Welcome to Homeschool Story Time: Week 39.
Little Ellen is sad and grumpy.
Fortunately, Aunt Alice knows a “cure” for Ellen’s sadness.
What is Aunt Alice’s special cure?
Read on to find out.
Ellen’s Cure for Sadness
by Emily Carter
Our little Ellen is never in a good temper when she comes down late to breakfast, and finds the things cleared away. First she complains that her bowl of bread and milk is too hot; and then, when Aunt Alice pours in some water to cool it, Ellen says, “It is now too cold.”
I think the fault is in herself. She is five years old,—quite old enough to know that she ought to get up when the first bell rings, and come down to breakfast. She knows she is in fault. She has missed papa’s kiss, for he had to leave home early on business; and this adds to her grief.
But, after she had eaten her bread and milk on the day I am speaking of, she asked Aunt Alice what she should do to cure herself of her “sadness.” “I think that the best plan, in such cases, is to try to do some good to somebody,” said Aunt Alice. “The best way to cheer yourself is to cheer another.”
This made Ellen thoughtful; and she stood at the window, looking out on the street, long after Aunt Alice had left the room. It was a cold, cloudy day, and there were flakes of snow in the air. Ellen stood watching a poor woman at the corner, who was trying to sell shoestrings; but nobody stopped to buy of her.
“That poor woman looks sad and discouraged,” said Ellen to herself: “she must be almost as sad as I am. How can I comfort her? Why, by buying some of her shoestrings, of course.”
Ellen had some money of her own put away in a box. She ran and got it, then, putting on her bonnet, went out and bought a whole bunch of shoestrings. Then, with her aunt’s consent, she asked the poor woman to come in and get some luncheon.
The poor woman gladly accepted the invitation; and Ellen soon had her seated by a nice fire in the kitchen, chatting and laughing with the maids as merrily as if she had no care in the world.
“Have I made you happy?” asked Ellen. “That you have, you darling,” said the poor woman, with a tear in her eye. “And so you have made me happy,” replied Ellen. Yes, she had found that Aunt Alice was in the right. “The best way to cheer yourself is to cheer another.”
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Many blessings,
