LITMIR.BIZ

Скачать книгу

grown a deal stronger and healthier-looking since her papa came home; he takes such good care of her."

      "Indeed he does," said Elsie heartily, thanking Mrs. Brown with one of her sweetest smiles.

      "What are we going to do to-day, Elsie?" asked Caroline.

      "Whatever you all prefer," said Elsie. "If you like I will practice that duet with you the first hour after breakfast, or do anything else you wish; but the second hour I must spend with papa, and after that I have nothing to do but entertain my company all day."

      "Do you do lessons in holidays?" asked Mary Leslie, a merry, fun-loving child, about Elsie's own age, who considered lessons an intolerable bore, and had some vague idea that they must have been invented for the sole purpose of tormenting children. Her blue eyes opened wide with astonishment when Elsie quietly replied that her papa had kindly arranged to give her an hour every morning, because he knew it would be so much pleasanter for her than spending the whole day in play.

      Elsie did keenly enjoy that quiet hour spent in studying and reciting to her father, sitting on a low stool at his feet, or perhaps oftener on his knee, with his arm around her waist.

      She had an eager and growing thirst for knowledge, and was an apt scholar, whom any one with the least love for the profession might have delighted in teaching; and Mr. Dinsmore, a thorough scholar himself, and loving knowledge for its own sake—loving also his little pupil with all a father's fond, yearning affection—delighted in his task.

      When Elsie left her father she found that the Carringtons had just arrived. She and Lucy had not seen each other since the week the latter had spent at Roselands early in the summer, and both felt pleased to meet.

      Mrs. Carrington gave Elsie a warm embrace, remarking that she had grown, and was looking extremely well; better than she had ever seen her. But no one was more delighted to meet Elsie than Herbert, and she was very glad to learn that his health was gradually improving. He was not, however, at all strong, even yet, and his mother thought it best for him to lie down and rest a little after his ride. She promised to sit by him, and the two little girls went in search of the rest of the young folks.

      Several of the older boys had gone out walking or riding, but the younger ones, and all the little girls, were gathered in a little back parlor, where, by Adelaide's care and forethought, a variety of story-books, toys, and games, had been provided for their amusement. Elsie's entrance was hailed with delight, for she was a general favorite.

      "Oh! Elsie, can't you tell us what to play?" cried Mary Leslie; "I'm so tired," and she yawned wearily.

      "Here are some dissected maps, Mary," replied Elsie, opening a drawer; "would you not like them?"

      "No, indeed, thank you; they are too much like lessons."

      "Here are blocks; will you build houses?"

      "Oh! I am too big for that; they are very nice for little children."

      "Will you play jack-stones? here are some smooth pebbles."

      "Yes, if you and Carry, and Lucy, will play with me."

      "Agreed!" said the others, "let's have a game."

      So, Elsie having first set the little ones to building block-houses, supplied Harry Carrington—an older brother of Lucy's—with a book, and two younger boys with dissected maps to arrange, the four girls sat down in a circle on the carpet and began their game.

      For a few moments all went on smoothly; but soon angry and complaining words were heard coming from the corner where the house-building was going on. Elsie left her game to try to make peace.

      "What is the matter, Flora, dear?" she asked soothingly of a little curly-headed girl, who was sobbing, and wiping her eyes with the corner of her apron.

      "Enna took my blocks," sobbed the child.

      "Oh! Enna, won't you give them back?" said Elsie, coaxingly; "you know Flora is a visitor, and we must be very polite to her."

      "No, I won't," returned Enna, flatly; "she's got enough now."

      "No, I haven't; I can't build a house with those," Flora said, with another sob.

      Elsie stood a moment looking much perplexed; then, with a brightening face, exclaimed in her cheerful, pleasant way, "Well, never mind, Flora, dear, I will get you my doll. Will not that do quite as well?"—"Oh! yes, I'd rather have the doll, Elsie," the little weeper answered eagerly, smiling through her tears.

      Elsie ran out of the room and was back again almost in a moment, with the doll in her arms.

      "There, dear little Flora," she said, laying it gently on the child's lap, "please be careful of it for I have had it a long while, and prize it very much, because my guardian gave it to me when I was a very little girl, and he is dead now."

      "I won't break it, Elsie, indeed I won't," replied Flora, confidently; and Elsie sat down to her game again.

      A few moments afterward Mr. Horace Dinsmore passed through the room.

      "Elsie," he said, as he caught sight of his little daughter, "go up to my dressing-room."

      There was evidently displeasure and reproof in his tone, and, entirely unconscious of wrongdoing, Elsie looked up in surprise, asking, "Why, papa?"

      "Because I bid you," he replied; and she silently obeyed, wondering greatly what she had done to displease her father.

      Mr. Dinsmore passed out of one door while Elsie left by the other.

      The three little girls looked inquiringly into each other's faces.

      "What is the matter? what has Elsie done?" asked Carry in a whisper.

      "I don't know; nothing I guess," replied Lucy, indignantly. "I do believe he's just the crossest man alive! When I was here last summer he was all the time scolding and punishing poor Elsie for just nothing at all."

      "I think he must be very strict," said Carry; "but Elsie seems to love him very much."

      "Strict! I guess he is!" exclaimed Mary; "why, only think, girls, he makes her do her lessons in the holidays!"

      "I suspect she did not know her lesson, and has to learn it over," said Carry, shaking her head wisely; and that was the conclusion they all came to.

      In the meantime, Elsie sat down alone in her banishment, and tried to think what she could have done to deserve it.

      It was some time before she could form any idea of its cause; but at length it suddenly came to her recollection that once, several months before this, her father had found her sitting on the carpet, and had bade her get up immediately and sit on a chair or stool, saying, "Never let me see you sitting on the floor, Elsie, when there are plenty of seats at hand. I consider it a very unladylike and slovenly trick."

      She covered her face with her hands, and sat thus for some moments, feeling very sorry for her forgetfulness and disobedience; very penitent on account of it; and then, kneeling down, she asked forgiveness of God.

      A full hour she had been there alone, and the time had seemed very long, when at last the door opened and her father came in.

      Elsie rose and came forward to meet him with the air of one who had offended and knew she was in disgrace; but putting one of her little hands in his, she looked up pleadingly into his face, asking, in a slightly tremulous tone, "Dear papa, are you angry with me?"

      "I am always displeased when you disobey me, Elsie," he replied, very gravely, laying his other hand on her head.

      "I am very sorry I was naughty, papa," she said, humbly, and casting down her eyes, "but I had quite forgotten that you had told me not to sit on the floor, and I could not think for a good while what it was that I had done wrong."

      "Is that an excuse for disobedience, Elsie?" he asked in a tone of grave displeasure.

      "No, sir; I did not mean it so, and I am very, very sorry; dear papa, please forgive me, and I will try never to forget again."

      "I

Скачать книгу