Elsie Dinsmore Essay Contest Winners
THIRD PLACE WINNER
Mary Nicklas
ELSIE DINSMORE:
A NOVEL FOR GIRLS PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
In 1913 a book was given as a gift to my great grandmother, Marian Ruth Pack Carl,
from her Sunday School teachers. She gave it to my grandmother to give to my mother.
Eventually, this book was passed on to me. It is an 1896 edition of the timeless
Elsie novel! The ladies in my family have been enjoying this book for nearly 100
years. One night while I was putting myself to sleep quoting Psalm 100 to the Lord,
I kept repeating “. . . His truth endureth to all generations.” It struck
me then, that the reason Martha Finley’s Elsie Dinsmore novels have endured
to so many generations is because they are based on God’s unchanging truths
as recorded in the Holy Bible. Martha Finley’s work has lasted and I am inspired
to make wise choices with the things I invest my time in. Imagine, Martha Finely
will be rewarded some day for the ways she has encouraged my walk with the Lord.
Elsie did not have a very good family situation. Elsie probably did not understand
why God had placed her in the family she was in. Her mother died when she was just
a week old and she didn’t know her father until she was eight years old. Elsie’s
father was not a Christian for some years, nor did he respect her Christian values.
Sadly, many girls today have difficult family situations similar to Elsie.
Elsie lived in her Grandfather and step-Grandmothers house along with her Aunts
and Uncles. Her Uncle Arthur was very trying to her. I have learned from Elsie,
that these types of people in our lives are blessings because they can help develop
Godly character. God used Arthur in Elsie’s life as a refiner. Arthur enjoyed
teasing Elsie and ruining her schoolwork. She was often falsely accused. Through
it all, she was as submissive and obedient as she could be. God used this fiery
to help conform her to the image of His Son (Romans 8:29).
I can also see generosity in Elsie’s life. Giving up our rights is the first
step to achieving generosity. Elsie was generous when she did not have to be. Her
Uncle Arthur asked to borrow money. Instead of having him borrow, Elsie did the
scriptural things and gave it to him as a gift (Matthew 6:18). At my house we play
the say “no to yourself” game to develop the habit of giving up your rights.
You just try to prove it to yourself that you can give up something which you don’t
have to. In this case Elsie gave up her money!
Elsie’s Aunt Enna (who was younger than she) demanded things of her and if
Elsie would not give them to her she went to her mother. Then Mrs. Dinsmore would
come and command that Elsie give Enna whatever it was that she wanted. Elsie had
to obey her elder and so even though it wasn’t fair, Elsie learned self denial.
Many girls today have younger siblings like me. This provides today’s Christian
girl with ample opportunities to be unselfish.
Elsie used the Sword of the Spirit. She was faithful to read God’s word every
day and it became natural for her to be thinking and meditating on scripture. Today’s
young girls need to be like her and not memorize scripture just to get AWANA bucks.
When we do this, God can use us in miraculous ways. God was able to use Elsie to
bring her Aunt Lora and Aunt Adelaide to Christ. I have tried to share the gospel
with a Great Uncle of mine by giving him a Bible and highlighting the places where
the gospel itself was shared. I have not seen any good come out of this effort yet
I may never. Elsie’s faithfulness has encouraged me to leave the results up
to God.
Elsie’s steadfastness to do what she believed was right on the Sabbath is a
great challenge for Christian girls. Her example helps our generation because we
live in a day where people do not even try to keep the Sabbath Holy. Stores are
open, people don’t even go to church and even when they do, they come home
and take off their church clothes and act like it’s a Saturday. Since Elsie’s
father did not share her same views, he wanted to play a song on the piano that
was not edifying or praising God. She would not do it. In this instance she probably
should have obeyed her father. Her disobedience nearly cost her her life. She was
supposed to sit on the piano stool until she played. After sitting there for a long
time she fainted and fell off the stool. She cut herself very badly and was nearly
killed. When I think I can see an error in my parent’s judgment, I need to
remember that my mother and father were picked out for me by God and to disobey
them is disobeying God because He put them in authority over me.
Elsie would not obey certain other commands which her father gave her on the Sabbath
and because of this, he went away to do business. We always have to pay a price
for our sins, even if we think we are right. Elsie certainly did. From the stress
and sadness which being away from her father caused, she got a terrible sickness
and nearly died again. When we disobey God given authority the consequences can
be devastating, but somehow, God can work it out for good. God used the near losing
of Elsie to soften Horace’s heart and bring him to Christ. Then Elsie and her
dearly loved Pappa went to live at a new estate called The Oaks.
When the time was right God gave Elsie a new Mamma. When Elsie lived at Roseland’s
she had befriended a lady named Miss Allison who had been a guest there. Miss Allison
was also a believer and one of Elsie’s closest friends. One summer she and
her Pappa visited Rose Allison and Horace fell in love with her and married her.
Even though Elsie knew the scriptures and had such a deep relationship with the
Lord, she was still human and could still be deceived, just like Christian girls
of today are deceived. Once she visited an aunt who lived in Ohio. A young man named
Tom Jackson learned through Arthur, her mischievous uncle, of the great inheritance
which Elsie had from her mother. He made up lots of lies; one of which was that
he was a man named Mr. Edgerton. He also acted as though she led him to Christ and
had convinced her to marry him if he got her Father’s consent. His dreadful
plan failed, however, and Horace found out who he really was. Elsie was finally
rewarded with a truly wonderful husband, Mr. Edward Travilla, because of her obedience
to God and her parents.
Elsie was very wise by trusting her father and stemother and only courting someone
who loved the Lord. She listened to counsel. Her closest friends and peers were
older, Christian, and Godly people like her mammy Aunt Chloe, Rose Allison, Aunt
Adelaide, Aunt Lora and so on. Christian girls need to surround themselves with
Godly friends of any age because we know that Proverbs says “a companion of
fools will be destroyed” (Proverbs 13:20).
God showed himself strong in a mighty way to Elsie and her family by protecting
them from the Klu Klux Klan. Sometimes we forget how powerful God is and we need
a distressing situation to bring us closer to Him. When my little brother Isaiah
was born early with Downs Syndrome and had to stay in the hospital for about a month,
it was a very distressing time. A great deal of the time I was away from one or
both of my parents. After this trial though, I realized that God alone is the only
one I can truly hold on to. All of today’s Christian girls, like Elsie, must
run the race set before them (Hebrews 12:1).
Elsie had six children and was living happily when great tragedy came to some of
the people in her family. Her cousin Molly was terribly hurt and her Aunt Enna suffered
brain damage. Elsie was very kind to them, even though Enna had been very mean to
her in the past. Elsie took in Molly, her brother Dick and their mother Enna permanently.
I am trying my best to be more kind to the two people in my life with disabilities.
My sister Rachel has a neurological brain disorder and my little brother Isaiah
has Down Syndrome. I have been tremendously blessed by such a wonderful role model
to look up to like Elsie.
When I think of a real Christian heroine, I think of Elsie Dinsmore. She is a truly
inspiring woman who is relevant to me today! Martha Finely has used the timeless
truths of scripture to write many wonderful books for God’s glory. I hope her
novels endure to many more generations.
ABOUT MARY NICKLAS
My name is Mary McKenna Nicklas. I am eleven years old and I love the Lord. I am
home schooled and the eldest of six children. I enjoy reading, playing piano, knitting,
crocheting, and being with my family and friend! I live across the field from my
grandparent’s farm. I enjoy their many animals. My family and I are going camping
in Arkansas and we will also be attending the Joni and Friends disability family
camp this summer. I am very blessed by God!
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