The Osceola times., 1875-11-13
RUTH'S LOVE.
FROM the SnNnr South.

eyes of her hostess, sad, wisttul cx
preston that spoke the epain and regrel
Of long years, prompted the question
Ruth Linton's sweet face paled and
her voice quivercd as she answered:
"Because | could love but once
You thought hard of my refusing DIR.
Leigh, but had no heart to give?'
"Plcasc forgive me l did not mean
to wound you"
III eurIrot h~~t. :. on -uisl iust nov
that life had been all happiness since
Walter loved you, and u thought OF
what might have been saddened me.
l was two years younger than you
when a young law student became an
inmate of our house. loved him from
the first. He was so noble. so much
superior to tho young men | had met
in society. knew something of his
history. Young as was, / honored
the son who had supported a widowed
mother. ] 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, hut he reused to ac-
ton all the latent good in my nature.
How pitiful and Insignificant my FORM
er life seemed. know the sun never
more surely warmed flower into life
than his influence did my better self,
though | did not feel the truth then as
| do now.
"My eighteenth birthday, father
gave me a grand ball. That night was
the MONDAY of my life. 1tcan come to
woman but once, that brightest of hours,
when she learns the love ola true heart,
Gods precious gift to the erring race,
is hers. Sidney Darrell LOVED ME!
That was joy enough. Wewere boths 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
was utterly unprepared for his refusal
when we asked him to sanction our
engagement. ! am afraid l 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 | would not be
free, ! said | would wait years, if
need be, for my fathers consent, feel
ing sure that consent was only with
held because of Sidneys poverty.
"Sidney Darrell was too true to do
anything clandestinely, and SO we met
only by chance.
"Four 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 tony
father on my twcnty-second birthday,
confidently expecting his cordial con-
sent. Mine was not patient heart,
and 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
| had received marked attention from
a reputed millionaire. / had felt like
a guilty creature in doing so, for hold
human hearts too sacred to be sported
with, but father had left me no chance
to avoid him, and | could not see where
| was drifting. Father was on the eve
of bankruptcy, and Gilbert 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. / know he suffered in
fnitely more than Sidney or |. My
step-mother was ill-dying, we thought,
with consumption. She was reared in
luxury, and it was terrible to my IA
ther to think of her bearing poverty.
| 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.
"Thc morning before | gave Gilbert
Morris my final answer, | received a
note from Sidney, saying he would sail
within an hour for Europe-that, as I
was to be the wife ofanother, he must
travel to forget the past.
81 looked for him to come to me
when the crash came and father died
but he never even wrote. Still, / 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; | had uncle
Eben, our faithful old gardener, so |
commenced market gardening for a
living. | tried teaching, too but it
was so confning, gave it up after one
term. i then added a small dairy to
my garden, and by close economy was
enabled to live comfortably, even hap
ply
Happily" questioned undisciplined
Sadie.
"Yes y; | do think any one who cul-
tivates submissive spirit, and con-
scientionsly performs each duty. cannot