South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1875-04-02
The Modern Ruth.

to face the world alone.
Nor was this ALL Mr.. Hunter was
generally considered one Of the wealth.
lest farmers in the neighborhood. but he
was now found to have died insolvent.
FOR years he had been living beyond his
means. II told You So" said one of
the wise-acres. ''when he sent his darter
to school in Boston, as if the schools
here warn't big enough: knew how It
would be-" The farm was mortgayed
Tor ITS entire value and was Immediate
iy foreclosed; and when the other debts
were paid. there was not dollar left.
Ruth and her mother would have hal
no roof even to shelter them. if Ruth
had not inherited, from n maiden aunt.
little tumble-down cottage. with nm
acre or two of pasture land. on the out
skirts of the village. Tliither the two
mourners repaired. with the few bits of
furniture the law allowed them. and be-
gan the hardest of all struggles. the bat.
tie with poverty on the part of woman,
battle rendered the more difficult i'm
this case. because both had been tender.
~, even mxuriously, nurtured, and new
er known before what it was to DENY
themselves.
Il am such burden to you. Ruth"
moaned the widow, who was now com.
pletely broken down, not only in spir-
ITS, but in health also. ''If it wasn't for
me. you could go of somewhere and
earn your own living like lady You,
child, could teach music. or be q overn.
ess, or obtain n situation in school.
But while am nm invalid, and | sup
pose | shall now always be one, you are
tied to my bedside
Ruth was of different character from
her mother. She was more energetic.
more self-reliant, more heroic. She had
also the courage ofyouth on her side.
God will provide" she said. lie
helps those who help themselves. With
my needle, our COW, and the vegetable
garden shall make, we will get along
famously.'
SO this refined, cultivated girl. who
had been reared, rs it were. amid rose
leaves, went to work, uncomplainingly,
20 support her mother and herself. For
awhile, too, it seemed as if her confidence
was prophetic. Mrs. Hunter recovered
her health SO rs to he able TO be about.
Everything went we'll. At the end of
the first summer, Ruth proudly counting
up her gains, said: mother. dear. we
have not only supported ourselves. but
we have saved money; we are getting
rich"
But alas. different times came. In
the fall, Mrs. Hunter fell i'll of rlieumat
&c fever, for the situation of the cottape
was low and damp. She had taken her
be' again. She was no longer able to
help Ruth with her needle. Poor Ruth
could now earn but little herself. her
time being occupied so much in nursing
her mother. The DOCTORS bill and the
medicines soon absorbed her small say
ings. She began to fall behind. The
cow finally had to be sold, and at last.
in order TO avert starvation, she was
compelled to mortgage the cottage.
In the two years that followed, mat
tiers went from bad to worse. Mrs.
Hunter still remained bed-ridden. Do
all she could, Ruth was unable to make
both ends meet. The interest on the
mortgage fell into arrears. LAWYER
Dent, who represented the holder, began
to ciamor for the arrears. At last. in
the third summer of ruths orphanage.
came legal notice, that unless the in.
terest was paid up in full, the cottage
would be sold.
The day before this notice was serv.
cd. Ruth had gone in person to LAWYER
Dent. hoping to touch his heart. But
he was deaf to her tears and representa-.
tIons. lie had the reputation of being
fnercIless, and Ruth saw now that the
character was deserved. There is no
use of you coming here" he said rude.
ly, II am acting for others and not for
myself; you'd better spend your time
IN getting together the interest that Won
owe. j can't interfere. Bring me the
money, or the law must take It's course"
When Mrs. Hunter heard the result OF
this interview, and when afterward the
formal notice was served, she moaned
feebly and turned her face TO the wall.
I'VE shall have 10 beg or go to the poor.
house, or die Oh the road she said
cob. that / should live to see this dav."
Ruth herself was Mt the end of her
resources. For awhile she Law pros.
trate on the bed where she had flung her.
self beside her mother, the two mingling
their tears. But the brave girl rallied
Mt last She remembered that there was
nothing IN the house 10 eat. and that
she had m money 90 buy ANYTHING with
At first she thought Of going 90 the store
and begging for n little more credit: but
when she recalled how CURLY this had
been refused only n week before. she q.
bandoued the idea in despair.
Suddenly IL flashed upon her that the
wheat was being cut ON the great Ores.
ham farms. In the old Sources time
the poor had been allowed TO come with
n sickle and cut what they wished IL
was a Scriptural custom, which the Ores.
hams had maintained from father TO son.
for generations. The old Squire was
dead. but Ruth had no doubt but the
privilege would still be accorded. and
looping mp her skirt. TO look as much like
one Of her rustic ncighbors as possible.
she took her sickle and went forth like
her namesake Of old.
Her heart did not begin to fail herun.
til just before she reached the harvest
field, when she remembered that the heirs