But Little Joyce 's mother had married a poor man in the face of her family 's disapproval , and then both she and her husband had been inconsiderate enough to die and leave a small orphan without a penny to support her . Grandmother Marshall fed and clothed the child , but who could make anything of such a shy creature with no gifts or graces whatever ? Grandmother Marshall had no intention of trying . Chrissie , the golden-haired and pink-cheeked , was Grandmother Marshall 's pet . Little Joyce knew this . She did not envy Chrissie but , oh , how she wished Grandmother Marshall would love her a little , too ! Nobody loved her but Denise and the little black doll . And Little Joyce was beginning to understand that Denise would not be in the kitchen chamber very much longer , and the little black doll could n't tell you she loved you -- although she did , of course . Little Joyce had no doubt at all on this point . Little Joyce sighed so deeply over this thought that Uncle Roderick smiled at her . Uncle Roderick did smile at her sometimes . `` What is the matter , Little Joyce ? '' he asked . `` I was thinking about my black doll , '' said Little Joyce timidly . `` Ah , your black doll . If Madame Laurin were to see it , she 'd likely want it . She makes a hobby of collecting dolls all over the world , but I doubt if she has in her collection a doll that served to amuse a little girl four thousand years ago in the court of the Pharaohs . '' `` I think Joyce 's black doll is very ugly , '' said Chrissie . `` My wax doll with the yellow hair is ever so much prettier . '' `` My black doll is n't ugly , '' cried Little Joyce indignantly .
She could endure XXXXX be called ugly herself , but she could not bear to have her darling black doll called ugly .
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