The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1883-03-29
"lnaSnuch."
BY MRS. SARAH B. COOPER

harsh. cold words of her unnatural father.
1t was better SO, for his heart had become
oSslted from constant debauch. Life had
been very hard with Elsie. She had been
born in bitterness, cradled in anguish,
and nurSed in sorrow. The clustering
blasts OF home WretchedneSS had faded
the verdure OF lte's young spring, and
the frosts OF nipping want had thrown
autumnal shadows over her sadly beau
titul face until she seemed years older
than she really was Though scarcely
within her teens, she would be taken for
twenty. With a mind of crystalline
clearness, and an organization Of eX
quis te mold, she was keenly sensitive to
all influences that vibrate to joy. or thrill
to woe. Orphaned by the death of Il
mother who had loved her with a love
that had struggled to the last to shield
her from the brutality Of a drunken
father, she was not unwilling to obey the
pitiless edlct that drove her from the
mockery Of a home, whose only light had
been the radiance OF a mothers affection.
She was glad, now, that the baby had
died, too. for he was safe.
The "traps." of small value in them
selves, were sacred to Elsie. The wretch
ed remnants linked her to the only being
who had ever loved her. Among them
was a well thumbed volume, tear stained
and worn, with scraps Of hymn and song
between its yellow leaves, that Elsie had
read and sung, over and over again, as
the light slowly faded from soft eyes that
We're closing to earth. There were sweet
promises of legacy to weary pilgrims,
who in their life time had no :" good
things. The mother heart grasped this
title To the Heavenly inheritance, rs She
told little Elsie of the rest that remains
for all those who patiently trust The liz
| ing, loving Redeemer. The dear old
Book was tenderly hidden among the
scanty contents Of her satcbel, a Elsie
prepared to so forth all alone In the
world. 1t would be a golden link, bind
ing her to the mournfully sacred past.
She stepped across the threshold, Duck-
ed a stray rosebud from a bush that was
1 witherlng like the hand that had nl1sed
it, and in dumb agony went out--she
knew not whittier. Tie consciousness
Of utter desoation, the memory of a )ast
| forever gone, stole over her like a png,
| Elsie bethOught herself of one true
/ friend to whom she could turn. Just
over the crest of the hill there lived the
heart companion of her dead mOthel to
whom had been conlided every secret
sorrow and struggle. There had been a
common bond of union between tlese
two mothers the bond of Il common *
perience in suffering. Both had wrecled
lives, from the dreadful demon Of intm
| perance They spoke a common I'm
| guage, the language Of hopeless pan.
| They had. too, a common faith-faith in
Him who can bring light out Of darkness,
hope out of despair, and victory out If
defeat. Many time had they taken
fresh courage together, after having mt
tually committed their way unto Hin
who said, 81 will never leave thee no
torsake thee"
Elsie was warmly welcomed by Mrs
Vincent, loving, sensible, heroic wo
man, whose heart was attluent with ten
der pity. "You shall share my home
Just as long as | have one" she said
sit is no more than your mother woult
have done for my boy, had gone frs
and left him behind" But Elsie knew
there was scant fare for even her owl
household, and was planning to make
her own way in the world
From the long columns of WANTED
in the daily papers, it was not difficult It
find something to do. Young and deli
cate as she was, she was willing to dt
any service that offered ; and SO it wa
not long before she found herself install
ed as sort of maid of all work in tn,
nf IlAX t1
and near, for the multiplicity of her off
cial honors i'll the line Of public charities
She was president Of several benevOlcn
societies, and secretary Of as many more
But when 1t came to the sacramento
elements of self -forgetfulness and unset
fish affection, it was said these were sad
ly lacking. In fact, Mrs Chiffon hat
become proverbal as a very hard mis-
tress. 1t was a severe baptism for poo
Elsie. But she was determined to please
and she was successful. 1t was not Ions
before the naughty, punctilious and i'm
pressive Mrs Chiffon was telling he
starchy neighbor, Mrs. A., what a perfec
treasure she had in her new girl. Sh
hold of the work so well. She could 9
out now as much as she pleased, 70
everything went on in apple pie order a
home. And it pleased the charitabl
Mrs. Chiffon to go out with diurnal regu
larlty, for there were Dorcas meeting
and rescue missions and societies for th
prevention of cruelty to children, all c
which must be attended to.
And, when these were all over, Mrs
Chiffon was too weary to lend a helpin
hand at home. Beside, Elsie never com
planned of being overWorked. Her pa
tlence and trugallty were somethin
wonderful. She was so gentle and self
contained, just as if childhood, with sud
den spring, had leaped the bounds {
youth into Sedate Womanhood. Th
quiet lineaments Of her sweet face mir
rOred soul at peace with itself. lie
dark, pensive eye had a sad, far ava
look, as if it caught glimpses of brigh
prospects, even amid the shadows arOunt
There was something of trmness in tn
full, pretty lips that stood heroic guar
over aggressive or resentful speech, com
pellmg the soul to possess itself in patien
/, silence, even under stress OF great provo
cation. Elsie was gaining in soul power
but she was perceptibly failing in bodil
strength. Mrs. Chiffon, with her exces
of duty outside, did not observe thi
family fact. But Mrs. Vincent, who sa'
Elsie now and then, felt that she wa
gradually fading away. She even wer
SO far, on one occasion, as to suggest th1
to Mrs. Chiffon, and was promptly re
buked for her presumption. Societie
for the prevention Of cruelty to childre
were delightful in the abstract, but in th
concrete they were impracticable and at
surd-sO thought Mrs. Chiffon.
At last nature gave way. Even tn
pluck and patience of the brave littl
.. heart could no longer keep the fra
body going. Elsie was very i'll. Th