Elsie Dinsmore Essay Contest Winners
SECOND PLACE WINNER
Holly Williams
WHY ELSIE DINSMORE IS RELEVANT TO TODAY’S CHRISTIAN GIRLS
While researching the life of American authoress Martha Finley, in the 1985 edition
of the Encyclopedia Americana, I came upon the following comment about her “Elsie
Dinsmore” book series.
“The obedient, pious, self-satisfied heroine, Elsie, was held up as a paragon
of virtue by parents and teachers of the Victorian era. However, by modern standards
she would be considered an impossible prig.”
What?! Are Christian virtues such as faith, forgiveness, humility, diligence, patience,
obedience, respect of elders, and reverence for the Lord and His Word too outdated
to be modeled by girls in today’s “sophisticated” society? God forbid
that such a thought should ever enter the mind of any Christian parent or their
daughter! The commands of Scripture are timeless! They are just as relevant to today’s
girls as they were for the Bedouin daughters of the Old Testament patriarchs, and
they will continue to stand til the end of time.
Although the Elsie series is set in the antebellum era, each spiritual bridge presented
to the heroine remains to be crossed by every Christian girl today. Elsie provides
a visual aid by which girls can learn the proper response to various circumstances
in life. The era in which these situations are staged makes no difference. Spiritual
truths have remained the same. As an unloved child in her grandfather’s house,
Elsie displayed a spirit of forgiveness, humility, patience, and gentleness towards
the cruelties of her grandparents, aunts, uncles, and teacher. To her younger acquaintances
and cousins, she exhibited the responsible behavior and leadership of an elder child.
Her actions as a pupil are models of diligence, meekness, honesty, and respect.
At each step, her commitment to Christ was strengthened as she strove to live entirely
by the Scriptures. In her times of loneliness, she turned to the Lord for comfort
and strength, instead of sulking or harboring a bitter spirit against those who
so ill-treated her.
When Elsie was finally united with a father whom she had never met, she struggled
against her fear of him and strove to obey Christ through complete submission to
her father’s wishes. Elsie, like most children, sometimes found her parent’s
rules strange, but she followed them wholeheartedly as unto the Lord. Through her
continued witness and obedience to her Heavenly Father, Elsie gradually won her
earthly father’s heart for Christ.
As Elsie moved toward adulthood, her life began to change. Her father remarried
and she learned to love her new mother and subsequent siblings as much as she loved
her father. Throughout those years, she retained a strong, trusting bond with her
father and gave her heart to him. Her filial honor was rewarded when she yielded
to her father’s command regarding a young man with whom she formed a friendship
and mistook for having become a true believer. In obedience to her father, she went
against the wishes of her own heart and held no more communication with the suitor,
who turned out to be none other than an infamous fortune-hunter.
Eventually, Elsie married her father’s friend, who though ineligibly old in
the eyes of her young friends, cherished her spiritual worth as a wife and mother
and proved to be the wisest choice in a husband. The pattern of submission which
Elsie had practiced unto the Lord and her father prepared her to move smoothly into
her new role. Together, she and her husband reared their children in obedience to
the commands of Scripture and righteous patterns of living.
This part of the series is wonderful for introducing girls to their inevitable growth
into young womanhood. In many cases, young girls never think about becoming a woman.
Upon reaching those years they are bewildered to discover their lack of the spiritual
maturity needed to fill the expanding scope of their new role. Giving little girls
the earliest possible exposure to virtuous character traits will help prepare their
minds and hearts for later stages in life.
Elsie’s life as a mother-in-law, grandmother, and widow are portrayed later
in the series. The shifting seasons in her life continue along the same pathway
of obedience and submission to God and His Word. She concerns herself with supporting
the next generation and being a spiritual guide to her children. Her strong faith
and perseverance in raising her family leaves a legacy of righteousness behind her
which continues to the very last book. This is particularly valuable to the reader,
as we are shown a generational vision fulfilled through righteous living.
The cry for godly women has existed for thousands of years. In Proverbs 31:10, King
Solomon laments, “Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above
rubies.” The need for virtuous women is as great now as it has ever been.
Yet remaining true to the Lord in our present-day world can be a great challenge.
Christian girls are constantly bombarded from every direction by the world’s
glorification of “successful” role models. Society’s emphasis on
the “it’s my life” philosophy is also a common stumbling block. Preparation
for marriage, motherhood, and homemaking is constantly scorned and downplayed, and
beautiful Christian character traits are openly mocked as being puritanical, old-fashioned,
or “wimpy”. Many times, I believe, Christian girls already desire to be
what God intended, but become readily discouraged by the evident lack of support
and godly role models. Too many have fallen prey to feminist views and lost their
honor and full potential in God’s kingdom. As a counter to the world’s
pressure to “get out there and make something of yourself,” the Elsie
series emphasizes the true fulfillment of a Christian woman: total submission to
Christ.
This is one of the reasons I so highly recommend the Elsie series. It was such an
encouragement to read about the life of a woman who did it right (even if she is
fictional). Washing dishes, saying a kind word to a sibling, running errands for
the bazillionth time for my dad and mom, and interrupting my music practice to explain
a math problem to a sibling, sometimes seems plain and insignificant. The Elsie
series reminded me of the true beauty of simple obedience and service in the minutiae
of life. It’s easy to tell this isn’t just the story of some girl who
lived “way back then.” Every Christian girl today can easily parallel
much of Elsie’s spiritual life with her own. Although Elsie may seem a little
too perfect to ever be human, we should all be striving to meet the level of spiritual
maturity which the Lord sets for us today. Girls simply must examine and apply the
truths taught in this series! Prepare to be inspired!
ABOUT HOLLY WILLIAMS
Hello! My name is Holly Brianna Williams. I am 18 years old and a graduated high
school senior. I am the eldest of six children and have been homeschooled since
birth by my parents, David and Dione Williams. We currently reside in Kokomo, Indiana,
but will shortly be moving to Greentown, Indiana.
My interests include: cooking & cleaning for my family (a bit inescapable, I’m
afraid), practicing my instruments (piano and viola), designing artwork, listening
to classical music, studying (history, foreign languages, creation science), reading
(Bible, Christian theological writings, historical fiction, biographies of great
Christians), writing, gardening, sewing, knitting, cross stitching, various outdoors
activities (hiking, canoeing, archery), and spending time with my parents and siblings
[Hannah (17), Ivan (15), Lauren (12), Christen (11), and Matthew (8)].
I have participated in essay contests from sixth grade through high school, but
I was particularly moved to enter this one. My great grandmother loaned me her original
Elsie Dinsmore series several years ago. Its accordance to scriptural doctrines
impressed me then and still challenges me today.
One of my dreams is to have (and homeschool) as large a family as the Lord will
give me, and to raise my children to love and serve the Lord with their whole hearts.
For the present, I hope to pursue my goals of becoming a free-lance writer and artist,
teaching a few private music lessons, and studying for a college degree from home.
Above all, I seek to become a greater servant of Jesus in all that I do
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