Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-11-13
Ruth Deans Visit.
BY SOPHIA EMERY.


much of pleasant possbles, that we may
not be out of humor with pleasant insp.
ids" yet despite this lamb-like maxim
if ever one planned, economical, making 9
old gowns last twice their usual span, that
she might have one long, cool holiday in
new gowns and free from care. it was Ruth
Dean, the cheeriest being with the whtest
of teeth and brownest of hair that ever
adorned mortal woman near her fortieth
birth day an age when many of her sis
ters have lost youth, health and comeli-
ness. and begin to have n dim conscious
ness that they ought TO have died when
they were young and toerable.
When Ruth first planned this visit to
her relative among the Maine hills, she
was living in n large western city with q
ne'er do-well husband, and a graceless
Young nephew upon whom she lavished
all the pent-up motherhood that she had
ever been called TO expend on children of
her own.
Why Ruth. the fairest and most lovable
of the five Worthing girls, should have
bound herself fortuitnns!y, or Otherwise. to
such Il bundle of obstinacy and incapacity
as John Dean, while all her plain. ordina-
ry minded sisters married capable, enter.
prising men, is question for philosophers
and biologists.
| keturah Ann Bowers, an angular down
east woman, living with Mrs. Lane, Ruth's
near neighbor, in the capacity of unpaid
philosopher and paid nurse, guiltless of
Darwnian The olies in regard 10 natural
selection, and having positive ideas of her
own about matters i'll general, knowed,' "
10 use her expressive language. las well
rs she wanted to, just why Ruth Worthin'
hrowed herself away, marryiu' that shi' L.
less John Dean"
Ell anybody knows Ruth and all her
family and all their ways. it's me-" Ke-
tmah was trotting, quite gently for her, a
two-weeks old baby on her lap. and said
this in answer to some question of Mrs.
Lane in regard to Mrs, Dean.
"You see, lived with Deacon Worth
ms folks, off and on, most of the time
afer WAS fourteen. When | went there
Ruth and Robert-lhey were both twins
was just little tots in pinafores. Miss
Worthin's other children was sight older
and Ruth and Robert growed up all to
theirselves. like; for the older ones mar.
ried and went away afure the twins was
twelve year old. Sich happy children as
them two twins wasl A playn' or plan
min, Il studyin' or Il workin', they was al
wus together. Robert WAS master smart
about learnin' and Ruth wa MT q bit behind
him, eff she was womankind. The deacon
kalkerlatcd to send him to college. and
Robert took to studying Latin and Greek
and sich, and Ruth KEEP right along with
him, and guess she helped him morn he
her.
But this college notion didn't last
long afore he got in desperit way 10 60
10 sea. The deacon thought he might 60
just once to sicken him of sich life. 1t
didn't though, and he KEEP on goin', as boys
mostly do down on the coast Of Maine
it's born in EN-.
"When Ruth was nigh twenty year old
Miss Worthin' took Il stroke and went off
suddenly. The deacon never got over this
blow, and the next year when the laylocks
was blowin' we left him side of mother
as he alwus called her. They was all the
father and mother | ever knowed."
To hide touch of feeling in her voice
Keturah Ann gave the baby's clothes a
vigorous pull downwards, observing in
her usual stridulous tone
| The masterfullest baby to be alwus a
huntchln' up its clothes ever see."
"Where was Robert when his parents
died2" asked Mrs. Lane.
Il was going to say that he was off on
II long trip, and came home few months
afterwards. What should he bring with
ihm but queer kind of furrin wife, a
German, that he took off II wreck with
other poor, half-starved critters. How on
airlh they contrived to get acquainted and
fall in love with one mother, it beats me /;
for when she come TO us she couldn't scurse
speak II word except mine that | could
find out, and that she put in sich inspected
places that | used to laugh when | ought
n't-she poor furriner, and her family
all drowned.
But rs soon rs Ruth set eyes on this
Bertha Rubnstein she took to her and her
outlandish ways as ef she'd been born
sister"
But" suggested Mrs Lane, II
thought you were to tell me how Ruth
happened to marry John Dean. Had she
no beau, no lover, up to this timep"
"Sakes alive! plenty of 'em, sich as
they was. There was the school-master
that Ruth never got sight on but she'd
cen amost laugh in his face, he was that
queer and stiff in his ways; and there was
"A neighbours son with soft spot in his
head somewhere, for he wrote poetry and
things for the papers-believc he come tc
be editor afterwards Ruth couldn't beai
him. Then there was the sea captaing, :
sight older'n her, forever askin' her to &C
ridin or walkin with him, and she maxim
excuses and never goin'. Ruth nick
named him, in her funny way. Laird Dun
bedikes. and said he'd think bimeby She,