The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1879-10-02
MISS RUTH'S EXPERIMENT.

81 never thought to see Sam Sher-
burne going to the bad, but he's on the
same road with the Brown boys, cutting
round nights, and no talkin' will keep
them at home. The Sherburnes are to
be pitied, for Sans the only one left"
"The heart is deceitful above all
things and desperately wicked" re-
turned the old store-keeper, in a tone
of fullest conviction. "Satan has an
easy field in the rising generation. 1t
does seem as If the latter days were
nigh at hand. Wickedness crops out
in the last place you'd expect to find
it. 1t does beat all to think how the
Lowgate boys seem to be going" "
Miss Ruth turned away with her
package and walked swiftly down the
village street; q trim, dainty figure in
her dark cloth dress. The words rang
in her ears, "It does beat all to think
how the Lowgate boys seem to be go
ing" Her path led over the common
to square brick house, flanked by a
low wing on either side and broad
piazza which held promise of summer
cheer. Great elms and naples were
set in lines up to the mass of outbuild-
ings. At the back was an orchard, and
gnarled and twisted apple-trees stand
| lu2 OuL dSoluSL tuC~6NCLluS ShN.
Ruth shivered q little as-she looked,
then ran up the steps, and, throwing off
her wrappings on the table in the broad
hall, entered q room warmed, and just
now lighted, by an old-fashioned Frank
lin steve, the shining brass fender and
andirons cleaning in the flashing fire.
light
$50 thee has come, Ruth" said a
placid voice, and Aunt Mercy Dysart
looked up from her knitting and smiled
at the girl, who drew a low chair to her
side and sat down with only an answer
ing smile. Now, with the light full
upon her face, one could see that she
must be considerably over twenty.
There were grave lines about the mouth,
and her firm chin and broad forehead
| needed all the sweetness in eye and
smile to contradict the impression of
| stcrnness. ..-..r..
proud as Lucifer," the village peo-
pie said, and Ruth, who wanted to be
| friends with all, found it hard to work
against this impression. Her ways
seemed strange and unfamiliar to them,
| and a flavor of the ancient feeling for
her house and name still tinctured
present thought and made the old peo-
pie say:
"She's a Dysart, an what else do
you look for but high notions and plenty
of themp''
Ruth at length raised her head and
turned to Aunt Mercy, who had been
looking at her from time to time, know
ing she should soon hear what the girl
had to say. These two were closest
friends, and exchanged experience and
opinions with as much freedom as if
forty years did not lie between them.
And Ruth spoke now as if all that had
gone before were perfectly understood.
1--we thought it all out, Aunt Mercy,
and you and I must do something. We
can't let them CO."
"Well, childP"
I" 1 really believe should go to the
bad myself in the same place. Do you
know that with all my resources-with
q hundred things to think about that
mean nothing to them-I get SO op-
pressed with the monotony, with the
intense and horrible dullness, that !
| want team to run away, or anything
to happen that will rouse us one mo-
ment. Aunt Mercy, those boys will be-
gin to drink-or do anything that
will give q new sensation and bring q
sense of life-and by and by there will
be one or two or three more reckless,
swearing, lounging creatures like the
Carsons in the other village. have
begun to believe villages like this are
doomed to destruction, unless something
is done to make them places where
some real life can be found. Aunt
Mercym ~ -HHt 'f-ts it.iI
"Well, childP' r r.. ft
"De you know, I took up an old
county history to-day. Forty years age
there were five hundred more people
here than now. Every man has gone
West except these old ones who are
almost ready for the next world, and
Just few who hold on because they
were born here and whose sons will gel
away a. fast as they can. Of course
the mill brings certain class, but tLeil
lives are as joyless as life in tread
mill. And vet here is this lovely
country, and these farms that ought tc
be homes and not prisons. Now, den't
you suppose it possible to stir up some
sense Of pride, some patriOtism-if thai
is the word-something that will make
these boys willing to stay, andwiii give
them something to think about. Aun
Mercy. have plan. Now listen, and
see what you think" ---. ~
"Tea first, child. and thee may tall
afterward. Thee should be hungry"
81 believe ! am" Ruth said, as Lin