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.
CHAPTER II.
ELLEN GREEN.
Early next morning my mother woke me up and carried me to the field. After a while she spoke to her brother Robertin, and said,—"Roby, don't you tink dat I had better go and give dis little dolly to Emma Arthurst?" "Yes," said Robertin, "for don't you know how kind she was to us." So off they started to give me to Emma, who was about five years old. Little Emma was delighted and gave Johanna a half crown. My mother, Emma, had another doll, whose name was Ellen Green, (by the by, I never had any name till my new mother gave me one, which was Josephine Arnoldson,) but I think to this day she was a very naughty doll; for she always spilt her tea on her dress, knocked down chairs, danced on the table, and I don't know what else. One day my mother came and took me early from my nice little bed, and dressed me in a beautiful frock of white muslin, with a pink sash, and violets and other flowers in my sash. I had seen my mother working on something for some time, and now I knew what it was. My mother then told me that it was May-day, and that I was to go to a May party; but she said that Ellen should not go because she had behaved so naughty. At first I was glad to hear this, but after a while I felt differently and begged my mother to let her go. Whether my mother could not withstand my pleading, or had determined to try Ellen once more, I don't know, but she at last consented to take Ellen. My mother was dressed in white, and so were a great many other little girls. We enjoyed ourselves very much, but at last Ellen began to behave badly. She tore a hole in her dress, and at last she acted so badly, that my mother had to put her in the hollow trunk of a tree where we left her. Then we all went into a clump of most beautiful pine trees, and eat our dinner there. After that we played round, and then went home, not without taking Ellen with us. I had stayed with my present mother about six months when I was taken sick, the account of which I will defer to my next.
CHAPTER III.
MY SICKNESS.
One night as I was lying in my bed, my head began to swim, my lips were parched, and I felt very sick. After passing the night in great distress, my mother came to me and said, "Dear little Josey, how sick you look!" and so she did not take me up. By and by the little girl who played the most with Emma came in and said, "Why, Emma, you have not taken your doll up this morning." "No," said Emma, "she is very sick, and so I did not think it best to take her up." "Well," said the other little girl, "I will be a doctor, and you must send for me to come and attend your doll." So Emma sent, and the little girl came and ordered me some pills and a powder, which I was to take. They made the pills out of bread and the powder out of slate-pencil dust. I took these and they quieted my pain some, but still I was very sick. The next morning the doctor came and ordered me something else, which I took, as in duty bound, although I must say it did not taste very good. After two or three weeks I began to get a little better, and then Ellen came and saw me; but she began to talk in her old way about my having new dresses, and she having to take mine, (for she and I were of the same size,) and her having to stay in the trunk while I enjoyed myself, and then she ended by saying that she was glad I was sick, for now she could have her own way, as she had before I came. I found out afterwards that my mother had been telling Ellen about me, and saying that I was a pink of perfection, and that she ought to pattern by me. So Ellen hated me heartily, which I was very sorry for, as I had a sort of liking for her, although she did behave so badly. One evening after tea, Emma having left the room, her father said, "Wife, I think that as Emma is old enough to help us, that she had better begin next week about the dairy and help you. She will have to dispense with her dolls, and I think she had better give her prettiest doll to her cousin, who, I dare say, will like it." When Emma came in, her father told her his intentions, and how she had better give the handsomest doll to her cousin Celeste. Emma cried very much at leaving her doll, and so did I, but she thought it better to do so.
CHAPTER IV.
EMMA'S COUSIN—MY NEXT MAMMA.
Next day Emma dressed herself very neatly, and rode over to her cousin's, which was about five miles from her father's house. Emma cried all the way, and I, in spite of myself, could not help crying too. At last we arrived at a very splendid mansion-house, where Emma's cousin lived. Her aunt was very glad to have Emma come, and Celeste was very much pleased with her doll, although she said she was almost too old to have a doll. By and by Emma went home, and I was left in the hands of my new mamma. She then called her brother, Maximilian Belmont, to see her doll, which he thought was very pretty indeed. My last mother had told me that her aunt was a "baroness," and her uncle a "baron," which I was very glad to hear, as I thought I should see some very high life. The next day my new mother went out with her governess to buy some things for me, and as they could not buy any thing fit for me in the country, they went into town. They went to the very same place where I was first bought by my first mamma, Lucy, and bought me a swinging bed, with mattress, and all complete; also a tea-set, bureau, piano, a set of parlor furniture, and a most beautiful bracelet, necklace, ring, and a pair of ear-rings. We next drove to a jeweller's, and had my ears pierced, and the bracelet was marked "Josephine Arnoldson." I forgot to say that my mother bought me a most beautiful little house that I could live in, and had it carpeted, papered, painted and furnished. The next day my mother's governess cut out some dresses for me. I had morning dresses, afternoon, visiting, riding, party and ball dresses. My party and ball dresses were so very handsome indeed, that I think I must let my readers know what I had. My party dress was a pink silk, looped up in front, showing a white satin skirt embroidered up and down with flowers over the silk. My ball dress was a white satin with white crape over it, and small bouquets down the front, white kid gloves, an embroidered handkerchief, white silk stockings, and white satin slippers. Also a most beautiful wreath of orange flowers and forget-me-nots for my hair, for I had real hair which curled.