Sharp County record., 1881-08-04
A TRUE STORY OF FOUR TEETH.
A REAL INCIDENT.

"ElSiew
eyes, papa;" and the child dashed
away her tears and sprang to the bed
where her father lay bandaged and
helpless.
That day an explosion had happened
in the mill where he worked, and he
was badly hurt.
"Watern he said, feebly.
She gave it to him, and he went on
speaking:
Where's the money, Elsie?"
"Here, papa" putting her hand on
the bosom of her dress.
"That's right. Take good care of
it. God only knows when we shall
have any more. Poor childn he add
ed, fondly.
"Not bit of it," she answered,
gaily. you'll be at home all the time
now, and we'll have such a good time
together"
Her father gave her a loving smile,
and closed his eyes YEARLY. Elsie
began to stroke his hand, and he soon
fell into an uneasy slumber.
The two were all in all to each other.
They came from England and had been
in America but few months. Elsie
was plain, delicate child of thirteen,
but her father called her his dove of
comfort, and now she was proving her
right to the name. She tended him day
and night, with a CHEEKY, skillful
patience that made everybody love her.
But the weeks went by, the money
was spent, and still he lay on his bed.
The wolf was at the door. How could
they keep him out?
Then it was that her father said:
"Elsie, where are the silver spoons?'
"In mammals little trunk, with the
ring and the jacket" she answered
"You must get them out and carry
them to Mr. Black"
"Oh, papa, no! It's all the silver
we have, and mamma thought every
thing of them" she cried, impulsively
The sick man made no answer, but
he put his hands over his eyes, and
soon Elsie saw the tears steal slowly
through his fingers.
Papa, dear papa! didn't mean it.
How cruel OF meT' she exclaimed,
throwing her arms about him. "rll
take them this minute, and when you
get well and earn money we'll have
them back again"
when get well! 1 wonder when
that will be?7 he said, desp spairingly.
before long-slow and sure" you
know" she answered, brightly, and in
a few minutes she set out on her first
visit to the pawnbroSer. But it was
not her last. Time and again she went,
till every possible thing had been car
ried; and, meantime, she was learning
cheerlully to bear hunger and cold for
"papa's sake"
He, too, poor man, must see his dar-
ling grow hollow checked and big-eyed,
with no power to save her. What
could they do but lie down together and
die?
AS Elsie went home from her last
visit to the pawnbroker she stopped at
grocery 10 buy a little coal, and,
while she waited for other customers,
she looked listlessly at the morning
paper lying on the counter. AS she did
so, these words caught her eye:
WANTED-Four perfect front teeth, for
which will give forty dollars.
CHARLES Dow, Dentist,
No. 5 X Street.
The poor little face flushed scarlet
with sudden hope. perhaps he
would take mine," she thought;
"Mother Savage said yesterday she
wondered how such a homely child
came to have such handsome teeth"
She seemed to herself to be dream
ing. Forty dollars "Fortv dol
lars" kept saying itself over in her
brain, and when the shopman turned to
wait on her she was gone. A few min
utes after she stood in the dentists
office.
"Please, will you see if my teeth are
good enough to buy9" she asked, tim
idly.
The doctor was engaged in a delicate
operation, but he stopped to give the
teeth hurried examination.
"How beautiful! They are Just what
| want. Come tomorrow" he said,
going back to his work.
The rest of the day Elsie's father
thought her wonderfully gay, but he
could not think why, for she said moth
ing of her plan, about which she began
to lose courage when the first excite
ment of it subsidized Hard things look
easier in tbs morning than they do at
night; and as she sat in the twilight,
studying herself in a bit of looking
glass. she thought sorrowiully: "Ishall
be homelier than ever when they are
gone; but then how silly of me to care
about that. Papa will love me Just the
sa1nes t ~ Il IL 81 u mdVG Tn6m
out" she went on thinking, and every
nerve in her body quivered at the PROS
pect. "lf it wasn't for the rent, and
the medicine forpapa, and evers so many
other things | never could beg,
nerer. Yes, Elsie Benson, it's cot to be
done, if it kills youl''
The next morning she entered the
dentists office by the mere force of
will. Her courage was all gone. DR..
Dow was alone, and said Good morn
ing." very kindly; but when he saw