Emily+Sparks+(Elizabeth)

"Emily Sparks" Read by Elizabeth Photo by BekonTM **-** "Cementary" media type="custom" key="11332414"

 Emily Sparks is a teacher in Spoon River. She prays for her 'boy” each night. Because of the strong and loving teacher-student relationship that she has with Reuben, she is considered a religious and worried person. Due to the fact that Emily Sparks cares for her student, she uses the religious aspect to pray for him and write to him about the beautiful love of Christ. Emily Sparks said:

Oh boy, boy for whom I prayed and prayed  In many a watchful hour at night  Do you remember the letter thee  Of the beautiful love of Christ.(Masters 18)

Emily shows much love for one of her students taking her to the point that she worries about much more than any other student. So when her “student” left she could not help but pray and hope everything will be alright. Everyday Emily misses her boy, she is worried but caring about what he is doing with his life. Although her love for him is not meant to be she cannot help but wonder how he is and how he is dealing with life. Emily said:

Where is my boy, my boy ―  In what far part of the world?  The boy I loved best of all in the school ―(Masters 18)

Indicating that even if he left, he will always be in her heart, with the memories that he left from school. Additionally she also said:

My boy, wherever you are,  Work For Your soul's sake,  That all the clay of you and all the dross of you,  May Yield to the fire of you.(Masters 18)

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif';">Meaning that even if he left, it does not mean Emily will not stop worrying and caring about him and as days pass she just hopes that his journey thru life will go on safe. Reuben Pantier said to Emily:

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif';">Well Emily Sparks your prayers were not wasted, <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif';"> Your love was not all in vain, <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif';"> I owe whatever I was in life <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif';"> To your hope that would not give me up (Masters 17)

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif';">This meaning that all her prayers and love that she has for him were not wasted but instead appreciated by him. <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif';">Emily Sparks is a religious, worried, and caring person by praying, sending him letters and wondering what she is doing to his life. She will always have him in his heart and never let go of the memories she has of him.

__**Works Cited:**__
Masters, Edgar Lee. //Spoon RiverAnthology//. New York: Macmillan, 1946. Print.