Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-01-09

seemed to agree about nothin.' They
was the oppositest bein's l ever see
Ruth so quick an techy, an Dick as
cool as a cucumber.
Ruth was kind Of independent and
womansrightsy, and was minded to say
that women didn't have morn half a
chance, men was SO selfish, and treated
'em as eff they was doll babies. An
Dick believed, or purtended to, that the
hull kit of female kind needed masters
and pertecters as much as the niger
slaves down south. This, would set
Ruth right up, for she didn't believe in
slavery, no how.
"It was soon after the deacon died
that there was picnic of to one of the
islands, an Ruth an Dick, both went
When Ruth came back she looked aw-
full cut up about somethin' or mother,
and went right to her room. / herd
her trampin' up an down half the night.
L never know'd what was up for three
years, an then she was married to John
Dean an moved out west, an twas
only an aggravation." .5l...
At this juncture the baby, like Pip,
brought up by hand, made an cutlery.
Keturah Ann satisfied its demands,
and put it in its crib, saying with little
chuekie: ~-s 5
" There, you're blessed good speci-
men of the male sect in gineral, as
peaceful as a lamb when you're a stuff
fin somethin' into you that suits you,
am for jest little while afterward." As
Keturah took her sewing Mrs. Lane re-
marked smilingly: You have not
made it clear yet why your friend mar
ried John Dean" ,-e.e
Why, it's plain as day that she took
him because he choosed her, an seem
ed to wuship the ground she stood on
sameis many q woman has married
when she didn't get the one she'd soI
her heart on, an didn't keer about fly
ing in the face of. Providence. an not
marry at all. It's clear as can be that
she'd 81 drawin' towards Dick all the
time, for all her independence; an his
gOin' right off to California after that
picnic, and never seem of her, made
her kind of reckless like. One day
sswhen | WAS at Ruth's old home takin'
keer of Bertha's baby. while she an
Robert was off to sea, Dick walked right
in where [ was. They said he'd got
rich mimi, bat ne didn't look no
ways CHEEKY if he had. He. kept talk
in about Ruth, and asked eff thought
John Dean would make her life happy,
an all SIGH questions. He said little
Rubinstein looked more like Ruth than
Robert, an then he kissed him an
looked so down-hearted, / jest up an
asked him what happened at that pic
MIC. 1t all come out then that he'd
been loyin' Ruth right along; an that
day, when they was alone among the
cliffs, he'd told her he was goin' off to
be gone q long spell, an he wanted to
hey a seris talk long her: an Ruth
never stopped to hear what he was
gOln' to say, but turned an walked off
sayin' kind of scornful, she hoped he'd
have more. sense about women-folks
when he came back. An he went of
thinkin' she didn't care for him; but
SEEM that she was still Ruth Worthin'
the last time his folks writ him, he'd
come back to see if she wouldn't be his,
after all. An here was Ruth, another
mans wife out i'll Illinoy! l declare it
was awful peryokin' to see how them
two bein's, both Ofem 81 speakin' the
same tongue, an KNOWN one mother
all their days, went on to blind their
eyes and make SIGH mess, q upsettin'
all their happerness for life like two
material born ijets; when there was Rob-
ert and Bertha only knowed one moth
er six weeks or better, an' ONES talk all
gibberish to tother, an they found out
they was meant for one mother Tread
a novel all through, an Pm blest ef
Ruth and Dicks onsensible doin's wasn't
jest off q piece with the two lovers in
that story, for they went on actin con-
iterary through two vollems, an at last
come together by accerdent. But that's
Il sight better'n Ruth an Dick come out.
It's all for the best, though, an Pm not
findin' fault with Providence.
'GOd works in a mysterious way
Ills wonders to perform
Il am glad tEat you are no pessi-
mist" laughed Mrs. Lane. 81 hope
Ruth lived happily with John Dean"
why. yes, leastwise as fur as folks
knowed; for woman like Ruth, with
Il head full of ideas an common sense
don't go and tell the world she's made
a mistake an got the wrong man-she'd
be pulled in tatters afore she'd own it.
It's mostly them couples as is both
alike, one as weak as t'other, that brings
their little mean troubles afore the
world an law courts, an gets divorces
as eff them was n panaky for all their
miserableness. John Dean wasn't a
bad man; but kind of hard for woman
kind to deal with, for he was monster
conterary an hadn't much gumption
about business, an lost his property as
q child. Ruth couldn't do nothin'
to better things, for them kind O. men,
and the weaker they be the Wuss they
be-. is everlastin' afeared they'll be ruled
by women-folks. Little Stein, as Ruth
calls MIN, was with me at home when
Robert an Bertha was lost at sea, an
Ruth sent for me to fetch him to her.
1t nigh upon broke her heart to lose
'em both all of a sudden; but twas a
comfort, she said, to save Roberts
boy.
"Pve had a home with Ruth ever
since, eff a BUDDY ever is at home in. this
shifless out west" --..a s...-T
Being native of Keturah's scorned
"out west" Mrs. Lane hid smile in
her question:
'Has Mrs. Dean never been east to
see her relatives in all this timer"
keturah beeswaxed her thread and
gave her peculiar, chuckling laugh be-
fore she spoke.
"It's funny eff disappointments ever
is, but she hasn't ever been. When
Stein was 10 Years old, or upwards,
Ruth planned in her heart some way. to
take us all on good long pleasurin'
tower east; an John Dean seemed to
need q change more'n any of us, for