St. Landry democrat., 1888-08-11
a POSEY IN LOOKS.
But Little Elsie Proved Herself to be Good
for Something More Than Flower.

''Well, you do look like pOsey, sure
enough said Susan, the maid, as Elsie
walked through the hall where you
going this nice morning?"
I'm going down to poor old Aunt
Dinah's to take her some flowers , said
Elsie. ''She says she gets 'pow'fu
tired in dis Norf country, seen so few
flowers"
Susan laughed as Elsie went out into
the garden.
ANY one who had seen the dear little
maiden would surely have agreed with
Susan.
She walked about, taking in the full
sweetness of the early June day, Won
dering if ever day had been quite so
perfect before. Every dewdrop added
a brightness to the smile with which
the darling little flowers looked up in
the sunshine The birds chirped and
trilled and twittered as if they were all
trying which could say the most about
the beautiful day.
''Don't be sorry because ! pick you,
you beauties!' said Elsie. II know it's
nice to stay here in the sunshine and
just look pretty, but mamma says every
thing ought to be good for something
else besides that. And that's what I'm
taking you for
But outside the garden and down the
road Elsie found some things which
were not so pleasant as the flowers and
the birds. Three shabby, unwashed
little children, a boy and girl and a
baby, were playing in the sand.
MY, amt she dressed up nice!" ex-
claimed the girl, as she looked at Elsie.
Il know she's stuck up!' said the
boy. "Folks like that always is stuck
up. She thinks more of her clean
duds'n any thing else in the world
Elsie thought it very disagreeable for
any one to talk so.
Aunt Dinah was sitting alone in her
wee little house, looking wistfully at
the beautiful world outside, when Elsie
came to her window and held up the
flowers.
'You'se for all de world jes' like
summer mornin' yo'self, honey" she
said, as Elsie found vase for the flow
ers.
"Aunt Dinah," said Elsie, soberly,
sis it any harm to like to have on clean
clothes and look nice?"
'.Any harm? Why, bress yer little
heart, didn't de good Lord make such
as you jes' to 60 roun' a-shinin' an a
beamin' like de flowers9'
Il don't know, Aunt Dinah," said the
little girl, shaking her head very
gravely ut seems to me little girls
ought to be good for more than flow
ers. If they weren't meant to be so,
they wouldn't have been able to walk
about and talk, and do lots of other
things, would they?"
''Dat's more'n | can tell, honey. But
/ don't make no doubt you'll be 'nough
sight better'n a flower some time"
I'D like to be now," said Elsie, as
she walked away after saying goodbye
to Aunt Dinah.
She did not like to GO by the rude
children again, and so she went down
a little lane, which brought her out by
the river just above the saw mills.
'Ha' ha! There she is again!"
''And just as stuck up as ever!'
The other children must have liked
the lane and the brook as well as she.
There they were, and the saucy boy
stopped to pick up a bit of dirt to throw
at her as she hurried by.
But it was never thrown, for as he
raised his arm he caught sight of some
thing which made his face turn pale.
'.The baby!' he screamed.
Elsie looked where he pointed. Down
the bank the poor little unkempt two
year-old had made his way and had
crept upon log which lay in the water
close to the shore. From this he had
climbed to another and then another
log until he now stood balancing HIM
self upon one which lay next to the
dark water beyond.
With shrieks for help the boy rushed
toward the mills, while his sister ran
wildly about, screaming: Mamma!
Mammal"
Elsie was older than either of them.
Swiftly into her little head came
thoughts of stories she had heard
about the folly of people allowing them
selves to become frightened in times of
danger instead of trying to do their best
to help. She ran down the bank and
before the boy had reached the mill vas
setting her feet upon the logs.
Her head grew dizzy as they tipped
and rolled under her and she half
thought of going back. But she heard a
pitiful cry from the baby and could not
find it in her heart to turn her back
upon him. Nearer and nearer she came
and had almost reached him when he
slipped into the water.
Elsie threw herself at full langth on
the log, and stretching out her arm
could just lay hold of his dress. She
it tightly, holding on with all her
might as the cruel water seemed deter