Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1877-10-25

! oe araiu OF making me worse; ana then
she asked once more. In such pitIful lit
tie voice. shall ever be well agsin?''
The doctor laid his hand down on her
forehead aud said, very solemn, Not in
this world. my child; not in this world"
had to cry, but Ruth never shed a tear.
She thanked the doctor for telling her Just
as quiet and composed as ifhe had told her
she would soon be as well as ever. Every
thing went on much as before after that.
only Ruth got little weaker every day.
had her moved down stairs into a little
bedroom of the parlor, but she would get
up every day and dress a good part of the
time. though she'd lay on the lounge In tn e
parlor, most all day. Father wouldn't
have her out in the kitchen at ali, for fear
| she'd catch the draught from the outside
door, when he and John we're going In and
out.
One day. not great while after old Doc
tor Fenton told us that Ruth wasn't loEg
for this world, when was going down to
the village afer some oranges-Ruth
though. she could eat some-I met Mr.
| Windham. He was walking very slow
and looking down, and he didn't see me till
| he had got most close to me then he start
ed up and come and shook hands, and
asked how father was, and then he said =
| And Miss Oliver. how Is she?"
Ruth Oliver is dying" said / short as
could be-
Mr.. windham looked as II somebody
had struck him, and he said, very quick
| and sharp
at cannot be"
| 1T is" said I.
stood still minute or two after
spoke; and, as he didn't say anything
more. begun TO move away, when he
spoke again.
'Sbe--ts she resigned7"
Now I never stood near so much in awe
OF Mr.. windh,m, as did of old Parson
Holbrook. and always despised the way
he treated Ruth. and just says, tart as
possible e.
Il guess she's glad OF It. reckon dying
won't be any harder for her than living
was a while back"
ddu't stop to see how he liked that.
but just went on to the village and got my
oranges. When | got home didn't say
/ nothing to Ruth about having met the min
ister, and lidn't see anything more OF
him. except al meeting on SUNDAYS for
| more ti.gfI month. II was along In the
latter part OF March that he came to our
/ house 10 see Ruth. She and were alone.
as usual for father and john were busy Ia
the woods. Soon as he came tn. he wanted
to know how Ruth was. and then he asked
Il he might see her. The door from the
Kitchen into The parlor was open part way.
so knew Ruth mn>t have heard who Il
was. | crossed the Kitchen and threw the
par'or door vide open, aud said. Ruth Is
10 here. and then stepped back to let
him go
Rrth looked prcttier than ever that
morning. % white aud pure. aud her eyes
looked % bright; her hair was an lou.c
and ing % The pillow around her. aud
one haud-suCh thin. v hitc haul-rc-trd
( under her check Mr.. Niudh,m went
straight over To her and put out his hand.
i am very sorry 20 hud ynu Ike rhis,
Mis- Oliver" said he.
Ruth pot her hand IN hjs f,r Lalr min
uie. but ~he didn't ,av q word Then hr
asked her i she suffered much pain. auH
she .Aid
'Npt all the time"
He >at down then and booked M her.
begun to iecl sorry Tor hun, hr wa- nj
most a, pale Ruth. and be looked just
a. sorrowtul As could be, After fcN
minute, he began % talk 10 her; Ike a
minister | mean. can't remember all
hc said, but he talked about heaven, and
what happy place II was. and how none
Of us ought tn be afraid To de know
| couldn't help crying; and the minister +,
voice ttembled So sometimes that he could
hardly speak. Ruth never said word til
he had finished speaking, and them de-
clare wa, surprised at Ruth. she said ~
''Of course, Il Is your duty to tell me
81 this. Mr.. Windham. and am yery
much Obliged to you; but knew It all
before"
Mr. Windham didn't speak. and pretty
soon Ruth went on
II am very glad and thank ful that am
near death. | only hope the end NAV
come soon. FOR" and she turned and looked
at me. II am afraid Priscilla will wear
herself out taking care OF me-.
Ruth, said |, 'don's talk Ia that wav
Just as II | was In any danger Of wear
In. OUT, or had ever thought OF such a
thing
Then Mr.. Windham said something t.
Ruth that didn't hear, for | was CRYING
ADD Ruth didn't answer him. First knew
he went over and sat down close beside
Ruths lounge. and | heard him say
You thought then, and think now. that
| Was Il scouEdrel; but, indeed, il. was
not So"
Ruth looked surprised. and then said.
gently # did not think that; you made
| u mistake
Made mistake!" he repeated. scorn.
ful as could be. II did make a mistake.
! God forgive and pity me. for there is no
more wretched man on this earth than |
am.'
Ruth looked SO white | was afraid she
was going to have a iaintlng spell-she
had had two or three-so | started for
ward and said:
You must not talk so 10 Ruth. Mr..
Windham."
He turned to me real savage. and said
he:
arfH sAl 1. =. l. Z 4
her go down TO The grave and not know
Then he looked at Ruth, aud said. gentle
as could be May | tell you?"
wish | could remember the very words
| Mr.. Windham said bur It's so long ago
| can't, but | never felt so sorry for any
one as l did for him before he had done
| speaking. Ii seemed that the day he asked
Ruth TO marry him she did not give him
any answer | had to come down stairs
right in the midst OF it. Maybe, il had
stayed up stairs and spun few minutes
longer il would have n turued out differ
| ent. And when lie went away from our
| house that night he wr'tt over to Deacon
Andrew To tea and Selma told him that
| Ruth and Amos va com. tn be married
in the spring, lie couldn't say much about
that. tor Selin. was his wife; hut un
| derstood how il was. Selma knew that he
| had been To our huue good deal. and
she was afraid that he might be thinking
| of marrying Ruth. so she told him that
purpose.
| He said he could not believe 1t at first,
| but then he remembered how 10th Ruth
| was to answer him. and how she refused
to 90 for ride with him. and he thought
| il might De so. He knew Amos was Dea-
| con Andrews nephew. and so he asked
| the deacon If Ii was true that his nephew
and Miss Oliver were going to be married
in the spring Now Deacon Andrews
knew how often Amos came to our house.
and | suppose he had heard all the sense
| less talk there is II young folks so much
as look at each other and he said. oh.
yes. he sposed 1t 1t would come off In the
spring. or maybe at midsummer. Amos
was telling him, only few days before,
that he'd got his house most ready foi
wife; and Mr.. Windham said that the dea.
con went on talking about il. and said
he thought 1t would be first rate match.
only he was afraid Ruth wasn't hardly
rugged enough for a farmers wife.