Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1874-07-03

seemed blessings drawing us SO near to-
gether.
And when she was all the world to me.
all that saved me from misery, John
Haynes asked me to give him my Ruth for
his wife. [ could have struck him dead
when he stood before me, ayoung giant in
strength, with his handsome sunburnt face
glowing with health, and wanted to take
away my one blessing, my only home
child.
81 will be true son to you, Mr.. NAL
TIM he said, earnestly. II will never
take Ruth from here; but let me come
and share her life, and lift some OF the bur
dens from her shoulders"
I laughed bitterly. | knew well what
such sharing would be when Ruth had a
husband, and perhaps children. to take her
time and her love from. me. But was
not harsh. 1 didn turn this sutton from
my house, and bid him never speak to Ruth
! again, much as I longed to do it. I worked
more-eautiously. I let-him go from me to
| Ruth; and when he left her, and she came
| to me, all rosy with bushes, to tell me,
with dropping lids and moist eyes, Of her
new happiness, worked upon her love and
her sense of duty till she believed herself a
monster Of ungrateful wickedness to think
Of leaving me OIL taking any divided duty
upon her hands. at5
wept, asking her if she could face her
dead mother after DESERVING her helpless
father. pointed out to her the unceasing
round Of wifely duty that would keep her
from my side, and proved to her that the
duties of child and wife must clash, if I'M
dertaken under such circumstances as were
proposed.
The loving, tender heart yielded to me,
and John was tearfully dismissed
Through the warm autumn months, when
the corn ripened, and was garnered-When
our crops were blessed, and the little bank
fund was increased by the price Of the
farm produce Ruth grew very quiet and
subdued. She was not sad, having always
CHEEKY word and pleasant smile for me;
but the pretty rose-tint left her round
cheeks, and I no longer heard her singing
at her work. When [ read the best passa-
ges in my books to her, | would see her
eyes fixed dreamily on some far away
thought, her work lying idle, till she woke
with start at my fretful questions.
For l grew fretful and trying in those
days. / wanted her to give up woman's
dearest hopes and sweetest affections, and
be the same sunshiny Ruth she was before
my hand tore away her love-dreams. |
wanted her to put away all the loving,
tender ties of wifehood and motherhood,
and pass her life in devotion at the arm
chair of paralyzed old man. And when
she complied, with gentle, touching sub
mission, then I wanted her to be the
bright, happy girl who had resigned moth
ing, and who could nurse sweet, girlish
fancies. with John for a hero. An unreal
sonable old tyrant, wasn'tSI
The winter came in early that year, and
before Christmas everything was frozen up
tight, and the cold was intense. We piled
| upfoat in the stoves listed d9ors,and win
dows- that is, Ruth did the work, and
enjoyed the result: but there came one
cold day-one Friday-when it seemed no
GOALS, no listing could conquer the Cold
Children froze on their way to school that
day. and were found stiff and stark. lean
ing against the fences. Food froze on the
tables. Ask anybody in Maine if they re-
member that black Friday, and see it
some mothers eyes will not fill as they
think of the little scarlet-hooded figures
brought to their doors, white and rigid,
that had lifted rosy, round cheeks for a
kiss only few short hours before.
| On this colo Friday, Ruth hurried
through her work in the morning. making
my room the Warmest place in the house,
covering my armchair with soft woolens,
and moving it near the stove. | would
have it face the window, for my glimpse
of outdoor life was too precious to resign !;
but was not, as usual, near it, for Ruth
said there might be adraught.
When all was done indoors, | saw from
my chair Ruth, with scarlet cloak and
hood thrown over her going to the well
with an empty bucket. She stepped along
quickly over the hard, frozen ground, and
was ..admiring the trim little feet, and
the dainty figure. when | saw her slide to
the two steps that we're above the we'll
walls and fall. She had slipped, and she
lay doubled up between the two wooden
steps and the rough sides of the we'll, as it
she could not rise. Two or three times
her hands clutched the lower step, and she
raised herself half way up, only to fall
back again. as if her limbs would not sup
port her.
And | could only look on, poWerless to
move to aid her. oh, the agony OF it !!
To know she was hurt, unable to rise, and
as helpless as a log. | screamed and call
! ed for help. Silas was somewhere, l
could not tell where, and | called loudly
i for him. 1 could see, after time, that
4 Ruth after her frantic struggles, was
growing drowsy with the death-sleep OF
cold The scarlet hood dropped more and
! more, till it rested against the well-side,
and the blue-veined lids closed over her
eyes. The sight called from me such a
cry of agony as I thought must be heard
for miles.
1T was heard. A moment later, John
Hayes, painting and eager-eyed, burst open
my door.
'sWhat is it ~ he cried. 81 heard you
calling on the road!"
sRuth-Ruth ~ I screamed. s'She is
freezing to death by the well! ~
He stopped to hear no more. Out upon
+bo bora cl;pnorv Ground dawn the stems
with swift, rapid strides, and then saw
him stoop and lift the scarlet-cloaked fig
ure in his strong arms, and come swiftly
back, bending his face down over the
sanseless one ON his arm while hot tears