The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-09-25
ELSIE CROFT.

When John Croft, the curate of Rowan
dale, died and was carried to the quiet
churcbyard whittier his wife had preceded
him some six years before, his only daugh-
ter, Elsie, then II years old, went to live
with her Uncle George at the High farm,
Rowandale John Croft had come of hum.
bic stock, and the squire had paid for his
schooling and afterward supported him at
college SO that even when he was ordained
and obtained the curacy of his native place
the people always "reckOned him" as they
said, one of themselves Nor did the quiet
curate give himself any airs He was
modest uIrassuming man with far OIL look
in his eyes much given to solitary strolls on
the moors which encirclei Rowandale, and
in no way inclined to plume himself on his
educational advantages He seemed to
value them mainly because be was able to
teach his little Elsie more than she could
learn at the village school. and at the age of
twelve SIZE was considered in the primitive
hamlet quite scholar
But there came the day when father and
daughter, master and pupil, had TO part, and
very bitter il was 70 both OF them. 1t seemed
to Elsie, when the freshly cut sods were
ranged upon her fathers grave, as II all the
brightness had been taken out of the world.
The very heather seemed to have lost its
color, and the sunlight scarcely shOne upon
the far-off sea as of old She went contented
enough, however to her Uncle Georges, and
ne and his wife, Aunt Jane, good. mother
iy woman, were very kind to the orphan
girl. True she had to work and help in the
house just as their own daughter, her cousin,
i'd, for Uncle George had a hard task to
make living out of the High Farm. stu
ated as II was ON the edge of the moor and
consisting mainly of very unproductive land.
And doubtless the active homework kept
her from brooding over her fathers death,
while the fresh moorland air and invigorat-
ing breezes from the distant sea brought
brighter flush of health to her cheek.
Still the girl had thoughts and aspirations
which no one in the humble farm house
could share, feelings she inherited from her
father. who had inspired her with passion
ate love for poetry and she often had strange
dreams OF the wonderful world outside of
the circle of moorland, and OF the still more
marvellous regions visited by the white
sailed ships which so often flashed across the
horizon. lessened by the distance TO the size
OF sea birds Any one looking at Elsie could
see that she was dreamer OF dreams Her
face was rather of a Teutonic type, with
fair, broad forehead, sleepy blue eyes and
very light hair, but the lower part showed
more refinement than is usual with faces of
such type, having we'll modelled mouth
and iapsring chin such as those Sir Joshua
loved 20 paint. For those who had eyes to
see, It Was the face OF poetsss; dumb now,
no doubt, for the child could not be said to
have completed her education, and it seemed
hardly likely that her uncle and agnt would
have any money to spend on such luxury
as mere schooling, wnen 1t was hard task
to live.
So Elsie Croft progressed from maidenhood
to @omanhOod, and but for an event which
turned the whole current OF her life, she
might have grown up as ignorant of the
world and OF its votaries-
-''stained to the soul with money bag and
ledger
as the flowers that blossomed on The edge OF
the moor
Ii was the 18th of August, that day which
is marked with so white stone in the calen-
.dars of those fortunate men who are able TO
indulge in grouse shooting. The High Farm,
R0wandale, stood, as we have said, close to
the moor. which stretched for miles beyond
1t, and the inmates of the farm house could
hear quite distinctly the fusilade which was
kept MP all around them. Now and then.
too. coveys of grouse swept past the house
with the wind, or some wary old cock sailed
away by himself long before either dog or
gun could get near him, with what sounded
like loud chuckle at his escape.
Late II he afternoon the jewellers at the
High Farm weae startled 10 observe group
Of men coming towards the house, evidently
carrying some burden among them As it
drew near, il was plain an accident had hap
pened, and George Croft and his wife, with
their daughter and Elsie. were gathered-at
the door when several game keepers came
up, carrying a young man who had fall
dcwn a steep scour, and was stunned and
senssiess. de was a Mr.. Herbert Barton,
a friend of the squire's, and they had
brought him to the farm as the nearest
house till q doctor could be summoned.
The Croits of course took the patient
in and were destined to shelter him for
some time for on the arrival of the doctor
he PRONOUNCED Herbert Barton to be suffer.
ing from severe conclusion o! the brain, and
said be was on no account TO be moved. For
three months the young man lowered be
tween life and death, and during that time
Elsie nursed him with unweary patience, for
il was upon her that the special burden of
The nursing fell, and, as the doctor told Her
bert Barton he owed his recovery in agrear
measure 10 his devoted nurse.
We may pass over the illness and come to
the time when Herbert Barton was GONZALES
cent and when in few days he was to be
removed from the High farm TO his own
house. As may be imagined, considerable
intimacy had sprung up between him and
Elsie Croft, and the young man was very
portunities of culture than seemed possible
at the High farm. He took an interest in
her, he told himself, out of gratitude; but,
hardly known to him, a tenderer feeling was
growing up in his breast to continue or to
die away, as fate might determine. As for
his conversation had been a revelation TO
her; he had brought her knowledge of the
unknown wo Id for which she longed, and
she felt as II it would be darkness again
when he departed.
Herbert Barton sitting at the window.
looking out on the moor, and leaning against
the sash opposite TO him stood Elsie After
looking at her in silence for a few minutes
the young man said. How would you like
to leave the High Farm, Elsie, and see some
thing Of the world2'
Elsie started. The question chimed ia so
exactly with her own thoughts that ne
seemed to have OWNED them by asking It,
Il should like to see something of the
world" she said, simply; but as there's no
chance for me, try not to think about II"
But supposlng there was chanceY'
he contentsd With the moor and with Row
endsle." she said, in rather responding
tone. .
you shall see more than Rowandale, II
nwur#IU