The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1917-01-13
~PERSISTENCY WINS.

q ~
PERSISTENCE WINS.
allow dark the sky is getting, l fear
the storm will be here before night"
sighed Elsie, as she looked anxiously
from the kitchen window.
at is now time for father, but he
may not come home, thinking the
storm would reach here before him."
her mother answered.
Elsie Morris was the daughter of
the foreman of the silver mines near
State River, Colorado. The Morris
home was in a small village about
eight miles from Beaver Camp, where
the miners stayed during the week,
returning to their homes on Saturday
afternoons.
Elsie was busy with the supper
when a loud knock was heard. On
answering it she found a business-like
mar asking for her father. Learning
that he had not yet arrived, he handed
the girl a letter, stating that it must
reach her father before midnight.
What was to be done, how would it
get to her father with a storm SO
near? Could she go? These ques-
tons ran through her mind as she
handed the letter to her mother. The
decision was quickly made, for fifteen
minutes later, a person left her home,
so concealed in storm wraps that she
was beyond recognition.
She had not gone far when the sky
began to grow darker and the snow
to fall. Faster and faster it came,
until she could hardly see in front of
her. But she trudged on, holding her
head down to shield her face. She
was already beginning to feel cold and
weary.
Elsie had travelled for about three
hours, she must be nearly there. Then
suddenly she stopped abruptly. "How
strange" she said excitedly, "that l
never saw this rock before. l Won
der if | have taken the wrong path"
To her dismay and fear, she realized
that she had lost her way, and was in
a place unknown to her. What was
she to do? Must she go on or turn
back? If she went straight ahead
she might go on, on, on, until she
reached Canada and not find the
camp. If she turned back she might
not go in the right direction of her
home, thus making matters worse.
These thoughts went hurriedly
through her mind as she faced about
looking for traces of the right path.
But in vain; even her footsteps far
Their than ten yards back were covered
with new fallen snow. To be lost in
this forest was surely a misfortune
for it extended many miles.
Weary and exhausted, she sat down
on the rock to rest, The snow had
fallen in her boots and her storm skirt
was wet to her knees. She felt that
she could not go a step farther. What
was she to do?
Then she remembered an incident
told her by her grandfather years
ago; how he had been lost and not
knowing where to go, had offered a
prayer to the Guide and Father and
then struggled through the way he
thought was right; how his prayer
had been answered, delivering him
safely to the goal.
Doing likewise gave her a new in
~spiration and feeling of strength, thus
comforting her. She arranged her
garments more tightly and arising
started again, this time going a little
to her right. The snow soon began
to fall faster, faster and faster, till
it blew so thick and fast that it al
most blinded her. 1t shut out all view
of the woods.
Not far from the rock she came to
what she thought must be a cleared
place, and the edge of the forest. She
could not see plainly, therefore she
went a little closer to make sure be-
fore going again into the forest in
search of the camp. Suddenly some
thing like a sohck came upon her numb
form; she felt herself being moved
about, but the darkness riding all pos
sible view of the cause, she could not
keep herself from going.
The next thing she knew she was
lying in the middle of a snow bank
trying to account for her being there.
Although she remembered the strange
feeling, she could account for nothing
except fainting. She strove to get up
to continue her journey. Giving her
self a vigorous lift by means of a
nearby bush she arose-then fell back
Imply with a cry of pain.
A few seconds elapsed before she
came to herself again, realizing that
her leg was broken. Must she lay
there helpless in the snow?
Offering another prayer for guild
ance and strength, she again made an
attempt to get up, thinking that she
might walk by limping. She strug,
gled on for about five yards, then fell
unconscious on the ground.
Meanwhile there was much anxiety
in Beaver Camp. The men were get
ting discouraged from the poor re-
suits of the mining. Many days had
passed since they had struck a valua-
BILE vein. They had tried to work
hopefully under the foreman's encour-
agement, but in vain. They were fail
ing more and more.
One morning they boldly told the
foreman that they should leave Bea-
yer Camp and seek another spot with
in three days if no better results came
from the mines. This was sad news
for Mr.. Morris, who was himself dis
couraged. In writing to an old friend
he told Of his despair and of their
thoughts of leaving.
On the night of the miners depart
ure a heavy snow-storm came up.
Tbev nacked their OOSSnSSionS and loft