Elsies Motherhood | Page 7

fits as well
as ours."

"It is quite true that they are not always good," Elsie said with patient
sweetness. "And now I beg you will all excuse me for a few moments,
as they never feel quite comfortable going to bed without a last word or
two with mamma."
"Before I'd make myself such a slave to my children!" muttered Enna,
looking after her as she glided from the room. "If they couldn't be
content to be put to bed by their mammies, they might stay up all
night."
"I think Mrs. Travilla is right," observed the pastor; "the responsibilities
of parents are very great. God says to each one, 'Take this child and
nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages.'"

Chapter Third.
"Delightful task! to rear the tender thought, To teach the young idea
how to shoot, To pour the fresh instruction o'er the mind, To breathe
the enlivening spirit and to fix The generous purpose in the glowing
breast!" --THOMSON'S SEASONS.
The Ion little folks were allowed an extra nap the next morning, their
parents wisely considering plenty of sleep necessary to the healthful
development of their mental and physical powers. They themselves,
however, felt no necessity for a like indulgence, their guests having
departed in season to admit of their retiring at the usual hour, and were
early in the saddle, keenly enjoying a brisk canter of several miles
before breakfast.
On their return Elsie went to the nursery, Mr. Travilla to the field where
his men were at work. Half an hour later they and their children met at
the breakfast table.
Solon came in for orders.
"You may leave Beppo saddled, Solon," said Mr. Travilla, "and have

Prince and Princess at the door also, immediately after prayers."
The last named were a pair of pretty little grey ponies belonging
respectively to Eddie and his sister Elsie. They were gentle and well
trained for both saddle and harness.
Nearly every day the children rode them, one on each side of their
father, mounted on Beppo, his beautiful bay; and occasionally they
drove behind them in the phaeton with their mother or some older
person; and one or the other of the children would often be allowed to
hold the reins when on a straight and level road; for their father wished
them to learn to both ride and drive with ease and skill.
Little Elsie's great ambition was "to be like mamma" in the ease and
grace with which she sat her horse, as well as in every thing else; while
Eddie was equally anxious to copy his father.
Violet and Harold ran out to the veranda to watch them mount and ride
away.
"Papa," said Vi, "shall we, too, have ponies and ride with you, when
we're as big as Elsie and Eddie?"
"I intend you shall, little daughter, and if you and Harold will be here
with your hats on, all ready to start at once when we come back, I will
give you each a short ride before the ponies are put away."
"Oh, thank you, papa! we'll be sure to be ready," they answered, and
ran in to their mother to tell her of papa's kind promise, and to have
their hats put on.
Elsie, who was in the sitting-room with Herbert on her lap, rejoiced in
their joy, and bade Dinah prepare them at once for their ride.
"Bress dere little hearts! dey grows hansomer ebery day," exclaimed an
elderly negress, who had just come in with a basket on her arm.
"Don't say such things before them, Aunt Sally," said her mistress in a

tone of gentle reproof, "their young hearts are only too ready to be
puffed up with vanity and pride. Now what is your report from the
quarter."
"Well, missus, dere's lots ob miseries down dere dis mornin'; ole Lize
she's took wid a misery in her side; an' Uncle Jack, he got um in his
head; ole Aunt Delie's got de misery in de joints wid de rheumatiz, an'
ole Uncle Mose he's 'plainin ob de misery in his back; can't stan' up
straight no how: an' Hannah's baby got a mighty bad cold, can't hardly
draw its breff; 'twas took dat way in de night; an' Silvy's boy tore his
foot on a nail."
"Quite a list," said Elsie. And giving her babe to Aunt Chloe, she
selected a key from a bright bunch lying in a little basket, held by a
small dusky maid at her side, unlocked a closet door and looked over
her medical store. "Here's a plaster for Uncle Mose to put on his back,
and one for Lize's side," she said, handing each article in turn to Aunt
Sally, who bestowed it in her basket. "This small