Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-05-14

inlSfurtuneS seemed blessings draW "
ing uS nearer together.
And when she was. all the w0rl,
to me, all that saved me from mis-
cry, John Hayes asked me to Civ
him Ruth for his wife. ! c0ult
have struck him dead when h,
stood before me, young giant il
strength, with his handsome sun
burnt face glowing with health
and wanted to take away my on,
blessing, my only home child.
81 will be a true son to you, Mr.
Martini" he said, earnestly. 81
will never take Ruth from here
but let me come and share her life
and lift some of the burdens from
her shoulders"
I laughed bitterly. l knew well
what such sharing would be when
Ruth had husband, and perhaps
children, to take her time and her
love from me. But I was not harsh.
/ did not turn this suitor from my
house, and bid him never speak to
Ruth again, much as longed to do
it. j worked more cautiously. /
let him go from me to Ruth; and
when he left her and she came to
me, all rosy bushes, to tell me,
with dropping lids and moist eyes,
of her new happiness, l worked
upon her love and her sense of duty
till she believed herself monster
of ungrateful wickednes4 to think
of leaving me or taking any divid-
ed duty upon her hands.
Wept, asked her if she could
face her dead mother after desert
ing her helpless father. | pointed
out to her the unceasing round of
wifely duty that would keep her
FROM my side, and proved to her
that the duties of wife and child
must clash, if undertaken under
such circumstances as were pro-
posed.
The loving, tender heart yielded
to me, and John was tearfully dis
missed. Through the warm au-
tumn months, when the corn ripe
ened and was garnered-when our
crops were blessed and the little bank
fund was increased by the price
of the farm produce-Ruth grew
very quiet and subdued. She was
not sad, having always a CHEEKY
word and pleasant smile for me;
but the pretty rose tint left her
round cheeks, and / no longer
heard her singing at her work.
When L read the best pages in my
books to her, would see her eyes
fixed dreamily on some far-aWay |
thought, her work lying idle, till |
she woke with a start at my fretful |
questions.
For l grew fretful and trying in
those days. l wanted her to give
up woman's dearest hopes and
sweetest affections, and be the same
Ruth she was before my
hand tore away her love dreams.
wanted her to put away all the
loving tender ties of wifehood and
and pass. her life in
devotion at the armchair of par
alyzed old man. And when she
with gentle, touching
then l wanted her to
be the bright, happy girl, who had
resigned nothing, and who could
nurse sweet girlish fancies, with
JOhn for hero. An unreasonable
)ld tyrant, wasn't L?
The winter came in early that
year, and before Christmas every
hing was frozen up tight, and the
,old was intense. We piled up coal
n the stoves, listed doors and win
loWs-that is, Ruth did the work,
md [ enjoyed the result; but there
,ame one cold day-one Friday
when it seemed no Goals, no listing,
could conquer the cold. Children
roze on the way to school that day,
md were found, stiff and stark,
Gaming against the fences. Food
roze on the tables. Ask anybody
n Maine if they remember that
black Friday, and see if some
nother's eyes will not fill as they
hink of the little scarlet hooded
igures brought to their doors, white
nd rigid, that had lifted rosy,
ound cheeks for kiss only few I
lOurs before.
On this cold Friday, Ruth hur-
led through her work in the morn
ng, making my room the Warmest
'lace in the house, covering my
with soft wOoiens, and '
moving it near the stove. / would
ave it face the window, for my t
limpse of outdoor life was too
reciOus to resign; but L was not, as {
sual, near it, for Ruth said there E
night be a draught. .
When all was done indoors, [ {
aW from my chair Ruth, with a t
carlGt cloak and hood thrown over a
er, going to the well with an emp
Y bucket. She stepped along a
uickly over the hard, frozen G
round, and [ was admiring the
rim little feet and the dainty f
gure, when | saw her slide to the
No steps that were above the well g
'alls and fall. She had slipped, Q
nd she lay doubled up between y
le two wooden steps and the
)ugh sides of the well, as if she n
1uld not rise. Two or three times
er hands clutched the lower step, n
nd she raised herself half way up,
My to fall back again, as if her Y
mbs would not support her.
And l could only look on, power
IS to move to aid her. Oh, the
gony of it To know she was hurt,
nable to rise, and l helpless as Il
". / screamed and called for il
clip. Silas was somewhere, / could Il
OF tell where, and 1 called loudly r,
II him. could see, after a time, Ii
lat Ruth, after her frantic o
ruggles, was growing drowsy with Il
le death sleep of cold. The scarlet G.
Ood dropped more and more, till o
rested against the well-side, and Il
le blue-veined lids closed over her '
yes. The sight called from me b
lch a cry of agony as l thought Il
Iust be heard for miles. Il
1t was heard. A moment later e'
lhn Hayes, painting and eager o
1ed, burst open my door. v
"What is it?" he cried. "I heard q
0u calling on the road" -
"Ruthl Ruth ~ screamed. "She e
freezing TO death by the WE'LL" "
He stopped to hear no more. Out il
pom the hard, slippery ground, n
own the steps with swift, rapid II
rides, and then l saw him st0op it
I'd lift the little scarlet cloaKed o.
cure in his strong arms and come A
Witty back, bending his face b
own over the senseless one on his N
m, while hot tears rained down N
own cheeks. He put her on a ii
unge near my chair, and then W
ished out for snow. "Rub her, a,
Id her I" he said. 81 am going b
r doctor and for my mother" b