New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1886-04-07
ELSIE.

certainly there Is no teacher like eX-
perlence, though the lessons that she
teaches us are often: bitter ones.
'You will never learn caution, my
boy, till you do yourself or some one
else mischief" Mr.: Foster had said
10 his son Norman, a hundred times
Norman was always, doing some
wild and reckless thing-climbings some
81 the highest trees in the garden, at
the risk OF breaking his neck; wading
IN the river beyond his depth; riding
.Darebacked on his fathers horse;
playing with the fierce old Watchdog
chat snarled and showed his teeth at
every one who tried to caress him.
Norman had no brothers, but he had
little sister named Elsie, three years
younger than himself, of whom he was
very fond. There asnothing that he
liked better than to have Elsie, as he
called it, call to himself" and though
he was so wild and willful when alone
or with other boys, yet it was pretty
20 see how gentle and kind he could be
when Elsie was his playmate, and how
ne c,uld give up his own wishes to do
The things she asked him, and never
speak a rough or impatient word to
ler
Norman is always good when he is
with Elsie" his mother often used
gladly to say; and she only spoke the
truth; and yet it was Elsie whom Nor
nan hurt on that sad day Of which |
am going to tell you, when in his bold
play he did a thing that he never aft
srward forgot, or forgave himself FIR
rs long as he lived.
The two children had been sitting one
morning with their mother in the din
ing-room, talking, and looking at pict-
are-books very happily, till, after a
good while had passed, one Of the SER
wants came to the door, and told her
mistress that somebody wanted her.
"Then I must send you up stairs,
ny little Elsie" Mrs. Foster said.
But at that moment Norman ex-
claimed, sob no, let us stop here. I'll
take care of Elsie''
And he had taken good care of Elsie
so often that his mother almost at
once replied, every we'll. Amuse her,
and be kind to her, and | dare say |
shall be back very soon." And rising
up, she went away without the least
anxiety, and left the two children
alone.
They were nearly always happy
when they were together, and so they
began TO play, and for a little while
everything went perfectly we'll
They played at being horses at first,
and Norman let Elsie whip him to her
hearts content; then they played at
being bears, and that game went quite
tremendously, too; and then Norman
said he would be a soldier, and as Elsie
was always very much delighted when
Norman made himself q soldier, she
sat on the floor and laughed and
clapped her hands with pleasure, as he
marched up and down the room, with
the poker held like a gun against his
shoulder.
"Only it doesn't make good gun;
it's not long enough; I'll get fathers
real gum" hesaid, presently. ''Iknow
where it is. Just you stay here q
minute till / fetch it,
I And he ran out OF the room, and
returned almost Immediately with a
long revolver, which he trailed after
him on the floor.
ooh, Norman, it will shoot mel"
cried Elsie, rather terrified at the
sight.
But Norman explained to her, with
such an appearance OF knowing all
about what he was saying, that guns
never went Oft by themselves, and
that, indeed, it needed very strong
hands to make them 60 off at all, that
Elsie, who always believed whatever
Norman told her, and, besides, was
rot naturally timid child, soon for
got her fear, and laughed and clapped
her hands louder than ever as he be-
gan to strut up and down the room
again, leveling his revolver and pre-
tending to fire at one enemy after an
,, other.
I "shoot! Bang" cried Norman at
the top OF his voice. "Shoot! Bang
There's another down. Now Pm COM
ing to you. Shootp'
But there his voice all at once ceased,
for as he shouted that last word,
pointing the muzzle OF his gun at Elsie
suddenly a terrible explosion shook
the room, and as the shock threw him
to the floor, such a cry OF pain and
terror rang in his ears as he never be-
fore had heard, and as he never after
wards forgot.
In moment he was on his feet again,
with his face as white as death. OF
course, he knew quite ellwhat he had
done.
"ElsieI" he tried to gasp; but there
came no answer. Huddled together
on the floor, in alittle heap, quite still,
and with the red blood that oozed out
on tho carpet already brginning to