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FEEL very unhappy about the strange disappearance of my doll," said Ethel to

her Nurse, as she was being undressed

for bed; "I have searched in all the rooms,

and turned out the toy-closet five or six times, but I cannot find her anywhere! Where do you think she is, Nurse?"

"I really do not know, Miss Ethel. I have made inquiries of all the servants, and no one has seen herperhaps your brothers have hidden her to tease you!'

"I am afraid not," was the disconsolate answer. "Percy, Bertie, and Artie all say they have not touched her, and they are certain she was put into the 'doll box.' It seems so strange to lose her in this way."

A

"Do you think she has run away to the Doll Country,

Miss Ethel?" said Nurse, with a merry twinkle in her eyes. Ethel looked up quickly.

"That is what mother says, but how could she go with

Besides, Nurse, she would scarcely

out any one seeing her? attempt to run away again. the morning she was found

You know I scolded her well standing by the hall door

besides that, we tried her by court-martial, and that is only a week ago to-day. But, oh dear! I do wish I knew where she is; it's too bad of her."

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Perhaps she is hiding somewhere, because she cannot forgive you for punishing her."

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Perhaps she is; still you see, Nurse, she deserved it. She tried to run away. Mother says every one ought to be punished when they do wrong. I am and sometimes I don't think I deserve it. However, I am rather sorry now that I treated my doll as I did, because I feel sure I shall never see her again, poor thing."

And once more Ethel began hunting through the play-box for her lost treasure, till Nurse said at last

Well, dear, don't trouble your little head any more

to-night; we will have another search to-morrow, and perhaps we may find her. See-here is your pretty babydoll to comfort you, meantime."

But Ethel shook her curly head.

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'No, thank you. I don't care for Cyril to-night. Put him in his own bed, please."

And then she submitted to be put to bed and tucked up comfortably; and with a parting injunction to the little girl to try and go to sleep like a good child, nurse left the room.

All very well for nurse to say, 'Go to sleep,'" said Ethel to herself. "How can I? I don't feel a bit sleepy. My eyes won't shut, and I can't sleep with them open!"

Her own words banished the memory of her lost doll from her mind for the time, and she fell into a funny train of speculation, little ripples of laughter every now and then breaking from her rosy lips.

"How funny people would look lying in

wide-open eyes! just like great big dolls!

bed asleep, with

Suppose no one

could close their eyes without help! and that there were funny sort of little men, like I have seen in pictures, with long noses and pointed toes, who did nothing else but shut

people's eyes! or-suppose, we all closed each other's eyes! -but then, who would close the eyes of the person going to bed last? Somebody must be last! One thing I am sure of, I would never be that one, for then I should be obliged to sleep with them open! And those silly little midges, What fun it would

or something, would be sure to fly in. be, too, if no one could shut my brothers' eyes but myself! Whenever Percy or Bertie had been teasing me, or my dolls, I should be able to punish them finely ;" and at this thought Ethel laughed very heartily.

"When bed-time came, and they ran to me to have their eyes shut, I would say in a stern voice-'No, boys, you have been very unkind to my children to-day! therefore I sentence you to sleep with them open!' It would be like holding a court-martial over them, the same as they do with my dolls. With tears they would beseech of me to relent, but I would remain firm, and when they had been in bed a little time I would creep into their room, to see how they looked. Poor boys! I am afraid then I should be obliged to forgive them, if they looked very uncomfortable.”

Soon Ethel's thoughts flew off again to something else.

"Mother talks about the Doll Country, but is there really such a place? I wonder where it is! and how do you get to it? I daresay if it does exist the dolls and toys go there whenever they like, and please themselves about returning. I wonder if there are any fairies there! For there are fairy dolls, I know, because I have had some.

"Now, suppose a fairy came to me to-night, and said, ‘Ethel, you shall have one wish granted, what shall it be?' I would say, 'Take me to the Doll Country, please.'"

Just at that minute Ethel started, for she saw a little goat with a doll on its back running past her.

"Well, I never!" she exclaimed, "there's my Robinson Crusoe' doll riding on Bertie's goat! What a funny thing! Wherever can they be going! Can they possibly be off to the Doll Country for the night! The doll's left leg is broken, I know, and as he cannot walk the goat is taking him, I suppose. What a kind action! I had no idea that toys were so thoughtful of each other! But how very funny they do look. Big Crusoe riding on the little goat. Did the real Robinson Crusoe's goat ever carry him about the desert island, I wonder? But no-of course not-how stupid of