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

Lsutu 41iii was tilC ulCCC VI Il dt luC
Hill-as wild and pretty a house
keeper, the neighbors said, as an oil
man would care to have, whose owl
sons and daughters were married ant
gone, and whose wife was in heaven
She was coed at churning, baking
or weaving, however; her cheese
were the pride of the county. He
bread had passed into a proverb
Many of the young men in the town
ship had paid court to her, only t.
find it time wasted if they dared pu
the question.
"Maybe she's waiting for him o
the Ridge Farm" was the favorit,
sarcasm launched at Ruth. Now th'
owner of the Ridge Farm was a
mythical a parsonage to the resident
at Greenside as the Grand Lama o
Thibet or the man in the moon L
was, indeed, a we'll authenticated fac
that Il farm of that name existed
that its owner carried off the count,
prizes; brt nobody among Ruth's ac
quaintances remembered having seer
him. Nobody in those parts had hat
the happiness to meet him in highwa!
or market-town; but when son o
Grecnside was to be especially com
mended to the good graces Of any o.
its daughters he was declared "a
good catch as him of the Ridge
Farm :" or if a neighbor raised al
ambition: crop of grain or grapes, OF
a yoke of steers remarkable in any
respect, he was reputed to have beat
en- the Ridge Farm hollow. As thi'
hero was understood to be bachelor
the girls joked about him. Every
stranger driving by was "him of the
Ridge Farm; when their scissors
stuck in the floor, he was coming tt
call +; and every letter among the te'
grounds in their cups was written by
him. TO be mistress of the Ridge
Farm was almost equivalent, in theil
regard, to being Queen of England
"Pm tired of this eternal titteI
about the Ridge Farm and its owner,
said Ruth, Oh one occasion. 81 sup
pose he's made CT clay like othe
folks"
Like his farm, too,' put in he
uncle Isaac.
II don't care for him nor his farm
either" averred Ruth.
"Wait till you're asked, Ruth.
"I'd show him there was one wo
man in the world he couldn't have
for the asking; he'd ask in vain,
promise you,"
Perhaps, as rumors of the Ridg'
Farm Travelled to Greenside, so Ruth
sco1ing may have reached the ear
of its master, since log that bring
a bone will carry one.
One winter Uncle Isaac was over
reached by rheumatism, and though
he fondly trusted that spring woul'
bring him round, yet spring cam'
and found him still beneath the coun
terpane; but as the planting mus
be done, and the farm hands needed
a head man, he advertised in tn
COUNTY Plowman for capable man t.
oversee the farm Of Isaac Hill. AM
to illustrate the advantages of adver
tising, a somewhat tail and thickse
man of twenty-five arrived, one IL
kanah Reed, with honest brown eye:
and a severely outlined mouth, whic
n smile broke into tender lines an
curves. He carried ample recon
mendations in his pocket one OF whic
bole the name of Guy Grosvenor tn
master of the famous Ridge Farm.
"And how long have you worke
at the Ridge?' asked Uncle Isaac.
From boy, sir, on and off, wa
the answer.
Ruth stood with one arrested han
on her spinning-wheel, listening
pretty picture enough, with her sat
cy bright eyes, the apple-blossom co
or fitting across her cheek, and Liz
half pouted with smile. She la
been too often told of her charms nc
to believe in them. and perhaps sh
was the least bit surprised that L
kauah Reed never looked at her a
ter the first salutation.
| "And why did you leave the Ride
Farm ?" she asked, presently not ca
ling at all, but bent upon compellin
his regard.
"Why, miss, because | wished
earn more, by your leave
$50 he of the Ridge is a hard ma
tier, eh Is he bachelor still? Wi
he ever marry, think you?"
"Perhsps-if he were to see yo'
miss"
I Ruth flung back her curls ar
made her wheel buzz. This was tt
recognition she had craved, but'om
how it half displeased her; she Wi
uncertain but this Elkanah Reed vi
laughing at her.
81 would sweep the streets first
she answered, ecornfully. Then 81
turned her liquid glance full upct
him and her scorn melted into a sml
that seemed to make halo about h
as she graciously said, Il have IN
you somewhere. if | mistake no
was it at the fair last autumn
Every likely he answered, j
differently; "I was there y and
addressed himself to her uncle.
"They have told him ! am a filI
and he means to take care of himsel
the CRAVEN" she thought; "but wh'
did / ever have to beg tor notice, tn
/ | need mind if farm hand turns b
} eyes away from me? He'll be loo
ing this way hard enough before lon