Elsie's Motherhood

by Martha Finley

  Chapter Twenty-sixth.

  "Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old,he will not depart from it."--PROVERBS, xxii: 6.

  As naturally as the helianthus to the sun, did the faces of Elsie'slittle ones turn to her when in her loved presence. At the table, attheir sports, their lessons, everywhere and however employed, it wasalways the same, the young eyes turning ever and anon to catch thetender, sympathetic glance of mamma's.

  But at dinner to-day, Vi's great blue orbs met hers but once andinstantly dropped upon her plate again, while a vivid blush suffused thefair face and neck.

  And when the meal was ended and all gathered in the drawing-room, Vistill seemed to be unlike her usual gay, sunny self, the merriestprattler of all the little crowd of children, the one whose sweetsilvery laugh rang out the oftenest. She stood alone at a side tableturning over some engravings, but evidently with very little interest.The mother, engaged in conversation with the other ladies, watched herfurtively, a little troubled and anxious, yet deeming it best to waitfor a voluntary confidence on the part of her child.

  Longing, yet dreading to make it, Vi was again puzzling her young brainwith the question whether Meta was right in saying it would be selfishto do so. Ah, if she could only ask mamma which was the right way to do!This was the first perplexity she had not been able to carry to her fordisentanglement.

  Remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, "Sanctify them through thytruth: thy word is truth," Elsie had been careful to store herchildren's minds with the blessed teachings and precious promises ofGod's holy Book. She had also taught them to go to God their heavenlyFather, with every care, sorrow, doubt and difficulty.

  "I'll ask Jesus," thought Vi; "he'll help me to know, because the Biblesays, 'If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God that giveth to allmen liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.'"

  She slipped into an adjoining room, where she was quite alone, andkneeling down, whispered softly, with low sobs and many tears, "DearFather in heaven, I've been a very, very naughty girl; I disobeyed mydear mamma; please forgive me for Jesus' sake and make me good. PleaseLord Jesus, help me to know if I ought to tell mamma."

  A text--one of the many she had learned to recite to her mother in thatprecious morning half hour--came to her mind as she rose from her knees."He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth andforsaketh them shall have mercy."

  "I didn't cover them;" she said to herself, "I told God: but then Godknew all about it before; he sees and knows everything; but mammadoesn't know. Perhaps it means I musn't cover them from her. I thinkJesus did tell me."

  Wiping away her tears she went back into the drawing-room. The gentlemenwere just leaving it, her father among the rest. A sudden resolutionseized her and she ran after them.

  "Papa!"

  He turned at the sound of her voice. "Well daughter?"

  "I--I just want to ask you something."

  "Another time then, pet, papa's in a hurry now."

  But seeing the distress in the dear little face he came to her andlaying his hand on her head in tender fatherly fashion, said, "Tell papawhat it is that troubles you. I will wait to hear it now."

  "Papa," she said, choking down a sob, "I--I don't know what to do."

  "About what, daughter?"

  "Papa, s'pose--s'pose I'd done something naughty, and--and it wouldgrieve dear mamma to hear it; ought I to tell her and--and make hersorry?"

  "My dear little daughter," he said bending down to look with grave,tender eyes into the troubled face, "never, _never_ conceal anythingfrom your mother; it is not safe for you, pet; and she would far ratherbear the pain of knowing. If our children knew how much, how very muchwe both love them, they would never want to hide anything from us."

  "Papa, I don't; but--somebody says it would be selfish to hurt mammaso."

  "The selfishness was in doing the naughty thing, not in confessing it.Go, my child, and tell mamma all about it."

  He hastened away, and Violet crept back to the drawing-room.

  The other children were leaving it. "Come, Vi," they said, "we're goingfor a walk."

  "Thank you, I don't wish to go this time," she answered with gravity."I've something to attend to."

  "What a grown up way of talking you have, you little midget," laughedMeta. Then putting her lips close to Vi's ear, "Violet Travilla," shewhispered, "don't you tell tales, or I'll never, never play with youagain as long as I live."

  "My mamma says it's wicked to say that;" returned Vi, "and I don't telltales."

  Then as Meta ran away, Violet drew near her mother's chair.

  Mamma was talking, and she must not interrupt, so she waited, longing tohave the confession over, yet feeling her courage almost fail with thedelay.

  Elsie saw it all, and at length seized an opportunity while the restwere conversing among themselves, to take Vi's hand and draw her to herside.

  "I think my little girl has something to say to mother," she whisperedsoftly, smoothing back the clustering curls, and looking tenderly intothe tear-stained face.

  Violet nodded assent; her heart was so full she could not have spoken aword without bursting into tears and sobs.

  Mamma understood, rose and led her from the room; led her to her owndressing-room where they could be quite secure from intrusion. Thenseating herself and taking the child on her lap, "What is wrong with mydear little daughter?" she asked.

  "O, mamma, mamma, I'm so sorry, so sorry!" cried the child, burstinginto a passion of tears and sobs, putting her arms about her mother'sneck and hiding her face on her breast.

  "Mamma is sorry, too, dear, sorry for anything that makes her Viunhappy. What is it? what can mother do to comfort you."

  "Mamma I don't deserve for you to be so kind, and you'll have to punish,'stead of comforting. But I just want to tell about my own self; youknow I can't tell tales, mamma."

  "No, daughter, I do not ask, or wish it; but tell me about yourself."

  "Mamma, it will make you sorry, ever so sorry."

  "Yes, dear, but I must bear it for your sake."

  "O mamma, I don't like to make you sorry I--I wish I hadn't, hadn't beennaughty, oh so naughty, mamma! for I played with some of your mamma'sthings that you forbade us to touch, and--and one lovely plate gotbroken all up."

  "I am very sorry to hear that," returned the mother, "yet far moregrieved by my child's sin. But how did you get the door open and theplates off the shelf?"

  "I didn't, mamma: they were out."

  "Some one else did it?"

  "Yes, mamma; but you know I can't tell tales. It wasn't any of ourchildren, though, none of them were naughty but just me."

  "Were you playing with the plate? did you break it?"

  "No mamma, I didn't touch the plates, but I was dressing one of thedollies. They are all locked up again now, mamma, and I don't thinkanybody will touch them any more."

  A little tender, serious talk on the sin and danger of disobedience toparents, and the mother knelt with her child, and in a few simple wordsasked God's forgiveness for her. Then telling Vi she must remain alonein that room till bedtime, she left her.

  Not one harsh or angry word had been spoken, and the young heart wasfull of a passionate love to her mother that made the thought of havinggrieved her a far bitterer punishment than the enforced solitude, thoughthat was at any time irksome enough to one of Vi's social, fun-lovingtemperament.

  It cost the mother a pang to inflict the punishment and leave thedarling alone in her trouble; but Elsie was not one to weakly yield toinclination when it came in conflict with duty. Hers was not a selfishlove; she would bear any present pain to secure the future welfare ofher children.

  She rejoined her friends in the drawing-room apparently as serenelyhappy as her wont, but through all the afternoon and evening her heartwas with her little one in her banishment and grief, yearning over herwith tenderest mother love.

  Little Elsie, too, missed her sister, and returning from her
walk, wentin search of her. She found her at last in their mamma's dressing-roomseated at the window, her cheek resting on her hand, the tears coursingslowly down, while her eyes gazed longingly out over the beautifulfields and lovely orange groves.

  "Oh my own Vi, my darling little sister! what's the matter?" askedElsie, clasping her in her arms, and kissing the wet cheek.

  A burst of bitter sobs, while the small arms clung about the sister'sneck, and the golden head rested for an instant on her shoulder, thenthe words, "Ah I'd tell you, but I can't now, for you must run rightaway, because mamma said I must stay here all alone till bedtime."

  "Then I must go, pet; but don't cry so: if you've been naughty and aresorry, Jesus, and mamma too, will forgive you and love you just thesame," Elsie said, kissing her again, then releasing her, hurried fromthe room, crying heartily in sympathy.

  On the upper veranda, whither she went to recover her composure, beforerejoining her mates, she found her mother pacing slowly to and fro.

  "Is my Elsie in trouble, too?" Mrs. Travilla asked, pausing in her walkand holding out her hand.

  "For my Vi, mamma," sobbed Elsie, taking the hand and pressing it to herlips.

  "Yes, poor little pet! mother's heart aches for her too," Mrs. Travillaanswered, her own eyes filling. "I am glad my little daughters love andsympathize with each other."

  "Mamma, I would rather stay with Vi, than be with the others. May I?"

  "No, daughter, I have told her she must spend the rest of the dayalone."

  "Yes, mamma, she told me so and wouldn't let me stay even one minute tohear about her trouble."

  "That was right."

  Time crept by very slowly to Violet. She thought that afternoon thelongest she had ever known. After a while she heard a familiar step, andalmost before she knew it papa had her in his arms.

  With a little cry of joy she put hers around his neck and returned thekiss he had just given her.

  "Oh I'm so glad!" she said, "but, papa, you'll have to go away, becausenobody must stay with me; I'm--"

  "Papa may," he said, sitting down with her on his knee. "So you toldmamma about the naughtiness?"

  "Yes, sir."

  "I am glad you did. Always tell mamma everything. If you have disobeyedher never delay a moment to go and confess it."

  "Yes, papa: but if it's you?"

  "Then come to me in the same way. If you want to be a happy child haveno concealment from father or mother."

  "Shall I tell you about it now, papa?"

  "You may do as you like about that since your mother knows it all."

  "Papa, I'm afraid you wouldn't love such a naughty girl any more."

  "Mamma loves you quite as well, and so shall I; because you are our own,own little daughter. There were tears in mamma's eyes when she told methat she had had to punish our little Vi."

  "Oh I'm so sorry to have made mamma cry," sobbed the child.

  "Sin always brings sorrow and suffering sooner or later, my little girl;remember that; and that it is because Jesus loves us that he would saveus from our sins."

  After a little more talk, in which Violet repeated to him the same storyof her wrong doing that she had already told her mother, her papa lefther and she was again alone till mammy came with her supper--a bowl ofrich sweet milk and bread from the unbolted flour, that might havetempted the appetite of an epicure.

  "Come, honey, dry dose wet eyes an' eat yo' supper," said mammy, settingit out daintily on a little table which she placed before the child andcovered with a fine damask cloth fresh from the iron. "De milk's mos' allcream, an' de bread good as kin be: an' you kin hab much as eber youwant ob both ob dem."

  "Did mamma say so, mammy?"

  "Yes, chile; an' don't shed no mo' dose tears now; ole mammy lubs youlike her life."

  "But I've been very naughty, mammy," sobbed the little girl.

  "Yes, Miss Wi'let, honey: an' we's all been naughty, but de good Lordforgib us for Jesus' sake if we's sorry an' don't 'tend neber to do sono mo'."

  "Yes, mammy, Oh I wish you could stay with me I but you musn't: formamma said I must be all alone."

  "Yes, darlin'; an' if you wants mo' supper, jes ring dis, an' mammy'llcome."

  She placed a small silver bell on the table beside Vi, and with atender, compassionate look at the tear-swollen face, went away.

  The young Travillas were sometimes denied dainties because ofmisconduct, but always allowed to satisfy their youthful appetites withan abundance of wholesome, nourishing food.

  Vi ate her supper with a keen relish, and found herself greatlycomforted by it. How much one's views of life are brightened by a goodcomfortable meal that does not overtax the digestive organs. Vi suddenlyremembered with a feeling of relief that the worst of her trouble--theconfession--was over, and the punishment nearly so.

  It was only a little while till mamma came, took her on her lap, kissedand forgave her.

  "Mamma, I'm so, _so_ sorry for having disobeyed and grieved you!"whispered the child, weeping afresh: "for I do love you very, very much,my own mamma."

  "I know it, dearest; but I want you to be far more sorry for havingdisobeyed God, who loves you more, a great deal, than your parents do,and has given you every good thing you have."

  "Yes, mamma, I've asked God many times to forgive me for Jesus's sake,and I think he has."

  "Yes, if you asked with your heart, I am sure he has; for Jesus said,'Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father inmy name, he will give it you.'"

  There was a little pause, Vi nestling close in her mother's arms; thenwith a quiver in her voice, "Mamma," she sighed, "will you ever trust meagain?"

  "Just the same as before, my child; because I believe you are trulysorry for your sin against God and against me."

  "Thank you, dear, dear mamma! oh I hope God will help me to keep fromever being naughty any more."