Daily Kennebec journal., 1880-02-26
Gales ano Skettbes.
RUTH DEANI,S yISlr.

wv VI HtCVSssit IypSSiotihtV>s sAatt "
may not he out of humor with present in
sipids;" yet despite this l.amb-like max
i'm, il ever one planned, economixed, MAX
ing old gowns last twice their usual span.
that she might have one long cool holi-
day in new gowns and free from care, il
was Ruth Dean, the cheericst Of beings,
with the whitest teeth and brownest hair
that ever adorned mortal woman near
her fortieth birthday--an age when many
OF her sisters have lost youth. health, and
comeliness. and begin to have dim con-
sciousness that they ought to have died
when they We're young and tolerablc.
When Ruth first planned this visit to
her relatives away among Maine hills, she
was living in large Western city with
ne'er do-well husband. and graceless
young nephew. upon whom she lavished
all the pcnt.up motherhood that she had
never been called to expend upon chill
dren OF her own.
Why Ruth. the fairest and most lovable
of the five Worthing girls. should have
bound herself, fortuitously or otherwise,
to such bundle of obsnnacy and incapac-
ity Ms John Dean. while, OF her plain, Or
terprisng men, is a question for philoso-
piers 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. guilt
less of Darwinian theories in regard to
natural selection, and having positive ideas
of her own about matters in general,
"knowed," TO use her expressive Ian
guagc, "as well as she wanted to. Just
merryin' that shirless John Dean
"Ef anybody knows Ruth an all her
family an all their ways, it's me.n Ke-
two weeks old baby on her lap, and she
said this in answer TO some questions Of
Mrs. Lane in regard to Mrs. Dean.
"You see lived with Deacon Worthin's
folks, off and on, most of the time. after
was fourteen. When went there. Ruth
and Robert-they were both twins-was
Jest little tots in pinafores. Miss Worthin's
other children was a sight older and. am
Ruth an Robert growed up all to them
selves Ike for the older ones merried
and went away afore the twins was ten
year old. Such happy critters as them
two twins was A playin, plannin,' a
studyin' or workin' they was alwus to-
SctHtI IpDtIt WdS St1HVt UIUuJ
larnin' and Ruth wasn't bit behind him,
eff she was woman-kind. The Deacon
kalkcrlatcd to send him TO college, an.
Robert took to studyin' Greek an sich, an
Ruth KEEP right along with him, an" /
guess, she helped him more'n he did her.
but this college notion didn't last long
aiore he got in a desperit wayto go TO sea.
The Deacon thought he might go jestoncc.
to sicken him Of sich life. Itdidn'tt though.
an he KEEP on goin, as boys mostly do
down there OH the coast of Maine--it's
born in 'em.
when Ruth was nigh twenty year old
Miss Worthin' took "a stroke an went of
suddenly. The Deacon never got over
this blow, an next year when the laylocks
was BLOWN we left him side Of mother
as he alwus called her. They was al the
mother an father ever knowed''
To hide touch Of feeling in her voice
Keturah Ann gave the baby's clothes q
vigorous publ downwards, observing In
her usual stridulous tone
1.-The masterfiillest baby TO be alwus a
hunchin up its clothes ever see.''
Where was Robert when his parents
died ?" asked Mrs. Lane.
II was going to say he was of on long
trip, and came home n few months after
wards What should he bring with him
though. but queer kind Of turin wife,
a German. that he took off wrack with
other poor half-starved critters. How on
airth they contrived to get acquainted an
fall in love with one mother. It beats me !;
for when she come to US she couldn't
speak scurse a word except nine that
could make out, an, that she put In sich
onespected places that used to laugh
when oughtn't-she poor furriner an
all her family drownded.
But as soon as Ruth set eyes on this
Bertha Rubcnstcin, she took to her an all
her outlandish ways rs ef she'd been born
sister,
"But," suggested Mrs. Lane, "Tthought
you were to tell me how Ruth happened
to marry John Dean. Had she no beau.
no lover up to this timc?''
"Sakes alive! plenty Of 'em sich as they
was. There was the school-master. that
Ruth never got sight on but she'd e'en
Almost laugh in his face, he was that queer
and stiff in his ways; an there was a
neighbor's son with soft spot in his head
somewhcres, for he writ poems an things
for the papers-believe he came to be an
editor afterwards-Ruth couldn't bear
him. Then there was the sea-capting. a
sight older'n her. forever askin' Of her Ia
go ridin' or walkin' with him. an she
q maxim excuses. an never a goin.
Ruth nick-named him, in her funny way,
Laird Dumbiedikes, an said he'd think
bimeby she ought to marry him, she'd
known him so long. Then there wa
Roberts friend, Dick: real likely he was
too, an he was at the Descon's sight
but didn't call him beau then, for he
an Ruth was always sparrin' an q
argyfyin' and never seemed to agree aboul
notl,in.' They was the oppositcst bein'l
ever see-Ruth 80 quick an teeky. anal
Dick as cool as q cucumber.
Ruth was kind of an independent an
woman, rightsly, and was minded to say
that women didn't never have more'n hall
a chance, men was SO selfish an treated
'em as ef they was dollbabies. An Dich
believed, or pretended to. that the hull III
: Of female kind needed masters an protec
tors as much as the nigger slaves dowl
South. This would set Ruth right up. 70
she didn't believe in slavery no how.
1T was aoon after the Deacon died t1iors
was picnic on to one Of the fslands, N
Ruth an Dick both went. Whsn Rstl