American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1875-11-27

| Tic Wcli again Ducket, nDl
catch the colts in the pasture, nor NOW &
long summers afternoon, nor dance Al
quilting or wedding, nor "be much of q
match for any young farmer now" as the
neighbors said, for she walked with the
crutch Elkanah Reed had fashioned fol
her, and would probably never lay it aside
So the year wore on. The fragrant hay
ricks had loitered up from the meadows
drawn by the contemplative oxen; the
corn had filled out its ears and unfOlded
| its banners to the breeze, been gathered in
and ground in the mill the blue nose and
buckster potatoes had hidden adieu to
sunny fields; the early wheat crop had
been gathered; the yellow pumpkins, like
gold nuggets, had heaped the staggering
wains; the winter pears had been stored,
the damsons preserved, the tomatoes
canned; the quince-bushes had been
stripped of their spicy fruit; and gilly-
flowers and Baldwins had gone to market,
or, reposing in the bins in the cellar, they
dreamed of the days when they lived and
thrived in the sunlight, and the sweet,
warm rains filled up the cup of their bios
SONS. The Hill Farm had yielded large
| ly under Elkanah Reeds management,
but he was to leave it at Thanksgiving.
1t was he who had assisted Ruth at pick
ling, preserving and canning, and had be-
come almost as necessary to her indoors
as he was to her uncle outside. He an
ticipated her wants before she could put
hand to her crutch, but he never let fall a
tender word or look, nor permitted him
self to be betrayed into turning a compli-
| ment to please her, nor trified away the
spare minutes in that nonsense which
| is half lOve-making, so dear to young
| folks. When they were obliged to drive
to market together he jumped out to pull
every painted leaf or blanched fern that
she praised; but she had seen him stop
his horse and climb a tree to reach some
particular bough of glory for old Kitty
Daft to hang over her mantel, and Ruth
laid no f1attering JUNCTION to her soul on
account of these things. So the naples
blushed in the woods and turned to fiut-
tering gold pieces, the sumach and wood
bines REDEEMED, and oak and beech put
on holiday attire; the shapes of the trees
were growing every day more defined
against the pensive autumn sky; there
was hush in the air, only broken, not
married, by the bursting and pattering of
nuts, by the ripple of the falling leaf. and
the mournful monody of the crickets; and
one grew to have sense of insecurity in
all this beauty, as if breath would break
the spell, bedim the gold and sadden the
scarlet leaf. At All-Halloween the young
men and girls assembled in the kitchen
at the Hill Farm to work their charms,
while they dived for the lucky apple, and
searched the melted lead for the imple-
ments of their future sweethearts' craft,
and roasted chestnuts.
did anyone name my chestnut ?" asked
Ruth, as it began to burn brightly.
81 named it, said Elkanah.
"You? And who, pray?"
81 named it the master of Ridge
Farm he replied. ''Seei the two
flames have become one-that signifies
marriage
"Then I'll quench it, Ruth cried,
throwing water upon the blaze. The
master Of Ridge Farm, indeed, to marry
crutch! 1t is not seemly of you to be
laughing at me, EIkanah Reed"
Am laughing at you? You had
pillow in the lead for your share; they
should go together"
'tThere are other farmers in the land
thank Heaven"
Though Ruth would not confess it, even
to herself the year had been full of disap-
pointment to her, and now as the wind
whistled through the leafless boughs of
November, and the Indian summer was
vanishing like a beautiful wrath, and the
time drew near for Elkanah to depart, she
was oppressed with forebOding of
trouble and grief, which was realized one
morning when Uncle Isaac fell asleep in
his armchair, with the November sun
shine on his face. Hush, don't wake
him." she said to Elkanah, when he
came in to dinner; " he rested poorly last
night"
day, Ruth" said Elkanah, touching the
dead mans hand. There was hushed
stir in the farmhouse next day, friends
and relatives coming post-haste, needles
and neighbOrs busy over yards of bOmba-
zine. But when Uncle Isaac left the Hill
Farm forever Ruth woke to the fact that
she had no longer any home. The will in
which Isaac Hill was to have provided for
her had been put aside unfinished; the
farm was to be sold and the proceeds di-
vided among the heirs; and the only one
among them who offered her a shelter was
the cousin she had refused to marry years
before, and whose wife naturally did not
second the invitation. Alone, homeless
and crippled, Ruth found herself as
Thanksgiving Day drew near, when CON-
fort and friends and good cheer seem the
only natural things, and misfortune spot
on the holiday sun, cloud in its sky.
The place was to be sold the next week
and there was a great packing up and
pulling down, and the familiar rooms she
had known SO long were as naked and for
lorn as the outside world, and everyone
was moving homeward for the holidays.
But where should she 60, and what should
she do "a woman on a crutchi
And where do you go, Miss RUTH"
asked Elkanah, as if he had heard her
thoughts.
You know almost as we'll as do"
she answered, sadly.
"Aye, perhaps know BETTER" he said,
raking together the Goals upon the hearth.
All the household goods, packed and Ia
beled, stood ready TO depart in the VAIN
scoted kitchen, while Ruth sat on the old
settle with her hands idly folded over each
other.
1t is Thanksgiving Day Tomorrow"
she said bitterly, and what have l to be
thankful tor? Last year we had dance
in the kitchen here and I could balance
and polka with the best.''
"Do you recall the day came here
the early spring day." asked Elkanah,
sitting down beside her on the settle and |
taking her hand in his broad palm. The |
thing was so strange on his part that Ruth |
drew 1t away quickly and turned her
head aside.
"Aye, I remember well enough" If |
this man was going to take pity upon her
she would show him that even a cripple |
had some pride, some spirit; and yet there
had been something in the touch of his
warm hand that renewed the bloom of
weather. She was almost |
sorry she had drawn her hand away but |
could not give it back.
"And do you mind what answer made
when you asked why left Ridge Farm ~
not needing her rebuff, but leaning nearer
and winding vagabond curl about an
audacious brown finger.
Yes" she said, twisting the curl into
the net that confined her hair to-day
yes, you said you left Ridge Farm be-
cause you wished to earn more, or words
l.nN<. 4.