One of them, as you see,is a boy-doll.He is made of wood, and has joints at the elbows, the thighs, and the knees. The features of the face are painted. He wears a coat cut in style of sixty years ago, and the coat and trousers both are of black silk. The vest is short-waisted, and made of some white material. An old-fashioned “stock” and shirt-collar add a touch of elegance to the little gentleman’s costume. The hat is quite remarkable for a boy-doll. It is made upon a frame, which is covered with drab-colored muslin, and around the crown is tied a band of green ribbon, with an edging of pearl color. There is no doubt that it was in its day a very fitting hat for a gentleman puppet; but a self-respecting boy-doll of the present would regard it with scorn, and would prefer to go bare-headed if he could not be provided with a hat of a more modern fashion.
The lady-doll’s hat, too, is a triumph of doll millinery. It is of a style similar to the “Gainsborough” hat, and the crown and the flaring wide brim, upon which is placed a large rosette, are covered with white silk brocade. It is held on by ribbons tied under the doll’s chin. The dress, with its short waist and long sleeves, is made of white silk, and the whole costume appears to be that of a doll-bride of long ago. The lady-doll’s face is painted, like t hat of her companion, and even now the faces are rosy and fresh-looking notwithstanding the fact that the dolls have passed through the hands of three generations of children. For the lady to whom they belong, Mrs.L.D. Bradish, of Fredonia, New York, has told their history briefly in a letter, in which she says:
“In June, 1827, my brother graduated from Hobart College, Geneva, N. Y., .and when he came home he brought these dolls to my sister and myself. They were dressed by a young lady, a friend of his.
“I am often asked how I have kept these dolls so long. The answer is: “This house has been our family home since my father built it, in 1812. Three generations of children have found shelter under its roof, and amused themselves with these midgets. My friends tell me that, under the circumstances, they are not surprised that I wish to preserve the little tatterdemalions.”