“82 THE DOLL AND HER FRIENDS.

birthday of her little sister’s, she declared her inten-
tion of making me over altogether to the baby-sister
for a birthday present. Then I once more rose into
importance, and found powers which I thought
declining’, still undiminished. The baby gave a
scream of delieht when I was placed in her hand as
her own. Till then she had only possessed one toy
in the world, an old wooden horse, in comparison
with which I seemed in the full bloom of youth and
beauty. This horse, which she called Jack, had
lost not merely the ornaments of mane and tail,
but his head, one fore and one hind leg; so that
nothing remained of the once noble quadruped but °
a barrel with the paint scratched off, rather in-
securely perched upon a stand with wheels. But
he was a faithful animal, and did his work to the
last. The baby used to tie me on to his barrel,
and Jack and I were drawn round and round the
kitchen with as much satisfaction to our mistress,
as in the days when I shone forth in my gilt coach
with its four prancing piebalds.

But the baby’s treatment of me, though ovrati-
fying from its cordiality, had a roughness and want
of ceremony that affected my enfeebled frame. I
could not conceal from myself that the infirmities I
had observed in other dolls were gradually gaining
ground upon me. Nobody ever said a harsh word