The Indiana State sentinel., 1886-04-28
EIsie's Easter Lilies.


!Aenes Carr sage in American Asriculturist.l
twenty-five, fifty, one dollar, the crooked
dime and seven pennies, which with the sill
yer dollar makes Just two dollars and seven
teen cents" counted Elsie Dunham, Joy
fully, as she turned out the contents of the
old brown earthenware pitcher that served
her for bank. That will get the white
straw and ribbons, and one OF those cheap
wreaths at Crawfords, so for once l shall
have a new hat for Easter" and her pretty
blue eyes sparkled with pleasure at the
thought; for as the Dunham household was
large in number and limited in means, any
thing brand new was an event in Elsie's life,
she generally wearing dresses made over
from her older sisters, and having her hats
trimmed again and again. Elsie had made
up her mind that she must and would have
something beside that shabby last summer
hat, and with this end in view, had for two
months spent most of her time in knitting
linen lace, which she sold to her friends,
and thereby added to the store OF coins in
the brown pitcher. So absorbed was she,
that she did not hear her mother enter the
room, until Mrs. Dunham exclaimed, why,
Elsie. child, are you dreaming here yet 1t
is high time you were oil to school; and put
on your gOssamer, Tor it is beginning to
rain"
a soft April shower was falling, but Elsie
felt well protected in waterproof and rub
bers, and could not resist going round by
Crawford's to just take peep at those lovely
wreaths, and marked so low, only fifty cents
apiece. The bell had stopped ringing when
Elsie reached the school-house, and she had
to hurry to her seat; but at recess as she
and her bosom friend, Florrie Ames were
walking arm ana arm up and down the long
corridor, deep in one of those confidential
chats dear to school girls they were
joined by Kate Haywood, another class
mate, who was also niece of their much be-
loved Sunday-school teacher.
Il have an invitation for each of you girls, -
she said, "to take lunch at Aunt Fanny's on
Easter Monday. And here is a little note
which she asked me 10 read to all the girls
IN her class, y and drawing a small sheet of
paper from an evelope Kate read aloud:
Dear girls:-I shall hope to see you all
at my luncheon party on Monday; but mean
while have small request to make. 1t is
that this year you each let your Easter offer
ing be one of howers-pot-plants that will
help TO deck our little church, and make it
beautiful for the great festival. Afterward
they will serve a second and perhaps better
purpose, In going to gladden. the hearts of any
you may know of, who are poor and sick,
but who love and appreciate bit of Natures
work. Indeed, propose that we shall have
little Easter Flower Mission OF our own.
Hoping you will all like to celebrate the
Glad Easter in this manner, am your low
ing teacher, FRANCES HEYwooD."
That is a charming idea," cried Florrie,
Il have nearly three dollars for my offering,
and will get one of those lovely pink azaleas
and give il to old Tony, the cobbler Poor
old man, he used to live in the country, but
now, as he says, ne wearies so of red brick
walls and stone pavements. 1t will make his
| little dusty window quite gay" "And mine
| shall be violet, big and purple, and sweet
| scented" said Kate. "Niolet is your favorite
| color, isn't II, Kate,' asked Florrie. Yes
/ ID IL -
and white, with the dearest little hat to
match" Elsie alone was silent, and was
| glad when the bell summoned them back to
| the school-rOom. She was restless aud
absent-minded all the afternoon, for her
| thoughts were busy. An Easter Offering.
She had hardly thought of that. The other
| girls had been more cOnsiderate, but
then they all had plenty. She
| was the poorest in her class, and after her
| hat was paid for, there would be little left
for flowers. Not enough for even tiny pot
Of primrose. And l don't know what to
| do. for l can't ask mother for money, now
| she is so worried about Jack and the rent,
and everything" sighed Elsie. ''Oh, dear
| / wonder why isn't everyone in the world
born rich and happy without any bothers?'
The puzzle how TO make one dollar do the
| duty of two, is one that has exercised many
a brain beside Elsies, but she found il a far
| more difficult problem to solve than any in
the algebra that lay open on the desk before
her; and to-day, KY seemed to represent
nothing but straw hats and a bewildering
mass Of bright Easter. flowers. On her way
| home she met little girl of ten, staggering
beneath the weight of fat, white baby, who
sppered to consider his chubby. wrinkled
thumb the choicest tid-bit imaginable, by
the way he was vOciferously sucking it,
| while he viewed the new world he had come
| into out of pair of very solemn black eyes.
Good afternoon, Nellie" said Elsie.
| "How is Nat to-day?' "Not so well, Miss"
and a sob choked the little girls voice. The
warm weather makes him weak, it is so close
in our room. The doctor says it's country
| air he needs, but that which we get is all
| SCOT and onions" Does he still draw and
paint? A little, on his good days; but he is
always wishing for something pretty to copy.
He Is tired of drawing me and the baby, and
the pigeons that fly around the chimney
pots; but he makes beautiful pictures, he
do indeed, Miss" ''Yes, Nat is born artist.
| Tell him / will come In and see him soon, "
and as Elsie turned away she thought .'I
wish | had a flower or something nice to
| take to him. "Ws@ yoIU old tEzhap, and