Tales of the Toys, Told by Themselves

t, to entertain them next. But such an uproar arose among all the leaden Tea-things; the cups and saucers, clattering and clanking like mad, and the milk jug even mounting on

e they were, and toppled down the milk jug into its proper place, before it recovered enough to defe

carefully packed in a little pasteboard box, in which we travelled to the English house to which we were sent, with numbers of others. We remained for some time in seclusion on the shelf of the toy warehouse, and were then drafted off to a little toy-shop at the West end of London. Our present owner was a notable little woman, the wife of a head workman at a large cabinet manufactory, and as she had two or three small children, she was glad to make ends meet by fitting out her front parlour as a little

small bargains. She never grumbled while they picked out the prettiest faces that suited their fancy among the halfpenny wooden dolls, and she kept a choice corner of very cheap toys on purpose for all these little ones, who so rarely knew what the pleasure of buying a toy was. But I think she had her reward when she saw the little e

seen the richer class of children come in with their governesses or servants, and just glancing over the toys carelessly, they have selected what they wanted, and have gone off, with no more than a passing pleasur

st the bright, gas-lighted window of the gay toy-shop, and who knew all its contents by heart, as well as its owner. But they never hoped, poor little souls! except in dreams, for all these beautiful toys. Dirty little Polly, who stood pointing with her smutty finger, and elbowing her sister to look at the grand doll dressed in muslin and ribbon, only gazed at it in a sort of ecstatic rapture, and had no more idea, indeed far less, of having it for her very own, than little Lady Edith had of owning the Crystal Palace. P

ll, and she had a tasteful way of arranging the one window of the toy-shop that made it quite attractive to older eyes than the children. One d

be almost the best thing for her,

ush!' said the little thing, as the ser

then you will be able to make tea fo

s of wooden tea-thi

ut these were voted dangerous for baby, because they would break easily, and might cut her little fat hands. Then the wooden sets were examined, but they were painted freely, and mamma and

he, eagerly, as Rose brought out our b

too, Lee, don't you think so? They will be quite safe, and neither break n

t prepared me for our new home, which was one of luxury. The lady, after tenderly kissing the little one, stopped at the door of her dressing room, while the nurse and my new owner mounted another flight, and reached the spacious and airy day nursery. The little rosy girl was rolled out of all her velvet wraps, and a ve

, if you like, but you must stand still first, like a lady, and be made to look neat. Don't you

y a lump of sugar, broken into little bits with the scissors, and two nice, dry biscuits to play with. So fat little Lily was mightily contented, and spread out her toys, and played at making tea for her dolls, while she herself

etting the leg of her chair suddenly on me. And some of the saucers and plates were swept up with the dust, and thrown away by a new, careless nursery maid. But on the whole

alled herself "Fower" in her childish talk, because Lily was not easily managed by her little tongue, and she had quite understood that she

st no time in sending down word of it to her mistress. The fond mother hurried upstairs, but little Lily would only cling to her and sob, and bury her flushed face on her shoulder. So the doctor was sent for in haste, and he came quickly, and pronounced that the little one was sickening for some illness; measles, he hop

t would break. The fever subsided, but the little exhausted body had not strength to recover from it, and she grew daily weaker, quite too weak to be removed to a fresh air. Poor Nurse picked us up one night, half unconsciously, and put us back in the old toy drawer, where we remained, till one afternoon she came hastily

he "Fower," as she had called herself? She was indeed a faded flower, a drooping lily, and her bright, golden curls were all gone, like her rosy, childish bloom. But sickness had not been able to subdue

it now!' and the little head, shorn so sadly of its golden glories, fell back

ups; and when Lily gets better and grows a strong girl again,

, and so Nurse hastened to catch us all up from the bed, and hurr

r day passed by with no great change, finding us each morning laid out on the bed, near the little weary hands, tired of doing nothing; and afternoon saw us gathered away, while the curtains were drawn across the window to keep out the br

d clearer and brighter. Papa brought in a bunch of the finest lilies of the valley

r, cheerfully; 'Papa must bring her some more then.

arty, and pum take, so fi

ch had been laid away for a long while out of sight. Nurse seemed to have no very settled purpose in the work way, and stole quietly about, arranging everything in a still dreamy kind of fashion. Meanwhile little "Fower" lay back in the soft bed, su

The dear child is fainting!' she said

aint sigh, as the blue eyes seemed to lose all their

'look up, my darling, you are better dear; let mot

little "Fower" had gone in an angel's hand, to be planted a living blossom in her heavenly Father's garden, where

houghtfully gathered up all the toys that the little one had played with, and put them carefully out of the desolate mother's sight. And in after years I heard that

ink of her growing now a sweet, fair flower in her heavenly Father's garden, and yet I could not bear to see all these t

r Miss Celia, who was then a little girl. But since she grew older, we were stuffed away by chance in this old cupboard. I told you al

ittle "Fower," but the Ball, who could not be very grave for long together, bounced up briskly, an

rly; "I am but a foolish body at all such form

d of a discussion, turned i

, as he flies so high, he can't be very nervous, and no doubt he has

nd, and professed his entire readines