday
present to a little grand-daughter; and on the very
same day the “old familiar faces” of six dolls who
had long shared my counter vanished from my
sight, one after another being bought and carried
away.

I was sorry to lose them, though while we lived
togethét we had had our little miffs and jealousies.
I had sometimes thought that the one with the red
shoes was always sticking out her toes; that she of —
the flaxen ringlets was ready to let every breath of
wind blow them over her neighbours’ faces; that
another with long legs took up more room than her
share, much to my inconvenience. But now that
they were all gone, and I never could hope to see