The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1880-04-02
Select Story.
QUIET RUTH; OR, GIVEN BACK.

QUIET RUTH OR, GIVEN BACK.
She was very quiet, my friend Ruth Earle.
Repose was in every line of her form and
every feature of her pretty face. The soft
waving hair, brown in the shadow and fleck.
ed with pale golden CLEANS when the sun
shone upon il; the solemn blue eyes, the
straight white brow-all very quiet to
intensity. She never blushed or trem-
bled, or went into ecstatics of ad-
miration, or fear or fun her smile rose on
her face and lit it, as the full moon does the
sky on a still summer night, and every tone
of her voice was low and musical, Some
called her cold, but | who knew her so well
tence she could embody the sentiments an
other girl would have spent an hour in de-
linating In one glance she could reveal a
perfect tempest Of joy, or love, or scorn
but the glances were rare and the words rar-
er, but Ruth's heart was usually a sealed
casket to all about her. A quiet interest and
sympathy in others veal and woe, peace
full sort of happiness-only those were OF
the surface and the torrent Of emotior
rolled on silently beneath
Why, of all the men on earth, Ruth
should have given her heart to my cousin
Charley Campbell, could not guess. How
he fierv and emotional to a degree, acting
on impulse altogether, loving everything
| that dashed and glittered and made noise
adoring martial music and passionate poet
ry, and always smtten by talkative, black
| haired, waltzipg, coquetting belles-eyer fel
in love with quiet Ruth Earle was still
stranger problem. When one fine Angus
evening he bounced into our parlor where
was sitting alone, and informed me withou
parley or preface, that he was engaged t
Ruth, in my astonishment exclaimed ''
should have as soon imagined mad bull EN-
gagged to ring dove?' and was very sorr
afterwards, it was such foolish, singula
speech. Still it did describe my feelings ex
actly
Everyone wondered, Young girls "won
dered what he could see in such quie
girl" young gentlemen wondered how sh
could like such wild scapegrace. BIT
when, at last, she came to me one day, anC
with both hands in mine, said, "n.ary, yo
do not know how dear he is to me-he is IN
| 1ita " / uapIaral NO lopuar for I E,,at., ht
Ruth had given him one of those irresist
BILE, unconscious glances of hers, and shC
HIM through the heart,
| think they were very happy all thi
bright autumn and when the winter car
the quiet contentment of Ruth's face deeI
ened, and every evening he was at her sid,
reading or singing, or talking to her in sof
loving whispers. Was she tanning down m
wild cousin? Could mortal woman do sue
a seemingly impossible thing? Were a
the wild oats sown-all the scrapes over?
seemed So
The careless boy was maturing into tn
high-bred man passionate and impulsiv
still, but with higher aims and better prir
ciples
The winter rolled away, the bright sprn
came, and when the fragrant apple blossom
were upon the trees, Ruth told me that tn
day was appointed for her bridal, and "
rode out together one morning to purcha,
satin and lace, and muslin for the bride
attire. Going hume together with the pa
cells slowed away in the bottom of the "
hicle, We met Cousin Charley, his cheel
aglow and his eyes dancing with suppresst
merriment. He waved his hand to Us ar
we paused.
Take me in, won't you" he said, plea
ingly. 81 have been to call upon you al
) of course found you mot at home Y
have a seat for me, know"
| siguifed my approval, and he jump
l in and seated himself beside Ruth.
"The 'Petral' came in to-day" he said,
we drove along. Did you hear the CUR
She is a fine vessel, just from India, with
set of the yellowest passengers you ever sa
Liver complaint is as common among The
as among French geese, and pepper is t
chief article Of their diet. Such tempers
they have, too; it would puzzle Ruth hers
to keep quiet among them"
How do you know so much about then
| inquired.
"Oh, I've been to breakfast with one
their number," replied Charley; ian old
b,b who is as rich as he is ugly, and "
has the handsomest wife-by the W
an old schoolmate of yours. Mary"
"WhO is she?' | asked
He replied by another question"
you remember Kate Glynn?"
"Kate Glynn? Yes. Is she the nabC
wife?"
'Of course she is. | met her coming
the boat this morning. She knew me
once. We had a desperate Irritation |,
ago. She is one of the red hot mad cap G
| used to like before | knew my snowt
here, and my face remained in her memt
g. She introduced me to her husband, and
OF invited me to breakfast. | revenged
Id self for the spices which burned my tons
IS. by burning the old fellows heart with j
y, ousy, and talking mysteriously of old tiG
He did not invite me to call again. but
tdid and | am qoinqD