Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1880-02-27
NO. 50.
Gales ano Sketebes.
RUTH DEANE's VISIT.
lContinucd from Yesterday. }

"NnN, II pam as uaN ul9t Shc TOOK
him because he chooscd an seemed to
worship the ground she stood on: samc's
many a woman has mcrricd when she
didn't cit the one she'd sot her heart on.
an didn't keer about ;lving in the face of
Providence an not merry at all. It's
clear as can he that she'd drawin' to-
wards Dick all the time. for all her inde-
pendence; an his goin' right on to Cali
tornia after that picnic, an never seein' Of
her. made her kind OF reckless like. One
day when was at Ruth's old home TAX
in kecr of Bertha's baby, while she and
Robert was off To sea, Dick walked right
in where was. They said he'd got rich
a minin'. hu, he didn't look no ways
CHEEKY IL he had He KEEP talkin' about
Ruth, and asked efI thought John Dean
would make her life happy. an all sich
questions. He said little Rubenstcin
looked more like Ruth than Robert, an
then he kissed him an looked SO down.
hearted, Jest up and asked him what
happened ut that picnic. II all come out
then that he'd been lovin' Ruth right
along; an that day. when they was goin'
of to be gone long spell, an he wanted
to have n seris talk long other; and Ruth
never stopped to hear what he was goin
to say, hut turned an walked of. sayin
kind Of scorful, she hoped he'd have
more sense about women folks when he
came back An he went of. thinkin' she
didn't kccr for him hut seein' that she
was still Ruth Worthin' the last time his
folks writ him. he'd come back to see if
she would be his after all. An here was
Ruth, another mans wife. out In lllinoy
declare it was awful pervokin' to see
how them two bein's both on 'em speak
in the same tongue, an known one moth
er all their days. went on to blind their
eyes an make sich mess, a upsettin all
their happerness for life. like two material
born ijets; when there was Robert an
Bertha only knowed one mother six weeks.
or better, an ones talk all gibbcrish to
t'othcr. an they found out they was meant
for one mother. read n novel once all
through. an I'm blessed Of Ruth an
Dicks onscnsible doin's want Jest of Il
piece with the two lovers in that story. for
they went on actin conterary through two
vollems, an at last come together by ac-
cerdent. But that's sight better'n Ruth
and Dick come out. It's all for the best.
though. an I'm not findin' fault with
Providence.
God works in mysterious way
His wenders 10 perform.'' %
81 am glad that you are no pessimist,'' y
laughed Mrs. Lane. II hope Ruth lives
happily with John Dean"
"Why, yes. leastwisc as fur as folks
knowed; for a woman like Ruth, with a
head full of ideas and common sense don't
20 a tcllin' all the world she's made n
mistake an got the wrong man-she'd bc
pulled in tatters aforc she'd own 1t. 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 git divorces, as ef them was
panaky for all their miscrableness. John
Dean wasn't bad man; but kind of hard
for woman kind to deal with; for be was
monster conterary, and hadn't much gump-
| ton about business. an lost his property
rs reckless as child. Ruth conldn't do
nothin' to better thing, for them kind OF
men, an The weaker they be the wuss they
| be. is cverlastin' aicared they'll be ruled
| by womcn-folks. Little Stein, as Ruth
calls him. was with me ut home when
Robert and 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 acomfort, she said,
| to have Roberts boy.
"I've had a home with Ruth ever since.
ef n budy ever is at home in this shit'less
| out West
Being native of Keturahs scorned
''out West. Mrs. Lane hid smile in her
question:
'.IIas Mrs. Dean never been East TO see
her relatives in all this timeP''
Keturah bcwaxed her thread, and gave
her peculiar chuckling laugh before she
spoke.
''lt's funny, ef disappointments ever is,
but she hasn't ever been. When Stein
was ten year old, or upwards. Ruth planed
in her heart some way to take us all on
| good long pleasurin' tower East: an
than any Of us, Tor he'd been failin' all
that spring. Ruth. she teached in friends
school an colored photographs, that it
;mightn't come hard on John for the out
Ilay; an VIC was all ready, trunks all
.packcd. an the airly roses blowin' an
the black dust chokin' us, when poor
John was took down with a shock of
.p'ralysis. Instead Of holiday amongst
them blessed Maine hills. we staid in TINT
hot city all that tlivclong summer tendin
on that poor, sick mortal.
Ruth wasn't angel; but she was bet
tern one Of 'em, floppin' their wings
around in n sick room. fer she was wo-
man with human hands an cherry words !;
an he was childish, onrestful inverlid.
"Twas along in the winter he died
and when the sound Of them frozen clods
fallin' on his coffin struck Ruth's ears,
she tainted dead away in my arms.
P'rap's you don't believe it; 'tish't them
we loved most an been happiest with that
we weep bitterest tears for when there
gone it's sorrow. for happiness we never
had, cuts deepest.
.sAfter while we moved down here to
this village. the decentest place ever see
out West, for it has . few little rocks In
the road, an a little risin' ground. An
Ruth, with her school for little children,
an her studyin', an her edicatin' Of Stein
has been kind Of peaceful an content
She's minded all along through to max.
that visit East, an twice scnce John dice
we've been EN- most started, an some
thin has turned up to hinder; but gucs