Mabel was sad. Everyone in the slave quarters knew it. The master knew it, but nobody knew how to see her smile again. The children spoke in whispers in the shadows of the run down huts. "Mama Mabel doesn't bring us treats anymore," said nine-year-old Marlene. "She doesn't sing, I liked it when she sang to us. She sings better than our mama," chimed in her younger sister Minnie. "Well you all know why, ever since master sold her children, Mama Mabel doesn't smile any more," added twelve year old Bubby. Filled with sadness, Mabel found the courage to go on with her life, and thus began her story. Rag Doll Tales-Mama Mabel's Story/The Journey. A journey that would take her on the road to a new life, filled with excitement, peace, and happiness.

Mabel was sad. Everyone in the slave quarters knew it. The master knew it, but nobody knew how to see her smile again. The children spoke in whispers in the shadows of the run down huts. "Mama Mabel doesn't bring us treats anymore," said nine-year-old Marlene. "She doesn't sing, I liked it when she sang to us. She sings better than our mama," chimed in her younger sister Minnie. "Well you all know why, ever since master sold her children, Mama Mabel doesn't smile any more," added twelve year old Bubby. Filled with sadness, Mabel found the courage to go on with her life, and thus began her story. Rag Doll Tales-Mama Mabel's Story/The Journey. A journey that would take her on the road to a new life, filled with excitement, peace, and happiness.

The night was cold, as cold as her feelings. A young slave mother named Mabel sewed all night. Her candlelight creation yielded a crude Rag Doll, a gift for her youngest daughter, Natty. She knew when the sun rose, she would see her child for the last time. Her heart was heavy. She named the doll Eugene, the name of Natty's father. This way, she thought, the child would always remember her roots. As the wagon drifted out of sight the young child said, "Her name is Eugene Mamma Mabel" - a remembrance of both her parents. Thus began the story of a Rag Doll named Eugene, and the legacy of a family from slavery through civil rights.