Elsie Dinsmore Pt. 3

Okay, so I won't have you thinking Elsie's Dinsmore's life was completely devoid of love. Her mother and her mother's guardian may have died by the time she was four (her mother actually died when Elsie was a baby) and she was sent to live with her father's, but she still had her "mammy."

Aunt Chloe, a slave who nursed first little Elsie's mother and now Elsie herself, moved anywhere Elsie went, as her duties were solely to attend to the little girl. She was as devoted a Christian as Elsie, both of them having learned of Jesus Christ from their Scottish housekeeper in Elsie's guardian's home. Aunt Chloe loved Elsie as dearly as if she were her own grandchild, and although she was not the loving father Elsie so craved, Aunt Chloe was most definitely a big help to Elsie.

And then there's Rose Allison, a friend of Adelaide's visiting for a few months and also very much a Christian. She befriended Elsie during her stay, and afterwards they communicated by letter. This occurred in the first few chapters of the first book, and provided much-needed relief for Elsie.

Then, some chapters later, Elsie's father returned home. Elsie was so excited - until she found out that her father did not love her. That night, she basically cried herself sick. The next morning, though, she determined that, with the help of God, she would be so obedient a child that he could not help loving her.

Trust me, that was no easy feat. Mr. Horace Dinsmore was so strict that even angelic Elsie could scarcely even hope to live up to his expectations. He deprived her of some of her favorite foods, to which she submitted cheerfully. He insisted she look impeccable every morning or he would send her back to her room. He insisted she always do exactly what he said the first time he said it and never ask why. He disregarded forgetfulness as any excuse. And he often punished her for Arthur's crimes, too, especially when Elsie was crying too hard to defend herself.

But, as you might expect, Horace was eventually won over into loving his daughter. This is by no means the end, though, because not only does Horace's love fluctuate depending on certain circumstances, but he's also most definitely not a Christian. Get the full book series in order to follow Elsie's life from her young eight-year-old life through the moment she gains a new mother, through the three marriage proposals that affected her deeply, all the way to when she becomes a grandmother (or so I've been told - I actually have only read the first four books so far - though that does include her marriage, or at least her acceptance of finally the right man for her).

So. There you have it. The story before the beginning, and a couple details in the first book, and a few hints as to what you might expect in the others. Interested yet? I hope so. By the way, you have a choice as to whether you want to read the original series or the rewrite. Honestly, both series have their good and bad points, so I really don't know which one to recommend you. Maybe the rewrite, though. I like Elsie's husband's story better in the rewrite. It's just a tad creepy in the original.