Rensselaer Republican, Volume 12, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 November 1879 — HOW SOME DOLLS BROKE THE LAW. [ARTICLE]

HOW SOME DOLLS BROKE THE LAW.

At WlllismHaekett’s dfngy ; fcr«mpbd quarters in London there were three people. These were Mrs. Hackett, Miss Haokett and Master Hackett. They were working upstairs &n an attic room, Sitting about a table on which there were dolls, doll-heads, doll-bodies. * All about the room were boxes of dolls, undressed, oxoqpt for those inevitable little . paper-cambric, slips which seem to embody . the only ■ inalienable right that dolls nave in this world. j . Were the Hacketts—‘Mrs., Miss and Master—dressing dolls to help out belated Santa Claus? No. Were they making dolls? Again, no. They were unmaking the creatures. First, the lovely dears were beheaded. l Then they w6re ripped- open about where their clavicles would have been if the doll-makers hadn’t left the clavicles out of the darlings. When they were all ripped, and gaping in a ghastly Way from shoulder to shoulder, they were emptied of what would have been their vital-organs if it hadn’t been sawdust. Then Jthe heads and bodies were stpffed like Thanksgiving turkey, not, however, with oysters or curry forcemeat, but'with cobtly laces—laces-fit to adorn a Duchess. * ■

Mr. William Hackett wan going to emigrate to America,. He was going to open a toy-shop and a lace-shop in The United States, and make his fortune. He had’put his means, the gatherings and sfivings of thirty years or work and economy, into fine laces.., «! ~ 9 . *. * * * . When, the Custom-Hoqse officials boarded the incoming steamer," Mr, Hackett, without hesitation, reported his dolls and toys, and stood by while his wares were rummaged so roughly that Master Hackett, also standing by, thought that some of the doll-heads must surely burst open and let out their secrets. But the investigation ended without any eracked skulls; duty was Eaid on the dolls, while the laces passed i free. The Hacketts, in good humor, took rooms, and again tne dolls were beheaded, disemboweled and reconstructed. The laces were worked over and carded: a toyrshop was opened, and Master Hackett, instead of going off to fight the Indians, and get scalped, was set to xdbp it,' while Miss Hackett presided over the lace-shop. You and X know why her laces could be sold at low prices—low* prices bring quick sales—thus Mr. Hackett soon found himself back in London, ready to bring out another lot of immigrant dolls, to find homes in little Yankee girls’ hearts. In the meantime come things had happened— Among others, the Chicago fire. By this, many and many a little girl was left doll-less, and many a boy topless. All over the country, from New England and New York and Ohio and the great Northwest and the. Pacific coast, while mammas were boiling, and baking, and packing boxes of clothing for the burnt-out folks, and papas were giving their Checks freely, the dear littie boys and girls were getting tops and dressing dplfia|*-to comfort tqp. burntput children. . .., t .. And Santa Claus, you must know, was one of the heaviest sufferers from the great'fire. Thousands and thousands of his Christmas toys were deatroyad. ,3ut when the great holiday aroydci.tii.echlldreAin $e W stoqd by their blessed old saint and friend Many'a Christmas-box they sent to Chicago fob this Mid that burntout Sunday-School. And so it came that there was a Christmas-tree for a -certain Presbyterian Sunday-School in Chicago, all of whose gifts had been sent by children of nobody-kneW-what-places; that is tp say, nobody knew by the time the articles had reached the tree. • • ■ :

Among other things on this certain tree was a wonderful dolly, in a marvelous dress of pink gauze. “If I could nave that,”' said Josie Hawley,' “I’d stop crying about tmy burnt-up-dolly. V - uji .. “Why don’t you pray to gef Jt,’,’ said Patsy Clark. “Pve been paying for that pictqre-book up there ever since I first saw it.'” ' : “ Well, I will,’* said little Jbslfc/-" She nut’ her hands np tb her eyes, and looking through her fingers to keep the coveted dolly in sight, she said; . •* ‘ Now I lay me down, to sleep, . I pray the Lord my soul to keep; If I should die before I wake' “ Is. that the right ; wayF*l pray the’ Santa Claus has looked it down!’ ’ she cried. - A ladyhad. just whispered to Santa Claus. He was looking 'straight into Jdsie’i eager fitoe. i- > * I** • ' 1 This heauHhil dblh” said; “is for the gdod little githuJosi# Hawley.’ the li#ia gi4who bad happy nice ‘&’ , twb %kger / drifts Hfreffc Cached * One dkyt 'in -the following" January, Mrs. Hawley was tbinkiiy, m desponding mood* of her ruiped fortunes, when Josie ran into the ropm, crying: “Come quick, mammal My dolly is drowndea all to pieces In the baftub.” i“Why, Josie, what have you been doing?” said mamma,’hastening to the bath-room. . ...... M I rived her a bas: her wanted a bas so bad 11 said Josib There, in ami on'the booming deep, .with * cataract coating fronf the open faucet, mas the beautiful dolly, all impasted, One fair foot and the fairer head had gone, .to the bottom of the tflb.„ The beautiful Ufighied curls were floating in a tangled TT inss on the restless waves, f b nf *n . : ;J oui '

revel!fk see how it was, do yon not? It was one of the Hackett dOlhTwMch; by mistake, did not get its fame inrides taken out on dte arrival in Apeoca, Of course, the matter couldn’t be account of it, Some Custom-House awiwan tom-House folks had their explanation about th&'hlteitidMf’ albHp the .lace ware of dolls!” Mr. Hackett was comIngdA mjT seA*d vei*u*r while inscription was fresh on the tablets. S'VBESie with long Saxon curls, black eyes, bright cheeks tod a rose-bud mouth. There is surely Hot a little girl in aH the worKT who could havelooked at if withgrasped the darling just over the little Heart, if frbeeif h- hoartiln its body. He laid the nook across the 'box’s edge and .broke tfie pretty head off, so Shat to would have bothered Master Hackett, expert that he was, to ‘reconstruct that doll. DoUbtlefcsfthbre never toother lot of dolls that-paid than Mr. HackefrV for our