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Elsie's Womanhood by Martha Finley
page 68 of 357 (19%)
Elsie had fallen asleep thinking of the dear mother whose wealth she
inherited, and whose place she was now filling; thinking of her as
supremely blest, in that glorious, happy land, where sin and sorrow are
unknown. Thinking, too, of Him, through whose shed blood she had found
admittance there.

The same sweet thoughts were still in the loving daughter's mind, as she
woke to find the morning sun shining brightly, a fire blazing cheerily on
the hearth, and Aunt Chloe coming in with a silver waiter filled with
oranges prepared for eating in the manner usual in the tropics.

She had gathered them the night before, taken off the peel, leaving the
thick white skin underneath except on the top of each, where she cut it
away from a spot about the size of a silver quarter of a dollar. She then
placed them on a waiter, with the cut part uppermost, and set them where
the dew would fall on them all night. Morning found them with the skin
hard and leathery, but filled with delicious juice, which could be readily
withdrawn from it.

At that sight, a sudden memory seemed to flash upon Elsie, and starting up
in the bed, "Mammy!" she cried, "didn't you do that very thing when I was
a child?"

"What, honey? bring de oranges in de mornin'?"

"Yes, I seem to remember your coming in at that door, with just such a
waiterful."

"Yes, darlin', de folks allus eats dem 'foah breakfast. Deys jes' lubly,
Miss Elsie; massa say so, lubly and delicious." And she brought the waiter
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