More Elsie
After the first few Elsie books, they kind of went from being totally bizarre to being just normal Christian girls books of the period -- in other words, fairly boring. Every once in a while, though, something like this happens:
Elsie has an aunt, Enna, who's a few years younger than her. (Elsie's father was the oldest of a whole bunch of siblings.) Enna as a child was a complete and total brat -- whenever she saw Elsie with some new toy, she'd want it, and would always get it, and break it within five minutes. Enna as an adult lost her husband and all her money in the Civil War, and never really forgave Elsie for not losing her money. Enna as an adult is also very focused on money and status, and having the most fashionable clothes and things like that. (As opposed to Elsie, who buys all that stuff just because she feels like it, I guess.)
Enna has several kids, including a daughter, Molly. When Molly is about 13, she and some other cousins are going over to visit Elsie and her family. (Everyone lives within riding distance of each other.) Enna insists that Molly put on her newest, most fashionable dress, because her daughter is not going to visit rich cousin Elsie in anything less than the latest fashion. Enna makes Molly wear her new fashionable high-heeled boots, even though Molly says that they're uncomfortable, because they are the style.
Molly, predictably, trips over the heels and falls down the stairs. And gets up again, but within a few months, is paralyzed from the fall. Enna, of course, is distraught that now her daughter will not be able to find a rich man to marry.
A little later on, Enna goes out somewhere in a carriage. The horses spook and run away with the carriage, and Enna gets badly injured -- hit on the head -- and reverts back to a little-girl state. She acts like a child, playing with dolls and acting petulantly when anyone tells her to do anything. The family decides that she will go live with her older sister, and her kids are sent to live with various relatives. (Molly with Elsie.) After a little while, Enna decides that she needs an adventure, so she goes and takes out a rowboat on the lake. Elsie's oldest daughter, age 19 or so, sees her and tries to direct her to the shore, but she falls out of the boat. She nearly drowns, and Elsie's daughter nearly drowns trying to save her, but they get rescued.
So, anyway. After this head injury, the near-drowning brings back some of Enna's brain function. And she's lucid enough to tell Elsie that, while she was brain-damaged and childlike, she accepted Jesus. And then, after living just long enough to tell Elsie that, she dies.
This book has a whole ton of deathbed conversions. So far, I think the only person who's actually died without becoming a Christian was Elsie's uncle Arthur, who tried to kill her several times.
Elsie has an aunt, Enna, who's a few years younger than her. (Elsie's father was the oldest of a whole bunch of siblings.) Enna as a child was a complete and total brat -- whenever she saw Elsie with some new toy, she'd want it, and would always get it, and break it within five minutes. Enna as an adult lost her husband and all her money in the Civil War, and never really forgave Elsie for not losing her money. Enna as an adult is also very focused on money and status, and having the most fashionable clothes and things like that. (As opposed to Elsie, who buys all that stuff just because she feels like it, I guess.)
Enna has several kids, including a daughter, Molly. When Molly is about 13, she and some other cousins are going over to visit Elsie and her family. (Everyone lives within riding distance of each other.) Enna insists that Molly put on her newest, most fashionable dress, because her daughter is not going to visit rich cousin Elsie in anything less than the latest fashion. Enna makes Molly wear her new fashionable high-heeled boots, even though Molly says that they're uncomfortable, because they are the style.
Molly, predictably, trips over the heels and falls down the stairs. And gets up again, but within a few months, is paralyzed from the fall. Enna, of course, is distraught that now her daughter will not be able to find a rich man to marry.
A little later on, Enna goes out somewhere in a carriage. The horses spook and run away with the carriage, and Enna gets badly injured -- hit on the head -- and reverts back to a little-girl state. She acts like a child, playing with dolls and acting petulantly when anyone tells her to do anything. The family decides that she will go live with her older sister, and her kids are sent to live with various relatives. (Molly with Elsie.) After a little while, Enna decides that she needs an adventure, so she goes and takes out a rowboat on the lake. Elsie's oldest daughter, age 19 or so, sees her and tries to direct her to the shore, but she falls out of the boat. She nearly drowns, and Elsie's daughter nearly drowns trying to save her, but they get rescued.
So, anyway. After this head injury, the near-drowning brings back some of Enna's brain function. And she's lucid enough to tell Elsie that, while she was brain-damaged and childlike, she accepted Jesus. And then, after living just long enough to tell Elsie that, she dies.
This book has a whole ton of deathbed conversions. So far, I think the only person who's actually died without becoming a Christian was Elsie's uncle Arthur, who tried to kill her several times.