p. 190 | ELENORE'S REVENGE

Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA · Apr 22, 1880

ELENORE'S REVENGE.

"I think she's just as mean as she can be. I hate her, and always did."

Elenore Dupont was the tallest of quite a large group of girls gathered on the doorstep of her father's costly country residence. She was a handsome but proud-looking girl of seventeen years. Early deprived of the guidance of a fond mother, and left to the care of a busy, indulgent father, she had grown to be a haughty, imperious girl, whose proud manners and imperative way had secured for her the title of "Lady Elenore" among the scholars of the select school of which she was a member.

"Oh no, Elenore, you don't mean that! You hate Miss Holland!" exclaimed pretty Susie Grey, the pet and peacemaker of the whole school.

"Yes, I do mean just that, Midget," interrupted Elenore. "I do hate her, and there's no denying it. Even you had to take it to-day."

"Yes," answered Susie, "but I deserved it, for I was careless with my rhetoric."

"Well, it was mean of her to keep me after school to write an essay. She knows I can't do it, and I won't," said Elenore, wrathfully.

"Why, Elenore, you can write real good essays when you want to!" exclaimed Minnie Hale.

"Well, if I only wrote when I wanted to," retorted Elenore angrily, "the productions of my pen would grow small and beautifully less with each passing term; but," she added, "I am going to have my revenge on Miss Holland."

"How!" "When!" "Where!" eagerly cried the girls; for Lady Elenore's revenges were by no means pleasant things to encounter.

"You know," began the young lady, coolly, "that Miss Holland is exceedingly cowardly in the dark," and she paused a moment while the girls answered, "Yes, oh yes, we do."

"Then you know," continued Elenore, "that she goes every evening after dark to the post-office for her mail. It is but a short distance, but there is a cross street between, and I propose that we girls hide in there and jump out at her as she passes by," and Elenore looked about the group to see the effect of her words.

"O Elenore! it will frighten her dreadfully," cried timid Lula Estabrook, as Elenore stopped.

"That is what I want, of course," retorted Elenore, pettishly.

"Oh, won't it be fun, though!" chorused several of the more thoughtless girls.

Pretty Susie Grey had been standing a little to one side, with alternate flushing and paling cheeks during this animated conversation; but at this point she could no longer contain her growing indignation.

"Girls, I am ashamed of you," she cried, "and I think"—

"Well, Midget," said Elenore, calling her by her pet name, as she saw Susie's eyes filled with tears as she turned away. "I suppose that you think we are a wicked set, and I presume we are; but Susie, darling, if you don't like my revenge, you must tell me what we can do, for to do something I am determined."

"O Elenore! may I, really?" exclaimed Susie, lifting her tearful face, over which a bright smile now shone, making, as the girls said, a perfect rainbow in her eyes.

Susie Grey was a lovely girl, but her chief charm did not consist in her soft, blue eyes, the delicate complexion, or the profusion of sunny curls. These were only the outward adornments; but hers was the ornament of a meek and Christian spirit, for Susie Grey loved Christ, and was never so happy as when doing him a service.

No one ever thought of being angry with Susie Grey, and now, as she lifted her sunny face, all the girls crowded eagerly around to hear "Susie's revenge."

"I am afraid you won't like my plan, but I will tell you, any way."

"And I will grant it to half my kingdom," interrupted Lady Elenore, loftily.

"I don't intend to intrude upon your domains as far as that," laughed Susie, "but this is my plan. You all know how perfectly shabby Miss Holland's dress is."

"Yes," cried Lula Estabrook, shrugging her shoulders; "it looks as if it had come out of the ark."

"Well, girls, she wears the same one Sundays and week-days too," continued Susie. "Next Wednesday is her birthday. I know, for I told her it was my own, and she said, 'O Susie! our birthdays come together.' Now, girls, I propose that we all club together and get her a handsome black cashmere. They are very reasonable now. And then we can leave it on her desk at night, and perhaps see her when she opens it. Oh, won't it be nice!" and Susie's eyes glowed with excitement.

"O you little saint!" exclaimed Elenore, "who would have thought of that but you?"

But Susie had her own way, and the next morning the dress was bought, trimmings and all, and with joyous hearts the girls walked homeward, planning how best to surprise Miss Holland. It was strange how changed they felt toward her now that they wished to please her.

On the morning of her birthday Miss Holland woke weary and dispirited.

"Must I go to those girls again!" she sighed. "Were it not for Elenore I might manage them. Hers is the ruling spirit, and I can do nothing with her."

And so she wearily commenced her toilet. Going to her closet for her old alpaca dress she started back, exclaiming, as her eyes rested on a beautiful black cashmere, "What in the world is this? How came it here?" and with trembling hands drew it forth, admiring much the dainty garment, with its delicate, filmy lace in sleeves and neck.

"What can it mean?" pondered Miss Holland. "O, maybe this will explain!" and she drew forth from the pocket a little note and read:—

Dear Miss Holland—Many returns of your birthday. Please come and spend it at Mrs. Grey's with your NAUGHTY GIRLS.

Tears came into her eyes as she read the little note. "Yes, I will go," she said; and a few hours later found her at Mrs. Grey's.

Such a sight! There were her delinquent pupils, every one as merry as butterflies.

"O Miss Holland! Here you are! I am so glad!"

"But why weren't you at school, Susie?" asked Miss Holland; "and you, and you, and you," she continued, trying to look grave, and making a total failure.

"Now don't scold, Miss Holland," cried Lula Estabrook, "we only wanted to surprise you."

"And was this beautiful dress part of it?" asked Miss Holland.

Lula hesitated, but Kate Bartlett said, in a low tone, which, however, did not escape Miss Holland's ear, "No, that was Elenore's revenge."

She had to make an explanation then, and afterwards a happy, happy afternoon and evening were spent together, the girls declaring that they did not know Miss Holland was so pleasant, and each understanding the other better than ever before.

Nor did the girls forget that it was Susie's birthday, and she was made the recipient of a beautiful token on which was engrossed the words which she had evidently taken as her motto in life: "It is more blessed to give than to receive."—Selected.