Year: 1868

for-nothing, run and pick up your cup
and spoon, or the ducks will gobble them
into the spring; and then / shall have to
fish them out instead of taking my nap"


Farmer Grey would as soon have hurt
himself as his dear Ella, and he did not
dream of paining her sensitive little
heart; so, when her lip began to quiver,
and the tears to swim in her gray eyes,
he said abruptly:


"There now, don't cry, if the ducks
have tipped over your bread and milk


That's the way with girls. Arthur
never cries. Run to the house, and man.
ma will give you more"


Ella gathered up her cup and spoon,
and tried to suppress herssobs, so her
father should not hear. At the house
she found her mother too busy to notice
her; so she set her cup down, and ran
out into the ravine back of the house,
and gave vent to her feelings in heart
breaking sobs.


Poor little Ella! To be told by her
papa that she was good for nothing but
to make him work, and then to have him
think that she was only crying for more
dinner; it was more than she could bear.
After o long cry, she became exhausted
and fell asleep. When she wakened it
was almost sundown. She was stiff and
cold from the damp, and frightened by
the gloom of the ravine. Starting up,
she saw her father leading Old Spud to
water, and heard her mother calling,
Ella, Ella"


She ran to the brook to wash her face
and resolved in her little heart that she
would not eat bit more, and would try
with all her might to be" good for some
thing" Her heart ached, oh! SO sadly;
but her mother didn't know it, and made
it more sore and painful by scolding her
for going off into the woods and catching
cold, and soaring her half to death, add
ing:


you're more trouble than you're
worth, every day of your life


Elias tears began to flow again. How
could she bear it?


Now, don't go to pouting. l never
did see such child"


"She wants her supper, mamma" said
Farmer Grey, who had just come in.
She let the ducks and cats have her
dinner"


Ella said, chokingly, that she did moi
want any supper. And Mrs. Grey told
her to sit down on her stool, and pout
as long as she pleased y; and then said
not another word to the child. Soon il
was bedtime; and, so unhappy and op-
pressed rs to be almost stupid, she crept
into her trundle-bed, and lay long, think,
ing and resolving that, though she was
ever so hungry, she would never cat any
more. She had been told that if she did
not eat she would die: and she knew
that to die was to be buried in the ground
and 90 to heaven, and live with Jesus
and more of such crude teachings, that
may account for many of the strange
actions of children if we understood all


In the morning she did not cry, but
stoutly asserted she did not want any
breakfast; and Papa Grey made matter:
worse with her by saying:


"Ah! well, I'll not have to work Sc
hard then if Eve no little girl to feed"


Pussy had her milk at the door. Th'
geese and ducks were cackling over theil
handful of corn. Old Spud munchet
the oats in his trough. They are al
good for something" thought Ella. Il
| am not | will die"


At noon she was too sick to sit up, anc
in high fever. Arthur was sent off t.
the next town to bring the doctor, anC
Papa Grey sat by his darling little Ella
tanning and bathing her head, all tn
afternoon. Her eyes were closed, ant
she did not know of his kind care. Th
doctor came and gave her medicine; bu
for weeks she hovered upon the brink
the grave.


| At last the fever abated, and her sense


returned. And when her papa cam


bringing her nice chicken broth, an


took her in his arms and kissed her, an


told her how glad he was to have he


better, and how sorry he had been fo


fear his little girl would die, she opene


her heart. and told him all how it haE
pened. Then the honest, loving-hearte
, farmer took his turn at crying, and wor


dered in his heart that he could hay
. said such careless cruel words.
All this was fifteen years ago. Ell
now had love in plenty. She helped p'


pa and mamma everyday. Seven yeai
, ago Arthur went to war, and was brav
, soldier and had both of his legs shot @
at Gettysburg. Mamma Grey is dea'
; Papa Grey can't hold the plow or mai
E hay any more. Ella never gave up h
, Jo,or,;na,iou to he rood for somethin