Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1875-07-09
HOW ELSIE BURIED A SKELETON,
BY ANNA r. SMITH.

by ANNA T. SMITH
ELSIE BRYANT sat in her own little room
upstairs Aunt Priscilla sat in the sewing
room down stairs, darning socks,
1t was four o'clock in the afternoon;
and the apple tree close by Elsies window
began to throw itsquivering shadow across
the homC-spun carpet, just rs 1t had done
every sunny afternoon since she could re-
member. II was a dear, snug little farm
house that held her; full of sweet, hal
lowed memories; but there was u skeleton
in it, and that skeleton was Aunt Pris-
ella.
Yet that thrifty maiden would have
opened her eyes incredibly wide had any
one dared to hint that she occupied that
position in the family Wouldn't every
! Thing 20 TO destruction If she wasn't there
TO prevent it, she'd like TO know Those
very socks of Brother Lcmuel's, that she
was darning that minute, why, she had
| kept them ON his feet for the last three
| years, just by watching the thin places /;
a thing that Elsie never was known to
do She'd like to know what would
have become of that needless girl if
she hadn't her to manage her There
was no end to the pennies she had put into
Lcmuel's pocket, by her saving and pinch
ing, and where had it gone to? 1t had
sent that child off To boarding-school tO
get her head full of fine notions, when she
might better have been at home learning
how to peel potatoes. Those potato skins
this moon were every bit of an inch thickm
and she sighed rs she slipped her hand
into the thinly-worn toe of sock. Ali!
Priscilla Bryant, you're trying TO smooth
the feathers of that little bird, Conscience,
but don't you see you are nibbing them
the wrong way?
"' Charity suffereth long and is kind"
read Elsie, in the little, old-fashioncd Bible
that had been her mothers.
MAYBE Aunt Priscilla had the head
ache this morning, was what made her so
cross How she did jerk that pan of pota-
toes out of my lap, though; but she fairly
made me furious when she grabbed the
knife" and the girls face flushed as she
wrapped up the poor little finger where
the knife had buried its sharp edge
:" If this was the only wound she had
made could bear it; but there is one in
my heart that is deeper yet" she said,
brushing away the tears. .
" Charity is not easily provoked; bear
eth all things, endureth all things" said
the little, old.lashioncd Bible again.
"Yes, but it can't keep bearing them
forever; my endurance is worn to a
shadow; l look for its death any day. |
have borne all things till | can't bear
them any longer"
Charity never faileth, Elsie" said
that dear little Bible again.
"What is charity?" said the girl,
thoughtfully; "why, it's love! Then it's
love that bcareth all things, and never
taileth." ~
g Elsie Bryant, do you love your Aunt
Priscilla?"
mo, dOn't!n r a-e- "a -s--
but you ought to- ~
-" How can y"
g don't know how, but there must be
some way, for the Bible wouldn't tell us
to do impossible things"
Slowly she turned its leaves over one
alter another, till her eyes rested ON the
verse; But say unto you, love YOU
enemies, do good TO them which hate you
and pray for them which despitefully use
you and persecute you"
A little later, and the shadow of the
apple-trcc fell on Elsie Bryant's bowed
head. She was praying for Aunt Pris-
ella.
Downstairs, the socks were all mendcd
and put away, the tea-kcttlc over and the
table cloth spread for supper. Presently
quick, energetic steps were heard in the
hall below. Elsie!" called sharp voice
at the foot of the stairs, 4" I'd like to know
what time you're goingto pick those Der
Ties for supper?"
Any time you say, auntie," said Ell.
! sic cheerily.
Now, il Aunt Priscilla had been a
quadruped she could have pTiCked up hel
ears with amaZcment ut the unusual tone
of Elsie's voice But instead of that she
said to herself as she went back to her i'm
maculate kitchen, "Humph | guess
know what all that means. John Wes
will be around here again tonight sup
pose. Pity he couldn't board here and
done with itr'
Now, John West was the fortunate
young man who had won Elsie Bryant's
heart and given her his great, generous
manly one in return.
According to Aunt Priscilla, "itwas diff
cult to tell which of them had got the
worst of it," Possibly she had forgotten
those moonlight nights, years ago, whcr
some one, who was not John West, uscC
to-well, no matter.
John and Elsie knew nothing about that
perhaps il was better so, since Aunt Pris
ella chose it, and yet how much richer thu
iruitage Of these pent-up natures would bC
could it but ripcn in the sunshine of hu