Rag Dolls are the Best Beloved! "The fun that we two have had together I cannot begin to tell you."

His own daughter, Marcella, was sick as a child and Mr. Gruelle began the Raggedy Ann adventures as a way to entertain her when she was bed-ridden. Unfortunately, Marcella succumbed to infection and died at the age of thirteen. He published the first Raggedy Ann book in 1918, an event which coincided with the production and sale of the first Raggedy Ann dolls. The enchanting part of the story takes place in 1919 when he receives a package and a letter. It is as follows:

Dear Johnny:
When I saw your Raggedy Ann books and dolls in a store near here,
I went right in and bought one of each, and when I had read
your introduction to Raggedy Ann I went right up to the old trunk
in my own attic and brought down the doll I am sending you with
this letter.
This doll belonged to my mother and she played with it when a little girl.
She treasured it highly, I know, for she kept it until I came and then she
gave it to me. The fun that we two have had together I cannot
begin to tell you, but often, like the little boy who went out into the
garden to eat worms when all the world seemed blue and clouded, this doll
and I went out under the arbor and had our little cry together.
I can still feel it's soft rag arms(as I used to imagine) about me,
and hear the words of comfort(also imaginary) that were whispered in my ear.
As you say in your Raggedy Ann book, "Fairyland must be filled with rag dolls, soft
loppy rag dolls who go through all the beautiful adventures found there, nestling
in the crook of a dimpled arm."I truly believe there is such a Fairyland
and that rag dolls were first made there, or how else could they bring so
much sunshine into a child's life? All the little girls of my acquaintance have
your Raggedy Ann book and doll, and for the happiness you have brought
to them let me give to you the doll of all my dolls, the doll I
loved most dearly. May it prove to you a gift from Fairyland, bringing with it all the
"wish come true" that you may wish and, if possible, add to the sunshine
in your life.
My mother called the doll Raggedy Andy and it was by this name that
I have always known him. Is it any wonder that I was surprised when I
saw the title of your book? Introduce Raggedy Andy to Raggedy Ann, dear Johnny,
Let him share in the happiness of your household.
Sincerely yours,
Raggedy Andy's "Mama."

Four days later, on January 12, 1919, Johnny received a letter from his mother in response to the news of Raggedy Andy’s arrival.

Dear John:
Your letter brings many pleasant memories to my mind and takes me back to my
childhood. Living next door to us, when I was about four years old, was a
little girl named Bessie; I cannot recall her last name. When my mother made
Raggedy Ann for me, Bessie's mother made a rag doll for her, for we two
always played together; as I recall, there was no fence between our two houses.
Bessie's doll was made a day or so after Raggedy Ann, I think, though
I am not quite certain which of the two dolls was made first. However
, Bessie's doll was given the name of Raggedy Andy, and one of the two dolls
was named after the other, so that their names would sound alike. We children
played with the two rag dolls most of the time until Bessie's family moved
away__when I was eight or nine years old. They had faces just alike;
the mother who made the first doll probably painted both doll faces. I do not
remember just how Raggedy Andy was dressed, but I know he often wore dresses
over his boy clothes when Bessie and I decided that he and Raggedy Ann
should be sisters for the day. You will remember I told you about Raggedy Andy long
ago, John. Isn't it strange that the two old rag dolls should come
together after all these years? I wish Raggedy Andy's "Mama" had signed her name, for
I should like to write to her. Perhaps there may be some way of finding
her out. Anyway, it seems to me you have the subject for another rag
doll book, for Raggedy Andy must have had some wonderful adventures in his long life.
Yours Lovingly, Mom

What a wonderful tale of childhood’s love. Every little girl should have a doll made for her by her mother. My girls all did. In the introduction to the Little Blossom Doll instructions, published by Magic Cabin Dolls, the creator says of making a doll for her daughter…�I was compelled to create a small ‘something’ for her to have with her in her satchel, so that if she were to have great moments of fear or trepidation she could hold this little part of me and feel comforted.� What a wonderful sentiment. About a year ago I began a doll making effort with my daughters to ensure that they had the skills needed to provide their own children with the gift of a playmate made by their own hands. We began with Baba dolls. The pattern can be found at the Magic Cabin website. They are wonderful dolls for toddlers, and we had great fun making them. The first ones we made were velour stuffed with wool as the directions suggested, but the next batch we made were fashioned of sweatshirt material turned inside out and stuffed with polyester fiberfill. The head was a bit harder to fashion with polyester, but they were much more economical and still looked nice. After that we started in on our own Raggedy Ann dolls. We lost some of our vigor for the project and need to get back to it. They are all sitting in bags in the basement with full heads of hair but no clothes. My research on the history of Raggedy Ann and Andy has revived our interest, and today we discussed when we could get back to it. We are so close to done. Given the importance of dolls in children’s lives, you may be interested in starting in on a doll of your own. We are looking for more ideas. If you have any doll patterns that you have made and especially enjoy, we would love to hear from you. You can contact us at info@lilypress.com.