The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1871-10-12

certain gladsome voice. 2 Hatred is
a habit, and TO this day can not meet
that fellow-Augustus Deering his
name was-without all inclination to
cross over to the other side of the
street.
AT last 1 was taken very ill. L do
not know whether my mental disqui-
ct had any thing to do with il. Per-
haps it was staying in town all sum-
mer, and being somewhat oVerwork-
ed. AT all events, sick / was, and for
weeks Z was hardly able to think at
all. No one would talk to me-the
physician had enjoined perfect quiet,
and / lay there too weak to be any
thing but obedient. aafe oilo1 arr
After while commenced to mend.
Before any one else saw it 1 felt a
change in myself. MY mental power
began to come back to me. / began
to think. The old heartache kept me
company, and my mind moved on
again in this same troubled channel
lay and pondered gloomily on my
| life, half tempted to curse my fate,
which had taught me my hearts needs
only to laugh at the tantalizing mock
cry of my vain desires. = - F}Hof 4
Ruth waited on me more than any
|
severe enough to require a professed
nurse, and she and her mother had
! tended me as if were indeed one of
themselves. ! was ungrateful. That
sweet face in my room gave me no
| pleasure. / shrank from the light
touch of the kindly hands, and one
afternoon, with sick mans exacting
and unreasoning petulance, L asked
her why her mother could not Just as
well sit with me. Her eyes filled with
sudden tears, and her voice had sad,
reproachful cadence had never heard
in it before. '''.i -t5fi''l 51iang e|
"Have l neglected your" she asked,
gently. "Do not do what you wish /?
Why do you dislike my being here ?"
"No," l grumbled. q Y ou don't
neglect me, you do all L wish, but
know you are tired of sitting here
1t is about the time Mr.. Deerirg is i'm
the habit of coming. ou had better
60 and see whether he is is in the par
She smiled. - .@T92iilo iaqi2.a
ssOh no, he hasil't Been here this
long time. believe he is very busy"
Then she was silent again, going on
with some fancifu1 feminine trif1e on |
which she was at work. AS lay and
thought how / had treated her, my
heart smote me. / felt that T had be- |
haved like brute I had manifested
my gratitude for her. care by almost
turning her out of the room, And |
then wondered if there were anoth- |
er woman in. the world sweet-tem- /
pered enough not to have taken me at |
my word and gone out, leaving me to
bear alone my modification and self
y, f1,, IL
Ruth. come here ~ baG Gia7is
She came in a moment; laying down
her work. r. - 10 t.l9Ii'5'l 7i3al
6 What did you wish?v in those
cherry tones whose very blitheness |
went farther toward my healing than
any medicine. 5is 'l
@ g Only to ask you to forgive me-" | |
said, just touching with penitent lips |
the hand that rested for moment on
my pillow. '' a. ''i5 Z, ss59g 55I
I" Don't ask. that. One never. has
any thing to forgive in sick people,
They have a right to be a little iunrea-
sonable sometimes" - p" itii
+" I spoke to you savagely, but 1 |
shall never do so again. / am going
to send you out, though. 1t makes
me sad te see you confining yourself I
indoors, all these bright October days,
for my sake. If you want TO please |
me, you will go out now and walk for
a while, and let Mrs. Hastings sit
with me while you are gone" 4
She obeyed me, and presently her
mother, came in, with her pleasant,
friendly face, and her kind inquiries
about my health. i.s '''3. 7'9 baIl
Then she sat silently for a time-I
had go long been too ill for CONVERSE
ton that they had all left off the habit
of. talking to me. i lay there think
ing. earnestly, loved Ruth Hastings, t
but her widowed mother, who had
loved her so long, and. would be sol
lonely without her, had the first claim
on her. 1 would not seek to win the
daughter unless the mother we're will
ling to receive me as a son, and we I
I made up my mind to ask her 30 gI9F
" Mrs. Hastings, . said. q I love-
Ruth. Do you think me TOO old to
marry her, if I could win her. heart ?'' ;
Not too old, certainly; but lfndeedI L
never thought you cared for her IN
that way at all" ti;''l q 19i5 .ngI
.s.I should have told you long ago, y
only that I fancied Mr.. Deering foved
her, and was in a fair way TO win her."
:"".He did love her, at least he said soy n
but she could not return his regard. .-E
He has not been here in a long timer
y $50. she told me, and that gave me-
courage to speak to7pight1 but / musti
feel sure of-your consent beforeI saw u
any thing to her, 4 do not want to 4
take her from you but ifp2you are will
ling should be your son, shall feel :.
that in winning Ruth--if 1 can win
her-I do no wrong" - 2'i svrI
Her voice trembled as she answered
me! aw ss.,.,,.5 -. ~ ~ 3sot
e'.I am willing, more than willing,
Mr.. Fraser. If Ruth: loves you, i Is
shall ask no, higher, happiness than {
such security for her future asI should
feel in trusting her to your care and q
N-L 11s
1t was not long, before we heard |
her come in-the dear child. Her I
rose to go out, aii4 go y
Not a word of what we havc said, j
Mrs. Hastings,"'I entreated, as she I
aSurely not-you shall plead your 6
own cause in your own way and time" t
Soon my door opened again. This {
time it was Ruth who entered. "A I
sweet, subtle fragrance came in with c
her. / saw bunch of tea-roses and G
heliotropes in her hand. She busted | |
herself a moment with their arrange '
ment, and then she came and set the |
little. vase containing them on the i
stand at my bedside. / reached out !
my hand and took in it the fingers Q
6uttering among the flower petals, a
ruth" said, ''I wish we could all s
live here together always. 1t is very q
sweet, after such a lonely life as have '
had, to be so tenderly cared for by t
you and your dear mother" 90 q
could see, as she stood there in c
The twilight, the sudden blush that
flushed her cheeks. She answered me
gayly;
"We would be the first 10 tire of, f
that. Some day you win have a wife 8
to take care of you, and then yonll
won't need us any moro -. sal 7eiI q