Praying for Child Abusers

I pray for the victims of child abuse... especially for children who have been and are being molested.  I pray that they will

be rescued, and that they will heal.

I also pray for the molesters and other abusers.  I pray that they will repent and reform... in prison.

Elsie Books, Original and Updated Versions

I recently blogged about the "Elsie Dinsmore" series. This post is what could be called a sequel.

I've already mentioned a couple of differences between the original series and the updated books.

The anti-Catholic element is removed.

Elsie reads a more modern Bible (not even PUBLISHED

when the books take place!)

Here are a few other differences:

Some characters are fleshed out a bit more.

The stereotypical language of the African-Americans is eliminated.

On a Sunday in "Elsie's Holidays", Elsie won't read "a fictitious moral tale, without a particle of religious truth in it, and Elsie’s conscience told her, entirely unfit for Sabbath reading." 

This, even though her father is very ill.

In the modern, "Elsie's Impossible Choice," the book is changed

into a newspaper.  And, more importantly, the author points out that Elsie may have been mistaken in this instance, for we are permitted to do good on Sunday, and reading a newspaper to her sick father may be considered doing good.  This, to me, is

a great improvement over the original!

In "Elsie's Girlhood," Elsie reads "The Wide, Wide World," which had just been published.  In the new version, (whose name escapes me) she reads "David Copperfield."

I see most of these changes as an improvement, but there is one that I regret.

In "Elsie Dinsmore," Elsie is unjustly punished because of the governess, Miss Day's, misrepresentation of her behavior by being made to stay in her father's study and have only bread and water for dinner.  The servant, Pompey, brings it and offers to get something better before her father finishes his meal. Elsie thanks him, but says that she can't deceive her father, and that she is not at all hungry.

He lingered a moment, seeming loath to leave her to dine upon such fare.

"You had better go now, Pompey," she said gently; "I am afraid you will be wanted."

He turned and left the room muttering something about "disagreeable, good-for-nothing Miss Day!"

In the updated version, the words "disagreeable, good-for-nothing Miss Day!" are eliminated.  That is what I regret.

I think I mentioned that I had the updated books, but lost them when I moved.  Someday I will replace them.

Judging Others

I'd like to share a conversation I once had. A friend of mine said

about someone we both knew, "The trouble with her is she is so

judgmental."

I responded, as gently as I could, "When you call her judgmental, aren't you judging her?"

New Image in Rosary Art Collection

I've just added this woodcut to my Rosary Art Collection.

Sunday Snippets--A Catholic Carnival

It's time for Sunday Snippets over at RAnn's blog!  I've found some wonderful Catholic blogs here. How about sharing yours?

Semper Gaudete! : Sad News (Moved to top of list)

Semper Gaudete! : Special Sunday Foods (Post Expanded)

Semper Gaudete! : More Word Play

Semper Gaudete! : Old (Okay, not THAT old!) Forgotten Blog

Semper Gaudete! : Little Things

Semper Gaudete! : Internet Giving

Semper Gaudete! : Mystery Object

Semper Gaudete! : The "Elsie" Books: Mixed Feelings

Semper Gaudete! : This Week's Fan Fiction

Semper Gaudete! : Books Read in the Past week

Books Read in the Past week

Books read for the first time are marked with a #

Books are grouped by author,
and not necessarily in the order read.

"Between Heaven and Mirth"#

by James Martin, SJ

[non-fiction]

(Kindle book)

"Travelers Along the Way"
by Fr. Benedict Groeschel (RIP)
[collective biography]

"The Story of a Soul"

by St. Therese of Lisieux

"In This House Of Brede"

by Rumer Godden

[fiction]

(a great favorite of mine)

{Sunday books}

Bible books read this week:

"Isaiah"
"Joshua"

"The Gospel According to Matthew"

"The Four-Story Mistake"

{carried over from last week}
"Then There Were Five"
{carrying over into next week}
by Elizabeth Enright
[children's fiction]
in The Melendy Family
three books in one volume
(openlibrary.org loan)


"The Alpine Path

The Story of my Career" #

by L. M. Montgomery

[autobiography]
{carried over from last week}
(Kindle book) 

"The Sun is Shining on the Other Side"
by Margaret Jensen
[Christian (Protestant) nonfiction]
(stories from her earlier books)
{carried over from last week}

This Week's Fan Fiction

Unsuited to Each Other

Chapter 4 is now up.