Huntington advertiser. [volume] (Huntington, W. Va.) 1874-1921, 1875-01-07

!, attire; the shapes of the. trees wer
S growing every day more defines
I against the pensive autumn sky
' there was hush in the air, onl,
= broken, not nrarred, BY the burstin,
r and pattering of nuts, by the ripple
of the falling leaf, and the mournfu
melody of the crickets; and one grew
, to have a sense Of insecurity in al
this beauty, as if breath wouIC
, break the spell, bedim the gold, anc
sadden the scarlet leaf. At AL
Halloween the young men and girl
assembled in the kitchen at the Hill
Farm to work their charms, Will,
they dived for the lucky apple. and
searched the melted lead for the i'm
plements of their future sweethearts
craft, and roasted chestnuts.
"Did any one name my chestnut !?
asked Ruth, as it begins to burn
brightly.
Il named it," said Elkanah.
"You? And who pray?'
81 named it the master of Ridge
Farm" he replied. see! the two
flames have become one-that signi'
fies marriage"
"Then III quench it" Ruth criei,
throwing water upon the blaze.
"Tbe master of Ridge Farm, indeed,
to marry crutch? 1t is not seemly
of you to be laughing at me, Elkanah
Reed"
cam 1 laughing at you, Yon
had plow in the lead for your share;
they should 90 together
"There are other farmers in the
land, thank Heaven"
Though Ruth would not confess it,
even to herself, the year had been
full of disappointments to her, and
now as the wind whistled through the
leahess boughs OF November, and
the Indian summer was vanishing
like q beautiful wrath, and the time
drew near for Elkanah to depart. she
was oppressed with a foreboding OF
trouble and grief, which was realized
one morning when Uncle Isaac tell
asleep in his armt hair with the No
vember sunshine On his face. Hush,
don't wake him." she said to Elka-
nah, when he came in to dinner; "he
rested poorly last night"
"But he's gone to his eternal rest
to day, Ruth" said Elkanan, touching
the dead mans hand There was a
hushed stir in the farmhouse next
day, friends and relatives coming
post-haste, needles and neighbors
busy over yards of bombazine. But
when Uncle Isaac left the Hill Farm
forever, Ruth awoke 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 he sold
and the proceeds to be divided among
the heirs; and the only one among
them who offered her shelter was
the cousin she had refused to marry
wears before, and whose wife did not
naturally second the invitation.
Alone, homeless, and crippled, Ruth
found herself as Christmas drew near,
when comfort aud friends and good
cheer seem the only natural things,
and misfortune spot on the holiday
sun, a cloud in its sky. The place
was to be sold the following week,
and there was Il great packing up and
pulling down, and the familiar rooms
she had known 50 long were as naked
and forlorn as the outside world, and
every one was moving homeward ior
the holidays. But where should she
90 and what should she do3-s wo
man on'a crutch!
"And where do YOU go Mss Ruth
asked Elkanah, as if she had heard
her thoughts.
You know almost as well as l do,
she answered, sadly.
AYE. perhaps ! know better" he
said, raking together the Goals upor
the hearth. All the household goods
packed and labeled. stood ready t
depart 10 the wainscoted kitchen
while Ruth sat upon the old settee
with her hands idly folded over each
other.
at is Christmas to morrow" sh'
said, bitterly. Last year We had
dance in the kitchen here, and
| could balance with the best
"Do YOU recall the day | came her
the early spring day?" asked Eika
nah, sitting down beside her on tn
f aet,ee, and taking her hand in hi
: broad palm. The thing was 3
, strange on his part that Ruth dre'
it away quickly and turned her hea'
aside.
ave, / remember well enough.
, If this man was going TO take pit
, upon her, she would show him tina
even cripple had some pride, SON
spirit and yet there had been some
: thing in the touch CT his warm ham
3 that w-s pleasant. She was almos
:. sorry she had drawn her hand away
but could not give it back.
"And do you mind what answer
!, made wnen you asked why | let
, Ridge Fsrm?" not needing her re
8 buff, but leaning nearer and wlndin
, vagsbond curl about an audaciou
r brown finger. ;.
t YES" she said. twisting curl II
TO the net that confined her hair t'
y day-"yes, you said you left Ridg
:. Farm because you wished to ear
!. more. or words to that effect
t not worth remepbering;" for she wa
d angry with herself because she Re
D membered them 30 faithfully.
: "And can you guess what it was
, wished to earn? Can you? Come