Show I Dolls Of Yesteryear by Frances Grinstead l 1 tWENTY FIVE WENTY FIVE years ago a lit lit- little lit little T S tle tie girl s letter to Santa Claus 3 went something like thIs Dear Santa Please bring brine me a new head for tor my dolly Her IIer name is Christina She still sUU has a nice bOdy but her head has so many dents it wont won't last another year I would like one this time with real hair made into curls and eyes that open and shut Your trusting friend What has become of those Christ Christmas Christmas Christmas mas dolls doUs whose bodies could out out- outlast outlast last half hall a dozen heads When hen the curls went straight or the wigi wig y i Mother Iother Took Tool the little I 1 Ittle Girl to See Seethe Seethe Seethe the Dolls Boils dropped oft off or little brother Johnnie picked the wax oil ofT the eyelids and sister was consoled by promising her a new head Mother took her herto herto herto to a department store where here there thereas was as as large a display of doll heads as of dolls There were china heads metal heads and heads of papier mache There were heads with ith Ith wigs find and some without There were ere those thos with ported parted lips Bps and dainty Ul tet-Ul showing while others oUters hid their smiles behind firm mouths and star eyes One thing these varied heads had hadin hadin hadin in common Their necks widened into tour four square bibs front and baLk back backwith backwith with holes at the corners tor for apply applying lag ing the needle to the old body The bodies in those days were of cloth their inner substance nce sawdust Where now are arc those torsos that could withstand endless repaIring fresh tresh sawdust dust and new heads They probably found their way ay to the attic in time and sister was promised ahole a whole hole new doll don Then her trip to the department store was a matter of deciding between bet een eena I a dressed and an undressed dolly Mothers preferred the latter because they would bear closer in inspection inspection as IS to materials and work workmanship workmanship manship Dollys Dolly's clothes were ere ens cas casIly easily Ily made out of the family scrap bag bagor bagor bagor or by the wL-ing wL hands of the Ute family se seamstress who did the job for tor rec recreation Moreover the undressed doll cost a little less But Dut sister liked to linger 0 over er those in silks and satins with wilh poke bonnets and plumes covering their golden curls They wore ore petticoats and oCt often en Ule they held their fragile fingers In tiny of mink and sablet sable e t Ve tern f fw t w UnIon od t r f rw n 1 t f |