The Red Cloud chief., 1888-08-17
LIKE A POSEY.

walked through the hall. ''Where yO
going this nice mOrning?"
I'm going down to poor old Aun
Dinah's to take her some flowers" sal
Elsie. ''She a she gets 'pOw'fu
tired in dis NOrf country. seen 50 few
flowers"
Susan laughed as Elsie went out int
the garden.
ANY one who had cen the dear littl'
maiden would surely have agreed will
Susan.
She walked about. taking in the full
sweetness of the early June day. won
derins if ever a day had been quite 81
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
trnlcd and twittered As if they were all
trying which could say the most abOu,
the beautiful day.
Don't be sorry because l pick you.
you beauties" said Elsie. Il know it's
nice to stay here in the sunshine and
jus: look pretty, but mi says every
thing ought TO he 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 50 pleasant as the flowers and
the birds. Three shabby. unwashed
little children. a boy and a girl and 4
baby. were playing in the sand.
My. amt she dressed up nicew ex-
claimed the girl. us 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 d~isagreeable for
any one to talk 50.
Aunt Dinah was sitting alone in her
wee little house. looking wistfully at
the beautiful world outside. when Elsie
came 10 her window and held up the
flowers.
"You'se for all de world jes' like a
s,,mmer mOrnin' yO'self. honey" she
said. as Elsie found u 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. Dress yer little
heart, didn't de good Lord make such
rs you jes' to go rOun' a-shinin' an a
beamin' like de iOwers?"
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 80.
they wouldn't have been able to walk
about and talk. and do lots of other
things. would they?"
bats more'n l a tell. honey. But
] don't make nc 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
10 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. |
land just as stuck up rs everw
The other children must have liked |,
the lane and the brook as well as she
There they We're. and the saucy boy |
stopped to pick up a bit of dirt to throw
at her as she hurried by.
H,,% Il u.o- cn.o. %Ao,.- E.. l.. l
raised his arm he caught sight of some
&hing which made his face turn pale.
The babyr 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 a 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 shr;eks for help the boy rushed
toward the mills. while his sister ran
about, screaming: mamma!
Mammal"
IIlSIC vas OAuOI t&l0u CkbIl6W u t0Rm. /
into her little head came
thoughts of stories she had heard
about the folly Oi people allowing them
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 was
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
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
erasped it tightly. holding on with all her
as the cruel water seemed deter
to sweep her away.
Hold on a minute longer"
cho,<, oud foofsfanS were COminQ