Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1886-04-08
ELSIE.

teaches US are often Dltter ones.
''You will never learn caution, my
boy, till yon do yourself or some one
else mischief" Mr.. Foster had said
to his son Norman, hundred times
Norman was always doing some
wild and reckless thing-climbings some
of the highest trees in the garden, at
the risk of breaking his neck; wadins
in the river beyond his depth; riding
barsbacked on his fathers horse
playing with the fierce old watch-dos
that snarled and showed his teeth al
every one who tried to caress him.
Norman had no brothers, but he had
q little sister named Elsie, three years
younger than himself, of whom he wa:
very fond. There was nothing that he
liked better than to have Elsie, as hi
called it, call to himself" and though
he was so wild and willful when alone
or with other boys, yet it was pretty
to see how gentle and kind ne could bt
when Elsie was his playmate, and how
he could give up his own wishes to dc
the things she asked him, and never
speak rough or impatient word to
her
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
man hurt on that sad day of which
am going to tell you, when in his bold
play he did thing that he never aft
erward forgot, or forgave himself fcr
as long as he lived.
The two children had been sitting one
morning with their mother in the din.
ing-room. talking, and lookingat pict.
ure- 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.
"rhen j must send you up stairs,
my little Elsie" Mrs Foster said.
But at that moment Norman ex,
claimed, "0h no, let us stophere. III
take care of Elsie"
And he had taken good care of Elsie
so often that his mother almost nj
once replied, Very well. 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 little while
everything went perfectly well.
They played at being horses at first,
aud 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 asQldier, and as Elsie
was always very much delighted when
Norman made himself 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 gun against Lis
shoulder.
"Only it doesn't make good gun;
it's not long enough: I'll get fathers
real gun" hesaid, presently. 'Iknow
where it is. just you stay here a
minute till fetch it."
And he ran out of the room, and
returned almost Immediately with q
long revolver, which he trailed after
him on the floor.
''0h, 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 strona
hands to make them 90 eff at all, that
Elsie, who always believed whatever
Norman told her, and, besides, was
not naturally a 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, levelin2 his revolver and pre-
tending to fire at one enemy after an
other.
"Shoot. Bang" cried Norman at
the top OF his voice. "Shootl Bang
There's another down. Now Pm com.
ing to you. Shoot
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 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. o.
course, he knew quite well what he had
done.
Elsie" he tried to gasp; but there
came no answer. Huddled together
on the floor, in alittle heap, quite still
and with thered blood that oozed out
on the carpet already brginning to
stain her pretty golden hair, little Ell
sic lay.
There was no need for Norman to &C
for help, for everybody had heard the
report of the gun, and in afew seconds
the whole household had rushed into
the room, and then there was great
hubbub of voices, and cries, and la
mentations, but the only words that
Norman heard was the piteous, "My
child, my child!' that broke in q wild
shrek from his mothers lips.
Was Elsie dead?
They lifted her up softly from the
floor. The blue eyes we're shut, and
the little face was white except for the
stains OF blood upon it, but Norman
heard her sive one moan, and that
sound OF penn was the first thing that
seemed to bring his own life back to
him.
He had never uttered word as they
came hurrying into the room. Some
of the servants began to question him
one took him by the arm and shook
him roughly; but he neither moved
nor answered.
He only stood by his mothers side
this mother, who in her anguish never
spoke to him. clinging to her gown
and grasping it tight in both his
hands.
"0h, / wish was dead / wonder il
shall be able to die''
The poor young heart in its misery
was passionately crying to itself.
1t was almost half an hour before q
doctor could be got, and when he
came they carried Elsie out of Nor
mans sight.
An hour later, the little blue-eyed
yellow-haired child lay quiet on her
bed, asleep, with her mothers hand in
hers.
And her mother, sitting at the bed.
side, was looking at her with look
AS If her heart would break. "0h, my
Elsie, whose little feet will never make
music on the floor again" she was
.mnrmuring over her through her bitter
tears.
For Elsie was not dead, and did not
uBSCRIBE Re was famed for life. The
|RTER & PARMaA
sK YEAR IN ADyA G.