Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-03-06
LITTLE RUTH.
An Old Mans Story.

old age, feel the warm love around
me on all sides. and realize the desc
lation my own hand reached forth to
grasp; but was blind to the future
in those days when / so nearly wrecked
all its happiness.
This was how it happened. After
Martha died-my wife, I mean, with
whom forty happy years Of my life
were spent-and all my children were
dead OF married. excepting Ruth,
there fell upon me the heavy misfor-
tune that has chained me to this chair,
or bed, for fifteen weary years. [
had been a Woodworking man all my
life-a wheelWright by trade-with a
large family to rear, to clothe. to feed,
to educate, and. ali me one by one to
bury in the old churchyard, TIL only
Mary, James, and Ruth, our baby,
were left to me. Mary married, and
went with her husband to the far
west. James took his small fortune
of few hard earned dollars, and left
us for the golden land of promise,
California, and only little Ruth was
left us. Then the angel of death came
for Martha, and only six months later
I was stricken helpless with paraly-
sis.
l am reconciled now to ny hard
fate. and can sit here happily. glad
that my eyesight is still good, my
right hand free, and that I have
learned in my old age to love books.
to enjoy reading, and even writing.
as [ never did in the Woodworking
days of my youth. But in those first
months of helplessness, when even to
toss and turn in my nervous torture
was denied me, my sufferings were
simply horrible. No agony of pain,
no torture of flesh OF bone. could
equalthe dreadful pressure upon my
strong limbs, that held them motion
less, dead, in spite Of my efforts to
move them one little inch. [ have
tainted with the frightful efforts I
have made just to lift once the feet
that had carried me miles in day
with unwearied ease.
But even in that time of rebellious
murmuring. of bitterest repining,
there was some consolation. First,
there was the house and five acres of
land, my very own, free of debt or
mortgage, and a small sum in the
bank, the interest of which lifted us
above actual want, Then had Ruth.
She was just twenty when her
mother died, and others beside her
father thought her face the fairest
one for miles around. She had the
bluest eyes. like little patches of
summer sky, and hair that was the
color Of corn silk, and nestled in little
baby curls all over her head--rebel-
ious hair, that would never lie straight
under any cOaXing. but kinked up in
tangles that were full of sunlight.
Her skin was white as milk, with
cheeks like the heart of a blush rose,
and her smile showed the prettiest
rows of pearly teeth ever saw. .
She coaXed me from my wicked re
piningS by coming to me for directions,
making me feel that my head was still
needed to direct the work, though my
feet would never more carry me over
the dOOr-sill. Then she fitted up for
me large back room that overlooked
most of the farm, and had Silas. our
head man, lift me up every morning,
and put me in deep-cushioned chair
by the window, where l could see the
barn, the poultry yard, the well, and
the fields Of waving corn and wheat.
She made me feel myself ofimportance
by giving me thus the master-eye over
my own little domain and she brought
up her own meals to eat with me in
the room where my infrmity held me
prisoner.
You must understand what Ruth
was to me, or you will never under
stand the simple story I have set my
self to telling you. She taught me to
use my right hand without the left
and, if you want to appreciate the
difficulty, tie your left arm down for
one single hour, and try how often it
will uncOnSciOuSly strain at the cords.
She brought me books from the village
library, and opened to my old eyes and
brain a field of pleasure never before
explored. had read my bible and
the newspaper all my life; but never
even knew the names of books, now
my greatest treasures, till Ruth
thought reading would be company"
for me. Little Ruth, even she does
not know the world she peopled for me
III her loving care for my loneliness.
When she was busy about her house
work. her baking, her washing and
ironing, she left all the doors standing
open, that 1 might still hear her
CHEEKY voice as she sang or talked to
me. Then, when all her work was
done, she would put clean white
apron over her black dress, and sit
close beside me. stitching busily on
the household linen, while I read aloud
whatever had most pleased me in nv
morning studies.
She devised little dainty dishes to
tempt me to eat; she put saucers of
flowers on my table, that might cheat
myself into fancying was out doors.
as their perfume crept out on the air !:
she assured me, petted me, loved me.
till even my misfortunes seemed
blessings drawing us near together.
And when she was all the world to
me. all that saved me from misery.
John Hayes asked me to give him
Ruth for his wife. [ could have
struck him dead when he stood before
me. a young giant in strength. with
his handsome. sun burnt face glowing
with health, and wanted to take away
my one blessing, my only home-child,
81 will be true son to you. Mr..