Books with title Elsies Girlhood

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Miss Stevens' presence proved scarcely less annoying to Elsie than the child had anticipated. She tried to keep out of the lady's way, but it was quite impossible. She could scarcely step out on the veranda, go into the parlor, or take a turn in the garden by herself, but in a moment Miss Stevens was at her side fawning upon and flattering her—telling her how sweet and pretty and amiable she was, how dearly she loved her, and how much she thought of her papa too: he was so handsome and so good; everybody admired him and thought him such a fine-looking gentleman, so polished in his manners, so agreeable and entertaining in conversation. Then she would press all sorts of dainties upon the little girl in such a way that it was next to impossible to decline them, and occasionally even went so far as to suggest improvements, or rather alterations, in her dress, which she said was entirely too plain.

Initially, Elsie does not live with her parents but with her paternal grandfather, his second wife (Elsie's stepgrandmother), and their six children: Adelaide, Lora, Louise, Arthur, Walter, and Enna. Elsie's mother died soon after giving birth to her leaving her in the care of her grandfather. Before her father comes back she becomes good friends with Rose Allison, with whom she studies the Bible. Her father was in Europe until she was almost eight years old as the first book begins. The first Elsie books deal with a constant moral conflict between Christian principles and familial loyalty. Elsie's father is a strict disciplinarian who dictates inflexible rules by which his daughter must live. Any infraction is severely and often unjustly punished. In her father's absence Elsie has become a Christian and abides by Biblical law, especially the Ten Commandments. Her father regards this as ludicrous and in some cases as insolence. Elsie feels she must obey the Word of God before that of her father and can only obey her father when his orders do not conflict with Scripture. For example, her young uncle Arthur ruins her copybook and does other damage which he blames on Elsie. Because Elsie will not tell on him, her father is ready to punish her, until she is saved by last-minute testimony from another relative. He attempts to force her to break the Fourth Commandment several times, finally resulting in her having a complete nervous breakdown. In the original story of the second book, Elsie died, but this was rewritten as a near-death experience. Her father later marries Rose Allison and has two more children, Horace, Jr. and Rose, also called Rosie.

Martha Finley (April 26, 1828 – January 30, 1909) was a teacher and author of numerous works, the most well known being the 28 volume Elsie Dinsmore series which was published over a span of 38 years. The daughter of Presbyterian minister Dr. James Brown Finley and his wife and cousin Maria Theresa Brown Finley, she was born on April 26, 1828, in Chillicothe, Ohio. Finley wrote many of her books under the pseudonym Martha Farquharson. She died in 1909 in Elkton, Maryland, where she moved in 1876.

The Elsie Dinsmore Novels, Martha Finley, in our opinion is the author of the best Series of novels that we have seen in our forty-three years of reviewing. Written by Martha Finley, an unmarried teacher of the last century, these novels proved to be a means of conveying her deep love for Christ Jesus. She loved her Lord, she loved His Word, and this love was passed on to His sheep through the writing of by far the best and most Biblical novels you will ever read or see. Altogether there are 28 of these novels, all built around Elsie Dinsmore, her immediate family, her extended family, and her neighbors. Little Elsie inherited considerable riches, including a huge Louisiana plantation and valuable property in New Orleans. Her mother (only 16) died at Elsie’s birth. Her father (a year older) was in college. Their marriage was disapproved by both families. The father refused to have anything to do with Elsie until she was eight years of age. He a once objected to her constant adherence to Christian principles. For Elsie read her Bible daily, and knew it better than most Christian adults. The Father was proud and worldly, and was determined to mold Elsie in the same image. He could not force her to violate her conscience, which had been well schooled in the Bible and its teachings from babyhood by an old housekeeper and her Negro nurse. At last, upon his threat to put her into a nunnery, she became ill and at the point of death. The father was deliberately staying away. But when finally word came of her near death, he hastened to come. In her delirium Elsie thought he had come to put her into the Catholic nunnery, and she would not allow him in the room. The Dr. predicted she would not last the night. The father, conscience stricken, at last was born again through the regeneration of the Holy Spirit, but in repentance thought he had killed his daughter through his cruelties. From that time on, the father and daughter were dedicated Christians, leading very happy lives together. Miss Finley’s novels sold more than 28,000,000 copies in the last century. This made them among the best-selling novels of all time. The astonishing thing about them is that they are chock full of the God-breathed words of the Bible. In this day of moral decline, there is a falling away from making the Scriptures the strict guide of our lives. Because of this there is a tendency to look upon any book that depicts a family that lives by the Book as too other-worldly for today’s readers. Don’t you believe it! She proved that it is possible to write a Biblical novel that is a joy to read? Good, inspirational writing is not hindered by the inclusion of the Scriptures that bear directly on the lives of the characters. In fact, you will conclude that the story is much enhanced by the scriptural content. This is because the words of God are not thrust in as an alien element, but are woven into the story as essential threads that make the reading of it a memorable experience. Every God-loving family needs these godly books. You, your family, friends, children of all ages will be blessed by page after page as they witness that whole families can live by the Scriptures and be happier than families not so signally blessed. There is plenty of drama, the kind that engages the heart and soul of the reader, yet without today’s emphasis on broken families and broken hearts. You will find warmth, tears, and other elements of a true-to-life novel. The characters are such as to teach right from wrong without preaching. Wise parents will read the first novel, Elsie Dinsmore to the little ones. As they grow older, and begin to read, they will want to read this first one for themselves. Then they will find pleasure in reading each one to the younger members of the family one after another.