A porcelain doll narrates her life after being purchased at a market and passed among several young caretakers. She describes domestic amusements, wardrobes and furnishings, spells of sickness, and small accidents that accompany country and town entertainments. Chapters recount outings such as May parties, gardening and blackberrying, seaside visits, winter play, theatrical performances and a pantomime, as well as correspondence and social visits. Through light humor and a childlike perspective the memoir traces shifting attachments, rivalries, and the everyday rituals that determine the doll's changing place in each household.