Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1858-10-15
EIlen's Mistake About Heaven.


bonnet, aud thought what a sweet little
creature she was, with checks and lips
red as cranberries, aud eyes blue and Sc
rene as the skies are when May is getting
ready to shake hands with June.
"My name is Susan Darling" lisped
the little girl.
"Well, Ellen," said Aunt Gracy, turn
iue ~ L-- -:---. !1.-'-- c"".' of the
little girl, and l hope you'll all have a
good time among the strawberry fields
1t was Saturday afternoon, aud some
dozen of Ellen Deans schoolmates had as
semblcd at her house, from which they
were to start on strawberry expedition,
and their minds had been greatly exor-
ciscd on this matter for the last week.
Ellen was an only child, and Aunt
Gracy was her mothers only sister, and
though she lived in the city with her pa
rents she passed a large portion of every
summer at her aunt's home, in the country.
So the lady stood in the window and
watched the party of little girls as they
focked down to the front gate, with
their little baskets filled with lunches Of
biscuit and cake their careful mothers
had wrapped up for them. And when
Grace saw the bright faces Of the children,
and heard their merry tones, and the
sweet ripples of laughter that overfowed
their merry lips, she almost wished she
was little girl again, going off into the
meadows, strawberrying, that fair Satur-
day afternoon
A week had passed. 1t was Saturday
afternoon again, but no bright faced chill
dren focked out of the door of Ellen
Deans home, and there was shadow on
the forehead of the little girl, and .
strange awe in her eyes, as she came
softly into the room where Aunt Grace
sat reading. and whispered close in the Ia
dy's ear, "She's dead, Aunty."
Aunt Grace laid down her book. alt
don't seem possible" she said; "and it's
only week ago to-day that she lifted up
her bright little face to me and said 'my
name is Susan Darling And to think,
she lies there, cold, and white, and that
she'll never smile or speak again" Aunt
Grace could not go on, and she and Ellen
cried softly together.
GLOW old was she ?" at last asked the
lady.
"Just ten, Aunty."
ga year younger than you are, Ellen !.
Ah me death comes very suddenly, and
it doesn't wait, either, for the old and the
greyhaired, but it takes those who least
look for it; the little children, whose
hearts are full of life, and hope, and hap
piness; and 10 death calls for them,
and they are gone"
"She died of Group, Aunty the doctor
says it was a very severe attack. Oh,
how l wish l could see her once more ~
"Do you, my child? 1t is not long
walk, and will 60 with you.
Two hours later, Ellen and Aunt
Grace stood in the little bedroom whence
Susan Darling had gone home to God.
They had not laid her in the coffin yet,
and she looked very life-like as she lay
there, With her little waxen hands folded
together, and long brown lashes closed
tightly over the blue eyes that would
never sparkle with sweet smiles any
more.
Ellen stood still and looked a long
time, holding her aunt's hand, but she
scarcely spoke word, only she was think
irg what sweet little girl Susan Oar
ling was, and how they would miss her
at school, in her place by the window,
and what terrible thing it was to die SO
young and SO suddenly.
"Wcll, she is in Heaven now, with the
God who loves little children" said Aunt
Grace as she led her niece away.
"But 1 know, Aunty, she'd rather
have stayed in this world, where it is so
pleasant, and she was so nappy WIN the
girls, than 60 away off there. You know
the people are all so good in Heaven. and
sing psalms all the time, but Susie loved
to play, and frolic, and 60 out in the
woods gathering flowers and berries, and
now she can't do it any more, for you
know Heaven is such good place; but
then this world is so pleasant"
"Ellep, my dear child,' said Aunt
Grace, "who made this world, with all
its beautiful sunshine, its hills and fields,
and trees, and flowers, all the things We
love Z"
"Why, God, Aunty"
"WelI, just think; if he has made this
so very beautiful, what must that world
be where none of these things can ever
enter? No, no, Ellen; they do some
thing up there besides sing psalms. The
flowers that grow there are fairer than
the roses and lilies Of this world, and the
little brooks sing sweeter music, and the