The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-11-27
"STORY OF A CHILD
EXTRACT PROM MRS. MARGARET
DyLhyD,s NEW BOOK.
How Two Little Girls played Hcsthsn."
other Interesting Reading for
Father Times Little Folks,

shoulder, and a moment later seized Ellen
hand and went skipping from the room'
much to the relief Of weary Miss Dace.
Efle had a suggestion TO make: lets
80 down to the back parlor and play house
under the sofa"
Wont Il make your head ache moreT
Ellen said, family polite. fer playing house
under the sofa was great happiness.
NO" Efie assured her; cts only those
old stupid decIensions that make my head
ache. Mammals awfully afraid Ill over
work: so ] always tell her when THINK
I'm going TO have n headache. Isn't your
grandmother afraid you'll overwork!'
mo" Ellen said bitterly.
But for once Fife forgot to be sympa-
tbetic. "Oh, Nellie" she said. come look
at the idol; somebody brought 1t from
China for papa
She nulIed Ellen across the room, where,
ir n aim corner. mounted on an ebony pill
lar. a small bronze Buddha sat on his jade
throne. Under oblique and cynical eye
brows, his halfshIt dreaming eyes seem
ed 70 stare with strange contempt at the
two silent ,hildren.
Ellen caught her breath and made
clutch at Enie's arm. The dark god was
looking. from under those pulled and droop-
ing eyelids. straight at her.
"Oh, Efic''
isn't he ugly?" Ellie inquired calmly
"And he's really an idol. He used to be
On q temple with lots OF little roofs on 1t,
all strung with bells that rung when the
wind blew. papa says. And he had things
sacrificed 10 him--rice and things.
Ellen made no answer. So much came
INTO her mnd-scenes from Little Henry
and his Bearer" and various other unpleas-
mt and morbid stories. full Of that cheap
sentiment which once mnistered to chiid-
ish piety-that she did not find II easy 10
talk. she said she would not play house
under the sofa: and. followed by E1ie's
rcproschcs. went home 10 think about the
god. She was very silent at tea, and she
Law awake that night for certainly quar-
ter Of an hour. listening 10 the rain drip
ping on the leaves OF the woOdbine about
her window. and thinking CT the bronze
image with his strange, still smile She shut
her eyes. and fancicd the pagoda with its
roof strung with jangling bells; the hot,
white sunshine pouring on the dusty streets;
the palm trees standing like great feathers
against the sky and the figures of people
wearing their clothing all wrapped about
them like the paper spills she made for
lamp-lghters. Her mind was tumble OF
terms-palaDquins. rupees. coolies, litters-
gathered from the India stories Il the Lady
Of the Manor Tho Arabian Nights came
in. too. and beautiful slaves and cream tarts
and roc's eggs. danced through her mind
with bewidering interest. But through all
she seemed 10 see sitting in the shadows OF
the temple. with rice and flowers spread be-
fore him. and joss sticks filling the air with
heavy fragrance the dark, squatting figure
OF the god, smiling cruelty under his tilted
eyebrows She pictured his wonder now
at Mr. Temples drawing-room, his con-
tempt for the two little girls who had stood
and looked at him that afternoon. his home
sickness for his worshippers. his anger be-
cause no sacrifices were offered him. And
then came n delightful and terrible thought
u thought which made Ellen say TO her
self that she was very wicked. After that
she fell asleep but the thought came back
TO her the next morning, when she opened
her sleepy eyes to the sunshine.
HE must miss those sacrifices. There
wouldn't be any harm in doing it-just for
fun. And IL all those heather people think
it's right TO sacrifice things TO him, why,
may be il would be safer tor
Mere and more delightful did the plan
appear Of taking some flowers and laying
them down in front Of him. Yet it was a
week before she confded It to Efle.
ooh. yes. let's worship him. Efie agreed
vita enthIsidsm.
But Ellen shrank AT the word. "Oh,
tend"
II was Saturday afternoon. and there was
no one at hand &c interfere with the strange
rites which the two children began TO
cnaet. in the back parlor. whore, cross
legged upon his jade cushion. the bronze
god watched them from under his sleepy !
eyclidS.
II was curious to SEQ the difference in |
Ellen and Efie rs revealed N their rcla- |
she grew tired Of it, it was a play: to Ellen |
Il was tasting sin, with the subtle, epicu-
rcan delight CT the artictic temperament
They made great preparations for their |
service. They lit the candles in the sconce |
I'm the corner where Buddha sat, and then |
row OF bedroom candles, stolen from the |
table I'm the back entry. Ellen made
larkspur wreath. sticking one blue horn in |
another, until the whole rested In her title |
palm. a fiat. thin crown, just large enough |
for Buddha'S head Then she brought |
dozen of those dark red and deeply sweet |
roses whose stems are thick with thOrns.
and put them in his lap. The cool dusk of |
the room was pierced by thin lines of sun
light, creeping between tho bowed shutters |
OF the west window, and falling I'm tremu- |
lous pools upon the floor. Each line was |
NO clear in the dusk that Ellen chose 10 |
think they were golden barriers 10 the tenn |
reach the inner court Of worship. She did |
1t, solemnly her little head touching once |
or twice the slant.ng sunbeam above her, |
so that for moment her forehead and eyes |
were gorl1ed; then she dropped down On |
her knees and looked up into the still, dark |
face. She forgot that she was making be-
lieve;" the god became horribly real 10 |
her; she felt the sombre mirth of his cruel /
eyes following her when she stepped back |
and forth before him, and the desire TO
prcpitiate him grew into actual terror. FL
fle brought some rice and scattered it In
front OF the image, and watched Ellen bow
ing and bending and muttering 10 herself
a little pagan prayer which spoke suddenly
In her soul The perfumes offered some
difficulty, but Effie solved it by stealing into
her mothers room and bringing down a
long green bottle Ct cologne, which Ellen
with lavish hand sprlnkled all about the
god.
I'VE ought to sing, and we ought to have
n mat 10 kneel on. she said, in a whisper,
to Ellie. who rejected. and then said she
would so and get something. A moment or
two later she came back with green Grape
shawl in her hands.
1T came from China" she explained;
''aunty said so. It's just the thing"
Ellen was too absorbed 10 question the
propriety OF taking Miss James shawl, nor
did she notice that she was stalking The
delicate mat mt her feet when, with
solemn gestures. she pressed the bottom OF
the ol-can from the sewing machine, so
that they might offer libation Ct oil.
I'VE must sing to him." she said, her eyes
wide with excitement but only Christian
words suggested themselves TO her. "Hea-
then god'-she began, ''you-you-shall-"