The Canton mail. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 18??-1882, 1875-11-20
VOLUME XII.
RUTH'S LOVE.
From the Sunny South.

cousin Ruth, why is it that yo
have never married."
Sadie Gordon had been telling of he
own engagement, and something in tn
: eyes of her hostess, sad, wtstftil ex
preston that spoke the pain and regre
of long years, prompted the question
Ruth Linton's sweet face paled ant
her voice quivered as she answered:
because l could love but once
|, You thought hard of my refusing DIR
Leigh, but had no heart to give?"
'Please forgive me ; l did not NEAR
to wound you"
Il am not hurt. You said just nov
that lite had been all happiness since
Walter loved you, and thought o.
what might have been saddened me
was two years younger than you
when young law student became an
inmate of our house. loved him from
the first. He was so noble. so much
superior to the young men l had met
in society. knew something of his
history. Young as / was, / honored
the sonwho had supported widowed
mother. l respected the man who had
educated himself and was winning
golden opinions from men of sterling
worth. [ might have grown to be a
woman of fashion, but he reused to ac-
ton all the latent good in my nature.
How pitiful and Insignificant my form
er life seemed. I know the sun never
more surely warmed flower into life
than his influence did my better self,
though 1 did not feel the truth ther. as
[ do now.
MY eighteenth birthday, father
gave me grand ball. That MI ht was
the MONDAY of my life. Hcan come to
woman but once, that brightest of hours,
when she learns the love of a true heart,
Gods precious gift to the erring race,
is hers. Sidney Darrell LOVED ME!
That was joy enough. Wewere both so
young that the years we must wait be-
fore he could win name and home
were but silver-fringed clouds in our
summertime of love.
Father had always shown Sidney
every possible kindness. Ny own
brother could not have received more
confidence and respect from him, and l
was utterly..unprepared for his refusal
when we asked him to sanction our
engagement. am afraid displayed
too much of the Linton pride and tenn
per, for father grew very angry and
sent me to stay with grandmother,
while Sidney should remain at our
house, which you know was not long
We had one Interview. Sidney would
have released me, but 1 would not be
free. l said l would wait years, if
need be, for my fathers consent, feel
ing sure that consent was only with
held because of Sidney's poverty.
Sidney Darrell was too true to do
anything clandestinely, and so we met
only by chance.
tFour long years of waiting, hoping
and toiling. With each, my fondest
dreams of his success were realized.
Competence was his at last, and such
laurels as he had won might have
graced kings brow. We went to my
father on my twenty-second birthday,
confidently expecting his cordial con-
sent. Mine was not patient heart,
>snd Icould hardly bear his cold, pitiless
rejection of Sidney this second time,
when no reason was apparent. The
bitter truth came at last. For months
l had received marked attention from
a reputed millionaire. l had felt like
a guilty creature in doing so, for I hold
human hearts too sacred to be sported
with, but father had left me no chance
to avoid him, and / could not ya where
1 was drifting. Father wasIn the eve
of bankruptcy, and GH,ert Morris
would save his sinking credit at the
price of my hand. Don't blame poor
old father for urging me to this love-
less marriage. l know he suffered in
fnitely more than Sidney or 1. Ny
step-mother was illEdying, we thought,
with consumption. She was reared in
luxury, and it was terrible to my IA
Their to think of her bearing poverty.
l could not sacrifice myself, but had
some property left me by my own
mother, and that sustained my fathers
credit while my step-mother lived,
which was only three months longer.
1.-The morning before gave Gilbert
Morris my final answer, 1 received
note from Sidney, saying he would sail
within an hour for Europc-that, as 1
was to be the wife ofanother, he must
travel to forget the past.
Il looked for him to come to me
when the crash came and father died
but he never even wrote Still, l be-
lieved he would come back, and in this
belief lived and worked.
There was no time to sit and nurse
my grief. My young step-sisters, Essie
and Daisy, and myself must be sup
ported. This dear old place of grand
ma Kinks was left me; l had uncle
Eben, our faithful old gardener, so /
commenced market gardening for a
living. l tried teaching, too; but it
wass confirming, l gave it up after one
term. l then added small dairy to
my garden, and by close economy was
enabled to live comfortably, even hap
ply"
Happily" questioned undisciplined
Sadie.
eyes ); | do think any one who cul-
tivates submissive spirit, and con-
scientiously performs each duty, cannot
fail to derive a certain degree of hap
piness from such life. This does not
come all at once there must be many
sad failures before the lesson is learned.
Strong to endure as felt myself when
the star of my love went down, when
there was no heart to share life's good
and i'll with mine, / sank into such
darkness of soul as | shudder to recall
'fDid Sidney die?"
ITO me. Two years from the day
he left, / saw his marriage in a foreign
paper. That was the end. Hush,
God only chastens in love. l can see
the guiding hand in my whole life.
Do you remember these lines in Phoebe
Cary's Womap's ConclIsions?'
Sc wor I'D not make the path have trod
More pleasant i,ybt M