The Two Elsies A Sequel to Elsie at Nantucket, Book 10

morni

but some hea

NYS

at Crag Cottage; so that the brothers had abundance of time and opportunity for pr

e change in her husband; and she heaped reproaches upon poor E

to walk, or even drive out, and had wakeful, restless nights. I thought you would certainly want to come to him

Evelyn's pale, terror-stricken face, "Pshaw, child! don't be frightened," she said;

face with a look of agonized entreaty. "I know you believe in deceiving people sometimes when you think

rances, which are as visible to you as to me. Besides, what is the use of my giving

oom, leaving Evelyn alone in the parlor,

e be worth without him? how could she go on living? How soon would the dread parting come? how many more days or hours might she spend in his dear

at again; "mamma" was with him, and jus

alling their conversations, especially every word he had addressed to her bearing upon her future; all his loving counsels; his exhortations to lean upon God in every time of

rent who had been hitherto the confidant of all her childish griefs, perplexities, hopes, joys, and fears; and w

her slight frame, when a hand was gently laid upon her shoulder, and a

, "you will tell me the truth! Is my dear papa-No, no, I can't say

arm about the little girl's waist, drew her close with a tender caress, "he is very

ns!" cried Evelyn in anguished accent

is not very long since I stood by the deathbed of a dear father. Flesh and heart fail in such a trial;

ce on Elsie's shoulder. "And papa-oh, how dreadful for him

through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for th

will be with me when he is gone? Mamma is seldom

us, he will be to you a Friend indeed; One who sticketh closer than a brother or fath

at length she spoke in trembling, tearful tones, "Will the angels come and carry him

rry him home, with songs of gladness; and oh what a welcome he will receive when he enters the gates of the Celestial City! for the Bible tells us 'Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints;' and that 'He shall see of the travail of His soul and be satis

papa; but O Aunt Elsie,

ather," Elsie said with emotion. "'A Father of the fatherless

ce-that story of Dives and Lazarus; for then I should be quite sure that angels do come to carry home

any world that he has not seen and known, therefore he was perfectly competent to tell about the life and death of any man, and also of his

t angels do carry home the souls of God's children. I heard an old minister-a man whose

ng to their horses. Some short distance from them was the dwelling of an old elder, a remarkably devoted Christian man, wh

f voices singing one of the elder's two tunes-I have forgotten now which it was-but the sounds came nearer and nearer,

ing of the singers. Afterward they learned that

fact, by a Christian lady who had i

sie, if I could hear their song of joy over papa, I should n

t actually seems that you, a mere child, are more necessary to

speech, Evelyn withdrew herself from Elsi