Elsie's Widowhood

by Martha Finley

  CHAPTER VI.

  "Happy he With such a mother! faith in womankind Beats with his blood, and trust in all things high Comes easy to him, and though he trip and fall He shall not blind his soul with clay." --_Tennyson._

  Life at Ion moved on in its accustomed quiet course, Mr. Travilla'sremoval seeming, to outsiders, to have made very little change exceptthat Mr. and Mrs. Dinsmore now took up their abode there for the greaterpart of the time, leaving the younger Horace and his wife in charge atthe Oaks.

  An arrangement for which Elsie was very thankful, for her father'spresence and his love were as balm to her wounded spirit.

  Her strongest support in this, as in every trial of her life, was in heralmighty Saviour; on Him she leaned every hour with a simple childlikefaith and confidence in His unerring wisdom and infinite love; but itwas very sweet to lean somewhat upon the strength and wisdom of theearthly father also, and to feel that the shield of his care andprotection was interposed between her and the cold world.

  Both his and Rose's companionship had ever been delightful to her, andwere now a great solace and pleasure.

  She gave no indulgence to a spirit of repining because her chief earthlytreasure had been taken from her for the remainder of her life in thisworld, but was filled with gratitude for those blessings that were left,ever deeming God's goodness to her far beyond her deserts.

  And her own sorrow was often half forgotten in tender compassion for herfatherless children. For their sakes, as well as because such was herChristian duty, she strove after a constant abiding cheerfulness; andnot without success.

  But it was not sought in forgetfulness of the dear one gone. They talkedfreely and tenderly of him, his looks, his words, his ways; his presenthappiness and the joy of the coming reunion with him. He was not dead tothem, but living in the blessed land where death could never enter, aland that grew more real and attractive because he was there.

  Elsie found great comfort in her children--dear as her own offspring,and dearer still because they were his also. They were very good andobedient, loving her so devotedly that the very thought of grieving herwas pain.

  Her unselfish love seemed to call forth its counterpart in them: theyvied with each other in earnest efforts to make up to her the loss oftheir father's love and ever watchful tender care.

  They were very fond of their grandfather too, and always yielded a readyobedience to his commands or directions.

  He never had shown to them the sternness that had been one of the trialsof their mother's youthful days, but was patient and gentle, as well asfirm and decided. Mr. Travilla's example as a father had not been wastedon him.

  He was wont to say "he had three reasons for loving them--that they werethe children of his friend, Elsie's children, and his owngrandchildren."

  It was very evident that they were very dear to him, and they loved himdearly in return.

  Mr. Travilla had left no debts, no entanglements in his affairs; hiswill was short, plainly expressed, and its conditions such as there wasno difficulty in carrying out.

  Elsie and her father were joint executors, and were associated in theguardianship of the children also. The estate was left to her during hernatural life, to Edward after her death.

  Hitherto the education of all the sons and daughters had been carried onat home, but now Edward was to go to college.

  It had been his father's decision, and his wishes and opinions weresacred; so neither the lad nor any one else raised an objection, thoughall felt the prospect of parting sorely just at this time.

  There had been some talk of sending Harold and Herbert away also to apreparatory school; but to save them and their mother the pain ofseparation, Mr. Dinsmore offered to prepare them to enter college.

  Elsie was in fact herself competent to the task, but gladly accepted herfather's offered assistance; desiring to increase as much as possiblehis good influence over her boys, hoping that so they would learn toemulate all that was admirable in his character.

  They were of course leading a very quiet and retired life at Ion; butwith her household cares and the superintendence of the education of heryounger children to attend to in addition to other and less pressingduties, Elsie was in no danger of finding time hanging heavy on herhands.

  One of the numerous demands upon her maternal responsibility andaffection was found in the call to cheer, comfort and console hernamesake daughter under the trial of separation from her betrothed,delay in hearing from him, and a morbid remorse on account of having, asshe expressed it, "troubled poor, dear papa by grieving and frettingover Lester's departure."

  "Dear child," the mother said, "he sympathized with but did not blameyou, and would not have you blame yourself so severely now and embitteryour life with unavailing regrets. He loved you very, very dearly, andhas often said to me, 'Elsie has been nothing but a blessing to us sincethe hour of her birth.'"

  "O mamma, how sweet! Thank you for telling me," exclaimed the daughter,tears of mingled joy and sorrow filling her eyes. "He said it once tome, when I was quite a little girl--at the time grandpa--yourgrandpa--and Aunt Enna were hurt, and you went to Roselands to nurseher, leaving me at home to try to fill your place. Oh I shall neverforget how dear and kind he was when he came home from taking you there!how he took me in his arms and kissed me and said those very words.Mamma, I cannot recall one cross word ever spoken by him to me, or toany one."

  "No, daughter, nor can I; he was most kind, patient, forbearing, loving,as husband, father, master--in all the relations of life. What aprivilege to have been his cherished wife for so many years!"

  The sweet voice was very tremulous, and unbidden tears stole over thefair cheeks that had not quite recovered their bloom; for scarce a monthhad passed since the angel of death had come between her beloved andherself.

  "Dear mamma, you made him very happy," whispered Elsie, clasping herclose with loving caresses.

  "Yes, we were as happy together, I believe, as it is possible for anyto be in this world of sin and sorrow. I bless God that he was spared tome so long, and for the blessedness that now is his, and the sure hopethat this separation is but for a season."

  "Mamma, it is that sweet hope that keeps you from sinking."

  "Yes, dearest, that and the sweet love and sympathy of Jesus. Myfather's and my dear children's love does greatly help me also. Ah howgreat is the goodness of my heavenly Father in sparing me all these! Andkeeping me from poverty too; how many a poor widow has the added pang ofseeing her children suffering sore privations or scattered amongstrangers, because she lacks the ability to provide them with food andclothing."

  "Mamma, how dreadful!" cried Elsie. "I had never thought of that. Howthankful we ought to be that we do not have to be separated from you orfrom each other. To be sure Edward is going away for a time," she added,with a sigh and a tear, "but it is not to toil for a livelihood orendure privations."

  "No, but to avail himself of opportunities for mental culture for whichwe should be grateful as still another of the many blessings God hasgiven us. He will be exposed to temptations such as would never assailhim at home: but these he must meet, and if he does so looking to Godfor strength, he will overcome and be all the stronger for the conflict.And we, daughter, must follow him constantly with our prayers. Thank Godthat we can do that!"

  To Edward himself she spoke in the same strain in a last private talkhad with him the night before he went away.

  "I know that you have a very strong will of your own, my dear boy," sheadded, "and are not easily led; and because I believe it to be yourearnest desire and purpose to walk in the way of God's commands, that isa comfort to me."

  "You are right in regard to both, mother," he said with emotion: "and ohI could sooner cut off my right hand than do aught to grieve you, anddishonor the memory of--of my sainted father!"

  "I believe it, my son, but do not trust in your own strength. 'Be strongin the Lord, and in the p
ower of his might.'"

  "Yes, mother, I know, I feel that otherwise I shall fail; but 'I can doall things through Christ which strengtheneth me.' Mother," he added,turning over the leaves of his Bible (they had been reading together),"in storing my memory with the teachings of this blessed book, you havegiven me the best possible preparation for meeting the temptations andsnares of life."

  "Yes," she said, "'Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto mypath;' 'Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors.' Letthem ever be yours, my son; in doubt and perplexity go ever to them fordirection--not forgetting prayer for the teachings of the HolySpirit--and you cannot go far astray. Make the Bible your rule of faithand practice, bring everything to the test of Scripture. 'To the law andto the testimony; if they speak not according to this word, it isbecause there is no light in them.'"

  "Mother," he said, "I think I have a pretty clear idea of some of thetemptations of college life: doubtless there are always a good manyidle, profane, drinking, dissolute fellows among the students, but itdoes not seem possible that I shall ever find pleasure in the society ofsuch."

  "I hope not indeed!" she answered with emphasis. "It would be a soregrief to me. But I hardly fear it; I believe my boy is a Christian andloves purity: loves study too for its own sake. What I most fear for youis that the pride of intellect may lead you to listen to the argumentsof sceptics and to examine their works. My son, if you should, you willprobably regret it to your dying day. It can do you nothing but harm. Ifyou fill your mind with such things your spiritual foes will takeadvantage of it to harass you with doubts and fears. 'Blessed is the manthat walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the wayof sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.' He who would robyou of your faith in God and His holy word is your greatest enemy. Studythe evidences of Christianity and be ever ready to give a reason for thehope that is in you."

  "Mother," he said, taking her hand in his, "I will heed your counsels,but it seems to me that having seen Christianity so beautifullyexemplified in your life and my father's, I can never doubt its truthand power."

  Then after a pause in which tears of mingled joy and sorrow fell freelyfrom her eyes, "Dear mother, you have given me a very liberal allowance.Can you spare it? I do not know, I have never known the amount of yourincome."

  "I can spare it perfectly well, my son," she answered, with a tendersmile, pleased at this proof of his thoughtful love. "It is the sum yourfather thought best to give you--for we had consulted together about allthese matters. I do not wish you to feel stinted, but at the same timewould have you avoid waste and extravagance, remembering that they areinconsistent with our Saviour's teachings, and that money is one of thetalents for whose use or abuse we must render an account at the last."